Caricom Heads of Government concluded their three-day summit in Nassau yesterday with news they had made progress on several important regional issues, including progress on the political front in Haiti, reforming the Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) and consideration of the latest Venezuelan claim to Caricom to territory within Caricom borders.
Border issues were discussed in detail and with urgency by the leaders, including the continuing claims to territory in Belize and Guyana by Guatemala and Venezuela, respectively.
But they also discussed a third new border issue-the recent claim by Venezuela to Bird Island off Dominica, which is within the territorial waters of several OECS territories.
The Venezuelans, who already claim two-thirds of the territory of Guyana, are claiming that the uninhabited Bird Island, which is located 70 miles off Dominica, was bequeathed to Caracas by Spain more than two centuries ago.
Caracas is also claiming that the member-states of the OECS do not dispute its claim. However, the current government of Dominica says it has no such documentation.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last week maintained his country's claim to the island and said Caracas plans to establish a scientific military base on the island. He also said he would visit the island himself to stamp Venezuela's claim.
But President Chavez's latest claim to territory within the Caricom region is a cause of worry and concern for several Caricom leaders, especially Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis.
If Venezuela's claim is accepted, there will be territorial implications for Dominica and the other two Caricom member-states, by virtue of the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that would extend Venezuela's maritime borders into OECS waters.
The OECS has been addressing this issue since 1998 and word is that following the meeting efforts will be made by the sub-regional grouping to ascertain the facts relating to Caracas' claim.
It is expected that the OECS and Caricom leaders will come up with a definite position on the Venezuelan claim in time for the Third ACS Summit which takes place on the island of Marguerita in December and will be hosted by President Chavez.
It is understood that the Venezuelan government has briefed Ambassadors of Caricom member-states in Caracas on its claim to Bird Island.
It is also understood that the ACS, which was asked to consider the issue, has indicated it does not consider settlement of border disputes as part of its mandate.
However, it was clear from the guarded private statements of most Caricom leaders attending that the Venezuelan claim to yet another territory within Caricom is a source of worry and deep concern.
Some leaders are also said to interpret the latest territorial claim by Caracas as indication of a continuation of the policy of expansionism promoted by previous Venezuelan administrations.
It has been suggested that the OECS and/or Caricom should invite the Venezuelans to discuss the matter and it is expected that such an invitation will follow soon after the conclusion of the summit.
Another troublesome issue dealt with by the Heads of Government was that of the continuing political developments in Haiti, where Caricom and the Organisation of American States (OAS) have been trying to broker a political settlement between the government and opposition.
Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide attended the summit and on Thursday addressed the Caricom leaders during a retreat in Freeport on Grand Bahamas Island.
It is understood that the Haitian leader agreed to even further concessions, following his recent acceptance of a recommendation to annul the results of controversial elections for the seats of seven senators whose electoral victory the opposition challenged last year.
Caricom has established an office in Haiti as it continues to court the country and pave the way for its complete integration into the Caribbean Community.
However, the Caricom leaders and their OAS counterparts are insisting on full normalisation of the democratic process in the troubled country of almost eight million inhabitants.
A third problem area addressed by the Caricom leaders during their retreat was that of the future of the Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), which has been the subject of some debate in the regional press since disclosure of the imminent departure of its two top officials.
The RNM's Chief Negotiator Sir Shridath Ramphal has announced his retirement from the position, effective December 31 this year, while the Chief Technical Advisor, Sir Allister McIntyre, has also retired at age 72.
There has been considerable debate in the Barbados media about the causes and implications of the departure of the two top RNM officials. The debate has also included questions about the location of the RNM, which is currently based in Barbados, with other offices in Jamaica, Brussels and Geneva.
There are strong suggestions the RNM should be relocated to Jamaica, where former UN Ambassador Richard Bernal, who is tipped to replace Sir Shridath, heads the local office and where the Prime Minister with lead responsibility for the RNM, PJ. Patterson, is also located.
But there have been equally strong arguments in favour of retaining the office in Barbados, with some suggesting that retaining it in Bridgetown will make the RNM more accessible and of service to the smaller OECS territories.
There is also a claim that maintaining the RNM in Barbados and the impending possible relocation to Barbados of the Secretariat for the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) from the Caricom Secretariat could result in a weakening of the Secretariat itself.
However, conference sources indicate that Barbados, which has lead responsibility for the CSME, would only be interested in a temporary relocation of the unit to Bridgetown, pending the completion of construction of the new Caricom headquarters in Guyana in a couple years time.
But quite apart from the matter of location, there is said to be some concern among some Caricom Heads of Government about the need to strengthen accountability and transparency in the operations of the RNM, as well as to radically strengthen its human resource and technical negotiating capacity.
Yet another touchy subject discussed was the future of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).
The cash-strapped institute is owed some US$8.5 million by five member-states (Guyana, Jamaica, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada).
Trinidad & Tobago has already pulled out of the grouping, while there is some uncertainty about the continuing membership of Guyana, which owes over half of the overall arrears (US$5.5 million).
Heads reportedly considered various options, including closing down, the organisation and cancellation of the outstanding debts by member states.
But it is suggested that there was an overwhelming view that CARDI's work was still very important to the region and there was a need to keep it alive.
Some leaders reportedly argued that debt cancellation would set a dangerous precedent that could eventually affect other regional institutions and have instead encourage outstanding debtors to pay up, while paving the way for restructuring and reducing CARDI's operating costs.
Tourism was another important agenda item at the summit and the leaders have agreed to return to The Bahamas in October for a Caribbean Tourism Summit that will also be attended by the Caribbean Tourism Oganisation (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotels Association (CHA).
The Tourism Summit will take place under the chairmanship of Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who has lead responsibility in Caricom for Tourism matters.
Caricom Heads of Government adopted a proposal by St Lucia's Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony to take a collective approach to the tacking of issues of crime and drugs in the Caribbean.
The St Lucia leader recently recommended that the matter of crime and drugs be addressed at the 22nd Caricom Summit-a proposal that was later supported by the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Lester Bird.
The two leaders insisted on making crime an agenda issue at the conference, given the seeming inability of the police and security forces in the region to win the war against the criminals, who are better armed and more financially endowed, especially as it relates to the drugs trade.
Among the issues discussed under the broad heading of Regional Security, were the proposed establishment of a Regional Unit to address drug-related matters, creation of a rapid response Unit to deal with drug-related and serious crimes and establishment of High security Prisons.
The leaders discussed what measures they could adopt to address these matters and conference sources indicate a Regional Crime Commission may be in the offing as a result of their deliberations.