CSEC Revision :2024
Presenter : Samantha Clarke
Regional Integration
Definitions
Regional – a bloc or geographic region/area that have
things in common.
Integration – coming together for a common purpose.
CARICOM – Caribbean Community and Common
Market.
Bi-lateral Agreement – trade agreement between two
companies or countries.
Multi-lateral – trade agreement among several companies or
countries.
MDC’s – More Developed Countries (Guyana, Barbados,
Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the
Bahamas.
LCD – Less Developed Countries (Leeward and
Windward Islands)
What is Integration?
• The idea of integration suggests unity and teamwork.
• The term integration means “to bring or come into
equal membership”.
Do you think integration
is important?
Why Caribbean Integration?
bringTo about POLITICAL UNITY – the co-
ordination of foreign policy among the independent
member states
To bring about ECONOMIC UNITY – economic co-
operation through the Caribbean Common Market
To bring about FUNCTIONAL CO-OPERATION –
to encourage co-operation among member states
in areas of health, education, law, disaster relief,
agriculture, culture, communication, financing and
industrial relations.
Why is this attempt by Caribbean
countries at integration important?
1.Individual countries are too small
2.Resources of member states limited
3.Individual states encounter similar problem
with trading partners
4.Similar background – historically, culturally and
people wise.
Blank Map of the Caribbean
Labeled Map of the Caribbean
Islands in the Greater Antilles
Islands of the Lesser Antilles
Factors Promoting Regional
Integration
There are many similarities among islands of the
Caribbean.These similarities are the basis on
which the islands saw it fitting to integrate with
one another to achieve certain goals that they
would not have been able to achieve by them
selves.The slide after this one shows what these
similarities are
Factors Promoting Regional
Integration
able
l ner ral
r tu
d s
ite rce i la y Vu na ter
m
Si stor to sas
Lim sou di
re hi
Similar lar
goals Simi re r
cultu i l a age
m
Si ngu
ar la
S i mi l
l
socia ms
e
probl of n
t s ati o
c
ffe aliz
E ob
gl
Organizations Formed to Create and
Foster Regional Integration
ACS 1995 to present
CSME
1989 to present
OECS 1981 to present
Caricom 1972 to present
Carifta 1968 to 1972
West Indian Federation 1958-1962
Systems That are Associated with
Regional Integration
Free Trade Globalization
The removal of quotas,
taxes and regulations
A system in which
to
countries
allow goods
in the world interact
and services to enter
and trade with each other
a country or countries
freely
Benefits of Free Trade
Allowing goods, services and labour to be
exported and imported between and among
islands means that citizens of member states
will have
A larger variety of goods to access and
consume and at very cheap prices
Eamples of Types of Products
Exchanged Among Islands
Food Minerals Marchine Parts
Labour Information Entertainment
technology
Benefits of Regional Integration
Able to better negotiate
against rich powerful
countries
Increase cooperation
among islands
Reduction of the negative
effects associated with globalization
Been able to better compete internationally
Each island has more persons to sell its
goods to apart from those within its own borders
Improvement in the quality of life as a result of access to
A variety of goods and services
The development of various organization that
Respond to the needs of each island
Freedom of travel
among islands and find work
Question?
What are the factors that may prevent the islands
from integrating with each other and if and
when they do, what may influence them to
terminate this system?
Factors that Hinder Regional
Integration
Conflict between
territorial
Islands are at and regional
different stages of demands
development so All islands do not
are unwilling to have the same
work togetherer currency
They do not have the
The island do not same type
have the same and amount of
economic policies resources
The islands They are all
are scattered all prodcing the same
over the Caribbean goods
There is conflict
over how much to
be contributed by
each country
Problems Facing the Caribbean
Region
Islands do not have enough persons to sell to within
there borders
Islands do not produce a variety of goods
There is high unemployment
The islands do not produce enough goods to sell in
order to make large profits
Summary of lesson
