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AS THE Caribbean Community seeks to cope with increasing challenges amid the rapidity of global changes, there are recurring calls, from various quarters, for the regional integration movement to move with vigour and vision to embrace new and relevant approaches for attainment of major socio-economic and political objectives. This past Monday night, in addressing the opening session of a two-day meeting of CARICOM’s Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) in his capacity as new chairman, Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Minister, Winston Dookeran, considered it timely to urge the pursuit of a new paradigm (model) in diplomacy to deal with the changing global environment.
In the thinking of the former University of the West Indies lecturer and ex-Governor of the Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank, there is urgent need for a collective response by CARICOM to respond to “the populist concern that Caribbean integration has less benefits than promoted…
“And while this is not necessarily a true statement, we must recognise the limits of our integration processes…and how we need strong and brave diplomacy to go into a new frontier…”
Those who are familiar with the modalities of conduct of foreign policy by member states of CARICOM should have no serious problems in appreciating why the COFCOR chairman thought it necessary to go public with his idea for a new collective strategy in pursuit of foreign policy objectives relevant to the region’s current and future needs.
Perhaps we may learn more about the likely development of such a policy by the Caribbean Community by the time of, if not before, the next summit meeting of our Heads of Government in Port-of-Spain in July this year.
However, there are others who, while embracing the need for new collective approaches in our diplomacy, feel that of much more relevance and urgency is the pursuit of a thorough overhaul of policies and programmes pertaining to the vital area of national security, with a primary focus on arresting the frightening crime epidemic afflicting the entire CARICOM region. According to the latest (2012) UNDP Human Development Report, “youth crime” alone cost this region between 2.8 and four per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and involved operations of criminal gangs.
In this context, it seems necessary for us to learn what, if any, new initiative is underway by the member governments to urgently deal, as a matter of high priority, with the current scourge of gun-related crimes that’ s wasting lives and disrupting villages and communities in member states of our Community.
Perhaps, while Foreign Minister Dookeran pursues with his CARICOM ministerial colleagues the need for a “new paradigm” in diplomacy, his Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who chairs the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Crime and Security, should endeavour to have a working document outlined with new approaches in combatting crime and safeguarding national/regional security for a special meeting of Heads of Government for next July’s scheduled summit, if not earlier.
The cynics may be inclined to dismiss this as “more talking than doing”, but while I understand this mood, it is better to at least “talk” about what’s outlined in a document of relevance, than to just engage in customary ole’ talk, without any plan, or, worse, no intention to ‘walk the talk’. Let us do so on the diplomatic front, as well as combating the dreaded crime menace.
Guyana was represented at the Port-of-Spain meetings by Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who is expected to speak to the local media`on the outcome of the just-concluded meetings in Port of-Spain.
In the thinking of the former University of the West Indies lecturer and ex-Governor of the Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank, there is urgent need for a collective response by CARICOM to respond to “the populist concern that Caribbean integration has less benefits than promoted…
“And while this is not necessarily a true statement, we must recognise the limits of our integration processes…and how we need strong and brave diplomacy to go into a new frontier…”
Those who are familiar with the modalities of conduct of foreign policy by member states of CARICOM should have no serious problems in appreciating why the COFCOR chairman thought it necessary to go public with his idea for a new collective strategy in pursuit of foreign policy objectives relevant to the region’s current and future needs.
Perhaps we may learn more about the likely development of such a policy by the Caribbean Community by the time of, if not before, the next summit meeting of our Heads of Government in Port-of-Spain in July this year.
However, there are others who, while embracing the need for new collective approaches in our diplomacy, feel that of much more relevance and urgency is the pursuit of a thorough overhaul of policies and programmes pertaining to the vital area of national security, with a primary focus on arresting the frightening crime epidemic afflicting the entire CARICOM region. According to the latest (2012) UNDP Human Development Report, “youth crime” alone cost this region between 2.8 and four per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and involved operations of criminal gangs.
In this context, it seems necessary for us to learn what, if any, new initiative is underway by the member governments to urgently deal, as a matter of high priority, with the current scourge of gun-related crimes that’ s wasting lives and disrupting villages and communities in member states of our Community.
Perhaps, while Foreign Minister Dookeran pursues with his CARICOM ministerial colleagues the need for a “new paradigm” in diplomacy, his Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who chairs the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Crime and Security, should endeavour to have a working document outlined with new approaches in combatting crime and safeguarding national/regional security for a special meeting of Heads of Government for next July’s scheduled summit, if not earlier.
The cynics may be inclined to dismiss this as “more talking than doing”, but while I understand this mood, it is better to at least “talk” about what’s outlined in a document of relevance, than to just engage in customary ole’ talk, without any plan, or, worse, no intention to ‘walk the talk’. Let us do so on the diplomatic front, as well as combating the dreaded crime menace.
Guyana was represented at the Port-of-Spain meetings by Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who is expected to speak to the local media`on the outcome of the just-concluded meetings in Port of-Spain.
