REGIONAL INTEGRATION: THE JOINT DECLARATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT OF SPAIN 000388

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR AND INR/IAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON TD
SUBJECT: REGIONAL INTEGRATION: THE JOINT DECLARATION

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY

REF: Port of Spain 378


1. (SBU) An MFA source passed us the "Joint Declaration on
Collaboration towards the achievement of the Single Economy and
Political Integration among Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago" signed August 14
in Port of Spain (text in para four). As this is still not public,
we ask that Embassies/Washington not/not share this document outside
the USG or refer to having a copy. We expect the document will
become public fairly shortly and/or be passed to other Missions. At
the latest, since Parliament is expected to debate the declaration
after its September 5 return, it likely will see the light of day by
the middle of next month.


2. (SBU) The document speaks for itself, but strikes us as an
aspirational framework, with the "meat" still to be put on the bone.
As per ref, this may come through a study to be conducted over the
next several months on how to advance toward the goals detailed in
the declaration. Also worth noting is that one clause of the Joint
Declaration reads that "the achievement of the historically
desirable (political integration) objective is predicated on the
realization of constitutional reform in the signatory countries...."
Prime Minister Manning had been publicly talking about
constitutional reform here even prior to August 14, saying a draft
(also so far unseen) would be tabled in Parliament in the months to
come.


3. (SBU) Contrary to some media reporting, only Grenada, St Lucia,
St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago signed the
joint declaration on August 14, not Guyana. PM Patrick Manning has
been single-minded in seeking to advance this still vague
integration plan since the signing and is currently on his second
regional trip to promote the idea. Jamaica reportedly is not
interested and questions remain over Barbados, the Bahamas and
Guyana.


4. (SBU) Begin Joint Declaration text:

The Governments of Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,

RESOLVING in a true spirit of solidarity, cooperation and friendship
borne of our shared membership in the Caribbean Community to advance
the achievement of the Single Economy and appropriate Political
Integration among the countries and peoples of the Caribbean;

RECOGNISING the imperatives of responding in a more immediate manner
to increasing changes in the international economic and political
environment and the consequent need for the urgent re-organisation
of our economies and governance arrangements for enhancing our
development and beneficial integration into the global economy;

DETERMINED to move to a new stage in the process of Caribbean
integration by building on the progress achieved with the
establishment of the Caribbean Community under the Revised Treaty of
Chaguaramas Establishing the Caribbean Community including the
CARICOM Single Market and Economy;

RECOGNISING ALSO our common interest, within the context of the
creation of the single market and economy, in promoting and
accelerating sustainable economic and social development and closer
political integration of the identified countries for the benefit of
our peoples and in implementing policies to ensure that advances in
economic integration are accompanied by parallel progress in other
fields;

COMMITTED to achieving the strengthening and the convergence of our
economies and to establishing a single economy including, in
accordance with the provisions of this Declaration, a single and
stable currency;

RESOLVED to continue the process of creating an ever closer union
among the peoples of the Caribbean on the basis of the principles of
equality and mutual benefit;
AWARE that the issue of reform of the respective Constitutions is
engaging the attention of the Governments and Member States of the
Caribbean Community;

CONSIDERING the further steps to be taken in order to advance
Caribbean integration in pursuit of the goal of greater Caribbean
unity;

COGNISANT of the decision of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean
States to establish an Economic Union by 2009;

DECLARE our intention to establish a framework for closer
collaboration towards the achievement of the Single Economy by 2011
and appropriate Political Integration by 2013 in the Caribbean

PORT OF SP 00000388 002 OF 003


Community and to this end have agreed on this statement of our joint
commitment and purpose, the scope and content of which are set out
hereunder:

Purpose of the Declaration

The signatories agree that this Joint Declaration is aimed at
furthering the objectives of the Caribbean Community and at
reinforcing and accelerating the process of integration now taking
place under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Towards this end, the
signatory countries resolve that no initiative associated with the
implementation of this Joint Declaration shall undermine the single
market or the economic cohesion established by the Revised Treaty of
Chaguaramas, or constitute a barrier to or discrimination in trade
or distort competition between the signatory countries and the other
Member States of the Caribbean Community.

Participation of other Member States

Participation in this framework for closer collaboration among the
signatory countries of this Joint Declaration shall be open to all
Member States of the Caribbean Community which wish to commit to the
achievement of the single economy and appropriate political
integration. The signatory countries undertake to respect
scrupulously the rights under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and
Treaty of Basseterre of those Member States which are not signatory
countries to this Joint Declaration.

Implementation of the Joint Declaration

The signatory countries hereby undertake to conclude a framework
agreement on sustainable economic, social and political development
that commits them in areas of common interest to:

(a) move beyond the characterisation in the Rose Hall Declaration
of CARlCOM as being a grouping of sovereign States in order to
achieve the full expression of the CARlCOM Single Market and Economy
and the ample measure of political, economic and social cooperation
required for the development of the CSME;

(b) facilitate the development and implementation of the agreements
necessary for the achievement of the Single Economy, including the
Agreement for the Development of Financial Services, the Framework
for the Integration of the Capital Market, the Investment Policy
Harmonisation (Caribbean Investment Code),Framework for the
Harmonisation of Fiscal Incentives, Framework for Fiscal Policy
Harmonisation and the Framework for Monetary Cooperation;

(c) build on the existing institutional structures in the Caribbean
Community to achieve closer political integration in specific
functional areas - foreign policy coordination; common overseas
diplomatic and consular representation; mutual legal assistance in
criminal matters; and national security cooperation;

(d) foster domestic dialogue in all signatory countries on the
modalities for the achievement of closer political integration,
recognising that the achievement of this historically desirable
objective is predicated on the realisation of constitutional reform
in the signatory countries that are desirous of forging closer
political integration;

(e) create the institutional structures and mechanisms to provide
advice, foster dialogue and concretise plans for advancing the
achievement of the, single economy and closer political integration;


(f) fashion an enabling environment for the achievement of closer
political integration by establishing structures and mechanisms that
are designed to accelerate the achievement among the signatory
countries of the objectives of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas
including the CARlCOM Single Market and Economy;

(g) provide the necessary financial and human resources to identify
and advise on the modalities to achieve the single economy by 2011
and appropriate political integration by 2013.

Specific Agreements

Where necessary, specific agreements shall be concluded between the
signatory countries in order to outline and implement particular
concrete measures that will be needed in order to achieve the
overall goal of sustainable trade, economic and technical
cooperation and closer political integration to our mutual benefit.


Dispute Resolution

Any difference arising from the interpretation or application of
this Joint Declaration shall be resolved in a friendly manner
through direct negotiations among the signatory countries in

PORT OF SP 00000388 003 OF 003


accordance with the spirit that led to its signing.

Signature and Ratification


1. The present Joint Declaration shall be open for signature at any
time by any Member State of the Caribbean Community. The signatory
countries accept that implementation of the undertakings outlined in
this Joint Declaration will be subject to ratification by the
respective signatory countries.


2. The countries that have signed this declaration on the 14th
August 2008 undertake to ratify it by December 31st 2008 and
countries that have not signed today will be encouraged to sign and
ratify by 31st December

2008.





3. Ratifications of this Joint Declaration shall be communicated
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the representatives of the following Member
States of the Caribbean Community have signed this Joint Declaration


DONE at Port of Spain on the 14th day of August, 2008 in the English
language.

Signed by

Tillman Thomas (Grenada)
Stevenson King (Saint Lucia)
Ralph Gonsalves (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)
Patrick Manning (Trinidad)


AUSTIN