Belize's Caricom Membership: Understanding The Relationship

Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states. Belize joined CARICOM on 1 May 1974, and celebrated its 40th anniversary of independence on 21 September 2021. CARICOM was established in 1973 by its four founding members: Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. It aims to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure equitable sharing of benefits, and coordinate foreign policy. Belize is one of the smaller members of CARICOM in terms of population and size, and it is classified as a Less Developed Country (LDC) within the community.

Belize's membership of CARICOM

Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states and five associated members throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. Belize joined CARICOM on 1 May 1974, and it achieved independence from Britain in 1981.

CARICOM was established in 1973 by its four founding members—Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago—who signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas. The organisation has two official designations for its member states: More Developed Countries (MDCs) and Less Developed Countries (LDCs). Belize is classified as an LDC.

CARICOM's primary objectives are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation operates as a regional single market for many of its members, handles regional trade disputes, and devises and implements special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction.

Belize has been accorded special treatment in the regional trade agreements negotiated by CARICOM. The agreements provide for duty-free exports from CARICOM LDCs, such as Belize, to other countries. For example, the CARICOM-Columbia Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1994, grants products originating in CARICOM member states free access to the Columbian market for certain products and the gradual elimination of non-tariff barriers for others.

In addition to economic benefits, CARICOM membership also provides Belize with opportunities for regional cooperation and integration. CARICOM members meet twice yearly to discuss issues affecting the Community and the wider world at the Conferences of Heads of Government. All members have an equal say in these discussions, regardless of size or economic status.

CARICOM's benefits for Belize

Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states. CARICOM was established in 1973 and has several benefits for Belize, including:

• CARICOM promotes economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensuring that the benefits of integration are shared equitably. This includes coordinating economic policies and development planning, as well as operating as a regional single market for many members. Belize has been accorded special treatment in regional trade agreements, with duty-free exports from CARICOM Less Developed Countries such as Belize.
• CARICOM provides a platform for handling regional trade disputes.
• CARICOM membership grants Belize access to various trade agreements that CARICOM has negotiated bilaterally with other countries and regions, including the European Union, the United States, Canada, and Latin American countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. These trade agreements can facilitate greater trade liberalisation and economic relations for Belize.
• CARICOM has a quasi-cabinet structure where the individual heads of government are given specialised portfolios for regional development and integration. Belize's quasi-cabinet responsibility is Justice and Governance.
• CARICOM promotes unity and a shared Caribbean identity among its members.
• CARICOM has established institutions and initiatives to support its members, such as the Caricom Development Fund, Caribbean Telecommunications Union, Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency, and more. These institutions work towards enhancing economic integration, improving health and safety standards, and fostering cooperation within the region.

CARICOM's trade agreements

Belize is a member of CARICOM (Caribbean Community), an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states and five associated members throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. CARICOM was established in 1973 by its four founding members—Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago—who signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Belize joined CARICOM on 1 May 1974 and gained independence in 1981.

CARICOM has signed several trade agreements with other countries and regions, including:

• The CARICOM-Venezuela Trade and Investment Agreement: Signed in October 1992 and ratified in June 2006, this agreement allows selected products from all CARICOM countries to enter the Venezuelan market duty-free.
• The CARICOM-Colombia Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement: Signed in July 1994 and ratified in June 2006, this agreement initially provided for the one-way preferential access of certain products from CARICOM to Colombia, with a level of reciprocity agreed to be implemented four years later.
• The CARICOM-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement: Signed in August 1998 and ratified in June 2006, this is a reciprocal trade agreement between the five CARICOM MDCs (Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) and the Dominican Republic.
• The CARICOM-Cuba Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement: Signed in July 2000, this agreement seeks to strengthen commercial and economic ties between CARICOM and Cuba by allowing for reciprocal preferential trade in goods between the five CARICOM MDCs and Cuba.
• The CARICOM-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement: Signed in March 2004 and ratified in June 2006, this agreement provides for reciprocal preferential market access for a select range of products between the five CARICOM MDCs and Costa Rica.
• The CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement: Signed in October 2008 and ratified in July 2015, this agreement seeks to liberalise trade and investment between 15 CARIFORUM states and 27 European Union countries on a reciprocal but asymmetric basis. It covers areas such as market access for industrial and agricultural products, services and investment, trade-related issues, and legal and institutional issues.

CARICOM's relationship with Belize

Belize is a full member of CARICOM, joining the organisation on 1 May 1974. Belize's membership of CARICOM is considered a significant milestone in the country's history, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledges the pivotal role CARICOM played in securing Belize's independence while preserving its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

CARICOM, the Caribbean Community, is an intergovernmental organisation and political and economic union of 15 member states, 14 nation-states, and one dependency, with five associated members. It was established in 1973 by its four founding members: Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.

CARICOM's primary objectives are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure the equitable sharing of benefits from integration, and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation operates as a regional single market, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), for many of its members.

Belize is one of the smaller members of CARICOM in terms of population and size, and it is classified as a Less Developed Country (LDC). As such, Belize has been accorded special treatment in regional trade agreements. For example, the agreements provide for duty-free exports from CARICOM LDCs such as Belize. Belize has a positive trade balance with the Dominican Republic and a negative trade balance with Cuba, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Colombia.

Belize has also benefited from other trade agreements negotiated by CARICOM, such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) with the United States, which allows for duty-free exports to the US market. Additionally, Belize is a member of the Caribbean-Canada Trade Agreement (CARIBCAN), which provides preferential access to the Canadian market.

Belize has also committed to opening up its service sectors to foreign providers as part of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. This agreement also grants duty-free and quota-free access to the European market for Belizean goods.

Overall, CARICOM has played a crucial role in Belize's economic development and integration into the regional and global economy, while also supporting the country's independence and sovereignty.

CARICOM's impact on Belize's independence

Belize is a member of CARICOM (Caribbean Community), an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states. Belize joined CARICOM on May 1, 1974, and achieved independence from Britain in 1981.

Secondly, CARICOM's regional trade agreements benefitted Belize by granting duty-free exports to certain countries, such as Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Belize, as a Less Developed Country (LDC) within CARICOM, received special treatment in these agreements, which contributed to its economic development.

Thirdly, CARICOM's structure and principles ensured that Belize had an equal say in shaping the community's policies and priorities, despite its small size and population. The organisation's commitment to equality among members gave Belize a voice in regional decision-making, which may have supported its independence.

Additionally, CARICOM's role in fostering a sense of Caribbean unity and identity may have also positively impacted Belize's independence. The community's activities, such as the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA), promoted cultural exchange and a sense of shared heritage among its members.

Finally, CARICOM's association with other regional organisations, such as the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), provided Belize with a broader platform for cooperation and representation in the international arena. This could have contributed to strengthening Belize's position as an independent nation within the Caribbean and Latin American context.

In summary, CARICOM's impact on Belize's independence was significant, as it provided economic opportunities, a platform for regional cooperation, and a sense of unity and shared identity, all of which contributed to Belize's development as a sovereign nation.

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