CARIBBEAN Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government are meeting in Georgetown for the yearly Inter-sessional Summit but in a different global landscape.The Heads have advised that on their agenda are issues of regional security, crime, information communication technology, tourism, energy efficiency and the Single Market Economy. That these issues are of critical importance to the safety, growth and development of member states and their peoples none can deny. Juxtaposing these deserving attention are the new political and social dynamics in the United States (U.S) and United Kingdom (UK), two countries the region shares deep relations.

Last June the UK voted to exit the European Union (EU), an organisation CARICOM and the Dominican Republic share an Economic Partnership Agreement with, and where Britain was the EU’s biggest trading partner. Last November the US voted to change the country’s direction and newly-elected President, Donald Trump, in his Inauguration Address, laid out his America First Policy.

Both countries whose prior leadership pursued compassionate and inclusionary policies – national and foreign – were rejected by the electorates. And the best way to confront matters of such nature is to be prepared for it, where the regional agenda is not pursued in isolation of the international dynamics that will inevitably impact.

Immigration will be affected and likewise trade, which will impact the region’s growth and development. Where the U.S has intensified rounding up illegal immigrants for deportation, among this group will be Caribbean people. This will impact the support this group provides for those at home via remittances and challenges such as resettling and families being torn apart.

Though President Trump’s Executive Order banning immigrants from six predominantly Muslims countries from entering the U.S has been rejected by the U.S Court, his determination to pursue this policy could possibly impact the region, where we have significant populations in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. Caribbean governments must plan around these realities.

The region still suffers from widespread poverty, unemployment and under-employment. There remains a far way to go to maximise its productive endeavours and ensure the productivity of its people. It would be a welcomed position if the region’s security could expand beyond crime to include food, education, health, environment and alternative energy. Taking a wide-angle view can see the enlisting of strategic approaches to empower the people with requisite skills and competences to respond and compete to challenges faced in reducing crime, eradicating poverty and unemployment through increasing production of goods and services.

The region continues to spend billions of US dollars yearly on food import, which poses a threat to its Food Security and country’s sovereignty. Redirecting such scare resources could cause the region to capitalise on the new direction in organic food production. In addition to enhancing the GDP, HDI, new employment and economic opportunities are created, and could minimise forced migration.

Getting the elusive Single Economy going is critical to realising the spirit and intent of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). The Single Economy is a necessity to recognising the Economic Partnership Agreement. Consequently, it may be necessary for the Heads to look at addressing its implementation by way of a Regional Economic Plan. This could see the maximisation of resources and talents where countries cooperate among themselves to strengthen their competitive advantage in the international market.

The concept of co-operating regionally to compete internationally is not new to the region. The Founding Fathers (Forbes Burnham, Eric Williams, Errol Barrow and Norman Manley) mooted this idea in the formative years. Each country has unique resources and collectively applied can bring about complete products. For instance it was deliberated upon that the region would have engaged in aluminium production. Guyana and Jamaica would have produced the bauxite, and Trinidad and Tobago the energy, using a smelter to produce the final product.

Where concerns are expressed and discussions centred around reducing CARICOM’s Food Import Bill, which the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) fears will create increase burden on our economies, and attendant socio-economic ills should such not be reversed, it is opportune to seriously look inward to addressing this problem.

Surimane, Guyana and Belize have vast landmass, with Haiti and Jamaica large populations, relative to their country’s sizes. CSME could examine creating a special category for free movement to pursue organic farming and production. Where in 2014 the world organic food industry reached US $80 billion and is growing, preferential focus and treatment should be explored. The world has changed since the last summit and CARICOM Governments have to adapt to the changing realities, as a matter of necessity, to ensure the safety, growth and development of its people.