CARIBBEAN ROUND-UP: Caricom foreign ministers in critical political, economic review

The Jamaica ObserverRickey Singh Tuesday, May 06, 2003

BRIDGETOWN -- Caribbean Community foreign ministers will undertake a general overview of critical international political and economic developments of importance to the region during a two-day meeting scheduled for this week in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Issues for consideration and action would include international challenges such as the post-war situation in Iraq and its consequences for the Caribbean; emerging global security and social threats, as well as "threats to multilateralism" and what really constitutes "humanitarian intervention".

According to the draft agenda, a copy of which was obtained by the Observer, other matters for general review by the foreign ministers meeting which gets under way this Thursday, will also include:

"Democracy and governance; global trade negotiations that will embrace the state of preparedness by the region's governments and the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery RNM), and problems and challenges peculiar to small states with disadvantaged economies.

The meeting, being hosted by the government of prime minister Ralph Gonsalves, comes at a time when there continues to be international controversy over concepts of "pre-emptive war" without endorsement of the United Nations and the shift away from multilateralism to a unilateralist approach in international affairs as demonstrated in the war against Iraq.

Implementation of the "revised strategy" on the coordination of the foreign policies of the 14 independent member states of Caricom is high on the agenda for the meeting at which all of the community countries are expected to be represented.

Trade, economic and other relations with states and regions, including Canada, Japan, the European Union, Central America and the Association of Caribbean States will be addressed based on information and analyses submitted by regional technocrats and the Community's Secretariat.

Human rights and democracy issues as well as the ongoing political impasse in Haiti over arrangements for new general election, and the political situation in Venezuela, based on presentations by the Caricom Ambassadors Group to the Organisation of American States (OAS) have also been placed on the agenda for this Sixth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR).

Hemispheric bilateral relations between Caricom and selected states, to be addressed by the foreign ministers will include preparations for the inaugural meeting of the Caricom-Chile Joint Commission and recommendations on Cuba's proposed agreement for closer cooperation with the Community.