Roban: full Caricom membership will help Bermuda
Joining organisations such as the Caribbean Community will help Bermuda represent its interests better internationally and build important relationships benefiting the island, according to Walter Roban.
Mr Roban, the Minister of Home Affairs, has had Caricom put under his remit after a change in ministerial responsibilities.
It came after an announcement in the Throne Speech that said: “This year marks the 20th anniversary of Bermuda’s entry into Caricom as associate members.
“In this anniversary year, the Government will renew the vision of Dame Jennifer Smith, initiating a consultation process leading to full membership in Caricom.” Dame Jennifer was the first PLP premier.
Mr Roban said: “I believe that the Bermuda we are in now is very different from 20 years ago. The world around us is very much changed, even though we remain an overseas territory.
“Bermuda now is a very mature island community with a very maturely developed economy that is international in nature.”
As a result, he said, Bermuda now found itself reaching out further than it has ever done. A good example, added Mr Roban, was a visit by the Premier to the United Arab Emirates to cultivate business relationships.
“This would’ve been unheard of in the 1980s and certainly in the 1960s. And in fact, it might’ve been just over a decade ago, this was not something that would’ve been thought about.”
According to the Government, the UK has “expressed support for Bermuda making an application” to join Caricom as a full member.
Before any steps can be taken, Britain has to grant Bermuda a Letter of Entrustment, which was granted when the island became a Caricom associate member.
The process of full membership has not been spelt out, but home affairs minister Walter Roban said that “persons at the highest level of the Caricom Secretariat” require as a first step, a copy of the letter from the UK government “so that all the information that would answer your question and any of our questions can be dispensed to us”.
He added: “Until we get that Entrustment from the British, I cannot even receive any information from Caricom.”
Since the Throne Speech announcement, some Bermudians, including former premier Sir John Swan, have spoken out against full Caricom membership.
Asked if the Government was now on the back foot, Mr Roban rejected the notion, adding: “We were transparent of our intentions from the beginning and the Throne Speech is where this should happen, and we did it there.
“The fact that some people have some contrary opinions to that, that’s their business.”
Mr Roban added: “Some of these relationships can be much better handled as part of larger international bodies that are respected. We know that if we’re a part of this body and we are in this part of the world, then our voice can be much more easily heard than if we’re alone.
“So part of this is an effort to realise the world that we live in and that we need to build relationships and have solid relationships with global bodies, with global organisations that can help us to best represent our interests.”
He said Bermuda also participated in other organisations, such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Caribbean Public Health Agency and the Pan-American Health Organisation.
“Having international relationships is good for Bermuda and we are in a world where these type of relationships can be healthy for our local interests and the international interests, which we are seeking to protect.
“We want to ensure that we are operating in the global environment as best as we can to represent Bermuda’s interest. This is the reality that we face right now. It’s nothing that is about the future, it’s about right now.”
When asked if this was moving towards foreign policy, Mr Roban said: “No. At the moment, no. That remains constitutionally in the realm of the UK.
“But I think the question appreciates the pressure that we’re under in that whether by design or just by change in circumstance, we’re finding that we have to have a certain level of foreign presence.
“As you know, we have an office in London. We also have an office in Brussels to represent our growing interests as a jurisdiction in the European Union. These are realities that Bermuda faces right now. We still continue to have an office in Washington DC.
“We must not have just a presence where we get on a plane and go there on an informal basis, we need to have a constant presence in these particular areas of the world. As you know, Bermuda has retained the services of a representative in the Middle East, in the United Arab Emirates.
“There is a acknowledgement even by those who have a responsibility for our foreign affairs, that having Bermuda have a constant reliable representation in these areas, in these parts of the world is helpful.
“It’s not a hinder, it doesn't interfere with their interest, but it certainly helps ours to ensure that Bermuda is property represented. This is the modern reality and, I would argue, make the point that the consideration of Caricom full membership is in the same vein.”
• Walter Roban’s full comments can be watched in the attached video
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