1. CARIBBEAN STUDIES
MODULE TWO: ISSUES IN CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT
TOPIC: THE INTEGRATION MOVEMENT
1. The evolution of: Federation, CARIFTA, CARICOM, OECS, ACS
2. The achievements and challenges of any THREE of the following:
- Caribbean Community (Caricom)
- University of the West Indies (UWI)
- Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)
- West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)
- Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)
- Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME)
- Regional Security System (RSS)
A// The West Indian Federation (1958 - 1962)
One of the first major attempts at regional integration was the formation of the West Indian
Federation of 1958. Member States included:
- Antigua
- Barbados
- British Guiana
- Dominica
- Jamaica
- Montserrat
- St kitts/Nevis/Anguilla
- St Vincent
- St lucia
- Trinidad and Tobago
The Federal government was headed by an Executive Governor-General, appointed
by Britain and included:
 A Prime Minister, elected from among and by the members of the House of
Representatives
 A Cabinet, comprising the Prime Minister and ten other elected Members chosen by
him
 A Council of State presided over by the Governor General. The Council included the
Prime Minister and Members of the Cabinet as well as three senators and three civil

2. servants. The senators and civil servants were chosen by the Governor General.
(The Council of State was the principal policy (decision)-making body at the start of
the Federation. In 1960 Britain agreed to abolish this Council and allow the Cabinet
to take over the powers of the Council)
 A forty five-member House of Representatives, with Members elected from among
the Territories; and
 A nineteen-member Senate, nominated by the Governor General following
consultation with the Prime Minister
The Governor General was Lord Hailes of Britain and the Prime Minister was Sir Grantley
Adams, (Premier of Barbados). The Federal capital was located in Trinidad and Tobago.
During its brief existence (1958-62), a number of fundamental issues were debated with a
view to strengthening the Federation. Among these were direct taxation by the Federal
Government, Central planning for development, Establishment of a Regional Customs
Union and Reform of the Federal Constitution. The issue of direct taxation was particularly
controversial. The Federation was not permitted to levy (impose) income tax for at least
the first five years of its life. Added to this, were the greatly differing positions among the
Territories with respect to how other federal taxes should be levied.
In addition, the Federation began quickly to seek to establish federal institutions and
supporting structures. It created a federal civil service; established the West Indies
Shipping Service (in 1962) to operate two multipurpose ships - the Federal Maple and the
Federal Palm - donated to it by the Government of Canada. It had embarked also on
negotiations to acquire the subsidiary of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC),
namely British West Indies Airways (BWIA).
Cooperation in tertiary education was consolidated and expanded during this period. The
then University College of the West Indies (UCWI), which was established in 1948 with one
campus at Mona, Jamaica, opened its second campus at St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago,
in 1960.
The Federation however faced several problems. These included: the governance and
administrative structures imposed by the British; disagreements among the territories
over policies, particularly with respect to taxation and central planning; an unwillingness
on the part of most Territorial Governments to give up power to the Federal Government;
and the location of the Federal Capital.
The decisive development, which led to the demise of the Federation was the withdrawal of

3. Jamaica - the largest member - after conducting a national referendum in 1961 on its
continued participation in the arrangement. The results of the referendum showed
majority support in favour of withdrawing from the Federation. This was to lead to a
movement within Jamaica for national independence from Britain. It also led to the now
famous statement of Dr Eric Williams, the then Premier of Trinidad and Tobago that, one
from ten leaves nought, referring to the withdrawal of Jamaica and signifying and justifying
his decision to withdraw Trinidad and Tobago from the Federal arrangement a short while
later.
The Federation collapsed in January 1962.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
1. To strengthen the movement for self government
2. To promote economic development
3. To safeguard the democratic system of government vis a vis dictatorship and
communism
ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Federation facilitated the movement from colonialism to independence through a
united voice
2. The coming together of small states strengthened their effectiveness in dealing with
international bodies such as the United Nations
REASONS FOR FAILURE
1. The masses were not educated on the importance of Federation
2. Communication among the islands including shipping, telephone and postal services
was inefficient
3. Envy and jealously among member states from their varying levels of economic
prosperity
4. Distrust by the smaller states of the larger members (Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica)
proposal to prematurely change the constitution of the Federation

4. B//CARIFTA (1968 - 1973)
The Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) was founded by Antigua and Barbuda,
Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago on 15 December 1965, with the signing of the
Dickenson Bay Agreement (the Agreement establishing the Caribbean Free Trade
Association). They were joined on 1 July, 1968 by Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis-
Anguilla, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines; and on 1 August, 1968 by
Montserrat and Jamaica. In 1971 Belize (then British Honduras) joined the Association.
These Caribbean countries had recently become independent, and CARIFTA was intended
to unite their economies and to give them a joint presence on the international scene.
Specifically, CARIFTA was intended to encourage balanced development of the
Region by:
• increasing trade - buying and selling more goods among the Member States
• diversifying trade - expanding the variety of goods and services available for trade
• liberalising trade - removing tariffs and quotas on goods produced and traded within
the area
• ensuring fair competition - setting up rules for all members to follow to protect the
smaller enterprises
In addition to providing for free trade, the Agreement sought to:
• ensure that the benefits of free trade were equitably distributed
• promote industrial development in the LDCs
• promote the development of the coconut industry (through an Oils and Fats Agreement)
which was significant in many of the LDCs
• rationalise agricultural production but in the interim, facilitate the marketing of
selected agricultural products of particular interest to the LDCs (through the Agricultural
Marketing Protocol); and
• provide a longer period to phase out customs duty on certain products which were
more important for the revenue of the LDCs
In 1972, Commonwealth Caribbean leaders at the Seventh Heads of Government
Conference decided to transform the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) into a
Common Market and establish the Caribbean Community, of which the Common Market
would be an integral part.
The signing of the Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community, Chaguaramas, 4th July
1973, was a defining moment in the history of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Although a
free-trade area had been established, CARIFTA did not provide for the free movement of
labour and capital, or the coordination of agricultural, industrial and foreign policies.

5. The objectives of the Community, identified in Article 6 of the Revised Treaty, are: to
improve standards of living and work; the full employment of labour and other factors of
production; accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and
convergence; expansion of trade and economic relations with third States; enhanced levels
of international competitiveness; organisation for increased production and productivity;
achievement of a greater measure of economic leverage and effectiveness of Member States
in dealing with third States, groups of States and entities of any description and the
enhanced co-ordination of Member States’ foreign and foreign economic policies and
enhanced functional co-operation.
In 1973, CARIFTA became the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
C//CARICOM
The agreement giving birth to the Caribbean Community and common Market (CARICOM)
was signed on July 4, 1973 at Chaguaramas in Trinidad and Tobago. Effective operation of
Caricom began on August 1, 1973.
Main objectives include:
1. To improve the economic development of member states through the introduction
of free trade.
2. Co operation among member countries in the areas of: shipping, air transport,
meteorological services, health, education, culture etc..
3. To establish common policies in dealing with non-member states and transnational
corporations
D//OECS - Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
The organization of Eastern Caribbean states (OECS) was established on June 18, 1981 with
the signing of a treaty among the following countries:
1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Dominica
3. Grenada
4. Montserrat
5. St Kitts/Nevis
6. St Lucia
7. St Vincent and the Grenadines
Objectives:
1. To promote development by the formation of a common market among member
states

6. 2. To deal more effectively with international bodies by forming a common foreign
policy
3. To assist each other in defending and maintaining political independence
OECS member states have a common Eastern Caribbean Currency, they all belong to the
Lesser Antilles, they are all small, independent states, share common strategies for
development, a common Central Bank, a common High Court and a Joint Stock
exchange.
ACS: Association of Caribbean States
The association of Caribbean States is an orgsanisation which at present consists of 25
Member states, 3 Associate members and 14 countries with observer status.
Objectives:
The ACS was inaugurated on July 02, 1995 with its administrative office in POS,
Trinidad. The main objectives of the Association relate to cooperation, discussion and
action leading to the sustainable development of the entire Caribbean region. These
include:
1. Incorporating the collective human and physical resources of the Caribbean for
economic, social, cultural and technological advancement
2. Maximizing the potential of the Caribbean Sea by working with member states and
other organizations
3. To encourage increased trade and investment opportunities through cooperation
4. To provide new and improved measures to promote the cultural identities of its
members.