National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago wishes on 50th anniversary of CARICOM

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago has wished the general public of the Caribbean Community on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of CARICOM.

“Happy CARICOM Day!” the National Archives extended congratulations to CARICOM (The Caribbean Community and Common Market) as the community celebrated its 50th anniversary this year! CARICOM: Caribbean Community

In addition to this, the National Archives also shared the history of the foundation of the CARICOM Community. As per the update, it was officially formed on July 4th 1973, when representatives from independent countries of the English-speaking Caribbean (only four at the time) met in Trinidad to sign the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became independent nation-states in 1962, while Guyana and Barbados became independent in 1966. The first four signatories to the Treaty were the Prime Ministers of these newly-independent countries: Michael Manley (Jamaica), Dr Eric Williams (Trinidad and Tobago), Forbes Burnham (Guyana) and Errol Barrows (Barbados), as per the update by the National Archives.

The Treaty of Chaguaramas was split into two agreements. The first established the Caribbean Community, while the second (the Annex to the Treaty) detailed the Caribbean Common Market. This split made it possible for the two agreements to be signed separately, allowing countries to legally sign to one without signing to the other.

The Treaty was first signed on July 4th 1973, in honour of the birth date of Norman Washington Manley, a Jamaican politician who had been a well-known advocate of the West Indies Federation, which fell apart in 1962. The Treaty gained its name from the venue where it was signed, the Chaguaramas Convention Centre in Trinidad and Tobago.

In the end, it highlighted that since 1973, CARICOM had become the oldest surviving integration movement in this region, with 15 member states and five associate member states involved. In 2002, The Treaty of Chaguaramas was revised to allow for the eventual establishment of a single market and a single economy.