Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Map showing CARICOM members, associates and observers
Seat of Secretariat		Georgetown, Guyana
Official languages		English4
Membership		15 full members1      5 associate members2      7 observers3 Image File history File links Flag_of_CARICOM.svg Flag of the Caribbean Community, based on image at the World Flag Database. ... Image File history File links LocationCaricomII.PNG‎ Summary Summary Map of Caricom states, showing: #2d5f2c (dark green) full members #66c804 (light green) associate members #c2c572 (beige) observers Based on the original map en:Image:LocationCaricom. ... The Secretariat of the Caribbean Community is the principal administrative organ for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and is headed by the Secretary General who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
Leaders
-	Secretary-General	Edwin W. Carrington (since 1992)
-	CARICOM Heads of Government
Establishment
-	Treaty of Chaguaramas	August 1, 1973
Website http://www.caricom.org
Currencies ISO 4217 codes in brackets: Bahamian dollar (BSD) • Barbadian dollar (BBD) • Belize dollar (BZD) • East Caribbean dollar (XCD)5 • Guyanese dollar (GYD) • Haitian gourde (HTG) • Jamaican dollar (JMD) • Surinamese dollar (SRD) • Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
1	14 independent states, 1 dependent territory.
2	5 dependent territories.
3	4 independent states, 3 dependent territories.
4	Dutch, French and Haitian Creole also used unofficially.
5	Used by OECS members.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), originally the Caribbean Community and Common Market, was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas^[1] which came into effect on August 1, 1973. The first four signatories were Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. The CARICOM Secretariat is the principal administrative organ of the Community and is headed by a Secretary General who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community. ... The CARICOM heads of government serve as the most importaint body leading key policy direction for the Caribbean Community organisation and for the implementation of the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy. ... The Treaty of Chaguaramas was signed on July 4, 1973 establishing Caricom, the Caribbean Community and Common Market. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... The Bahamian dollar (B$; ISO 4217 code BSD) is the national currency of The Bahamas. ... The Barbados dollar – currency symbol $ or Bds$ – is the national unit of currency of Barbados. ... ISO 4217 Code BZD User(s) Belize Inflation 3% Source The World Factbook, 2005 est. ... The East Caribbean dollar (currency code XCD) is the currency of eight members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. ... The dollar (currency code GYD) has been the currency of Guyana since 1966. ... The gourde is the currency of Haiti. ... The dollar (ISO 4217 code: JMD) is the currency of Jamaica. ... The dollar (currency code SRD) has been the currency of Suriname since 2004. ... The dollar (ISO 4217 code: TTD; also TT$) is the currency of Trinidad and Tobago. ... This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. ... A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State. ... Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen) is a creole language based on the French language. ... Map of the Eastern Caribbean showing OECS member states (dark green) and associate member states (light green) Secretariat Castries, St. ... The Treaty of Chaguaramas was signed on July 4, 1973 establishing Caricom, the Caribbean Community and Common Market. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ...

CARICOM replaced the 1965–1972 Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), which had been organized to provide a continued economic linkage between the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean following the dissolution of the West Indies Federation which lasted from January 3, 1958 to May 31, 1962. The Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) had been organized to provide a continued economic linkage between the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean following the dissolution of the West Indies Federation which lasted from January 3, 1958 to May 31, 1962. ... “West Indian” redirects here. ... Motto To dwell together in unity Anthem God Save the Queen Capital Chaguaramas Language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy Queen Elizabeth II Governor-General Lord Hailes Prime minister Grantley Herbert Adams¹ History  - Established January 3, 1958  - Disestablished May 31, 1962 Area  - 1960 20,253 km2 7,820 sq mi Population... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas^[2] establishing the Caribbean Community including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) was signed by the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community on July 5 2001 at their Twenty-Second Meeting of the Conference in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Overview

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has become unofficially multilingual in practice with the addition of Dutch-speaking Suriname on July 4, 1995 and Haiti, where French and Haitian Creole are spoken, on July 2, 2002. is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen) is a creole language based on the French language. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

In 2001, the heads of government signed a Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas thus clearing the way for the transformation of the Common Market aspect of CARICOM. Part of the revised treaty includes the establishment and implementation of the Caribbean Court of Justice. The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is a regional Caribbean-based institution in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Membership

Currently CARICOM has 15 full members:

•  Antigua and Barbuda (4 July 1974)
•  Bahamas (4 July 1974)
•  Barbados (1 August 1973)
•  Belize (1 May 1974)
•  Dominica (1 May 1974)
•  Grenada (1 May 1974)
•  Guyana (1 August 1973)
•  Haiti (provisional membership on 4 July 1998, full membership on 2 July 2002)
•  Jamaica (1 August 1973)
•  Montserrat (a territory of the United Kingdom) (1 May 1974)
•  Saint Kitts and Nevis (26 July 1974 as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla)
•  Saint Lucia (1 May 1974)
•  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1 May 1974)
•  Suriname (4 July 1995)
•  Trinidad and Tobago (1 August 1973)

There are five associate members: Image File history File links Flag_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Bahamas. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Barbados. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belize. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Dominica. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Grenada. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Guyana. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Haiti. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jamaica. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Montserrat. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... A former British colony in the Caribbean. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saint_Lucia. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Suriname. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ...

•  Anguilla (July 1999)
•  Bermuda (2 July 2003)
•  British Virgin Islands (July 1991)
•  Cayman Islands (16 May 2002)
•  Turks and Caicos Islands (July 1991)

There are seven observers: Image File history File links Flag_of_Anguilla. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bermuda. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Cayman_Islands. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Turks_and_Caicos_Islands. ...

•  Aruba
•  Colombia
•  Dominican Republic
•  Mexico
•  Netherlands Antilles
•  Puerto Rico
•  Venezuela

From March 2004, Haiti's participation in CARICOM was suspended by its interim Prime Minister, Gerard Latortue in response to the visit of Jean-Bertrand Aristide (the ousted President) to Jamaica.^[3] Haiti's membership had been effectively suspended though since February 29, 2004 as CARICOM refused to recognize the new interim government. In early June 2006, Haiti was readmitted as a full member of the CARICOM, and Haitian President René Préval gave the opening address at the organization's Council of Ministers meeting in July. Image File history File links Flag_of_Aruba. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Colombia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Dominican_Republic. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands_Antilles. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Puerto_Rico. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... Categories: Stub | Haitian people | 1934 births ... Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born July 15, 1953) is a Haitian politician and former Roman Catholic priest who was President of Haiti in 1991, again from 1994 to 1996, and then from 2001 to 2004. ... René Garcia Préval (born January 17, 1943 in Port-au-Prince) is currently the President of Haïti. ...

In July 1999, Anguilla once again became involved with CARICOM when it gained associate membership. Prior to this, Anguilla had briefly been a part of CARICOM (1974-1980) as a constituent of the full member state of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.

In 2005 the Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic had proposed seeking to obtain full membership status in CARICOM for his country (for the second time); however, due to the sheer size of the Dominican Republic's economy and population size in comparison with the current CARICOM states, and coupled with the Dominican Republic's checkered history of foreign policy solidarity with the CARICOM states it is unclear whether the CARICOM states will unanimously vote to admit the Dominican Republic as a full member into the organization. It has been proposed that CARICOM may deepen ties with the Dominican Republic through the auspice of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) instead, which is an organisation that stops just short of the proposed political integration which will underpin CARICOM at a later date. Currently, the Dominican Republic also has a free trade agreement (from 2001) with CARICOM and also cooperates with CARICOM (since 1992) under the umbrella organization, Cariforum, in economic negotiations with the EU.^[4] The Dominican Republic originally became an Observer of CARICOM in 1982 and in 1991 it had presented CARICOM with a request for full membership.^[5] The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) (Also called the Asociacion de Estados del Caribe or Association des Etats de la Caraibe) was formed with the aim of promoting consultation, cooperation, and concerted action among all the countries of the Caribbean, comprising of 25 member states and 3 associate members. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Also in 2005, the Netherlands Antilles made an official request for the status of associate membership.^[6] It is not known how the future dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles will affect the current observer status or the requested associate membership status of the islands, such as Sint Maarten, in the future though Curaçao has announced [4], [5] it wants to continue deepening ties with the CARICOM bloc. Motto Libertate unanimus (Latin: Unified by freedom) Anthem Anthem without a title Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch, English, Papiamento Government  -  Monarch Beatrix  -  Governor Frits Goedgedrag  -  Prime minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage constitutional monarchy part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands  Area  -  Total 960 km² (184th) 371 sq... Motto Semper pro grediens (Latin) Anthem O sweet Sint-Maartens Land Capital (and largest city) Philipsburg Official languages Dutch, English Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles  -  Administrator Franklyn Richards constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles, separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands as from December 15... For other uses, see Curaçao (disambiguation). ...

In 2007, the U.S. Virgin Islands government announced it would begin seeking ties with CARICOM.^[7] It is not clear what membership status the USVI would obtain should they join CARICOM. It is possible the USVI would obtain observer status, considering fellow U.S. Caribbean territory Puerto Rico's current observer status.

Gross domestic product (by purchasing power parity) in 2006 The Purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ...

Gross domestic product (by purchasing power parity) in 2006 The Purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ...

See also: Trade bloc

Gross domestic product (by purchasing power parity) in 2006 The Purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ... A trade bloc is a large free trade area or free trade area formed by one or more tax, tariff and trade agreements. ...

Structure

After the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, CARICOM reorganised itself into a state like Government structure made up of the following branches:

The Executive

Comprising of a rotating prime ministerial Chairmanship of CARICOM (Head of CARICOM), the CARICOM Secretary General (Chief Executive) and the CARICOM Headquarters secretariat (Chief Administrative Organ). There is also a quasi Cabinet of individual Heads of Government who are given specific responsibility or portfolios for overall regional development and integration.^[11] The term of office of the Secretary-General is 5 years, which may be renewed.

The Legislative

The Community Council: The Council consists of Ministers responsible for Community Affairs and any other Minister designated by the Member States in their absolute discretion. It is one of the principal organs (the other being the Conference of the Heads of Government) and is supported by four other organs and three bodies.

Supporting Organs

• The Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP)
• The Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED)
• The Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR)
• The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD)

Supporting Bodies

• The Legal Affairs Committee: provides legal advice to the organs and bodies of the Community (related: CARICOMLaw)
• The Budget Committee: examines the draft budget and work programme of the Secretariat and submits recommendations to the Community Council; and,
• The Committee of Central Bank Governors: provides recommendations to the COFAP on monetary and financial matters

The Judiciary

Main article: Caribbean Court of Justice

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will act as the original jurisdiction for settlement of disputes on the functioning of the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME), as well as serving as an appellate court of last resort for member states which have severed their country's ties with the Privy Council in London, United Kingdom. The CCJ is based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Many member states however, continue to utilize the Privy Council as their final appellate court and three member states do not use the CCJ for either its original jurisdiction or its appellate jurisdiction because they have either not signed the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (the Bahamas and Haiti) or are awaiting instruments of entrustment in order to ratify the Revised Treaty (Montserrat). The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is a regional Caribbean-based institution in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ... The Caribbean Single Market and Economy also known as the CARICOM Single Market and Economy or CSME is and integrated development strategy envisioned in 1989 by 13 of the now 15 members of CARICOM. The Grand Anse Declaration Strategy had three key Features. ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Port of Spain, population 49,000 (2000), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the countrys second largest city by population, after San Fernando. ...

Caribbean Community organs and bodies

Structures that comprise the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

• CARICOM Heads of Government - Comprising of the various heads of Government from each member state

• Standing Committee of Ministers - Ministerial responsibilities for specific areas, for example the Standing Committee of Ministers responsible for Health will comprise of Ministers of Health from each member state

The CARICOM heads of government serve as the most importaint body leading key policy direction for the Caribbean Community organisation and for the implementation of the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy. ...

Secretariat

• Secretariat of the Caribbean Community
• Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community

The Secretariat is located in Georgetown, Guyana. The Secretariat of the Caribbean Community is the principal administrative organ for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and is headed by the Secretary General who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community. ... The CARICOM Secretariat is the principal administrative organ of the Community and is headed by a Secretary General who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The goal statement of the CARICOM Secretariat is:"To provide dynamic leadership and service, in partnership with Community institutions and Groups, toward the attainment of a viable, internationally competitive and sustainable Community, with improved quality of life for all."

Caribbean Community Institutions

• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA)
• Caribbean Meteorological Institute (CMI)
• Caribbean Meteorological Organisation (CMO)
• Caribbean Food Corporation (CFC)
• Caribbean Environment Health Institute (CEHI)
• Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI)
• Caribbean Regional Centre for the Education and training of Animal Health and Veterinary Public Health Assistants (REPAHA)
• Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians (ACCP)
• Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD)
• Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI)
• Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)
• CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)
• Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) is a inter-regional supportive network of independent emergency units throughout the Caribbean region. ... -1... In 1951 the British Caribbean Meteorological Service was established to promote and co-ordinate regional activities in the fields of meteorology and allied sciences; provide support and advice to governments in dealing with issues of an international nature affecting weather and climate and to represent the regional meteorological community’s... The Caribbean Examinations Council or CXC was established in 1972 under Agreement by the Participating Governments in the Area to conduct such examinations as it may think appropriate and award certificates and diplomas on the results of any such examinations so conducted. ... Flag of CARICOM and the CSME The CARICOM Single Market and Economy also known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy or CSME is an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community which took place in July 1989... The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is a regional Caribbean-based institution in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Associate Institutions

• Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
• University of Guyana (UG)
• University of the West Indies (UWI)
• Caribbean Law Institute / Caribbean Law Institute Centre (CLI / CLIC)
• Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

The Caribbean Development Bank is a financial institution which assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programs in its member countries. ... The University of Guyana, in Georgetown, Guyana, was established in 1963 by the PPP administration. ... The University of the West Indies, also known as UWI, is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 16 countries and territories in the Caribbean - Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. ... The Caribbean Law Institute (CLI) was established in 1988 under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development to promote such activities that would further clarify the laws affecting trade, commerce and investment in the Region, while at the same time respecting the unique needs of local jurisdictions. ... Map of the Eastern Caribbean showing OECS member states (dark green) and associate member states (light green) Secretariat Castries, St. ...

Secondary organs

• Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED)
• Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR)
• Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD)
• Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP)

Other bodies

• Legal Affairs Committee (related: CARICOM Law)
• Budget Committee
• Committee of the Central Bank Governors

CARICOM projects

CARICOM Single Market and Economy

Main article: CARICOM Single Market and Economy

     CARICOM members part of CSM     CARICOM members not part of CSM     CARICOM associate members

Three countries: Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago had originally set January 5, 2005 as the date of signing the agreement relating to the (CSME), the ceremony had then been rescheduled to coincide with the February 19, 2005 inauguration of the new CARICOM-headquarters building in Georgetown, Guyana. But this was later postponed after a ruling by the London Privy council caused alarm to several Caribbean countries. Flag of CARICOM and the CSME The CARICOM Single Market and Economy also known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy or CSME is an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community which took place in July 1989... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The prospect was that ten of the remaining twelve CARICOM countries would join the CSME by the end of 2005. The Bahamas and Haiti were not expected to be a part of the new economic arrangement at that time. The CARICOM Secretariat maintains frequent contact with another organisation named the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which represents seven Full members and two Associate members of CARICOM in the Eastern Caribbean. Many of the OECS countries are seeking to maintain themselves as a micro-economic grouping within CARICOM. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) includes the member states of: Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda British Virgin Islands Dominica Grenada Montserrat Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The OECS was created on 18 June 1981, with the Treaty of Basseterre, named after the capital...

The CARICOM Single Market and Economy treaty finally went into effect on 1 January 2006 with Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago as the first full members. On 3 July 2006 the total membership was brought up to twelve when Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines became full members. The British overseas territory of Montserrat is seeking permission from the United Kingdom to become a part of the single market; Haiti will not join the market initially because of its difficult internal political situation; and the Bahamas will not join because of local opposition to a provision that allows skilled workers to move more easily among nations. Flag of CARICOM and the CSME The CARICOM Single Market and Economy also known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy or CSME is an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community which took place in July 1989... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (almost exclusively Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... A single market is a customs union with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of all the four factors of production (land, enterprise, capital and labour). ...

The CARICOM Common Passport

On Friday, January 7, 2005, the Republic of Suriname became the first full member state to officially launch the new bloc "CARICOM Passport". The new passports boast having better security and are also machine-readable. The full member states of the Caribbean Community had agreed to establish a common passport in order to make intra-regional and international travel easier for their citizens. The passports are also thought to save additional costs for member states by using a similar cover design, the designs will also follow newly updated international standards on Passport design. is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The second state that released the national CARICOM passport was Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: SVG began issuing the new CARICOM passports around April 2005. On 25 October 2005, St. Kitts and Nevis became the third CARICOM member state to bring the CARICOM passport into operation, making good on its promise to launch it before the end of the year and began Issuance of the document to its citizens on 14 November 2005.^[12] October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Antigua and Barbuda had announced that it would begin using the new CARICOM passport format by the middle of 2005.

St. Lucia has also proposed introducing the common passport in early 2007 ^[13] and actually introduced it on January 16, 2007.^[14]

Trinidad and Tobago had announced that it would begin to issue the new CARICOM passport in June 2006, and then indicated that it would introduce the passport in July 2006 along with Guyana,^[15] but only finally introduced the passport on January 24, 2007.^[14]

Grenada planned to begin issuing the common passport in mid-2006,^[13] but started issuing them on January 29, 2007.^[14]

     Members with common passport implemented     Members without common passport     Associate members

Currently (as of early 2007) eight Member States have introduced CARICOM passports. These states are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.^{[15] [14]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The CARICOM passport creates awareness that CARICOM nationals are nationals of the Community, as well as a specific country.

The expectation is that all the member states will have introduced the CARICOM passport by 2008 when the stock of their old passports is depleted.

Belize is to introduce the passport after its current stock is depleted, but ultimately by December 31, 2007.^[16]

Jamaica was expected to institute the passport by January 2007, having recently upgraded its passport to a machine-readable state^[13], but this deadline lapsed; however, Jamaica is now expected to begin issuing the passport before the end of 2007.^[17]

Barbados had planned to switch to the common format by late 2006,^[13] but has now proposed introducing it by December 31, 2007.^[16]

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana had also announced that it would begin to use the new CARICOM passport format by the middle of 2005, but the introduction was delayed and the new target date is July 2006.^[15] Guyana officially launched the passport on 13 July 2007.^[18]

The Bahamas has not launched the machine-readable passport, and intends to launch the e-passport in October 2007.

Passport designs

The three colours of the new passports are:

• Dark Blue for civilians;
• Green for government officials and
• Red for diplomats.

In the case of Suriname, the Passport is adorned with the national symbols for the Republic of Suriname, as well as the CARICOM insignia on its cover. President of the Republic of Suriname Ronald Venetiaan received the first of these new CARICOM passports. Dark blue is a shade of blue. ... A civilian is a person who is not a member of a military. ... Mossy, green fountain in Wattens, Austria. ... An official is, in the primary sense, someone who holds an office in an organisation, of any kind. ... Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 625–750 nm. ... ... The President of the Republic of Suriname (Dutch: President van de Republiek Suriname) is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of Suriname. ... Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan (born June 18, 1936) is a mathematician[citation needed] and the current president of Suriname. ...

Antigua and Barbuda's design is to feature the country's Coat of Arms and country name as well as the CARICOM logo.

The passports for Suriname were created by the Canadian Banknote Company Ltd. (CBN) Under a five-year programme with a price tag of US$1.5 million. It is believed other member states of CARICOM will now soon follow with the introduction of their own branded version of the national 'CARICOM' Passport. The Canadian Bank Note Company is responsible for printing Canadas paper currency. ...

CARICOM Visa and the Single Domestic Space

During the July 2006 CARICOM Summit, the various leaders reached an agreement on measures to ensure hassle-free movement for visitors to the 2007 Cricket World Cup, as well intelligence sharing and cooperation for the security of the event.^[19] People were originally to be able to travel amongst the nine host countries and Dominica between January 15, 2007 and May 15, 2007 using a single CARICOM visa.^[20] However, during a meeting in Trinidad and Tobago on December 29, 2006, the Heads of Government decided to push back the creation of the Single Domestic Space to February 1, 2007 in response to representation from tourism ministers and others involved in the tourism industry.^[21]A single CARICOM visa had been considered for the Cricket World Cup as far back as March 2005.^[22] The (CARICOM) visas were originally to have been issued from August 15, 2006^[23], but that deadline was pushed back to early November 2006^[24] however, that deadline also lapsed. Finally it was announced on December 4, 2006 that the visas were ready and the application process began on December 15, 2006.^[25] The visas were issued by three CARICOM states (Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago^[24]) outside of the region on the behalf of the 10 countries.^[26] Jamaica issued the Common CARICOM Visa at its consulates in Miami, New York and Toronto. Trinidad and Tobago issued the visas at its embassy in New Delhi, India and made special arrangements to open up a facility in Sydney, Australia, attached to its honorary consulate there. Barbados issued the visas at its High Commission in London for a number of countries.^[26] These international venues were ready to accept applications by December 15, 2006. Additionally, those in need of visas who were already in CARICOM states could apply directly to the special visa sites there.^[25] For countries that have no Caribbean representatives, the CARICOM visa would originally have been issued by the UK,^[23] but this was no longer the case^[27] and instead the application form were made available for those unable to download it.^[28] In addition to the six issuing sites, remote sites had been set up to facilitate persons requiring the visa. These sites were located in Geneva (Jamaican permanent mission to the office of specialized agencies of the UN), Berlin (Jamaican embassy), Brussels (Barbadian embassy), Beijing (Jamaican embassy) and Caracas (Trinidadian embassy).^[29] In late January, the Pakistan Cricket Board began lobbying for a satellite visa office to be setup in Pakistan for fans there who were having trouble obtaining the visa from the New Delhi site.^[30] The visa cost US$100^[26] and it was expected that most visas would be issued between two to three weeks after application. Applicants first had to satisfy security requirements and other local immigration criteria before being granted the visa, which would only be valid from February 1 to May 15 in 2007.^[25] The common CARICOM visa was originally supposed be applicable to the nationals of 46 countries^[31], but was finally made applicable to all nationalities with the following exceptions: citizens of Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and all of the dependent territories, associated states and departments of those countries do not require the visa.^{[26] [32]} Citizens of CARICOM member states (excepting Haiti), associate member states or persons who were in the region and enjoying status as residents, or were on visitors visas, work permits, and student visas were also not be required to obtain the visa^{[32] [33]} By January, the Heads of Government also moved to waive the visa fees for children under age of 12, thus easing the cost for families. ^[21] Non-accredited diplomats or persons travelling on diplomatic or official passports; cricket teams, officials, media and sponsors and their spouses and children; Cuban nationals and seamen and airline crew entering to join vessels/aircraft were also exempted from payment (but not necessarily from the visa requirement).^[29] The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was a mens cricket tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sports one-day international format. ... The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was a mens cricket tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sports one-day international format. ...

Cruise ship passengers not staying more than 24 hours at any of the 10 Caribbean countries were issued with a CARICOM day pass. However, those who were staying on cruise ships, dubbed “floating hotels” for the duration of the games, were required to obtain a visa unless their countries fell within those that are exempted.^[32] Visa abolition agreements between some of the ten Caribbean states concerned and countries whose citizens were then required to obtain CARICOM visas during the Cricket World Cup provided for the suspension of the visa-free policy in such cases.^[32]

During the 31/2 month period from February to May, the ten Caribbean countries became a “single domestic space”^[31] in which travellers only had their passport stamped and had to submit completed entry and departure forms at the first port and country of entry. The entry and departure forms were also standardised for all ten countries.^[23] When continuing travel throughout the Single Domestic Space, persons (including those using the common visa) were not required to have their documents processed to clear customs and immigration and did not need to have their passports stamped, but still needed to travel with them.^[19] Once passengers arrived at the Immigration Department Desk at the first port of entry, they were provided with a blue CARICOM wristband that identified them for hassle free movement through the single domestic space.^[34][35][36]

By February 1, 2007 officials in Barbados announced that of 6 000+ CARICOM visas applied for thus far, about 5 000 had already been processed. The Barbados government went on with the announcement saying that that the rest of the CARICOM visas would be processed soon.[6] By March 5, 2007, shortly before the start of the Cricket World Cup, over 20,000 CARICOM visas had been issued^[37] and by the end of April, at the end of the Cricket World Cup, over 42,000 visas had been issued, with only 1,540 applications being denied, primarily for reasons of human trafficking.^[38] When the single domestic space came to an end on May 15, 2007 nearly 45,000 visas had been issued.^[39]

In February 2007 the CARICOM Heads of Government agreed to set up a Task Force to recommend a revised CARICOM Special Visa for the future, making any changes necessary from the experiences of the 3 month Single Domestic Space. This Task Force had its first meeting on 25 May in Trinidad and Tobago and reported to the July 2007 Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in Barbados. In addition, a paper will also be presented on the issue of how best to establish a rationalised Single Domestic Space to facilitate hassle-free travel within the region on a permanent basis.^[39][40]

CARICOM Travel Card

At the 28th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference ^[41] in Barbados it was agreed to implement a CARICOM travel card that will be issued to every CARICOM national except those on the Community’s watch list. An implementation plan for the document will be put together and submitted to the Heads at t