By July, the Caricom-wide arrest warrant treaty could be ready for signature but the implementation of decisions continues to be delayed by poor consultative mechanisms at the national and regional level.
This is according to Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, who told reporters at the closing of the 28th inter-sessional meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government in Georgetown yesterday that in order to improve Caricom’s implementation record,
“we have to address the decision-making process.”
For decades, Caricom has been complaining about the poor execution of decisions and this has gained much attention at summits and been the subject of reports but the problem remains.
LaRocque explained that there are two types of decision-making within Caricom: one at institutional level where some of the organs of community are not meeting on a timely basis and taking too long to address some of these issues; and the other at a national level, where consultations are also taking a long time.
He specifically mentioned the Caricom arrest warrant and ill-gotten assets treaties, which Heads of Government had hoped to sign at this week’s meeting. These instruments, which have been identified as important to Caricom’s efforts to address transnational crime and improve regional security, have not been completed because it is still before the Legal Affairs Committee.
According to LaRocque, Heads of Government have assured that they will do what is necessary to ensure these organs meet. The Legal Affairs Committee, especially, is expected to have the treaties ready for signing in July.
Additionally, the Secretariat will address consultation at national and regional levels to speed up implementation of decisions already made.
He explained that a review of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) conducted over the last month has been able to identify member states which have not complied with certain protocols.
The Heads of Government have consequently set a March 31 deadline for these states to report on why they have not complied.
President David Granger, who chaired the meeting, shared LaRocque concerns, telling reporters that the Heads of Government “continue to be concerned that previous decisions have not been fully complied with and agreed that the necessary action will be taken to effect compliance. In that regard, the meeting also addressed the need for the relevant ministerial councils and committees to meet.”
He, however, commended the significant progress made in the implementation of the CSME even as he acknowledged that the matter of the free movement of skilled persons was an area of concern for some. “We agreed on priority areas to be addressed, including the completion of the protocol on procedures relating to facilitation of travel. We [also] agreed on priority areas to be addressed including the challenges of payments for goods and services traded within the region,” Granger explained.
