Transcript UWI-CARICOM COLLABORATION

UWI-CARICOM
COLLABORATION
Seven strong years and a luminous
future
Backdrop
Studies have long concluded that CARICOM
needs to collaborate with its associate regional
institutions for building a robust regional
organization in order to survive and function
effectively in the new world dispensation; a
dispensation which must depend on the
intelligent utilization of collective resources.
This position was echoed in the Grande Anse
declaration and by the Conference of the Heads
of Government, Montego Bay 1997, and in the
2003 Rose Hall Declaration on Governance and
Integrated Development.
The Signing
Within this context the CARICOM Secretariat and the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus signed a
Memorandum of Understanding in December 1999 which set the Terms of Reference for a relationship
designed to focus the energies and “know how” of both entities into providing the regional leadership
with the sort of vital information that such an alliance could provide.
Establishing UWI-CARICOM
The formal establishment of the UWI-CARICOM Project was a ground-breaking
initiative. The Project pursued its objectives with ingenuity impressing upon UWI the
benefits which would accrue to it, were it to go beyond the scope of the Agreement.
What Does UWI-CARICOM Project Do
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It infuses the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the global
population with pertinent perspectives on CARICOM and the
work of its Secretariat through information gathered by rigorous
research and contained in invaluable publications, and radio and
television documentaries;
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Exposes the distinguishing attributes of the Caribbean people
through cultural showcasing.
Information Giving
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Disseminating information via mass media, research and
documentation centres, and university, national, school and
community libraries.
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Utilising the mass media for publishing or broadcasting a
finished product and depending upon documentation centres
to store documents for ready access.
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Developing and maintaining contacts within the Region, who
can utilise the products of the Project and facilitate
snowballing in the spread of information.
Using Region’s Resources 1
Skills Database
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UWI-CARICOM Project maintains the continuous development of a
Database of the Skills and talents available in both institutions. The
purpose of this skills inventory is to examine the Secretariat’s gap in
skills and highlight those available at the University, from which the
Secretariat could benefit. This exercise involves studying the
strategic plans of the Secretariat and UWI, the Secretariat’s work
programmes, organisational charts, job descriptions of senior
positions, inventory of the academic staff of the UWI, and review of
the institution’s research projects.
Using Region’s Resources 2
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Caribbean Executive Services (CARES)
Being aware of human resource needs and challenges in the Region, the
UWI-CARICOM Project has developed a concept to establish an
Executive Service Agency to function as a “clearing house” for the skills
and expertise of retired Caribbean nationals. This project is currently
awaiting funding in order to become operational.
Flagship – Our Publications
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A high priority for the UWI-CARICOM Project,
through its productions, is to steer political
elites and other decision and policy makers
towards making informed choices for the benefit
of the Region. Just as important for the Project
is reaching nationals of the Community at all
levels to aid essential understanding of how the
integrative process will impact their lives.
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The content of every book, paper, journal,
documentary or cultural programme produced,
is intended to awaken the consciousness of
CARICOM people into achieving the vision of
integration.
Publications – Genesis and
Transformation
These publications chronicle the
genesis and historical transformation
of the Integration Movement and
document the challenges and
obstacles confronting it over the
course of its transformation and the
response of Member States to those
challenges.
Publications – Scholarly Guidance
UWI-CARICOM Project’s publications
also provide scholarly, analytical and
insightful guidance for the future
direction of the integrative Movement in
the re-formulated global order as well as
offer mechanisms and courses of action
needed to respond to the current
international realities.
Publications – Fostering Integration
CARICOM Integration has been tackled on various fronts by the
majority of the Project’s books and journals, such as:
1.
CARICOM Options: Towards Full Integration
Into the World Economy
1.
Integrate of Perish (1st & 2nd Editions)
2.
Re-inventing CARICOM: The Road to a New Integration
3.
Integration: CARICOM’s Key to Prosperity
4.
Caribbean Imperatives: Regional Governance and Integrated
Development
5.
CARICOM: Appropriate Adaptation to a Changing Global
Environment
6.
The CARICOM System: Basic Instruments
7.
The Triumph of the Caribbean Spirit and Imagination:
Selected Speeches - Professor the Honourable Rex Nettleford
8.
The Caribbean Community: Beyond Survival
9.
Globalisation: A Calculus of Inequality
10.
CARICOM: Unity In Adversity
11.
Governance in the Age of Globalisation
Documentary – Integrate or Perish
As the Caribbean Community celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2003, the UWICARICOM Project considered it opportune to capture the evolution of the regional
body and seminal contributions of the legendary leaders who have engineered its
growth. To this end, the Project commissioned the production of a television and
radio documentary based on the publication entitled "Integrate or Perish:
Perspectives of Leaders of the Integration Movement" edited by Professor Kenneth
O. Hall.
This documentary brings to the viewing and listening public the historical
development and evolution of the integration process. It allows for Caribbean
Peoples and those around the world to witness Caribbean Leaders as they
articulated their ideas and ideals and expressed their desire for political and
psychological freedom. It also reveals how they determined the paths to be
pursued to stay on course even in the face of challenges.
Documentary – Integrate or Perish
The three-part programme structure of the documentary corresponds to the
following periods and issues:
–
1963 - 1973: Genesis of the Caribbean Integration Movement leading to the
birth of the Caribbean Community.
–
1974 - 1984: The Impact of the World Economic Crisis on the Caribbean
Community and the instruments designed by our leaders to guarantee the
Region's survival.
–
1985 - 2003: The challenges posed by the changed international environment
and our resolve to be an effective partner in the new global order.
The documentary presents poignant images of the era of the founding fathers of
the movement and encapsulates their contributions and those of their successors
to the growth and development of the Caribbean as a unified Region.
Papers
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Foreign Policy Options for CARICOM: An Analytical Review
by Professor Stephen Vascianne
Compliance, Enforcement and Dispute Settlement in CARICOM
by Joseph Farier
New Trends in Economic Integration: The Emergence of Regional Multinationals
and Intra-Regional Flows
by Dr. Trevor Farrell
Mexico –CARICOM Relations
CARICOM’s Political, Economic and Hemispheric Relations: Some Reflections
Sir Dwight: OECS at the Centre
by Wesley Gibbings
New Trends in Economic Integration: The Emergence of Regional Multinationals
and Intra-Regional Flows
by Dr. Trevor Farrell
Cultural Showcase
The UWI and CARICOM
institutions intend to use
every platform of life to
promote unity among all
nationals of the Region.
Each Member State has
its peculiarities, but
together make a
distinctive blend of rich
culture – a heritage that
remains undiluted!
University Singers (UWI) performing at the National Cultural Centre, Guyana
University Singers
In December 2000, the UWI Mona
Campus choir – The University
Singers, toured Guyana under the
auspices of Caribbean Fellowship
Incorporated. The group belted out
their songs with the grace and spunk
that can only be claimed by
Jamaicans. And Guyanese indulged!
2000 was just a foretaste of the grand
cultural Harmony excursions to be
generated by UWI-CARICOM in the
future.
Towards the Future
Both the University of the West Indies and the CARICOM
Secretariat are acutely aware of the tremendous benefits of
institutional collaboration as an enabler in meeting the
multifaceted challenges which confront Member States at
regional and international levels.
Collaborative Entrenchment
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The Heads of Government were so convinced that
collaboration was the key to enhancing the collective
capabilities of these two institutions to support Member
States in the realization of the Caribbean Single Market
and Single Economy that they have agreed on a range
of areas in functional cooperation with special
significance for poverty reduction, social protection,
human resource development, health, information and
communications technology development, use and
connectivity issues for special research attention;
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The call for the two institutions to systematically engage
in the conduct of informed assessments of options to be
pursued in the realization of regional objectives and full
examination of the implications of decisions by regional
bodies is now entrenched.
Collaborative Entrenchment
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Steps are now being finalized for the current arrangement
between UWI and the CARICOM Secretariat to be
broadened to reflect the decision of the Conference of
Heads of Government at their 27th Meeting in July 2006.
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The new and expanded arrangement makes provision for
the two institutions to engage in identification of issues
for joint or complementary activities, studies or projects
within the areas mentioned earlier, taking account of
issues such as feasibility, manageability and time frames
recommended by Community bodies.
A Luminous Future
The current arrangement will undoubtedly result in, among
other benefits, a greater number of vigorously researched
position papers designed to inform important issues within
international forums, enhance the performance of the
University of the West Indies in their main negotiating theatres
and other international fora.