Ready to roll out
ALL systems are a go for the Protocol on Contingent rights to be rolled out across CARICOM member states that have signed on or made provisional declarations to apply those rights.
Giving the media an update on the recently concluded 30th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Heads of Government of CARICOM which was held in St. Kitts, Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong explained that for a CARICOM agreement to become fully accepted and fully operational, all member states have to sign on.
“However, the CARICOM modus operandi says that while awaiting the full complement of member states to sign, if at least seven of them sign, that seven can sign a Declaration to provisionally apply the instrument.
“So it would come into operation between those seven, at least seven... So what we had in St. Kitts was three signing the Protocol itself, and then four signing the Declaration to provisionally apply.
“That then provided the foundation for the Barbados government to do what it did on Friday by amending the CARICOM Act to bring on Board the Protocol on Contingent Rights. Because now we can now provisionally apply.”
The protocol is directly attached to the CARICOM Skilled Nationals programme, allowing spouses to enter the country and work without a permit, their children can attend primary and secondary school free of cost and they will also have access to free healthcare.
Countries that have signed on include Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Lucia, Guyana, and Antigua & Barbuda. Those who have not yet signed the declaration are Belize, Haiti, Jamaica and Suriname. Barbados is the only member state that has amended its legislation.
Describing this move as a “major step forward”, Ambassador Comissiong commended the fact that Barbados acted quickly, by sending legislation to Parliament mere days after the conference was held.
“Within days of the conference, which is a testimony of the efficiency of Barbados and its leadership. So what typically happens is that sometimes there is a delay in countries putting legislation in place, but they would administratively implement. This is a standard practice in CARICOM. You would have given your commitment.
“I would not imagine that any of the other countries might have acted as swiftly as Barbados, but we would expect that they [rights] would have been administratively implemented until they put their legislation in place,” he said. (JH)