Membership

1. Members of the Community consist of:

(a) Antigua and Barbuda

(b) The Bahamas (The Bahamas is a member of the Community but not the Common Market)

(c) Barbados

(d) Belize

(e) Dominica

(f) Grenada

(g) Guyana

(h) Haiti

(i) Jamaica

(j) Montserrat

(k) St. Kitts and Nevis

(l) Saint Lucia

(m) St. Vincent and the Grenadines

(n) Suriname

(o) Trinidad and Tobago

2. Membership of the Community shall be open to any other State or Territory of the Caribbean Region that is, in the opinion of the Conference, able and willing to exercise the rights and assume the obligations of membership.

Associate Members:

Anguilla - 4 July 1999
Bermuda - 2 July 2003
British Virgin Islands - 2 July 1991
Cayman Islands - 15 May 2002
Turks and Caicos Islands - 2 July 1991

Objectives:

The Community has the following objectives:

(a) improved standards of living and work;

(b) full employment of labour and other factors of production;

(c) accelerated, co-ordinated and sustained economic development and convergence;

(d) expansion of trade and economic relations with third States;

(e) enhanced levels of international competitiveness;

(f) organisation for increased production and productivity;

(g) 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;

(h) enhanced co-ordination of Member States' foreign and [foreign] economic policies; and

(i) 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 peoples and the advancement of their social, cultural and technological development;

(iii) intensified activities in areas such as health, education, transportation, telecommunications.

1. The principal Organs of the Community are:

(a) The Conference of Heads of Government commonly called "The Conference"

(b) The Community Council of Ministers commonly called "The Council"

(a) The Conference of Heads of Government (The Conference)
The Conference is the Supreme Organ of the Community. It consists of the Heads of Government of all Member States, except in the case of Guyana and Suriname whose Executive Presidents represent their respective countries. In the case of Montserrat, the Chief Minister is the representative.

The primary responsibility of the Conference is to determine and to provide the policy direction for the Community.

It is the final authority for the conclusion of Treaties on behalf of the Community and for entering into relationships between the Community and International Organisations and States.

Conference is also responsible for making the financial arrangements to meet the expenses of the Community but has delegated this function to the Community Council. Decisions of the Conference are generally taken unanimously.

Bureau of the Conference

The decision to create the Bureau of the Conference was taken at the Special Meeting of Heads of Government in October 1992. The responsibility of the Bureau is to:

(a) initiate proposals for development and approval by the Ministerial Councils at it considers necessary;

(b) update the consensus of Member States on issues falling to be determined by the Conference;

(c) facilitate implementation of CARICOM decisions, both at the regional and local levels, in an expeditions and informed manner;

(d) provide guidance to the Secretariat on policy issues.

The Bureau came into operation in December 1992. The Bureau consists of the current Chairman of the Conference, as Chairman, as well as the immediately incoming and outgoing Chairmen of the Conference, and the Secretary-General in the capacity of the Chief Executive Officer.

(b) The Community Council of Ministers (The Council)
The Council is the second highest Organ. It consists of Ministers responsible for Community Affairs and any other Minister designated by Member States in their absolute discretion. It is responsible for the development of Community strategic planning and coordination in the areas of economic integration, functional cooperation and external relations.

2. Other Community Organs

The principal organs of the Community are assisted in the performance of their functions by the following four Ministers Councils:

(a) The Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) promotes trade and economic development of the Community and oversees the operations of the CARICOM Single Market and EconomyCSM&E.

(b) The Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) determines relations between the Community and international organisations and third states.

(c) The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) promotes human and social development.

(d) The Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP) coordinates economic policy and financial and monetary integration of Member States.

3. Bodies of the Community

(a) The Legal Affairs Committee - responsible for providing the Organs and Bodies, either on request or on its own initiative, with advice on treaties, international legal issues, the harmonisation of laws of the Community and other legal matters.

(b) the Budget Committee - examines the draft budget and work programme of the Community prepared by the Secretariat and shall submit recommendations to the Community Council.

(c) the Committee of Central Bank Governors shall make recommendations to COFAP on matters relating to monetary co-operation, payments arrangements, free movement of capital, integration of capital markets, monetary union and any other related matters referred to it by the Organs of the Community