THE FAILURE to identify a new Secretary-General for the Caribbean Community, or to indicate any progress in coming to grips with the need for a new and relevant management structure at the Georgetown-based Secretariat, continues to attract attention across the region. Just recently, the ‘JAMAICA OBSERVER’ editorially declared (on May 31) that in deciding at their ‘special retreat’ in Guyana last month to put on ‘pause’ arrangements for the promised vital single economy, the Heads of Government may well be “sounding the death knell of CARICOM.”
As the Observer disappointingly noted, the Community’s leaders are yet to explain to the region’s peoples the specific problems/challenges that prevent them from advancing the process towards a seamless regional economy.
The Single Market component of the CSME came into effect in 2006, and it was originally estimated that the single economy could be inaugurated by 2008. However, it was subsequently revised, hopefully, to inaugurate the single economy dimension by 2015.
Now, following last month’s ‘special retreat’ ironically to consider ways to ‘re-energise’ the regional integration movement,  no timeframe has been offered for advancing specific segments of the single economy; no information provided on new initiatives to be pursued in order to keep faith with the Community’s people in making a reality of this promised ‘flagship project’.
In the circumstances, the Observer was left to “wonder what happened to the once shared vision of the region benefiting economically and socially from a strong and united CARICOM,” and in frustration express “the hope that our leaders are not now sounding the death knell for CARICOM…”
A week later (on June 7), the ‘JAMAICA GLEANER’may well have put the proverbial cat among the pigeons by throwing the weight of its own editorial influence in calling last Tuesday for outgoing President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo to be chosen by the region’s Heads of Government as the new Secretary-General of the 15-member Caribbean Community.
Interestingly, the newspaper based its suggestion in favour of the Guyanese Head of State on the basis of qualities that should be required in the choice of a new Secretary-General to succeed the retired Edwin Carrington. And it cited the criteria listed by the current CARICOM chairman, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, in a ‘working document’ he had circulated to Heads of Government ahead of their two-day ‘special retreat’.

Qualities for SG
“The new Secretary General,” according to Thomas, “should be capable of driving the regional integration project; one who is imbued also with a sense of political and diplomatic strategy; who brings to the office sufficient  personal stature to be a respected, courageous and independent chief executive…”
In this regard, the Gleaner, in concurring, editorialized: “Our choice for the post is Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, who will leave his job as President of Guyana in August (following new presidential and parliamentary elections) after a dozen years…”
The Gleaner went on to observe: “Jagdeo knows his own mind; can talk frankly to the Heads of Government; and has a strong sense of what is important for the advance of the regional integration project…”
The question of a new Secretary-General to succeed Edwin Carrington, who retired at the end of last year, was among matters discussed at the ‘special retreat’ in Guyana. It is known that some Heads have been unofficially floating suggestions at CARICOM meetings of a new administrative structure at the Georgetown-based Secretariat that could at least result in Jagdeo being part of an empowered management mechanism, if not Secretary-General.
I was unsuccessful in reaching Prime Minister Thomas for a response to the Gleaner’s suggestion for President Jagdeo as new Secretary-General (he was away in New York, participating in the United Nations High-Level Conference on HIV/AIDS ). However, in a brief response when I reached him by phone to enquire into the Gleaner’s editorial suggestion that he should be invited to serve as the  new Secretary-General of CARICOM, this was what the Guyanese Head of State had to say:

Jagdeo’s response
“While I appreciate the sentiment expressed by ‘THE GLEANER’, being the new Secretary-General is not a matter of interest to me. I do, however, share the concerns being increasingly expressed about the future of CARICOM and, therefore wish to give the assurance publicly of my willingness to avail my skills and acquired experience to help in advancing specific initiatives to make the regional economic integration movement improve the quality of life for our Caribbean people…”
Even as Jagdeo was offering his response, ‘THE GLEANER’ had another editorial in its online edition last Wednesday, rebuking the Trinidad and Tobago Government for its recent decision to appoint the retired Edwin Carrington as that country’s ‘ambassador to CARICOM’.
Titled ‘T&T’s bad move with Carrington’, the editorial noted: “Even as we acknowledge Mr. Carrington’s professionalism, and his capacity to rise above the fray, it would be a relationship (as ambassador to the Community) fraught with the potential for tension and challenges, based on assumed motive rather than the pursuance of one’s brief…”
Just last week I had raised questions of my own about the ‘politics’ of Carrington’s appointment as T&T’s envoy to CARICOM, which is viewed as a curious diplomatic posting. But of wider concern, as is becoming increasingly evident, is the apparent lack of political will to rescue the regional integration movement from the inertia in which it is gripped, and that has resulted in the very surprising decision by the Heads of Government to place ‘on pause’ arrangements to advance the ‘single economy’ dimension of the CSME.
In this perceived prevailing ‘dark season’ for CARICOM, our Heads of Government should perhaps revisit, for a good read, the seminal 1992 ‘Time for Action’ Report by The West Indian Commission, instead of expediently advising themselves, as they did at their ‘retreat’ — against being “media-driven in making decisions.”
The West Indian Commission’s recommendations on ‘structures of unity’ that extend to enlightened executive management of the Community’s business, and consistent with national sovereignty, makes all the more relevant the working document  that was circulated for the ‘retreat’ by Prime Minister Thomas on ‘Re-energising CARICOM Integration’.
Sadly, instead of being ‘energised’, the integration process, in general, seems to be on a very slow march, with the single economy dimension now officially admitted to be on ‘pause’.