Caribbean Community Research Articles

From “special relationship” to “strategic partnership”: prospects for renewal of Canada-CARICOM relations in a polarizing global political economy

ABSTRACT This paper assesses the prospect for a renewed era of bilateral cooperation amongst Canada and the Caribbean Community. It argues that ongoing efforts to operationalize the Canada-CARICOM Strategic Partnership entail promising preliminary signs, but that substantive renewal requires a new mutual fidelity encompassing credible commitments toward a more equitable political profit-sharing arrangement. For Canada’s part, these include enhancing domestic market access for key CARICOM exporters, explicit recognition of vulnerable CARICOM business sectors, effective legal protections for temporary foreign workers, and a new juridical approach toward naturalized legal offenders. For CARICOM, credibility entails renewed efforts at integrating member-state firms into Canadian value chains alongside a new collective vision for regional development. En lieu of such commitments the new strategic partnership seems destined to perpetuate an increasingly listless bilateral continuum.

Non-communicable diseases prevention and control by government ministries in Guyana.

Countries of the Caribbean Community signed the Declaration of Port of Spain in 2007 with the vision to stop the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The adoption of the Declaration by member states represented a regional effort, challenging governments, the private sector, and civil society to act together. Multisectoral actions in Guyana aimed at achieving this goal are the focus of this article, demonstrating the work of different actors in addressing the burden of NCDs in the country. To analyze multisectoral actions developed among five ministries for the implementation of the Declaration of Port of Spain 2007 in Guyana. This qualitative study was guided by the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist and conducted in five ministries (Agriculture, Education, Finance, Health, and Trade) in Georgetown, Guyana. The thematic analysis was guided by a framework consisting of four elements: context (why the policy is needed), content (what the policy is mainly about), process (how the policy was brought forward and implemented), and actors (who participates in and influences the formulation and implementation of the policy). The framework considers how these elements interconnect to shape policy development and implementation processes. Data analysis provided the researchers with insights into possible topic areas and codes for consideration during the analysis, hence a deductive approach to data analysis was used. The results highlighted the importance of coordination among government entities, national and international agencies, private actors, industry players, and civil society. Participants did not mention the use of responsibility metrics but cited mechanisms that facilitated collaboration. The results showed limitations in transforming multisectoral initiatives into intersectoral collaboration to achieve real integration among the different actors involved, considering the actual context and content. Actions could be more effectively implemented with significant outcomes for NCD control in Guyana.

A vertical index of direct competition in international trade: The case of CHINDIA and CARICOM

This paper assesses the genealogy of competitive indices in international trade and theoretically develops a measure of export threat which estimates direct competition in vertical market segments. We identify the assumption of homogeneity in these export threat measures as a weakness that undermines accuracy. Hence, we develop a new measure of export threat, the direct intra-market threat (DIMT), which incorporates relative vertical and market share changes over time to accurately estimate a country’s direct threat to other exporters in a third market. We argue that the market segmentation method applied in complement to the DIMT estimate provides an all-encompassing methodology in the estimation of export threat, which we argue is superior to the Dynamic Index of Competitive Threat (DICT) and Direct Threat methodologies. The paper uses the case of China and India (CHINDIA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to assess the empirical estimates of the DIMT relative to DICT and Direct Threat over the period 2000–2021. Our study is motivated by a research gap in the estimation of the competitive threat posed by a large, diversified exporter on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

CARICOM as the Coordination Mechanism for Caribbean Small Island Developing States Participating in the Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations

Abstract The specific processes involved in the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) role as a coordination mechanism for its Member States, composed of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), participating in multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) negotiations are sparsely documented within academic literature. CARICOM Member States have increasingly suffered from the transboundary movement and deposition of plastic litter on their coastlines. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) convened in November 2022 to develop an international legally binding instrument to manage plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Known as the global plastics treaty, Caribbean SIDS face inequities in their ability to adequately prepare and participate in this negotiation forum. CARICOM’s history of addressing environmental issues, notably through its participation in MEAs, has positioned CARICOM as a significant negotiating bloc in MEA meetings. This study classifies CARICOM’s systematic coordination processes for preparing its Member States for MEA negotiations and assesses opportunities, challenges and limitations for CARICOM to serve as the coordination mechanism for preparing its Member States for the ongoing global plastics treaty negotiations.

345 Analysis of the Caribbean Neurosurgery Workforce: Scope of Practice, Challenges and Ways Forward

INTRODUCTION: There are close to 45 neurosurgeons for 16 million people in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. The aim of our study is to understand the current scope of practice for neurosurgical providers in the Caribbean, as very sparse information has been published. METHODS: This study surveyed neurosurgeons within Caribbean and CARICOM countries online using qualitative and quantitative methods via Qualtrics. RESULTS: Of 38 countries within the Caribbean, 26 (68%) were surveyed of which 18 (69%) replied. In total 61 neurosurgeons were identified, with a majority of general neurosurgeons (56%). Remarkably, the majority of countries failed to meet the threshold workforce density for safe health care - either expressed by FTE neurosurgeons or neurosurgical centers. Most neurosurgical practices denied receiving or sending medical referrals. If otherwise, most referrals took longer than 8 hours without significant difference regarding the destination. Lastly, challenges confronting neurosurgical advancement were found in: technology and equipment (40%), trained personnel (31%), hospital or medical center infrastructure (14%), neurosurgical education and training (44%). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative study exploring the current status of the Caribbean neurosurgery workforce, the challenges and the potential ways forward. Arming the local providers with improved resources and support would only serve to add value to the region thus making excellent patient care the standard for a region in need of just that.

Barriers to engagement with testing for sexually transmitted infections within a UK-based young adult Black Caribbean community: a qualitative study.

The Black Caribbean population have a disproportionately high burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared with other ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to explore barriers to engagement with STI testing within a UK-based young adult Black Caribbean community. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 14 young adults from the Black Caribbean community and six sexual healthcare professionals. Data were analysed thematically. A focus group of five young adults was conducted to refine themes. Data analysis generated three themes: (1) culturally embedded stigma; (2) historically embedded mistrust; and (3) lack of knowledge. Perceived as 'dirty', particularly for females, infection with STIs was stigmatised by religious conceptions of 'purity' and shame. This presented challenges in terms of cultural acceptability of talking about STI testing with partners, friends, and family. Legacies of colonialism, medical racism and malpractice compromised young people's trust in medical intervention and confidentiality of data management. A lack of knowledge related to STIs and their treatment, and in how to access and perform STI tests further served as a barrier. Culturally tailored interventions targeting these factors and delivered by radio, podcasts and social media were highlighted as having potential to improve engagement with STI testing. Engagement with STI testing by young adults from the Black Caribbean community is impacted by historically and culturally embedded teachings, practices and beliefs inherited through generations. Targeting these factors within culturally tailored interventions may be effective for increasing STI-testing, and thus reducing rates of STI-infection in this population.

‘Capacity building skills in the implementation of evidence-based practice for community health nurses: an exploratory descriptive cohort study’

Background: While nurses are strategically placed to support the achievement of universal health, their practice may not always be informed by evidence, especially in a context where research evidence is not commonly used to inform practice. Objective/Aim/Hypothesis: Improve management of clients with CNCDs in Caribbean community through evidence-based practice (EBP) capacity building workshops. Design/Methods: A descriptive, quantitative design was used for this study. Participants included Community Based Nurses who attended an initial and recall workshop on EBP in a Caribbean island. All participants were included as the sample. Data were collected as a Pre-Test and Post Test before the initial workshop and at the recall workshop. Analysis was done quantitatively. Since the sample was small, only descriptive statistics were used. Results: Data showed 64% of participants had no experience with EBP, 55% needed more essential resources to participate in EBP and 55% recognized a need to include EBP to change their clinical practice effectively. Conclusions: The nurses and district supervisors observed a high level of interest and commitment to initiating and completing EBP projects. However, the reality of significant workplace demands, and limitations in consistent logistical and supervisory support impacted long-term sustainability.

The Regulatory Status of Functional Foods in the Economic Integration Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean

The legal declarations on functional foods of the four main economic integration organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) – Pacific Alliance (PA), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and Central American Integration System (SICA) - are based on the Codex Alimentarius system and do not regulate functional foods. The use of Codex in food marketing is an insufficient condition for its application in functional foods. Regulation based on scientific and technology results are required to be used in the economic integration organizations of LAC. Objective. The objective is to analyze the theoretical framework of the legal foundations that could govern the commercialization processes of functional foods, whose research advances have currently only been manifested in nutritional health. This article also seeks to address this gap through a systematic analysis of international regulations. Materials and methods. For this, a review of the literature emanating from two databases from 2018-2023 is carried by applying the legal-economic research method of documentary content analysis, applied to three general food marketing regulations: food safety declarations, regulations for inspections, food manufacturing and food labeling. Results. The results reveal the absence of specific legislation for functional foods in LAC economic integration organizations. Conclusions. The legal principle of marketing based on peremptory norm (also called jus cogens) can be facilitated through side letters, included in the contents of international contracts. along with the registration requirements of industrial property rights of the member countries associations.

Here to stay? Challenges to liberal environmentalism in regional climate governance

AbstractWhile regionalism is highly relevant in many policy fields today, regional idiosyncrasies have been poorly understood in the literature on multilateral climate governance. This article explores regional ideas in climate governance by comparing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS). As international climate governance has institutionalised a normative compromise of liberal environmentalism since the 1990s, the article further assesses ideational challenges to this compromise. It examines how these ideas have evolved over time and explains variation between the organisations through the advent of new knowledge. Relying on qualitative content analysis, the article finds that both CARICOM and CBSS have supported and reproduced liberal environmentalism in the past. More recently, CARICOM has started to connect climate change with notions of survival and justice, implicitly challenging liberal environmentalism, while CBSS remains situated within established discourses of sustainable development. The article then argues that the availability of new knowledge from both scientific as well as experiential sources explains the evolution of ideas in regional organisations. Problem definitions of climate change evolve within regional organisations when officials gain access to new scientific data and are able to combine or confirm them with experience from their day‐to‐day work.

Evaluation of mercury in skin lightening creams commonly used in Trinidad and Tobago and their associated health risk

Objectives: This study investigated the presence of mercury in commonly used over the counter skin-lightening creams available in Trinidad and Tobago. The objective of this study was to evaluate if skin-lightening creams commonly used in Trinidad and Tobago contained Mercury, and establish the health risks presented by these products. Methods: Nineteen skin-lightening creams were analysed using Cold Capor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (CV-AAS). Margin of Safety (MoS) and Hazard Quotient (HQ) calculations were used to assess risk to users. Results: Of the nineteen creams assessed, sixteen contained high concentrations of mercury (0.294-14414.5 µg/g), only three creams had no mercury detected. 9 of the 19 samples contained levels of mercury that exceed the Minamata convention’s accepted limit of 1µg/g, with 3 samples exceeding 3800.000 µg/g. Risk assessments using MoS and HQ showed that 3 of the samples were unsafe for use and are considered hazardous. The study also revealed that many creams do contain mercury even if it did not constitute part of the product formulation. Conclusions: The data infers that some manufacturers do add mercury to their formulations while others are the victims of contaminated raw materials. MoS and HQ show that 21% of the samples were unsafe and 16% can be considered hazardous for human use. It is possible that with such levels of mercury in these products and the popularity of these products within the Caribbean Community and its diaspora, that there exists a significant amount of members with higher than acceptable mercury levels, with undiagnosed clinical symptoms.

What CARICOM can learn from other regionalism(s) in an era of deglobalisation

ABSTRACT Applying a comparative regionalism approach to study regionalism(s) in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Latin America (LA), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), this paper outlines what lessons Latin America and ASEAN regionalism(s) hold for CARICOM based on its current updated model of that concept. With the rise of deglobalisation and the retreat towards regionalism, analysing how different regionalism models approach global, regional, and national power dynamics outlines how these regional institutions manage the externalities of colonialism and imperialism over time. The article concludes by recommending what further policies and principles CARICOM might ‘borrow’ from these counterparts to strengthen its regional project for the next 50 years.

Comparative regionalism cases of artificial intelligence governance in education: the Caribbean Community and the European Union

ABSTRACT This article is a comparative examination of how the European Union’s (EU) emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulatory framework can provide guidance for the development of AI governance despite being perceived as an imposition on other regions such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Caribbean stands at an intersection of technological evolution, confronting the essential challenges of navigating AI’s expansion with an ethos of inclusivity, equity, and prudent oversight. The article focuses on the EU-CARICOM relationship by analysing both the policy rhetoric (espoused by the EU) and the policy responses (in the CARICOM). It aims to uncover the convergences, divergences and tensions arising in this dyad stemming from the relationship between a primary global player asserting its role in AI development in education and its external partners still dependent on its assistance.

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

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.

An African Union-Caribbean Community alliance in the global reparations movement: promises, perils, and pitfalls

ABSTRACT Due to shared colonialist histories, current economic and political struggles, and challenges in charting inclusive futures, it is, in the opinion of the authors, essential for the people of the Caribbean and Africa to unite in their advocacy for reparations and justice. This article articulates what such an alliance might look like through a comprehensive analysis of documents between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union (AU) and by building upon Robin Kelley’s critical Nine Theses on Decolonisation and CARICOM’s current 10-Point Plan. In assessing the current state of collective reparatory movements, the authors have identified three gaps that require further research: the representation of the Indigenous Caribbean in theory but not in practice, the overarching emphasis on the state-to-state approach to reparations, and the lack of youth participation. Their proposed expansion of the Caribbean-Africa Knowledge Programme will, argue the authors, address these gaps and further the conversation on the importance and urgency of a trans-regional call for reparations by Caribbean and African citizens.

The management of the Covid-19 pandemic and its potential for the relaunch of Latin American and Caribbean regionalism

Covid-19 became a global public health problem of enormous dimensions. Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) governments reacted to prevent the spread of the virus unilaterally in most cases, but some responses were proposed at the regional and subregional levels. The region saw the pandemic emerge in a context of ideological polarization between governments, as a bad omen for its numerous and overlapping regional groupings, which already showed weaknesses and limitations. However, the broad impact of a public health crisis could give regional organizations the opportunity to push for the achieving of a collective agreement that might drive the process further. This paper focuses on the response of Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and Central American Integration System (SICA) in the face of the pandemic and beyond. Our main argument is that the public health crisis of Covid-19 entailed a potential for the relaunch of regionalism improving cooperation, unity and other advanced forms of regionalism. Case studies indicate that the active regional response to the coronavirus owed much to previously installed institutional and political capacity. In CARICOM and SICA, the political will of the presidents coincided with a semi-autonomous activation of the institutional response, leading to optimal results. Still, political leadership may compensate for institutional weakness. The experience of CELAC revealed that leadership in agenda-setting with a technical focus can help promote dialogue and cooperation in a context of ideological polarization.

Energy consumption, income and carbon emissions in the Caribbean community

Energy consumption, income and carbon emissions in the Caribbean community

The Making of Policy on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Technology Within the Caribbean Community (Caricom), and The International Agenda

The Making of Policy on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Technology Within the Caribbean Community (Caricom), and The International Agenda

Energy consumption, income and carbon emissions in the Caribbean community

Energy consumption, income and carbon emissions in the Caribbean community

On increasing the contribution of locally produced fresh foods to school meals in the Caribbean

The rising prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity within the Caribbean is a major public health and policy concern because obese children are at risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. Throughout the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), children are consuming unhealthy diets, characterized by energy-dense, processed and ultra-processed foods, sugar sweetened beverages, and limited quantities of fruits and vegetables. Community-based school meal programmes (SMPs) have been identified as useful vehicles to address unhealthy eating among children, and “farm-to-school” approaches have the potential to increase the availability of locally grown nutritious produce, while supporting local agriculture and reducing the region’s reliance on food imports. This paper seeks to better understand the barriers to enhancing community-based school feeding value-chains in the CARICOM, by focusing on the Eastern Caribbean Island of Nevis where there is an interest in developing farm-to-school value chains. Using key informant interviews combined with focus groups with actors along the local food value chain, we identify the following barriers to an effective community-based SMP: a lack of communication and an absence of contractual agreements between local farmers and the SMP administration; generally low levels of child acceptance of school meals containing fresh vegetables; and limited intersectoral coordination and collaboration among SMP stakeholders and local farmers. Using social network analysis, we further discuss limitations in group organization and coordination among local farmers and opportunities for SMP improvement. The results point to the need for more integrative public policy development and greater community engagement to coordinate and strengthen the farm-to school approach to school feeding.

Analysis of the Caribbean Neurosurgery Workforce: Scope of Practice, Challenges, and Ways Forward

The neurosurgical workforce in the Caribbean and surrounding countries is largely unknown due to the diversity in cultural, linguistic, political, financial disparities, and colonial history between the countries. About 45 neurosurgeons serve 16 million people in the Caribbean Community and Common Market, a trade alliance including most Caribbean nations. We aimed to understand the current scope of neurosurgical workforce in this region while highlighting any system challenges and potential solutions for upscaling the workforce. We surveyed neurosurgeons within Caribbean countries and surrounding countries online using qualitative and quantitative methods via Qualtrics. Of the 38 countries within the Caribbean and surrounding countries, 26 (68%) were surveyed and of which 18 (69%) replied. In total, 172 regional neurosurgeons were identified, of which 61 (35%) replied-with a majority of general neurosurgeons (56%). Remarkably, the majority of countries failed to meet the threshold workforce density for safe health care-either expressed by full-time equivalent neurosurgeons or neurosurgical centers (see table). Most neurosurgical practices confirmed receiving or sending medical referrals. If so, most referrals took longer than 8 hours without significant difference regarding the destination. Lastly, challenges confronting neurosurgical advancement were found in the following: technology and equipment (40%), trained personnel (31%), hospital or medical center infrastructure (14%), neurosurgical education, and training (44%). To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative and quantitative study exploring the current status of the neurosurgical workforce within the Caribbean and surrounding countries. Identifying resources and challenges can contribute to improving regionalized neurosurgical care.