Free Movementand Double Standards on Good Governance Raised
CARICOM Foreign Ministers are concernedover the imposition of travel limitations on Caribbean nationalswithin the region and the double standards of the internationalCommunity on the principles of good governance.
"Ministers took note of the concernsexpressed regarding the imposition of travel restrictions on CARICOMnationals within the Community and urged the Secretary-Generalto use his good offices to hold consultations on the matter andto take steps to pre-empt, through dialogue, the possibility ofsimilar action by Member States or Associate Member States,"a communiqué from the just-concluded Council for Foreignand Community Relations said.
Without identifying a Caribbean state orstates deemed guilty of imposing travel restrictions on Caribbeannationals, the regional Ministers of Foreign Affairs recalledthe provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which relateto the Free Movement of CARICOM nationals in the Region, and agreedthat this Treaty provision should be drawn to the attention ofregional immigration officials.
CARICOM Foreign Ministers also discussedthe issue of Governance and connected concepts which are oftenadvocated in the Global arena and observed that the internationalCommunity was often guilty of double standards in the manner inwhich the principles of good governance were applied in makingjudgments on the situation in individual states.
The Ministers expressed concern that thereputation enjoyed by the Caribbean Community as a bastion ofdemocracy and good governance was in danger of being eroded andstrongly reiterated the Community's commitment to democracy andgood governance.