Final report on review of CARICOM institutions by December

The highly anticipated final report on a review of CARICOM's 17 institutions is expected to be presented to heads of government by December this year. 

The update is contained in a submission by the CARICOM Secretariat to leaders who are meeting in Trinidad and Tobago this week for their annual summit. 

A push for a review started from as early as 2002 amid criticisms that the integration bloc of 15 countries needs to be more responsive to the needs of Caribbean people.

The review is expected to answer questions such as the financial solvency of the entities and whether they are fit for purpose, effective in delivering services, and if the region will be harmed by the closure of any institution.

The terms of reference were approved in February 2021 and Canadian firm Le Groupe-conseil Baastel Itée (Baastel) in association with LPD Hall & Associates contracted as consultants to provide the independent review. The secretariat said completion of the project documents was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The consultants were contracted for a period of 18 months commencing in December 2021 with the final report expected to be delivered by end June 2023," the secretariat document said. 

The project is being funded by the Canadian government. 

A project steering committee (PSC) chaired by Ambassador Allan Alexander from St Vincent and the Grenadines supervises the project. Jamaica's Ambassador to CARICOM Janice Miller is among the members. 

The status document said between March and May 2023, consultations were held in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St Lucia, Suriname and Guyana. 

It said the consultants submitted their third progress report to the steering committee on June 9 and approval was expected by the end of the month. 

After that report is approved, a general meeting involving the consultants, heads of institutions, the project steering committee and the secretariat is to be held. 

The consultants will prepare their final report based on the outcome of that meeting. 

"It is expected that the report will be presented to the heads of government during the fourth quarter of 2023," the secretariat said, adding that "the project is currently within projected timelines". 

The 17 CARICOM institutions include the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). 

In early 2022, the consultants reported that, with the exception of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and the CXC, all the institutions were participating fully in the review.

The energy centre and CXC reportedly told the consultants that they required clarity from their governing boards about their participation. By May 2022 the issues were sorted. 

The Canadian government through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving the consultants doing the review of institutions for which they were doing separate work. 

At the time, Baastel and its affiliates were engaged in projects with CARPHA and CDEMA. The energy centre had raised similar concerns. 

Baastel Canada, which is doing the review work, said it was legally different and distinct from Baastel Belgium which was doing work with CARPHA.

"Baastel further undertook to separate staff (no overlapping staff) and ensure insulation of information and communication between the personnel on either project. This information was shared with the PSC which determined that these measures were sufficient to remedy the conflict issue," said a May 2022 CARICOM document obtained by the The Gleaner. 

- Jovan Johnson

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