The document discusses concepts related to regional integration such as common markets, free trade areas, and economic integration. It outlines the purposes of regional integration including developing human resources, improving education and health standards, and helping businesses thrive through policies like free trade and movement of labor. It also summarizes the functions of organizations that promote regional integration in the Caribbean like the OECS Secretariat, CARICOM Secretariat, and objectives of CARICOM and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

1. Regional Integration
Grade:11
Social Studies

2. Regional Integration
• The concept of regional integration involves the unification of
a number of nation states into a larger whole.
• Purposes of Integration
• The fundamental purpose of regional integration is to
enhance the development of the region. This is achieved in
part through:
• Developing human resources
• Providing improved education facilities
• Improving health standards
• Helping businesses to thrive through policies of free trade,
free movement of labour and tariff reduction or elimination

3. Concepts and Terms Associated With
Regional Integration
• Bilateral Agreement - An agreement between two groups, countries or
nations
• Multilateral agreement - Agreement among many groups, countries o
nations.
• Common Market - An economic unit, formed of nations , intended to
eliminate or markedly reduce trade barriers among its members
• Single market - A group of countries that have few or no restrictions on the
movement of goods, money and people between the members of the group
• Free trade Area - an arrangement whereby a group of countries agrees to
remove the tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade among them.

4. Concepts and Terms Associated With
Regional Integration
• Economic integration - the process by which the economies of a
group of countries are drawn more closely together so that the group
as well as the individual countries becomes stronger or more
developed.
• Independent State - self government of a county , nation or state by
its residents and population
• Underdeveloped country - a relatively poor country with little or no
material wellbeing.
• Developing country - a country that has not yet reached the stage of
economic growth to stand on its own for further growth.
• Intra-Regional Trade - countries in the region buying locally produced
goods from or selling locally produced goods to, other countries in
the region.

5. Concepts and Terms Associated With
Regional Integration
• Developed country - a country that has high level of development and high
gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
• Trade Liberalization - the movement towards the removal of trade barriers
among the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
• Globalization - the process by which countries all over the world are
becoming connected or similar because large companies are doing business
in many different countries.
• Multinational Corporation - Sometimes called transnational corporation is a
corporation or enterprise that manages production and delivers services in
more than one country.
• Trading Bloc - made up of a large number of countries, with the same
political and economic aims, linked by special trading arrangements among
them.

6. Concepts and Terms Associated With
Regional Integration
• Fiscal Policy - the use of government spending and
revenue collection to influence economy.
• Monetary Policy - the process a government, central
bank or monetary authority of a country uses to
control the supply of money, availability of money
and cost of money or rate of interest to attain a set
of objectives oriented towards the growth of the
economy.

7. Major Challenges Facing the Caribbean
Region
• There is a wide range of challenges facing the
Caribbean region that has slowed the overall
growth. These challenges have brought
together our regional leaders who have
sought to tackle the problems that have
continued to affect the growth and
development of the region.

16. Steps Towards Regional Integration
• There were overriding reasons for the Caribbean
states to integrate, some of which are included
below:
• The resources of each country were limited
• The Caribbean countries all faced similar economic,
political and social problems
• The Caribbean countries share a common history,
culture and people.
• Individual countries were too small to make their
presence felt on the world stage
N.B. The above issues faced by the Caribbean
countries require common solutions, thus integration
was inevitable.

20. Functions of OECS Secretariat
• The following bodies (Principal Institutions) have seen to the proper functioning of the OECS.
• 1. The Authority of Heads of Government of member states - This consist of the Prime Ministers of
Member States. This institution is regarded as the supreme policy making institution of the OECS as
they are bequeathed with the responsibility for the general direction and overall operation of the
organization.
• 2. The Foreign Affairs Committee - Responsible for coordinating and developing foreign policies for
the entire OECS Member States.
• 3. The Defence and Security Committee - This committee is responsible for ensuring that there is
concerted and cooperative action among member states in defending their sovereignty, political
independence and the democratic system of government.
• 4. The Economic Affairs Committee - This committee is responsible for the economic affairs of the
OECS. It ensures that member states trade freely among each other and formulates plans for further
economic development
• 5. The Central Secretariat - This arm is responsible for the general management of the OECS.
The OECS is very organized, and this has led to the formation of other institutions that assist in the
performance of their functioning, namely:
1. Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) - The Monetary Authority for the Member States of the OECS.
2. Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court - Adjudicates over the Member States of the OECS.
3. Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) - Serves as advisors to the governments of the OECS on all matters
relating to Civil Aviation - airports and airfields developments, adequacy and efficiency of air services
etc.
4. Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) - Responsible for establishing code of ethics
and regulatory policies which govern and guide the management of the Telecommunications Sector
in the Member States.

21. Functions of the Caricom Secretariat
• The Caricom Secretariat is the principal administrative organ of the
Community. It is located in Georgetown, Guyana. This organ is headed by
the SECRETARY GENERAL. The functions of the Caricom Secretariat
include:
• § Making arrangements to facilitate meetings of the Organs and
Institutions of the community.
• § Implementing and taking appropriate follow-up action on
determinations taken by any Caricom body or institutions.
• § Initiating, organizing and conducting studies on issues relating to
economic integration.
• § making available , on request , services to Member States of the
Community on matters relating to the achievement of its objective.
• § Collecting, storing and disseminating to Member states the activities of
donor agencies, international, regional and national institutions for the
achievement of objectives of the community.
• § Preparing draft budgets and conducting fact-finding assignments in
member states.
• § Providing technical assistance to national authorities to facilitate the
implementation of Community decisions.

22. Functions of the Conference of Heads of
Government
• The Conference of Heads of Government consists of the heads of government
or Prime Ministers of each member state of the Caribbean Community, with
the exception of Guyana and Suriname who has Executive Presidents
representing their interests. Montserrat uses their chief Minister to represent
their interests at the Conference of Heads of Government. The heads of
Government are expected to meet at least once a year and carry out the
following functions:
• Decide on policies and general direction of Caricom
• Act as the final authority for the conclusion of treaties on behalf of Caricom
and for entering into relationships between Caricom and International bodies.
• Resolve conflict and disputes among member states
• Make the financial arrangements to meet the expenses of the community.

23. Objectives of the Eastern Caribbean
State

24. Objectives of Caricom

25. Objectives of Caricom Single Market and
Economy (CSME)
• In February, 2002, the Caricom treaty was revised, thus giving birth to the Caricom Single Market and
Economy. This saw to the deepening of relationship among Caricom Member States. This was necessary
to due to the process of Globalization.
• The following are some of the outlined objectives of the CSME:
• Free movement of goods, services, labour and capital among the Member States
• Improved standard of living and work
• Full employment of labour and other factors of production
• Accelerated, co-ordinated and sustained economic development
• Expansion of trade and economic relationships with third states
• Enhanced levels of international competitiveness
• Organization for increased production and productivity
• The 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;
• Enhanced co-ordination of Member States foreign and extra-regional economic policies
• Enhanced functional co-operation including:
•
• (i) More efficient operation of common services and activities for the benefit of its peoples
• (ii) Accelerated promotion of greater understanding among its people and the advancement of their
social,
cultural and technological development
• (iii) Intensified activities in areas such as health, education, transportation, and telecommunications.
•