BACKGROUND NOTE ON ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES
Prepared by the Department of External Relations
Association of Caribbean States
Established in 1994
Ø Members
The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) consists of 25 member states and 4 associate members representing 237 million citizens within the Greater Caribbean region. It aims to foster cooperation through consultation and dialogue amongst its member states. The Convention establishing the Association of Caribbean States was signed in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia on 24 July 1994. Member states are allowed to take part in discussions and vote in the meetings of the Ministerial Council and Special Committees of the Council whereas associate members can participate and vote only on matters that directly affect them.
All member states of the Association of Caribbean States are also permanent members of the OAS. These include Antigua & Barbuda; the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Grenada; Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Mexico; Jamaica; Nicaragua; Panama; St. Kitts & Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent & the Grenadines; Suriname; Trinidad & Tobago; and Venezuela.
Ø Mission / Objectives
The mission and objectives of the ACS come directly from the functions and objectives set out in the Convention Establishing the Association of Caribbean States. Based on the goals set forth by subsequent declarations created at each of the ACS Summits, the Association aims to:
i) strengthen regional cooperation;
ii) further the integration process in the Greater Caribbean;
iii) create an enhanced economic space in the region;
iv) preserve and protect the Caribbean Sea, and;
v) promote the sustainable development of the Greater Caribbean.
In August 1995, the Association agreed on the Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action to establish principles regarding the economic activities of tourism, trade, and transportation as well as their respective impact on the environment, economy, human resources, and inter-institutional relations.
Ø The Ministerial Council
As the principal organ of the ACS, the Ministerial Council is comprised of representatives of all member states. It carries out the policy-making and sets the course of action of the entire Association. According to the Convention, the Council has the power to convene meetings at its discretion, in addition to its annual meeting. It also lies within its jurisdiction to determine the composition and terms of reference for the various Committees of the ACS which include:
i) Committee on Trade Development and External Economic Relations;
ii) Committee for the Protection and Conservation of the Environment;
and of the Caribbean Sea;
iii) Committee on Natural Resources;
iv) Committee on Science, Technology, Heath, Education and Culture, and;
v) Committee on Budget and Administration
Ø Budget
On a biennial basis, the Committee on Budget and Administration is responsible for submitting a draft of the Budget of the Association to the Ministerial Council which has the power to modify and approve it. The total figure of the proposed budget is voted upon by the delegates of the Ministerial Council and is approved by consensus of the representatives present.
In 2007, member states and associate members contributed $1.47 million (US) to the Association. Extraordinary, or external, contributions totaled $1.68 million (US). Approved expenditures for 2007 amounted to $3.24 million (US), with the largest expenditure category being International Staff Expenses.
Ø Main Areas of Work
Currently, the ACS is concentrating its efforts on a group of specific projects that embody the objectives set out in the Convention. These include:
i) Working on the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean;
Advocates the use of natural resources in a rational and sustainable manner in order to enhance the lives of Caribbean citizens
ii) Facilitating language training;
Aims to reduce language barriers by facilitating the means for those in the business sector to develop fluency in French, Spanish, and English
iii) Working on the Caribbean Sea Initiative;
Promotes the environmental integrity of the Caribbean Sea and through the sustainable development of its resources.
iv) Coordinating an annual Business Forum of the Greater Caribbean;
Allows business people from various sectors in the Caribbean region to identify business opportunities and forge closer ties with suppliers; promotes regional economic integration.
v) Defending the interests and treatment of small economies;
Encourages the participation of smaller countries in trade negotiations and defends their fair treatment in trade relations (according to WTO guidelines)
vi) Updating building codes;
Updates regional building codes in order to better mitigate and reduce damage created by natural disasters.
vii) Strengthening disaster agencies
Includes a $3.5 million (US) project to update Early Warning Systems (EWS) and provide regional meteorological offices with resources to better plan in the case of an emergency.
Ø Recent Events/ Meetings of Note
The policies and direction of work of the Association are decided annually at the Meetings of the Ministerial Council, composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of each member state. In addition, the ACS holds a summit every four years with a resulting declaration that reaffirms the member states’ commitments to the body and its principles.
Notable past events include:
i) 13th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Council—Panama City, 25 Jan 2008
The Ministerial Council elected Guatemalan diplomat Luis Fernando Andrade
Falla as the next Secretary General. He will take the place of Rubén Arturo Silié Valdez whose term ends March 2008. The Ministerial Council also named Gloria de Mees as Director of Sustainable Tourism and Ariadna Gioconda Pérez as Director of Trade Development and External Economic Relations.
ii) The Release and Distribution of Two Major Publications- 25 Jan 2008
The Council announced the publication of two major works at the 13th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Council in Panama City, which include:
a) “Special and Differential Treatment in the Regional Trade Agreements in the Greater Caribbean”
Using different regional integration schemes in the Greater Caribbean such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Central American Common Market (CACM), this publication examines the provisions for Special and Differential Treatment of Small States.
b) “Dossier: The Association of Caribbean States”
Part of a series on “Integration in Latin America” published by the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), this publication highlights the ACS’s objectives, agreements, functions, procedures and projects.
Ø Possible Areas of Collaboration with OAS
The work of the Association of Caribbean States is logically focused on addressing the main problems and concerns of the majority of its members, namely the smaller island countries of CARICOM and the smaller countries of Central America, for the promotion of tourism, the enhancement of business opportunities through language and skills training, the sustainable exploitation of the Caribbean basin, and the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters.
The work of the ACS is mirrored within the OAS in several of the Departments of SEDI, the Secretariat for Integral Development. Possibilities for areas of cooperation between the two organizations include:
i) work on sustainable development / mitigation of natural disasters
(Department of Sustainable Development/ SEDI)
ii) work on environmental integrity of the Caribbean Sea
(Department of Sustainable Development/ SEDI)
iii) work on participation of smaller states in trade negotiations
and in further integration into world markets
(Department of Trade, Tourism and Competitiveness/ SEDI)
iv) work on sustainable tourism
(Department of Trade, Tourism and Competitiveness/ SEDI)
v) work on language training
(Department of Education and Culture/ SEDI)
Annex
Biography of current ACS Secretary General Rubén Arturo Silié Valdez
(who will step down at end March 2008)
Dr. Silié, of the Dominican Republic, became Secretary General of the ACS in March 2004 after being elected by the Minsterial Council. He has served as Director of the Latin American Faculty for Social Sciences (FLASCO) in the Dominican Republic since 1996, as Vice Rector of the National University of Santo Domingo (UASD), Professor at numerous universities and institutes, Advisor to the Vice President and Secretary of State of Education of the Dominican Republic, and Ambassador in the Foreign Ministry.
Dr. Silié is also known in the region as a well-respected historian, sociologist, educator, and administrator with degrees in Sociology, Economic History, Development Studies, and Administration & Planning of Further Education.
Biography of new ACS Secretary General Luis Fernando Andrade Falla
(who will take office as of April 2008)
Mr. Andrade Falla, of Guatemala, is an experienced career diplomat. He holds degrees in both economics and international relations. His most recent positions include serving as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, and Representative of the President pro tempore of the Commission on Security of the Central American Integration System (SICA). He has also served as Chargé d’Affaires and Minister Counsellor of Guatemala in Cuba.
Contact Information for Association of Caribbean States
Association of Caribbean States
5-7 Sweet Briar Road, St. Clair,
P.O. Box 660, Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
Phone: (868) 622 9575
Fax: (868) 622 1653
Email: -- http://www.acs-aec.org
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