Describe the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) is a group of twenty developing

countries in the Caribbean that have come together to form an economic and political community

that works together to shape policies for the region and encourages economic growth and trade.

Its main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to

ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy.

CARICOM was formed in 1973 after the founders had enacted the Treaty of Chaguaramas and

consists of 20 countries. Fifteen of these countries are full-fledged members of the community

while five of them only retain associate member status and part-time privileges.

The fifteen full-time countries are as follows:

● Antigua and Barbuda

● Bahamas

● Barbados

● Belize

● Dominica

● Grenada

● Guyana

● Haiti

● Jamaica

● Montserrat

● Saint Lucia

● Saint Kitts and Nevis

● Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

● Suriname
 ● Trinidad and Tobago

The associate members are:

● Anguilla

● Bermuda

● British Virgin Islands

● Cayman Islands

● Turks and Caicos

The objectives of CARICOM are:

● To improve standards of living and work

● The full employment of labour and other factors of production

● Accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence

● Expansion of trade and economic relations with third States

● Enhanced levels of international competitiveness

● Organization for increased production and productivity

● Achievement of a greater measure of economic leverage

● Effectiveness of Member States in dealing with third States, groups of States and entities

of any description

● The enhanced coordination of Member States’ foreign and foreign economic policies and

enhanced functional cooperation.

CARICOM was established to replace the Caribbean Free Trade Area which had failed in its

mission to develop policies in the region pertaining to labor and capital. 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. Its headquarters is based in

Georgetown, Guyana. The Jamaican Prime Minister, The Most Honourable Andrew Holness

holds the position of Lead Head of Government for External Trade Negotiations.

NAFTA

NAFTA ( The North American Free Trade Agreement) is an agreement signed by the

governments of Canada, Mexico and The United States creating a trilateral trade bloc. On

January 1, 1994, an agreement became effective that superseded the Canada- United States free

trade agreement between the U.S and Canada.

 FUNCTIONS

· It seeks to eliminate barriers to trade and facilitate the cross-border movement of goods and

services between the territories of the parties.

· Promotes fair competition in free trade.

· Increases investments opportunities in their territories.

· Provides adequate and effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in

each party’s territory.

· Designed to remove tariff barriers between the three countries.

A tariff is a federal tax on imports or exports. The NAFTA required the elimination of tariffs on

half of US goods shipped to Mexico and gradually phased out the other tariffs among the US,

Canada, and Mexico. Tariffs make it expensive for consumers to purchase foreign goods, so

imports are reduced. When the tariffs are high it causes a decline in the supply of goods and an

increase in the price of the goods. So, the NAFTA suggests that the US, Canada and Mexico

receive preferences over goods not originated there.

NAFTA has now been replaced by USMCA, The United States-Mexico Canada Agreement. The

American president Donald Trump and the other governing bodies in each country had agreed to

the new implementation and renegotiation commenced August 16,2017. However, Canada is yet

to sign the agreement since January 2020. The USMCA will strengthen the North American

economy by opening up new opportunities and Jobs. It will give access to industries within each

country for example the US Dairy Farmers and Canada Automobile exports. New rules or
guidelines would be implemented between the countries, also the introduction of digital trade

and intellectual property. Due to the nullification of the NAFTA the Caribbean should be

concerned primarily with the production of Textiles and clothing, and sugar because Mexico

produces the same and with the duty-free access that they have it would be a decline for the

Caribbean. In 2002 US Trade Act allowed Jamaica and other producers of Textile and clothing to

receive duty free access to the US market. However, the quota was liberalized which plunged the

production under. Without quotas it is nearly impossible for Jamaica to compete with the other

producing countries.

DESCRIBE ANY ROLE AND OR FUNCTION JAMICA PLAYS IN THESE

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

United Nations

Contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the promotion of

economic and social progress through multilateral cooperation within the UN system.

CARICOM

To promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits

of the integration are equitably shared and to coordinate foreign policy.

NAFTA

To promote and increase manufactured goods to help stabilize the economy.

Describe the functions and governance of the United Nations

The United Nations is an International organization designed to make the enforcement of

international law, security, and human rights; economic development; and social progress easier

for countries around the world, (Briney, 2019). It was founded in 1945 and currently made up of
193 member states that was embarked upon by the Charter. The United Nations Charter is

similar to a declaration that was signed on the 26th of June 1945 and became effective almost 4

months after in October of the same year. The statue of International Court of Justice was an

integral part of the Charter, (Charter of the United Nations, n.d.).

The Functions/ Purposes of the United Nations.

1. To maintain International peace and Security in conformity with the principles of justice and

international law, adjustments or settlements of international disputes or situations that might

interrupt the peace, (Charter of the United Nations, n.d.).

2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on the principle of equal rights and self-

determination of peoples, and to take other measures to strengthen universal peace, (Charter of

the United Nations, n.d.).

3. International cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural,

or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and the

fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language and religion, (Charter

of the United Nations, n.d.).

4. To be a Centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common

ends, (Charter of the United Nations, n.d.).

The United Nations is based on the sovereignty and equality of every member. Each member is

charged to up hold peace. The UN promotes a good governance system through many avenues

and the principles are reaffirmed in the declaration of the High-Level Meeting on the Rule of

Law [para.12]. Support of governance is enhanced through The United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDF), The Department of

Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), The department of Political Affairs (DPA), and the Office of

the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), including others, (Good Governance, n.d.)
REFERENCES

https://jis.gov.jm/information/caricom/

Hayes. A (Oct 1, 2019) Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). Retrieved

from:https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/caribbean-community-and-common-market-

caricom.asp

Briney, A. (2019, April 10). History and Principles of the United Nations. Retrieved from

ThoughtCo.: https://www.thoughtco.com/the-united-nations-p2-1435441

Charter of the United Nations. (n.d.). Retrieved from United Nations:

https://www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/index.html

Good Governance. (n.d.). Retrieved from United Nations and the Rule of Law:

https://www.un.org/ruleoflaw/thematic-areas/governance/good-governance/