The recent spat between the Jamaican authorities and the Trinidad authorities over patties, created the platform for the anti-regionalists to spew their anti-CARICOM and anti-Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) fury. Heading the charge was the irascible Karl Samuda, the minister of industry, investment and commerce, whose anti-CARICOM posturing was not surprising, given the Jamaica Labour Party's traditional ambivalence towards anything regional. Minister Samuda was only echoing similar sentiments expressed by former Prime Minister Seaga, as written in an article which appeared in this newspaper on January 22, 2006. Said Mr Seaga, "It (the Caribbean Single Market) is a diversion from the national goal for which we have little resources. We have been down this path before with other diversions."

PROGRESS MADE BY CARICOM

One would have thought that Mr Seaga, who is now a Distinguished Fellow at the University of the West Indies, would have been a bit more research oriented in his prognostications, and have left the sabre-rattling parochialism to people like Minister Samuda; but as old people would say, 'old tree hard to bend.'

There have been to date, nearly 300 regional arrangements. About 150 are still in force, including CARICOM. This means that almost every country in the world belongs to a regional integration arrangement, and Jamaica is no different. The patty squabble has led some, primarily on radio talk shows, to question the relevance of CARICOM. Some radio commentators, not surprisingly, bereft of facts and figures, are barely able to mention any positive development by CARICOM. In the interest of space, I will comment on four such developments and mention a few others.

1. The agreement establishing the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), which came into force in 1972, is largely a creation of the precursor to CARICOM, the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). The creation and implementation of the CXC must be seen within the context of our people's efforts to achieve self-determination and integration. The CXC, a creature of the same CARICOM, which some would wish away, now impacts in a very positive way, students and their families in the English-speaking Caribbean, and is a practical manifestation of CARICOM in action.

2. The energy cooperation known as PetroCaribe is another positive CARICOM project. Signed in Venezuela on June 25, 2005, between Venezuela and CARICOM, the fundamental objective, "is to contribute to the energy security, the social and economic development and the integration of the countries of the Caribbean and Cuba". The agreement contains a section which reads, "In order to help foster the social and economic development of the countries of the Caribbean, PetroCaribe shall have at its disposal a fund earmarked for social and economic programmes."

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government has benefitted significantly from this fund. Yet, we remember well the demonstration organised by the JLP when in Opposition, on the very day the Caribbean heads and President Chávez visited for a conference on the PetroCaribe in Montego Bay. Further, we also remember when Prime Minister Golding, then the leader of the opposition, criticised the Government for selling out Jamaica to Venezuela for a barrel of oil.

I remind readers of these two issues, not to be partisan, but in order for us to understand that Jamaica, and by extension CARICOM, has endured many unnecessary criticisms in its desire to pursue programmes which strengthen Caribbean integration.

3. The University of the West Indies (UWI), although established under its own charter, and long before the creation of CARICOM, is largely financed by the subventions of participating members of CARICOM, and has benefitted substantially from the guidance and influence of CARICOM. There is hardly a family or any sector of society in the English-speaking Caribbean which has not been touched by a graduate of the University of the West Indies. I am usually surprised by persons who are graduates of the UWI who argue that CARICOM "has done nothing for the region", not recognising that they are also a product of the work of CARICOM.

4. Another institutional machinery of CARICOM is the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), whose main function is to collaborate and analyse data on trends in Caribbean tourism, promotion of research on tourism markets, and promotion of joint action among participating member states to develop the Caribbean tourism product. It was at the CARICOM heads of govern-ment meeting in Jamaica in 1992, that the Caribbean governments approved the first cooperation regional-marketing campaign to be funded by both public- and private-sector funds. One year later, in 1993, a major television campaign was launched to raise consumer awareness of the Caribbean as a vacation destination. This highly successful campaign reversed a downward trend in visitor arrivals from North America, a campaign from which many of the tourist destinations, including Jamaica, benefitted and continue to benefit.

There are many other institutions, which are either creatures of CARICOM, or are being impacted by CARICOM.

SINGLE MARKET AND ECONOMY

The establishment of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy is one of the latest major embarkations of CARICOM.

The ambitious target date of 1993 set for the implementation of the CSME has been reset on a number of occasions. The new date for implementation is now 2015.

The prevention and or resolution of issues, such as that generated by the patties, will not be solved by ministers, private-sector leaders, or otherwise, shouting at each other across the Caribbean Sea, or by taking up their marbles and walking away. These issues must be solved within the context of a regional framework.

The greatest challenge that has always faced CARICOM is its persistent and consistent inability to quickly implement decisions agreed upon. The implementation of decisions regarding the CSME is no different. This is so because when CARICOM takes a decision, each country maintains its sovereign right to implement or not to implement that decision.

I maintain that CARICOM has made a seminal contribution to our development as a people, and its relevance in today's world is impatient of debate. However, like many others, I do agree that it is slow to act on many fundamental issues, but this will only change when we as a people, realise that it makes no sense to take decisions regionally, and maintain the right locally, to prevent the implementation of those said decisions.

Delano Franklyn is an attorney-at-law.