August deadline set to complete all pending negotiations

Flag of Martinique Flag of Curacao

Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is set to grow with two additional member countries set to join the regional bloc.

They are Martinique and Curaçao, who are set to become the latest members of the CARICOM, which is a grouping of currently 20 countries of which there are 15 member States and five associated members, most of which are Small Island Developing States. 

CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit made the announcement during a press conference at yesterday’s closing of CARICOM’s 45^th Heads of Government Conference in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

He told journalists that a mandate has been given for all outstanding negotiations to be completed by the end of August so it can be ratified and Martinique and Curaçao can gain formal membership.

Formal membership ceremony already planned

The French-speaking Martinique and the Dutch-speaking Curaçao will be formally welcomed to CARICOM at a special ceremony to be held in Guyana. They will become Associate Members joining the current five of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands and Bermuda.

As associate members, Martinique and Curaçao will be allowed to attend Heads of Government meetings and participate in the deliberations of CARICOM bodies to which they are members. They can be members of all CARICOM institutions except the Council of Foreign and Community Relations.

Skerrit highlighted that there is growing interest in CARICOM noting that the changing realities of the world could result in the Dominican Republic becoming CARICOM’s 23rd member. At present, there are no formal discussions taking place with respect to the Dominican Republic, which more than a decade ago was locked in CARICOM membership talks, which were later suspended.

Martinique is an island which is a single territorial collectivity of the French Republic. It is also part of the European Union as an Outermost Region within the Special territories of members of the European Economic Area but is not part of the Schengen Area and the European Union Customs Union.

Curaçao is a Lesser Antilles island in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region. It is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Together with Aruba and Bonaire, it forms the Dutch ABC Islands.