Looking into CARICOM’s soul: The Charter of Civil Society

Abstract

ABSTRACT In 1997, members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) adopted a Charter of Civil Society for the Caribbean Community (The Charter) in response to recommendations from the West Indies Commission in 1992. The Charter was part of efforts to revitalise CARICOM for the 21st century, which included adding an explicit and more direct focus on people than previously existed. The document is a human rights declaration with some participatory elements, which is non-binding on states. Nevertheless, after 26 years, The Charter remains a reality primarily on paper. This article describes and assesses The Charter and asserts that member states have not used the document to guide their approaches to human rights or people’s inclusion except somewhat coincidentally. The article also offers suggestions on revising The Charter to make it a more relevant human rights document while emphasising the importance of intentionally treating it as a foundational document for creating a regional human rights framework in CARICOM.