Document Type

Article

Disciplines

International Law

Abstract

On 6 August 1962, Jamaica became the first British Caribbean island to achieve its independence from Great Britain. During the period from 1962 to 1973, the larger Caribbean states of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas followed Jamaica's lead by becoming independent of Great Britain.1 The smaller Windward and Leeward Islands also achieved their independence from Great Britain during the period from 1974 to 1983.

The achievement of sovereignty came in the wake of several attempts at attaining political and economic integration in the British Caribbean, modeled generally on the structure and format of existing international organizations. One attempted regional integration movement, the aborted West Indies Federation, occurred while the Commonwealth Caribbean islands, including the Windward and Leeward Islands, were colonies. Other regional integration organizations, such as the Caribbean Free Trade Association [CARIFTA] and the Caribbean Community and Common Market [CARICOM], occurred while the Windward and Leeward Islands were semi-autonomous or Associated States with Great Britain. CARICOM, and the subregional political and economic integration organization derived from it, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States [OECS], have survived and continue to contribute to the present sovereign status of the Windward and Leeward Islands.

This comment will analyze the development of and the role played by these political and economic integration movements in fostering effective sovereignty in the Eastern Caribbean states. The comment begins with a brief background on the Windward and Leeward Islands, discusses their participation in the development of these integration movements within the Commonwealth Caribbean, and examines the period of attempted federation, the period of Associated Statehood and the achievement of sovereignty. The comment concludes that by following the European Economic Community [EEC] model, the OECS can become the most effective integration movement in the Caribbean, enabling its members to achieve effective sovereignty in the process.

Accessibility Requirements

1

Download

Share

COinS