The benefits Bermuda would get from taking up associate membership of Caricom far outweigh the $98,000 the Island would pay, the organisation's general secretary Edwin Carrington said last night.

He told a public meeting in St. Paul's Centennial Hall, Hamilton, that Bermuda would be able to influence policy in health, education, and social issues which it cannot do under its current observer status, and it would be given greater clout on the world stage.

And he said the Island would receive a warm welcome from Caricom countries which already regard the Island as part of the Caribbean.

“There has been concern about the cost of being part of the Caricom functional area (dealing with health, education and quality of life policies) with a small contribution to the Caricom Secretariat and the cost of participation in meetings. I can't think of any other,” said Mr. Carrington.

“The benefits to me seem way out of line with these costs. Participation allows you into this organisation where you would not (before) benefit directly. It is not a matter of dollars and cents, but you as a people getting to strengthen your social basis without sacrificing any linkages, economic, social or political.

“If you accept, and it is only an offer, you have the opportunity to participate in your own right. It is not for me to tell Bermudian society what position it must take; it is for me to say that there is a warm welcome in the Caribbean community for Bermuda because they see Bermuda as part of the Caribbean family.”

Health Minister Nelson Bascome, who chaired Government's Caricom committee looking into the issue, reiterated that Bermuda would not join the organisation's single market and economy, nor would it change immigration laws to allow the free flow of labour. And Bermuda will not take part in Caricom foreign policy matters unless Britain, which has responsibility for the Island's foreign affairs, gives permission.

“We have much to give and receive. Let us not be limited by our isolation and appear insular in our thinking,” Mr. Bascome told the meeting.

“It was once said ‘We cannot become what we need to be remaining what we are'. The time is ripe to extend our relations, form alliances, and participate in the global arena.” MPs are set to discuss the issue in the House of Assembly on July 26 when they are expected to agree to join, despite opposition from the United Bermuda Party.

At a press conference conference earlier, Mr. Carrington emphasised the regional pull the organisation has in getting world leaders to consider the Caribbean in policy decisions.

He said Caricom had been able to secure a commitment from British Prime Minister Tony Blair to represent the region in international forums like G8 meetings and the prime ministers of Canada and Spain had agreed to do the same.

All small countries, whether members of Caricom or not, benefit from such an arrangement, he said, but a formal organisation “strengthens our hand morally and politically”.

“It's not a matter of Caricom benefiting from Bermuda coming on board. It is in fact all of us being part of the benefits and all of us making sacrifices.”

Caricom's director of human development Jacquelin Joseph said the body's work on functional cooperation had traditionally focused on pooling resources to provide services in health, education, sports and culture, but had recently extended its focus to include youth development, crime and drug abuse.

She pointed to a number of technical institutions within Caricom such as the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Epidemiological Centre and a regional drug testing laboratory which monitors the quality of pharmaceutical drugs.

And she acknowledged Bermuda's contribution as a Caricom observer over the years.

“Bermuda has been an observer and, let me say, not a silent observer. They have contributed. What we are looking at now is to make that contribution more formal and more direct.”

And Bermuda would be in a position to benefit from resources available from organisations like the World Bank, the Organisation of American States and Inter-American Development Bank if it became an associate member.

Ms Joseph said the small countries of the region faced a number of challenges when it came to human development.

“The technical resources required to help us focus our strategies in a changing environment is something we recognise neither of us individually have.”

And she pointed out that the region's priorities may sometimes be different from the rest of the world.

UNESCO had identified primary education as a priority but the regional body had come to the conclusion that secondary, tertiary and vocational education should be its focus, she offered by way of example.

“What we can do collectively is negotiate with UNESCO that these are our priorities,” Ms Joseph said.

“Not only in education, in health and other areas we have the challenges of having some international donor agencies know our priorities.”

She said the most recent successes had been gaining access to HIV drugs at affordable prices.

“As far as we are concerned,” said Mr. Carrington during question time, “Bermuda is part of the Caribbean and it belongs in the family. It's not about dollars and cents, it's about the family coming together.”

Mr. Carrington said that he had not heard of “any significant resistance” to proposals to join the body in other countries.

Overseas Territories which are already associate members of Caricom include British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands and Anguilla.