In order for Caribbean governments to better serve their citizens, they will sometimes need to cooperate with other governments in and outside of the region, especially in the area of trade. Governments will develop trade agreements in order to facilitate the easy movements of goods, services and people from one country to another. A trade agreement is a formal agreement between two or more countries about improving trade with each other, for example by removing import taxes:
They signed a trade agreement that scraps most of the tariffs on trade in manufactured goods between the two countries.
A trade agreement between only two countries is a bilateral trade agreement. A trade agreement that exists with more than two countries is called a multilateral trade agreement. One of the major trade agreements that exists within the Caribbean region is Caricom.
What is Caricom?
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM or CC) is an organisation of fifteen Caribbean nations and dependencies. Its primary objectives/purposes are to: 1. promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, 2. ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, 3. to coordinate foreign policy
When was it started?
It was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas which took effect on 1 August 1973. The first four signatories were Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
Members of Caricom
Caricom has a membership of 15 full-member states and 5 associated states. Caricom is a multilingual organisation as there are four official languages spoken by citizens of Caricom. These are English, Spanish, French and Dutch.
Organisational Structure of Caricom
Chairmanship
The post of Chairman (Head of CARICOM) always rotates from Caricom one country to another. The post of Chairman will either by held by A Head of State (president) or A Head of Government (prime minister). The current Caricom chairman is Dr. Timothy Harris, prime minister of St. Kitts-Nevis.
The Secretariat of the Caribbean Community
This is the principal administrative organ for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and is headed by the secretary general. It is located in Georgetown, Guyana.
The Secretary General of the Caribbean Community
Refers to the person who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community and the head of its principal administrative organ, the CARICOM Secretariat. The current Secretary General is Irwin LaRocque.
Other organs (organisations) of Caricom
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