Caricom Formation

Caricom- Caribbean Community and Common Market The formation of Caricom came about when the initial four countries’ governments saw the need for an integration of its members and economies, and the creation of a common market. When the West Indian Federation came to an end in 1962, Caricom was established as a means of regional integration. The West Indian Federation was a political union and consisted of ten countries- which are now states of Caricom- with the exception of Belize, The Bahamas and Guyana.The ending of the Federation meant the beginning of more serious efforts on the part of all Caribbean leaders to strengthen the existing ties among them by providing opportunities for the continuance and sustaining the areas of co-operation. The idea of Caricom was proposed by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago when it announced its withdrawal from the West Indian Federation. Hence, the first Heads of Government Conference was summoned by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. This conference was attended by the leaders of Barbados, British Guiana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.These four countries agreed that there was an immense necessitate for closer co-operation in the Caribbean region. At the eighth Heads of Government Conference in Georgetown, Guyana in April 1973, the decision to establish Caricom was authorized with the signing of the Georgetown Accord. Caricom was finally established on July 04, 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. This treaty was signed by the Heads of Government of Barbados- Mr. Errol Barrow, Guyana- Mr. Forbes Burnham, Jamaica- Mr. Michael Manley and Trinidad and Tobago- Dr. Eric Williams. After many years of existence, Caricom has extended to fifteen members of state.Members of State of Caricom Name of Country| Capital City| Name of Head of State| Head of Government | Date of Membership| Antigua And Barbuda| St. John's| Dame Louise Agnetha Lake-Tack, Governor-General| Winston Baldwin Spencer| 4th July , 1974| The Bahamas| Nassau| H. E. Sir Arthur A. Foulkes, GCMC, Governor General| Perry G. Christie| 4th July, 1983| Name of Country| Capital City| Name of Head of State| Head of Government | Date of Membership| Barbados| Bridgetown| H. E. Ellliot Belgrave, Governor General| Freundel Stuart| 1st August, 1973| Belize| Belmopan| H. E. Sir Colville N. Young Snr. Governor General| Dean Oliver Barrow| 1stMay, 1974| Dominica| Roseau| H. E. Dr. Nicholas Joseph Orville Liverpool, DAH, President| Roosevelt Skerrit| 1st May,1974| Grenada| St. George's| H. E Sir Carlye Glean GCMG, Governor General | Tillman Thomas| 1st May,1974| Guyana| Georgetown | His Excellency Donald Ramotar| 1st August,1973| Haiti | Port-au-Prince| His Excellency Michel Joseph MartellyPresident| July, 2002| Jamaica| Kingston| The Most Honorable Patrick Linton Allen, ON, GCMG, CD – Governor General| The Most Honorable Portia Simpson – MillerPrime Minister| 1st August,1973| Montserrat| Plymouth| H.E. Mr. Adria n Derek Davis, Governor| Honorable Reuben Meade Premier| 1st May,1974| Saint Lucia | Castries| H. E. Dame Perlette Louisy, GCMG, PhD, Governor General| Dr. The Honorable Kenny D. AnthonyPrime Minister| 1st May,1974| St Kitts And Nevis| Basseterre| H. E. Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian, Governor General| The Right Honorable. Dr. Denzil Llewllyn DouglasPrime Minister| 26th July,1974| St. Vincent and the Grenadines| Kingstown| Sir Frederick Nathaniel Ballantyne, Governor General| Dr. the Honorable Ralph E.GonsalvesPrime Minister| 1st May,1974| Suriname| Paramaribo| His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse President| 4th July,1995| Trinidad and Tobago| | His Excellency George Maxwell Richards, TC, CMT, PhD President| Honorable Kamla Persad-BissessarPrime Minister| 1st August ,1973| Caricom also has its Associate Members (located in the territories of the United Kingdom): * Anguilla * Bermuda * British Virgin Islands, * Cayman Islands and * Turks and Caicos Islands Caricom Secretariat Th e Caricom Secretariat is the principal administrative organ of the ommunity and is headed by a Secretary General, who is the CEO of the community. The Caricom Secretariat is located in Guyana and the current Secretary General is Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, a national of Dominica. Functions of the Caricom Secretariat * Initiate, organize and conduct studies. * Provide, on request, services to Members of State of Caricom on matters of the community. * Collect, store and disseminate relevant information to Member States. * Mobilize resources from donor agencies to assist in the implementation of Community Programmes. * Conduct, as mandated, fact-finding assignments in Member States.Offices and Directorates Offices * Secretary-General * Deputy Secretary-General * General Counsel * Office of Trade Negotiations | Directorates * Foreign and Community Relations * Human and Social Development * Trade and Economic Integration * Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States   (CARI FORUM)| Reference â€Å"Caricom Member States† 2011, Caricom. org. http://www. caricom. org/jsp/community/member_states. jsp? menu=community â€Å"Formation of Caricom† May 2006, Scribd. com http://www. scribd. com/doc/2905473/Introduction-to-CARICOM-CSME