A Community for All: Looking at our Common Caribbean Information

Heritage
Emerson O. St. G. Bryan1
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
Rt Excellent Marcus Garvey, National Hero of Jamaica

As we continue to recognize the several achievements, (and conversely our shortcomings) of

the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as the oldest integration group from the developing
south, it is constructive, maybe even instructive for us as a Community to look at our
Caribbean Information Heritage.
It has been an interesting journey for the Region over these forty (40) years, and we have
stood witness to important historical events over the period primarily through our documents
and records. The Community has borne witness to coups, the election of successive
governments, the establishment of several Community/Regional Institutions, the most
prominent being the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the deepening and widening of the
integration process through a Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the initiation of the CARICOM
Single Market and the Economy (CSME), as well as the successful negotiation of a World
Trade Organization (WTO) compliant reciprocal trade agreement in the Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU), and the Caribbean Forum
(CARIFORUM) of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States. Properly, the records and
documents chronicling these events should be made available to the Citizens of our
Caribbean Community as a regional public good. I use the term here purely within the
context of a knowledge worker.

Emerson Bryan

Perusing the pages of the 40th Anniversary

Edition of the CARICOM View I was struck by
the wonderful contributions in the publication
by stewards of our integration journey, but
especially on page 2, which has a lovely
image of the Original Treaty establishing the
Caribbean Community and Common Market
in July 1973. What if we could peruse this and
other landmark documents within a
CARICOM Archives? What a wonderful
opportunity for us to interact with our Common
Caribbean History, establishing our collective
Caribbean Identity and ownership in the
integration of our Region. The short lived
West Indies Federation, which lasted for only
four (4) years (1958-1962), has its honor the
West Indies Federal Archives sited on the
Cave Hill Campus of the University of the
West Indies.

The author is currently a Consultant/Archives and Records Management Expert at the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
Secretariat in Brussels, and the former Information and Documentation Management Officer in the Office of Trade Negotiations
of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in Barbados. Contact: emerson.bryan@gmail.com

Given that our Community has been in existence longer than any regional developing group,
ought not some consideration be given for a CARICOM Archives? And this institution should
not necessarily be limited to just the records of our Regional Secretariat, but also from our
Community Institutions and our members and associate members.
The physical (and digital) repository would provide valuable primary research material for
those interested in looking at our experiences with integration, our history, and would also
most importantly convey the integration message beyond the capitals of members and
associate members. The institution would also support the recommendation of former Prime
Minister of Jamaica, P. J. Patterson in providing knowledge for evidence-based decisionmaking by providing access to properly declassified documents on past successes (and
failures) of projects, initiatives and joint ventures to promote the Regions development
agenda. Mr Pattersons principal suggestion for a Knowledge Management Centre2 would be
natural complement to the CARICOM Archives.
This CARICOM Archives as an institution dedicated to preservation of archival material
relevant to our Caribbean Heritage would be subject to accountability within our governance
framework by reporting either to the Heads of the Conference of Government, or to the
Secretariat/Secretary General, and eventually to the public and wider stakeholders, by
issuing annual reports, and submitting annual budgets for approval as with most Community
Institutions. The CARICOM Archives would be expected to promote and support functional
cooperation with national archives from members and associate members of CARICOM,
other Community Institutions (e.g.: CXC, CDEMA, CDF, CARICAD etc.), international and
regional development partners (UN, EU, OAS, IDB, CDB, ACS etc), as well as other key
stakeholders such as the media and civil society: CBU, CCL, CaFAN, CAIC, CPDC etc.
The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) could also make parts of the
collection of the proposed CARICOM Archives accessible remotely across Cyberspace to
those who may be unable to physically visit the collection. The institution could generate its
own funding through research services, paid subscriptions to access valuable and unique
documents which oftentimes are unavailable outside the Secretariat, and the Community.
The collection of papers of the following Secretaries General for example, are indicative of
the information treasures which may be buried in such an archival collection as they would
cover some landmark events relevant to the Community:
Demas papers: The move from the former Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) to the
Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), as well as the establishment of a
Regional Secretariat.
McIntyre papers: The establishment of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group was
formulated through the Georgetown Accord in 1975, and was advocated by the CARICOM
Secretariat.
King papers: Credited for modernizing the Secretariat, and also for the establishment of more
frequent regular meetings of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Community.
Rainford papers: The most prominent event during his tenure was Operation Urgent Fury in
1983, which saw the intervention of US troops in Grenada. SG Rainford also oversaw the
revival of CARIFESTA, the development and introduction of a Common External Tariff (CET),
and the establishment of Community institutions such as: CEHI, and CDERA (now CDEMA).
2

http://www.caricom.org/jsp/pressreleases/press_releases_2013/pres12_13.jsp

Carrington papers: no doubt, given the long tenure of Sir Edwin, as the longest serving
Secretary General of the Community, there are many noteworthy events that occurred during
his time at the Secretariat. The enlargement of the Community to include Suriname and Haiti,
as full members of CARICOM, and Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, and Turks
and Caicos as associate members; The establishment of several key Community institutions
such as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Caribbean Competition Commission
among others. Also, the signature event of tenure, which was of course, revising the Treaty
of Chaguaramas to include deeper integration by moving from a CARICOM Common Market
to a CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Added to this remarkable career is the fact that Sir Edwin was also the only Caribbean
national to have served as the Secretary General of the ACP.
We are heading into yet another historical period as well, where the Community is currently
undergoing a change management process under the stewardship of our current Secretary
General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, no doubt the LaRocque papers should be part of our
Collective Caribbean Information Heritage for the generations to come.