{"id":155613,"date":"2022-07-11T13:30:58","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T17:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=155613"},"modified":"2022-07-11T13:30:58","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T17:30:58","slug":"can-caricom-still-achieve-regional-integration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/can-caricom-still-achieve-regional-integration\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Caricom still achieve regional integration?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-1713886188\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-2208740905\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"mbs ad\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-ad.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-ad.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-ad.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-ad.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-ad.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div><p class=\"article__body\">While Caribbean Community leaders met this week in Suriname to discuss, among other issues, climate change, agriculture and food security, regional transport and travel, and the impact of global shocks on the region, there remains a concern that the move to regional integration has stalled, if not progressing as steadily as expected.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/Kl4kFvoRzlFEUs6f6KOotZ\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p><div id=\"antig-3270369979\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 2160w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:512\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:384\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:768\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2160\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell, the newest elected head of Government in the region, was strident in his address at the 43rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government, during which he called on the regional intergovernmental organisation to be more than a talk shop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">\u201cFor too long this Caribbean Community that we all love has been seen and viewed as a place where we talk, and talk, and talk and then we talk some more, and to what end, Mr Chairman,\u201d he asked.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3539675828\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-1454569411\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 2160w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:512\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:384\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:768\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2160\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"article__body\">\u201cNo, sir. This is a time colleagues, my friends and to all the young people across the Caribbean Community (Caricom) \u2014 this is indeed our moment, this is your moment, where it is a time for action and a time of choosing,\u201d Mitchell continued<\/p><div id=\"antig-2739545325\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ReggaeInTheParkAntigua\" aria-label=\"lucanio\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"antig-810084347\" class=\"antig-content\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"article__body\">The Grenada prime minister called on leaders to \u201cpause and reflect on the many experiences we have had while in pursuit of regional integration\u201d but also urged his colleagues \u201cto redouble our efforts to finding solutions to our challenges\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Mitchell\u2019s address begs the question, has Caricom\u2019s efforts gone far enough to ensure regional integration?<\/p><div id=\"antig-176029275\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"500X500 (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Since its inception in 1973 under the Treaty of Chaguaramas, Caricom has had four pillars of regional integration: economic integration, foreign policy coordination, human and social development, and security. Under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, 2001, the organisation took a step further to deepen integration with the introduction of the Caricom Single Market &amp; Economy (CSME).<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">\u201cThe CSME is undoubtedly the most ambitious project of Caricom since its founding in 1973. Almost 20 years after the Grand Anse Declaration the Caricom Heads of Government signed on to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) in 2001. The ultimate goal of the RTC is to create a single economic space and ultimately economic union, complete policy coordination, harmonisation of functional areas and a common currency,\u201d Samuel Braithwaite wrote in \u2018Caricom Report: Progress and challenges of the integration agenda\u2019.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3771562486\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"CM key_WEB 1300x300_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1301\/h:301\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1301\/h:301\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 1301w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:69\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:237\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:178\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1301\" height=\"301\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"article__body\">\u201cThe common currency has since been removed from consideration as its implementation was seen as not realistic in the current dispensation,\u201d he added in the Inter-American Development Bank-commissioned study published in 2021.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3244296289\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"article__body\">There are five main thrusts of the CSME: free movement of skills\/labour, free movement of goods, free movement of services, free movement of capital, and the right of establishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\"><strong id=\"strong-df45614815a39e0dc31b41a9be5b26a1\">Committed to implement<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">In 2006, Caribbean heads of government committed to full implementation of the CSME by 2008. But they would fall short of this goal on account of the 2007-2011 Great Recession.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Again in 2007, during a Heads of Government Meeting in St Lucia, another deadline was set for 2015.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Still, a progress report on the implementation of the CSME by Hassan et al has found that, up to 2016, only 56.5 per cent of measures to realise a single market has been actioned. Of the 619 actions required, only 315 have been completed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Brathwaite concludes that, \u201cWhile progress has been made towards achieving the goals of the CSME, Caricom governments have used the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to secure the welfare of the citizens of their respective countries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Coincidentally, in 2016 Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness announced the appointment of a Caricom Review Commission to assess Jamaica\u2019s participation in the regional bloc.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Led by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, the commission focused on four key areas: the economic impact of Caricom, especially on the Jamaican economy; the mechanisms geared towards decision-making, implementation, enforcement and dispute settlement; the effectiveness of functional cooperation; and the possibilities and implications of Jamaica\u2019s economic relationships outside of Caricom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">However, one of the main findings of the commission was that \u201cwhile [the Caricom Secretariat] is often and unfairly blamed for Caricom\u2019s slow pace of development, its powers are very limited. Much of the implementation deficit lies with national governments over which the secretariat has no authority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Moreover, the report proposed the formation of an oversight committee that has the primary responsibility of reviewing Caricom\u2019s performance and the compliance of member states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">In addition, it recommended Jamaica\u2019s withdrawal from the single market should there be no \u201cclear, definitive commitment by all member states to a specific, time-bound, measurable and verifiable programme of action to fulfil all their obligations and complete all requirements for the CSME to be fully established and operational within the next five years\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">In his response to the \u2018Golding Report\u2019, Collin Constantine criticised the commission for not acknowledging that inadequate funding and untimely payment of member states\u2019 contributions also factored into the implementation deficit of the Caricom Secretariat to achieve integration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">While Constantine highlighted deficiencies in the Caricom Review Commission\u2019s methodology, he also found that Caribbean integration would also require addressing dissimilar socio-economic structures between member states, the failure to implement at the domestic political level, unequal distribution of gains that would result from integration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">On another note, he said that even though regional integration has been a priority of Caribbean Heads of Government, there is not much information on the buy-in of the citizenry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Following the Golding Report, Caricom leaders held a special meeting in Trinidad on December 3-4, 2018, with the purpose of fast tracking the implementation of the CSME.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Although Brathwaite points out that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the free movement of people, goods and services, he highlights that there has been increased collaboration between member states on a number of issues including food security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Following the closing of the Caribbean Heads of Government Meeting on Tuesday, July 5, a communiqu\u00e9 from Caricom noted: \u201cHeads of Government expressed disappointment at the slow pace of implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy and took immediate steps to move the process forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Still, a progress report on the implementation of the CSME by Hassan et al has found that, up to 2016, only 56.5 per cent of measures to realise a single market has been actioned. Of the 619 actions required, only 315 have been completed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Brathwaite concludes that, \u201cWhile progress has been made towards achieving the goals of the CSME, Caricom governments have used the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to secure the welfare of the citizens of their respective countries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Coincidentally, in 2016 Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness announced the appointment of a Caricom Review Commission to assess Jamaica\u2019s participation in the regional bloc.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Led by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, the commission focused on four key areas: the economic impact of Caricom, especially on the Jamaican economy; the mechanisms geared towards decision-making, implementation, enforcement and dispute settlement; the effectiveness of functional cooperation; and the possibilities and implications of Jamaica\u2019s economic relationships outside of Caricom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">However, one of the main findings of the commission was that \u201cwhile [the Caricom Secretariat] is often and unfairly blamed for Caricom\u2019s slow pace of development, its powers are very limited. Much of the implementation deficit lies with national governments over which the secretariat has no authority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Moreover, the report proposed the formation of an oversight committee that has the primary responsibility of reviewing Caricom\u2019s performance and the compliance of member states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">In addition, it recommended Jamaica\u2019s withdrawal from the single market should there be no \u201cclear, definitive commitment by all member states to a specific, time-bound, measurable and verifiable programme of action to fulfil all their obligations and complete all requirements for the CSME to be fully established and operational within the next five years\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">In his response to the \u2018Golding Report\u2019, Collin Constantine criticised the commission for not acknowledging that inadequate funding and untimely payment of member states\u2019 contributions also factored into the implementation deficit of the Caricom Secretariat to achieve integration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">While Constantine highlighted deficiencies in the Caricom Review Commission\u2019s methodology, he also found that Caribbean integration would also require addressing dissimilar socio-economic structures between member states, the failure to implement at the domestic political level, unequal distribution of gains that would result from integration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">On another note, he said that even though regional integration has been a priority of Caribbean Heads of Government, there is not much information on the buy-in of the citizenry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Following the Golding Report, Caricom leaders held a special meeting in Trinidad on December 3-4, 2018, with the purpose of fast tracking the implementation of the CSME.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Although Brathwaite points out that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the free movement of people, goods and services, he highlights that there has been increased collaboration between member states on a number of issues including food security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__body\">Following the closing of the Caribbean Heads of Government Meeting on Tuesday, July 5, a communiqu\u00e9 from Caricom noted: \u201cHeads of Government expressed disappointment at the slow pace of implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy and took immediate steps to move the process forward.\u201d\u00a0<em>\u2014 Jamaica Observer<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-2570371119\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While Caribbean Community leaders met this week in Suriname to discuss, among other issues, climate change, agriculture and food security, regional transport and travel, and the impact of global shocks on the region, there remains a concern that the move to regional integration has stalled, if not progressing as steadily as expected.\u00a0CLICK HERE TO JOIN [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":151962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can Caricom still achieve regional integration? 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