The Last Word

Small countries deserve more consideration over international obligations

by Barrie Quappe
Host/producer of "Cayman Crosstalk" on Rooster 101.9FM

Friday, September 3, 2004

The Cayman Islands has become increasingly obligated, by virtue of its dependent territory status, to take on directives from the outside that are causing pressures, financial and social, on the inside. Take for example the death penalty.

On the website for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) the deliberate efforts to change us is evident:

“While we acknowledge the difficulties being faced in stemming rising violent crime, we continue to press Caribbean states to abolish the death penalty. Where it is retained, we ask that minimum international standards are observed. By and large this happens.”

Other well-covered pressures are EU-initiated events impacting our financial industry, OECD and more recently Human Rights advocacy groups.

This ‘continual pressing’ is taking its toll. Human Rights organisations have ideals that major developed nations may have the money to implement.

I say ‘may’ because they are not without their own problems in these areas, however it seems hypocritical to pressure small island states to implement policies that can be very costly both financially and socially when their own countries are facing similar concerns.

The difference is that negative impacts will occur more rapidly in smaller island nations than in large continents. We cannot be their ‘lab rat’ to test their new global policies.

It is not that I am against global fiscal policies per se, human rights, animal rights, environmental charters et al. It is just that a country’s growth should be taken very seriously with constant supervision of resources for sustaining new laws, restrictions or freedoms.

Recently Cayman has seen a rise in crime, and even the FCO notes this for the region.

Still they plough on seemingly on a blind mission to mainstream the globe even before it is ready. If London is pursuing their agenda with little to no consideration for individual country’s resources then more than ever the people of these countries need to be vigilant as to what international policies their Government representatives may be signing us up for.

Contact Barrie Quappe “Newstalk” radio show, Rooster 101.9FM. E-mail barriequappe@hurleysgroup.com  

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