Ralph Gonsalves addresses CARICOM integration and sovereignty

During the 5th Distinguished Owen Arthur Memorial Lecture at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, former St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves addressed the challenges facing CARICOM integration.

Gonsalves argued that the CARICOM Secretariat lacks the independent authority to enforce rules or impose sanctions, as it operates within a framework defined by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. He expressed skepticism regarding the creation of a supranational executive body similar to the European Commission, citing a regional “addiction to the doctrine of the pristine Westphalian nation state” and a preference for intergovernmental unanimity over centralized enforcement.

In recognition of Gonsalves’s political leadership and scholarship, the UWI has announced the establishment of a Centre for Public Policy and Governance at the Cave Hill Campus. The center will focus on research regarding development, sovereignty, and education.