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There should be no hesitation in admitting the Dominican Republic into the fold as the 16th CARICOM state.
If the Bahamas (probably the most anti-CARICOM of the 15 member states) could have been admitted as the 13th CARICOM member, and if Haiti (there can be no benefit whatsoever to CARICOM by having Haiti as a member) could have been admitted as the 15th CARICOM member, why not the Dominican Republic? Having said this, I suspect that admitting the Dominican Republic will be a mere formality, as that Hispanic nation is already virtually a member (CARICOM + Dominican Republic = CARIFORUM).
Technical team considering Dominican Republic's Caricom application
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Sunday Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, May 10, 2009
CARIBBEAN Community (Caricom) heads are to once again consider an application from the Dominican Republic for membership in the 15-member grouping when they meet in July of this year.
Jamaica's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Kenneth Baugh at a press briefing that followed the 12th Meeting of Caricom's Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) which ended yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in Kingston. (Photo: Jeremaine Barnaby)
The issue, which was one of the major items up for mention at the 12th Meeting of Caricom's Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), has been referred to a technical team for further consideration.
"There are a lot of issues to be addressed in the context of this relationship with the Dominican Republic, but the general spirit is yes. It is one of welcoming the Dominican Republic," said Jamaica's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Kenneth . He was addressing a press conference at the Hilton Kingston Hotel after the two-day meeting ended yesterday.
"That relationship takes several forms," he explained. "There is a Free Trade arrangement already in place and, secondly, Dominican Republic is part of CARIFORUM - which is Caricom plus the Dominican Republic - and we have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with Europe and that has certain implications with the Dominican Republic in terms of trading relationship," Baugh continued. He added that the re-submission of the application for membership was a "very important step".
"They have renewed their application so this is now under consideration. We are looking at the details of the implications of that in terms of what it means for training, our economies and other kinds of relationship within the context of them being a member of Caricom," Baugh said. He said it was hoped that the issue will be submitted for consideration to the July 1 to 4 Conference of Caricom Heads of Government in Guyana.
"It's a further step in expanding the Caribbean, there is no question. It is in our interest to expand in terms of penetrating those markets... the bigger the marketplace the better it is. Expanding Caricom into other countries is a work in progress, it is an ongoing affair," Baugh added.
In the meantime, COFCOR also endorsed the proposal emanating from the Fifth Summit of the Americas for the establishment of a hemispheric development fund for Haiti. According to Dr Baugh, ministers in attendance acknowledged the considerable development assistance being granted to Haiti by bilateral and multilateral donors, and underscored the need for donor assistance to support in particular the development of Haiti's productive sectors.
He said the meeting agreed to hold consultations with the relevant stakeholders, with a view to having the proposal tabled at the General Assembly of the Organisation of American States to be held in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in June 2009, and for the issue of an appropriate resolution on the matter by the General Assembly.
With respect to the Global Financial and Economic Crisis and the negative effects posed by it, COFCOR has "agreed to monitor the situation given its foreign policy implications". The Council also underscored its intention to vigorously advance the region's position on the issue in the relevant international fora. It agreed that Caricom states should be represented at the highest possible level at the United Nations Conference on World Financial and Economic Crisis and its impact on development, scheduled to take place in New York from June 1 to 3, 2009 at the United Nations headquarters.
If the Bahamas (probably the most anti-CARICOM of the 15 member states) could have been admitted as the 13th CARICOM member, and if Haiti (there can be no benefit whatsoever to CARICOM by having Haiti as a member) could have been admitted as the 15th CARICOM member, why not the Dominican Republic? Having said this, I suspect that admitting the Dominican Republic will be a mere formality, as that Hispanic nation is already virtually a member (CARICOM + Dominican Republic = CARIFORUM).
Technical team considering Dominican Republic's Caricom application
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Sunday Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, May 10, 2009
CARIBBEAN Community (Caricom) heads are to once again consider an application from the Dominican Republic for membership in the 15-member grouping when they meet in July of this year.
Jamaica's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Kenneth Baugh at a press briefing that followed the 12th Meeting of Caricom's Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) which ended yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in Kingston. (Photo: Jeremaine Barnaby) The issue, which was one of the major items up for mention at the 12th Meeting of Caricom's Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), has been referred to a technical team for further consideration.
"There are a lot of issues to be addressed in the context of this relationship with the Dominican Republic, but the general spirit is yes. It is one of welcoming the Dominican Republic," said Jamaica's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Kenneth . He was addressing a press conference at the Hilton Kingston Hotel after the two-day meeting ended yesterday.
"That relationship takes several forms," he explained. "There is a Free Trade arrangement already in place and, secondly, Dominican Republic is part of CARIFORUM - which is Caricom plus the Dominican Republic - and we have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with Europe and that has certain implications with the Dominican Republic in terms of trading relationship," Baugh continued. He added that the re-submission of the application for membership was a "very important step".
"They have renewed their application so this is now under consideration. We are looking at the details of the implications of that in terms of what it means for training, our economies and other kinds of relationship within the context of them being a member of Caricom," Baugh said. He said it was hoped that the issue will be submitted for consideration to the July 1 to 4 Conference of Caricom Heads of Government in Guyana.
"It's a further step in expanding the Caribbean, there is no question. It is in our interest to expand in terms of penetrating those markets... the bigger the marketplace the better it is. Expanding Caricom into other countries is a work in progress, it is an ongoing affair," Baugh added.
In the meantime, COFCOR also endorsed the proposal emanating from the Fifth Summit of the Americas for the establishment of a hemispheric development fund for Haiti. According to Dr Baugh, ministers in attendance acknowledged the considerable development assistance being granted to Haiti by bilateral and multilateral donors, and underscored the need for donor assistance to support in particular the development of Haiti's productive sectors.
He said the meeting agreed to hold consultations with the relevant stakeholders, with a view to having the proposal tabled at the General Assembly of the Organisation of American States to be held in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in June 2009, and for the issue of an appropriate resolution on the matter by the General Assembly.
With respect to the Global Financial and Economic Crisis and the negative effects posed by it, COFCOR has "agreed to monitor the situation given its foreign policy implications". The Council also underscored its intention to vigorously advance the region's position on the issue in the relevant international fora. It agreed that Caricom states should be represented at the highest possible level at the United Nations Conference on World Financial and Economic Crisis and its impact on development, scheduled to take place in New York from June 1 to 3, 2009 at the United Nations headquarters.
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