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Administrator. “Law Library : Decisions : Privy Council (Commonwealth Caribbean Decisions).” The Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago, http://www.ttlawcourts.org/index.php/law-library/decisions/privy-council-commonwealth-caribbean-decisions.

CARICOM Secretariat. The West Indies Federation - Caribbean Community (CARICOM), https://caricom.org/community/the-west-indies-federation/.

Hekima, Imani, et al. “West Indies Federation.” Black History Month 2019, https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/history-of-politics/4250/.

Jamaica Observer Limited. “That Trinidad Products Boycott Call...how Can We Fix Caricom?” Jamaica Observer, http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/That-Trinidad-products-boycott-call---how-can-we-fix-Caricom-_57465.

Jamaica Observer Limited. “Jamaica Observer Limited.” Jamaica Observer, http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/regional/.

“Jamaica: On the Path to Higher Economic Growth.” IMF, 7 Nov. 2019, https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2019/11/07/NA110719-Jamaica-On-the-Path-to-Higher-Economic-Growth.

Kowlessar, Geisha. “Jamaicans Call for Goods and Mas Boycott.” Trinidad Guardian, https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/jamaicans-call-goods-and-mas-boycott-6.2.411507.b32a870ae3.

Site designed and built by Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk). “Trinidad and Tobago : Constitution and Politics.” Trinidad and Tobago : Constitution and Politics | The Commonwealth, https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/trinidad-and-tobago/constitution-politics.

Stay out! - 13 Jamaicans Turned Away from Trinidad, https://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=60995.30.

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The roots of intolerance and mistrust in the Caribbean stem from the failure to integrate regionally. The blog seeks to educate readers on the attempts to integrate and the challenges that arose. The Caribbean can attain regional integration once the mentality of "me against them " is removed.

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The balance of trade deficits between states have also been a challenge as some states export more goods into other countries than they allowed in. An example of this intolerance can be seen in the relationship between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Over the years Jamaicans have felt depreciated as they feel the Trinbagonian government restricted the flow of Jamaican goods into Trinidad while Trinidadian manufactured products have almost zero policy restrictions preventing from reaching Jamaican consumers. This one way activity coupled with the repatriation of Jamaican represents the mistrust between the islands as the Treaty of Chaguramas was disregarded. The article linked below explores the development of mistrust and intolerance between Jamaican and Trinidad and Jamaica and Barbados. It mentions the free ability to travel within the region between Caricom states that is not honoured. Jamaicans seem to be subjected to mistreatment the most when travelling throughout the region as the article mentions several accounts of profiling in other Caribbean countries.

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That Trinidad products boycott call...how can we fix Caricom?

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The recent suggestion by Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) President William Mahfood that Jamaican consumers should boycott the purchase of goods imported from Trinidad and Tobago has produced mixed reactions all round. Mahfood's comment comes in the wake of the recent denial of entry of more than a dozen Jamaicans who had travelled to that country, resulting in them returning home to Jamaica under a cloud.

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The lack of integration has produced many challenges with the Caribbean in areas of social justice for example. The Privy Council remains the main decision maker although the Caribbean has established a Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in 2001. This shows the lack of faith and trust within our own systems as we still look to the colonizers for the final appeal and justification. The CCJ an arm of CARICOM has been deemed as useless by the Jamaican JLP political party. Andrew Holness the leader at the time suggested in 2016 that Jamaica create its own final court as CARICOM policies can impede the needs of the nation.

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Court Library Services Unit

The Court Library Services Unit provides legal information that is timely and relevant, provided by highly trained and competent staff, utilizing resources available at the local, regional and international levels.

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The Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago : Law Library : Decisions : Privy Council (Commonwealth Caribbean Decisions)

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The Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago provides an accountable court system in which timeliness and efficiency are the hallmarks, while still protecting integrity, fairness, equality and accessibility and attracting public trust and confidence.

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CONSEQUENCE OF LACK OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION

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CONSEQUENCE OF LACK OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION

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The need to negotiate with the rest of the world as a group /Vulnerability to economic shocks which originate from outside the region- Many may view integration as a dream as the Caribbean has failed to unite and stand up for ourselves against foreign organizations. For example, the International Monetary Fund a known “foe” to Caribbean islands have altered the fabric of the economy within the region especially within Haiti and Jamaica. Jamaica borrowed funds from the international monetary fund with the aim to improve the standard of living for its people however it resulted in a large debt to be repaid and the altering of the culture with globalization taking precedence over the nation. The International Monetary Fund implemented Structural Adjustment Programmes that forever changed the society in Jamaica. The establishment of the free trade area also caused great damage to Jamaica’s economy and its citizens as large multinational companies such as Hanes and Tommy Hilfiger took advantage of the large labour force and treated them poorly with poor working conditions and insufficient pay. The recession within Jamaica was a direct result of failure to integrate as they became vulnerable to globalization.

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Jamaica: On the Path to Higher Economic Growth

Jamaica has successfully concluded its economic reform program, which was supported by a US$1.66 billion Stand-By Arrangement from the IMF. The country's strong ownership, as well as the government's steadfast reform implementation have resulted in a stronger economy, an all-time low unemployment rate, and a significant reduction in public debt.

In an interview with Uma Ramakrishnan, former head of the IMF team for Jamaica, we discuss the history, evolution, and achievements of the recently-concluded program.

How would you describe Jamaica's economy before the program?

Prior to the IMF-supported programs, Jamaica's economy suffered from years of very low growth. This was combined with high and unsustainable public debt of about 145 percent of GDP, which was accumulated over several decades of weak policy implementation.

High borrowing needs to finance public debt led to financial repression-the use of various measures to channel funds to the government-and crowded out private sector credit and investment. These high debt servicing costs limited room in the government's budget and inhibited spending on critical needs of the Jamaican people-like infrastructure and social assistance. A weak external position was reflected in a current account deficit of around 12 percent of GDP, and low net international reserves of around US$0.9 billion in 2012.

And how is Jamaica's economy now?
The key goals under the two successive IMF-supported programs were to restore economic stability, while pursuing policies that will provide a long-term foundation to sustain growth, create jobs, and protect the most vulnerable. Since the start of the 2013 Extended Fund Facility and the subsequent precautionary Stand-By Arrangement in 2016, Jamaica's public debt has fallen by about 50 percent of GDP and is on track to reach the legislated 60 percent of GDP target by FY25/26.

The unemployment rate-at about 7.8 percent-is at an all-time low. Both the current account deficit and inflation are subdued, and foreign reserves have been rebuilt to comfortable levels. In addition, monetary policy is on track to bring inflation to the mid-point of the Bank of Jamaica's target band. Growth has improved-supported by mining, construction, and agriculture industries but the outlook is weaker than envisioned at the start of the programs, and poverty remains high.
To follow up, now that the program has ended, is there a risk that remaining reforms will go unfinished?
We are confident that there is still momentum and commitment to continue reforms in several key areas to support broad-based and higher growth. This includes completing the work on building domestic institutions, such as a fiscal council, an independent central bank, a disaster financing policy framework, and a well-functioning governance framework for public bodies.

Moreover, a meaningful transformation of the public sector that prioritizes government functions and redesigns public sector compensation needs to be at the top of the government's agenda. This should help create room for fiscal policy to tackle growth impediments such as the large infrastructure and skills gap; high crime; low financial access and inclusion; and an inadequate social safety net.
Can you talk more about what contributed to the program's successful completion?
A big reason for the success of the economic reform program in Jamaica resulted from the power of ownership. For instance, there was strong bipartisan support for fiscal discipline, and the social consensus to sustain it.Various stakeholders-for example, private and public sectors, civil society, unions-got behind the reforms across two administrations.

That social partnership for change and the championing and monitoring of reform commitments by the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) was a critical force, which will need to continue to tackle the deep-rooted structural issues. In addition, phasing-in difficult reforms was critical (for example, the switch from direct to indirect taxes, increasing public employees' pension contributions, and central bank recapitalization were all done over multiple years).
Going forward, how do you see the partnership between Jamaica and the IMF evolving?
First and foremost, the strong partnership between Jamaica and the Fund will continue through our regular economic health checks and capacity development-that is well-tailored for Jamaica, as it was under the program. More specifically, technical assistance to support economic and fiscal capacity building, foreign exchange and capital market development, and risk-based supervision are ongoing. Jamaica's Resident Representative's office will also remain open for two additional years to help coordinate these efforts and ensure that the authorities' needs are being met.

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Jamaica: On the Path to Higher Economic Growth

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Jamaica has successfully concluded its economic reform program, which was supported by a US$1.66 billion Stand-By Arrangement from the IMF. The country's strong ownership, as well as the government's steadfast reform implementation have resulted in a stronger economy, an all-time low unemployment rate, and a significant reduction in public debt.

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The lack of a CARICOM passport has led to many problems with regional migrants entering countries. Many of these migrants face obstacles when they attempt to enter causing a distaste to form between the islands. This is evident in the recent mishap with 13 Jamaican nationals being denied entry into Trinidad and Tobago. In an article written by Rhondor Dowlat the Jamaican nationals reported that they were subjected to bad treatment and traumatized from the incident. An investigation was conducted by the Ministry of National Security which showed that the Jamaican nationals spent an unnecessary amount of time before their repatriation. The lack of integration is dominant here as Trinidad and Tobago's immigration act states that "Entry into T&T for Caricom nationals under the Caricom Single Market Economy (CSME) and the Declaration of Single Market Readiness is not guaranteed. The mistreatment of the Jamaican nationals caused an angry reaction from Jamaica's business groups and citizens who utilized social media platforms to veto goods from Trinidad and Tobago and Carnival festivities to injure the economy.

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People trying to enter Trinidad and Tobago with bogus credentials and trickery will be denied entry and sent back to their home countries, says National Security Minister Gary Griffith.Griffith made the comment yesterday as he warned foreigners that if they did not meet this country's strict entry requirements they would not be allowed in.

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CONFLICT DUE TO THE LACK OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION

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CONFLICT DUE TO THE LACK OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION

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National interest have taken precedence over CARICOM's which has created conflict between what some countries and what membership in CARICOM allows them to do . The absence of a Caribbean passport has long prevented the establishment of businesses and the movement of capital and labour. The negative stigma attached to persons moving between islands and working creates fear among citizens. The fear of regional migrants taking national jobs is a main source of conflict. Illegal immigrants are also benefiting from social services without contributing which in turn creates a strain on services making it harder for nationals to access them. In the Guardian approximately 30,000 illegal immigrants from Jamaica, St.Lucia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana and other Caribbean countries are working and living in T&T benefiting without paying taxes.

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People trying to enter Trinidad and Tobago with bogus credentials and trickery will be denied entry and sent back to their home countries, says National Security Minister Gary Griffith.Griffith made the comment yesterday as he warned foreigners that if they did not meet this country's strict entry requirements they would not be allowed in.

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The limitations of the Caribbean Market all lead back to the implementation of the policies. The organizations all failed to be successful as upholding agreements were not taken seriously by the countries. This is the pinnacle of intolerance and mistrust with the region as integration could only be truly successful if the members are willing to see each other as “one”.  In 1976 Forbes Burnham the first prime minister of Guyana gave the Caribbean the following stern warning “We integrate, or we perish”

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The other organizations formed aimed to fix the problems that the previous ones could not however, new rules of international trade between countries led to the failure of the Caribbean Common Market. The Caribbean was forced to open their markets to foreign imports as preferential trade agreements were gradually being phased out. This created havoc amongst the regional markets as Caribbean producers now had to compete with more efficient producers from the United States of America and Europe making it harder for them to gain profits from their hard work. This can be seen in the documentary Life and Debt which shows the impact of the ending of the preferential trade agreement in Jamaica as farmers who produced bananas, sugar and milk were forced to throw away their produce as they could not compete with the imported goods. To this day the regional market remains at risk from foreign competition as the people of the Caribbean have developed the “foreign is better” mentality.

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The other organizations that followed the demise of CARIFTA were ACS (The Association of Caribbean States), CARIFORUM, OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States), the Caribbean Common Market, The Caribbean Single Market and CARICOM. Regional Integration remains a goal of the Caribbean however the Caribbean leaders and governments must overcome their insular mindset and operate as a united region. The people of the islands also share a mindset of looking out oneself rather than the rest of the Caribbean. Instead of uniting the Caribbean has worked against one another hindering integration.

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WEST INDIAN FEDERATION 1ST ATTEMPT AT REGIONAL INTEGRATION

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WEST INDIAN FEDERATION 1ST ATTEMPT AT REGIONAL INTEGRATION

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The West Indian Federation formed in 1958 was the first attempt to unite the British Caribbean and create regional integration as a means of achieving sovereignty. It represented the dreams and desires of the people to free themselves from British governance and reclaim their Caribbean identity. The inevitable dissolution of the federation was due to the insular mindset of each island. Under colonization different islands became more economically developed than others which created an advantage giving more power to islands with a greater financial contribution. This created mistrust among the states as Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica seemed to be more superior than the others leaving them feeling neglected and inferior. It hindered the development of a customs union and federal government which encouraged the limited interaction between the member states. The changes that were so greatly anticipated by the region did not occur as the narrow minded perspective triumphed. In the link attached more information on the West Indian Federation can be obtained.

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Established in 1958, the West Indies Federation comprised the ten territories of: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, the then St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago. The Federation was established by the British Caribbean Federation Act of 1956 with the aim of establishing a political union among its members.

The Federal government was headed by an Executive Governor-General, appointed by Britain and included:

A Prime Minister, elected from among and by the members of the House of Representatives

A Cabinet, comprising the Prime Minister and ten other elected Members chosen by him

A Council of State presided over by the Governor General. The Council included the Prime Minister and Members of the Cabinet as well as three senators and three civil servants. The senators and civil servants were chosen by the Governor General. (The Council of State was the principal policy (decision)-making body at the start of the Federation. In 1960 Britain agreed to abolish this Council and allow the Cabinet to take over the powers of the Council)

A forty five-member House of Representatives, with Members elected from among the Territories; and

A nineteen-member Senate, nominated by the Governor General following consultation with the Prime Minister

The Governor General was Lord Hailes of Britain and the Prime Minister was Sir Grantley Adams, (Premier of Barbados). The Federal capital was located in Trinidad and Tobago.

During its brief existence (1958-62), a number of fundamental issues were debated with a view to strengthening the Federation. Among these were direct taxation by the Federal Government, Central planning for development, Establishment of a Regional Customs Union and Reform of the Federal Constitution. The issue of direct taxation was particularly controversial. The Federation was not permitted to levy (impose) income tax for at least the first five years of its life. Added to this, were the greatly differing positions among the Territories with respect to how other federal taxes should be levied.

In addition, the Federation began quickly to seek to establish federal institutions and supporting structures. It created a federal civil service; established the West Indies Shipping Service (in 1962) to operate two multipurpose ships - the Federal Maple and the Federal Palm - donated to it by the Government of Canada. It had embarked also on negotiations to acquire the subsidiary of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), namely British West Indies Airways (BWIA).

Cooperation in tertiary education was consolidated and expanded during this period. The then University College of the West Indies (UCWI), which was established in 1948 with one campus at Mona, Jamaica, opened its second campus at St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, in 1960.

The Federation however faced several problems. These included: the governance and administrative structures imposed by the British; disagreements among the territories over policies, particularly with respect to taxation and central planning; an unwillingness on the part of most Territorial Governments to give up power to the Federal Government; and the location of the Federal Capital.

The decisive development, which led to the demise of the Federation was the withdrawal of Jamaica - the largest member - after conducting a national referendum in 1961 on its continued participation in the arrangement. The results of the referendum showed majority support in favour of withdrawing from the Federation. This was to lead to a movement within Jamaica for national independence from Britain. It also led to the now famous statement of Dr Eric Williams, the then Premier of Trinidad and Tobago that, one from ten leaves nought, referring to the withdrawal of Jamaica and signifying and justifying his decision to withdraw Trinidad and Tobago from the Federal arrangement a short while later.

The Federation collapsed in January 1962.

The Federal Flag
The flag of the West Indies Federation was used between 1958 and 1962. It bore four equally-spaced narrow white stripes with a large orange-gold disc over the middle two lines in the center of the flag, undulating horizontally across a blue field representing the Caribbean Sea and the sun shining upon the waves. The flag was originally designed by Edna Manley.

The Coat of Arms of the Federation
The coat of arms of the West Indies Federation was used between 1958 and 1962. The background of the shield bore four equally-spaced narrow white stripes with a ten orange-gold discs representing each island grouping, undulating horizontally across a blue field representing the Caribbean Sea and the sun shining upon the waves. A triangle is superimposed on the shield, and the shield is topped by a British lion. The scroll beneath proclaims To Dwell Together In Unity. The shield is supported on either side by the country's national bird, the pelican, with wings extended. Above this is a helmet topped with a flaming torch held by an upright arm. The torch signifies a beacon to light a path.

Federation Stamps
During the Federation's existence, each member continued to issue its own postage stamps as before; but on 22 April 1958, the members (except for the Cayman Islands) each issued a set of three commemorative stamps. All of these stamps used a common design depicting a map of the Caribbean and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, with an inscription at the top reading " THE WEST INDIES / FEDERATION 1958" at the top and the name of the member at the bottom.

See also

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The West Indies Federation - Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

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Established in 1958, the West Indies Federation comprised the ten territories of: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, the then St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago. The Federation was established by the British Caribbean Federation Act of 1956 with the aim of establishing a political union among its members.

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After the federation ended many islands received independence and decided to engage in economic integration to develop the Caribbean and improve the poor social and economic conditions that were prevalent then.

CARIFTA initiated in 1965 by the political leaders of Guyana, Barbados and Antigua was the second attempt at economic viability modeled on the European Free Trade Association, the members were divided into two categories based on their level of development. The more developed countries were those which had more infrastructure and more competitive industries as well as exploitable resources such as Barbados Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. In comparison the less developed countries were those primarily focused on agriculture.

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In 1961 Jamaica, the largest financial contributor at the time decided to pursue independence alone giving rise to the dissolution of the federation. After Jamaica left the federation, Dr. Eric Williams former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago stated “One from ten leaves nought” signifying that the ability of the federation to be successful was no longer attainable with one of the major economically developed state leaving. The failure of the federation in 1962 almost seems as a foreshadowing of the fate of the region as many attempts to integration were formed through organizations such as CARIFTA, ACS and CARIFORUM, OECS, CSME and CARICOM. Although the disbanding of the West Indian Federation occurred, the desire for unity did not die.

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Intolerance is defined as the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs or behaviour that differs from one’s own (oxford dictionary)
Regional integration refers to the unification of Caribbean states through economic agreements which provide free trade between them by the removal of trade barriers as well as working together to achieve certain economic objectives which make the region better off.

The Caribbean has a long history of unwillingness to accept each other’s views. This can be seen throughout history from the various failed attempts to integrate as a region. The common history of slavery, colonization and the geographic locations of the islands prompted the integration of the islands which have materialized into several failed organizations such as the West Indian Federation.

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1.Promote free trade among its members by removing all restrictions to the free flow of goods produced and traded within the region.

2.Increase the quantity and variety of goods and services produced for intra-regional trade
3.Give all members an equal opportunity to develop; for example, the CARIFTA agreement made special provisions to promote the development of the less economically developed countries by promoting the development of industries

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The Caribbean today is characterized by grave intolerance and mistrust at all levels

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The Caribbean today is characterized by grave intolerance and mistrust at all levels

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In this blog we will be exploring the roots of mistrust and intolerance within the region.
We start by looking at the first attempt to integrate and achieve a higher standard of living within the Caribbean through the formation of The West Indian Federation and the organizations that followed in attempt to bring about political and economic integration.