Full CARICOM membership comes with a cost of participation– Dr Kedrick D. Pickering
The two were debating on the radio show 'Eye On the Future of the Nation' on ZBVI 780 AM on April 30, 2024, as to whether the VI should take up full CARICOM membership.
Is full membership beneficial to VI? - Dr Pickering asks
“Is full membership in CARICOM beneficial to us at this point in time… CARICOM full membership brings with this a number of responsibilities, membership has responsibilities. Are we prepared for those responsibilities?” he questioned.
Dr Pickering added, “CARICOM full membership brings with it the costs of participation. We can't just be a member and don't participate, because ultimately all that means is we are basically wasting our time and wasting our colleague's time.”
Skelton-Cline had argued that with current conditions in our world, each country, including the VI, needs to have strategic partnership and alliances throughout the world.
Mr Skelton-Cline said, moving forward, the VI needs to position itself to be able to sit at the negotiating table and participate in policy decisions on the strategic direction of the region as a whole.
Administrative infrastructure needed for CARICOM
Dr Pickering added, “If you're not around the table, if you're not there to make decisions and to follow up on those decisions, then you're defeating the very purpose. And then here’s my really big point... Do we have the administrative infrastructure in our country at this point in time to be able to deal with full membership in CARICOM?” he further questioned.
He said his research tells him that the International Affairs Secretariat, which is the body that primarily handles regional and international affairs, is not at its optimal at this point in time.
“Our leaders will go to CARICOM, the decisions are made at CARICOM. It has to filter back to us. We've got to have the personnel and human manpower resources and everything else that goes along with it to work on implementing those decisions if we are going to benefit from them and if we are going to contribute overall to the greater debate within the wider Caribbean region,” he said.
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18 Responses to “Full CARICOM membership comes with a cost of participation– Dr Kedrick D. Pickering”
Oh My. LOLOLOL LOL.
Translate, Doc
Wouldn't it be better for you to go BACK home and live in peace since it is so bad here? Hmmmmmmmmm?
The VI cannot lean on Caricom and other regional organizations when just in need of help or support.,They need to be part of these organizations. What is the cost-benefit of the VI becoming a full member of Caricom? Dr. Pickering stated that it will be costly. But what is the cost? We cannot just make statements without supporting data/information. Regional unity is important. The VI send a number of students to UWI but without the contributions of regional countries there will be no UWI. Is freedom of movement the tall pole in the tent, the canary in the coal mine, the poison pill?
Dr. Pickering was an elected official for over 20 years if I'm not mistaken and held posts as Minister and Deputy Premier. Pull his file and you will see why you shouldn't be wasting half a brain cell trying to figure out what he is saying. He is talking pure $%!* hoping that it sounds good to people that are displeased with the government and how things are going. Pickering and Claude are old news who were part of the system that caused the problems that we are now seeing in full bloom. Dr. Pickering misses the prestige of being a Minister for I'm sure the invitations to jets, yachts and outer Cays have ceased since the cut @$% Sowande gave him in 2019.
That should stop us dead in our tracks. And if you think I lie, ask Antigua. Does the BVIslander goto any other Caribbean nation or island en masse to live or work? No. The Caricom nationals will be on our doorsteps pronto. They say it's about skills and labour but in reality it will be about the god almighty US dollar.