Iwokrama operations get FSC stamp of approval

Iwokrama operations get FSC stamp of approval
Kaieteur News, 25 April 2008

The Iwokrama International Centre and its joint venture partner
Tigerwood Guyana Inc (TGI) have achieved Forestry Stewardship Council
(FSC) certification for the Iwokrama rain forest.
The Chief Executive Officers of the two companies, Mr Dane Gobin and
Sir Ronald Sanders respectively, made the announcement yesterday.
They revealed that the FSC certificate has been issued after the
forest management and sustainable harvesting operations in Iwokrama
were closely examined by FSC appointed auditors, Woodmark, of the UK
last year.
FSC's model of certification allows products that flow from certified
forests to enter the global marketplace with a credential that is
unique. Any FSC labelled product can be traced back to a certified
source, and confirms that forestry operations are conducted in
accordance with international social, environmental and economic best
practices. It also confirms that local communities are fully
integrated into the business both at the strategic and operational
levels and are involved in the decision making process.
Mr Gobin said: "This is a proud moment for Iwokrama and its joint
venture partner TGI. In securing the certificate for the Iwokrama
forest and its operations, Guyana has been placed firmly on the map of
responsible forestry management. We are the only venture in the area
of the Guiana Shield to now enjoy FSC accreditation".
He explained that the Guiana Shield underlies Guyana, Suriname, French
Guiana, as well as parts of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.
Speaking for TGI, Sir Ronald declared: "FSC certification was
difficult to accomplish. It called for a commitment to sustainable
harvesting that had to be backed with greater resources than a normal
harvesting operation in order to achieve higher standards".
Sanders pointed out that "the sustainable harvesting operation is also
contributing to the maintenance of the valuable ecosystem-services of
the forest which benefits all mankind".
The representatives of the two companies stated that harvesting is
being conducted in strict accordance with principles of Reduced Impact
Logging (RIL). The objective is to minimize damage and maintain the
forest in an intact condition. Felling blocks will be closed to allow
for natural regeneration of plant species according to a 60-year cycle
as soon as selective harvesting is completed.
They also drew attention to the fact that a significant number of
members of the surrounding Amerindian communities have been gainfully
employed in the forest operations and, as these expand adding
value-added activities, even more of the community members will find
jobs within the forest, thus helping to alleviate poverty and
contributing to community cohesiveness.
Mr. Gobin expressed thanks to the WWF Guianas programme and to the
Commonwealth for providing resources to the Iwokrama Centre for the
certification exercise.
The Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) manages the forest under a
mandate from the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth
Secretariat.
In 1995, the Guyana government formally made a gift of the Iwokrama
forest to the Commonwealth (a group of 53 nations consisting of
Britain and many of its former colonies) with the objective of
demonstrating how tropical forests can be conserved and sustainably
used to provide ecological, social and economic benefits to local,
national and international communities.
Ten years later, the Board of Trustees of IIC decided to pursue a
limited harvesting operation through a business partnership involving
local communities and the private sector. A joint venture company was
formed with TGI investing the risk capital and providing the
management and marketing expertise.
The Iwokrama Centre had been working on forest certification since
2005 when a pre-assessment exercise was conducted to determine
compliance with FSC certification guidelines.
IIC and TGI decided from the outset that they wanted to pursue
international best practice in the sustainable harvesting of timber so
immediately on the formation of the joint venture company a year ago,
both ITI and TGI continued to pursue certification accreditation and
subjected themselves to close scrutiny and rigorous tests from
auditors appointed by FSC.

Trust Fund for Protected Areas System in Guyana to be established - -HPS

Guyana Chronicle news item, Friday 25 April 2008

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/news.html

Trust Fund for Protected Areas System in Guyana to be established
-HPS
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger
Luncheon yesterday announced that progress has been made with the
Administration's undertaking to establish a Protected Area System in Guyana
and to this end, a trust fund will be established in support of the system.
"Subsequent to the recently concluded final round of public consultations
with the communities in the identified areas, reports have been prepared,
submitted to the authorities, and examined," Luncheon told reporters at a
news conference.
"Influenced by those consultations, reports and relevant government
policies, the most preliminary outline of the intended legislation has been
submitted for government's attention," Dr. Luncheon said.
He noted that parallel with the examination of the outline on creating a
protected area system in Guyana, is the focus on the creation and management
of a trust fund to finance the operation.
Dr. Luncheon also contended that Guyana's commitment to establishing the
Protected Area System is supported by domestic and international
stakeholders who have remained focused on one of the main objectives of the
System -- to protect bio-diversity in Guyana.

Mangroved forests of South America

Mangroved forests of South America
Stabroek News, March 25, 2008
http://www.stabroeknews.com/?p=360

VEGETATION AND SPECIES COMPOSITION
Mangrove forests in South America are found on the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts and in the bays and estuaries of eight countries. They
are distributed from the Praia do Sonho in the south (State of Santa
Catarina, Brazil) to the city of Sechura, along the Piura River
(Peru), where only monospecific forests are found (Avicennia
germinans).
A wide range of mangrove tree heights may be found in the different
countries of this region and even within the same country. While their
canopy cover rarely exceeds 20 m in height, tall trees of 45 to 50 m
may be found, for example in the 'Manglares Cayapas-Mataje' Ecologic
Reserve (Ramsar site) or in the states of Amapá, Pará, and Maranhão
(Brazil), where there are specimens of Avicennia spp. with a diameter
of about 1 m and trees of Rhizophora harrisonii reaching 40-45 m. In
these areas, mangroves extend up to 40 km inland and they remain
relatively unthreatened due to the inaccessibility and low human
population density. Well-developed mangrove communities are also found
in the delta of the Amazon River, where trees can reach 40 m in
height, sustained by high rainfall and by the river system itself. Due
to the extremely high inputs of freshwater here, mangroves have to
compete with local freshwater hardwoods, lianas and palms, which
restricts mangrove distribution in the area. The Pacific coast of
Colombia and the Orinoco delta of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
have significant mangrove forests as well, with trees up to 30 m in
height, while 20-25-m mangrove trees have been reported in Guyana.
As is the case in North and Central America, mangrove forest structure
and species composition in South America differ from one coast to the
other. Colombia is the only country with both Caribbean and Pacific
coasts. More than 70 percent of its mangroves are found on the Pacific
coast, where they form well-structured, tall forests.
The lower rainfall and smaller tidal fluctuations of the Caribbean
coast limit forest development, and only small, narrow fringes of
mangroves are found (sometimes in the form of dwarf trees as in the
Guajira department). Notwithstanding these limitations, some
well-developed mangrove forests also grow along this coast, for
example in the Magdalena river estuary.
The mangrove tree species diversity of this region is low - only ten
native species (Table 13) - the lowest worldwide. Three species
(Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle) are
very common and are found in all eight countries; others, such as
Avicennia bicolor and Pelliciera rhizophorae, are found with less
frequency or their presence is uncertain.

MANGROVE RESOURCES: STATUS AND TRENDS 1980-2005
Mangroves in South America currently cover slightly less than 2
million hectares, down from some 2.2 million hectares in 1980.
About half the mangrove area of the region is found in Brazil - which
also has the third largest mangrove area in the world (Table 14 and
Figure 3, page 12). More than 90 percent is found in five countries:
Brazil, Colombia, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Ecuador and
Suriname (Figure 13). Guyana, French Guiana and Peru share the
remaining 140 000 hectares. The relatively small mangrove area in
these countries might be explained by the relatively small land area
(Guyana) or by the narrow and in some zones arid or rugged coasts of
Peru and French Guiana, which are not well suited to the development
of mangroves.
During the 1980s and 1990s, mangrove lands were often considered
unproductive and unhealthy. This attitude and the resultant activities
caused a loss of some 250 000 ha of mangroves in the region (11
percent of the 1980 extent) (Figure 14). This loss is low in
comparison with other regions, but can be significant at the national
and local levels, where rural populations often depend on mangroves
for subsistence and for commercial fishing.
In absolute terms, the countries that experienced the highest losses
of mangroves were Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela, all of them with more than 30 000 ha of
mangroves lost since the 1980s. In Colombia the extent of mangroves
has continued to decline over the past 25 years, even though the
annual change rate has decreased from -1.12 percent (1980-1990), to
-0.86 percent (1990-2000) and finally to -0.58 percent in the last
five years. Extensive conversion for shrimp ponds, development of
urban, industrial and tourist infrastructures and reclamation of land
for agricultural crops and pasture led to the loss of 90 000 ha since
the 1980s. Awareness of the importance of this coastal ecosystem is
now slowly increasing and some efforts in reforestation and/or
afforestation have been undertaken (2000) as a joint initiative by the
Ministry of the Environment (Ministerio del Ambiente), the Corporación
Nacional de Investigación y Fomento Forestal (CONIF), ITTO and local
communities.
One success story comes from Ecuador, where the significant losses of
the 1980s and 1990s (some 40 000 ha) are slowly being recovered and
the mangrove area now seems to be stable. The main cause of loss of
mangroves was the unsustainable development of shrimp ponds, which
started in 1966 as a small-scale activity. However, high international
demand converted shrimp into a major trade item, and Ecuador rapidly
became one of the largest producers in South America. The industry
brought significant gains to the country and to local populations,
becoming one of the economic activities with the most growth
nationally and in the region. The outbreak in Ecuador of the
white-spot syndrome virus (WSSV) had a tremendous impact on the
shrimp-farming industry. This impact, together with the activities of
several environmental organizations, the consequent abandoning of the
ponds, the ban on mangrove cutting implemented in 1994 and the
increase in field controls, favoured the natural recolonization of
mangroves in several places. The combination of these factors led to a
slight increase in the extent of mangroves from 2000 to 2005.
Brazil lost at least 50 000 ha of mangroves over the last 25 years,
mainly along the southern coast. The country still possesses
significant and relatively pristine mangrove forests, because most
mangrove areas are located in the less urbanized northern states.
No recent quantitative national data are available (other than the
1991 figures reported in Table 14). However, the relatively low
population pressure on the northern states and government efforts to
protect and rehabilitate damaged forests seem to have contributed to a
major reduction in the loss of mangrove area, which is estimated at
zero in the period 2000-2005. New and updated inventories are needed
to provide more detailed estimates for this country. It is hoped that
a recently approved Global Environment Facility (GEF) project
(Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of the Globally
Important Brazilian Mangrove) will contribute to filling current
information gaps.
Among the most significant causes of past losses and conversions are
the intensive use for timber production, urban development
(southeastern states) and to a lesser extent for fuelwood. Mariculture
(mainly shrimp farming) began in Brazil in the 1970s and it is now
widely practised - primarily along the coast of the northeastern
states (e.g. Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte) - and still represents a
significant threat to mangroves. The impact of this activity is a
national concern, mostly because of the consequent eutrophication of
the waters caused by the high emission of nitrogen and phosphorus and
the widespread illegal cutting of mangroves. In 2003 shrimp farms
covered approximately 13 000 ha, many of these adjacent to mangrove
forests, which has generally resulted in eutrophication of mangrove
creeks and tidal channels.
Intensive use of mangrove forests as a source of fuelwood, development
of urban and tourist infrastructures and conversion of land use to
agriculture appear to be the main causes of mangrove area changes in
the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, where more than 35 000 ha
disappeared in the past 25 years. Some additional losses and
degradation have been caused by oil spills. In this country, as well,
the government is now making efforts to protect these coastal
ecosystems.
In relative terms, the country that experienced the largest loss was
Peru (annual change rate 1980-2005: -2.42 percent), followed by
Ecuador (-1.19 percent), Colombia (-0.91 percent) and the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela (-0.60 percent). Mangroves in Peru have
traditionally been used for the production of fuelwood, charcoal and
poles. However, the main cause of their loss is uncontrolled clearing
for conversion of the land into shrimp ponds. This activity began in
the 1970s and soon became a major source of employment for many
farmers. For example, the industry led to the expansion of the city of
Tumbes, which has nearly doubled its population since the 1960s. The
logging of mangroves is now banned and this, together with the
increasing protection and control of the major mangrove forest in the
country (Santuario Nacional Los Manglares de Tumbes), may have led to
the reduction of the annual rate of loss, which appears to be close to
zero in the last five years (2000-2005).
French Guiana is the only country in the region that did not
experience major changes in mangrove area over the past two decades.
In this country, other forest types are used as the principal source
of timber/fuelwood, and no serious threats seem to pressure the
mangroves. Unfortunately, however, the area estimates for this country
had to be based on qualitative information, because no reliable data
were available since 1980 (Table 14). New inventories are needed in
order to have a clearer picture of the current extent of mangroves.
In Guyana, as well, updated inventories would contribute greatly to a
better estimate of the extent of the mangroves.

MAIN USES AND THREATS
Mangrove forests in South America have traditionally been used for a
wide range of purposes, and the local population still often rely on
them for their livelihood.
The collection of wood forest products is a common practice. Timber
and fuelwood are harvested from mangroves in Brazil, Colombia,
Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Production of charcoal from these forests seems to be less widespread,
but it is a traditional practice in Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana and
Peru. Extraction of tannin from the bark of mangrove trees (especially
of Rhizophora mangle) was previously a common activity in Brazil,
Colombia, Ecuador and Guyana, and contributed substantially to
supplying national industries.
Rural communities often rely on mangroves as a source of food and
additional income through the collection of non-wood forest products.
Molluscs, crabs and other crustaceans are collected for local use or
for national consumption. In Ecuador, for example, 2.0-2.5 million
molluscs are collected every month from mangrove forests (Spalding et
al., 1997). In Guyana, Avicennia germinans seeds are used as food.
Mangrove forests also indirectly influence the local economy by aiding
commercial and small-scale fishing activities, which in the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela, for example, have an important role in the
national economy.
Mangrove forests have been converted to other land uses, such as the
production of salt (Ecuador) or reclaimed for agriculture (especially
in Colombia, Ecuador and Guyana) or for urban and tourism development
(e.g. in Colombia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela). In
addition, as was described in the previous section, the conversion of
mangrove lands for shrimp ponds was a major cause of mangrove
destruction in past years, and even though this activity has been
reduced, it still represents a significant threat.
Awareness of the importance of these coastal ecosystems is growing,
but limited understanding of their services and benefits and lack of
harmonization and implementation of existing laws still represent
threats to mangroves. These forests continue to be under serious
threat also from increasing urban and industrial pollution (e.g.
Peru), the flow of pesticides to coastal zones (e.g. Suriname) and oil
spills (particularly in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela). The
planning and construction of dams or changes in river flows upstream
are also current threats. These decrease the freshwater input,
consequently increasing salinity and reducing nutrients and sediments
transported to the coast.
Mangroves have a significant role in erosion and accretion along the
coastline. An interesting case comes from French Guiana. The entire
coast of this country is affected by the load dispersal system
associated with the mouth of the Amazon River (located some 500 km
east of the country), from which some 1 billion tonnes of sediment are
poured into the ocean every year. It is estimated that 10 percent
reaches the coasts as suspended load (Rudant, 1994). The mangroves
assist in trapping these sediments.

MANGROVE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
Awareness of the importance of these forests is slowly but steadily
increasing, and mangroves are under some form of protection in most
countries of South America.
However, illegal cutting and use is unfortunately continuing. Legal
protection of mangroves has a long history in Brazil, where the
earliest record dates from 1760.
The King of Portugal, concerned about the loss of potential sources of
tannin, issued an edict to restrict the cutting of mangroves for
fuelwood unless their bark was also used. More recently, the
government has published laws to conserve mangroves and to establish
12 new protected areas. In addition, projects for the conservation and
sustainable use of mangroves in protected areas are being prepared,
which could help reduce pressure on these forests.
Afforestation and reforestation activities have been undertaken (e.g.
in Colombia and Guyana). All South American countries with the
exception of Guyana have at least one Ramsar mangrove site, indicating
added political will to protect these habitats and their environmental
richness. However, more efforts could be undertaken at the national
and regional levels to implement appropriate strategies and
effectively protect these ecosystems. In Ecuador, after extensive
mangrove clearing during the 1970s, the government declared mangroves
protected forests in 1986 and prohibited cutting of mangrove trees in
1994. Forest protection policies and legislation exist in Guyana, as
well, although not dealing directly with mangroves. In Suriname
mangroves are protected together with other swamp forests in
multiple-use management areas, and in Peru, where mangrove clearing is
now prohibited, most mangroves have been protected since 1980 in the
Santuario Nacional Los Manglares de Tumbes, which was declared a
Ramsar site in 1997.

Guyana and Suriname would gain little from deforestation billions - new study

Guyana Chronicle top story, Wednesday 09 April 2008

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/topstory.html
Guyana and Suriname would gain little from deforestation billions
- new study

OSLO, Norway (Reuters): A slowdown of deforestation from the Amazon to the
Congo basin could generate billions of dollars every year for developing
nations as part of a UN scheme to fight climate change, a study showed on
Monday.
But nations such as Guyana or Suriname, which have maintained high forest
cover, or others like Costa Rica and Chile, which have slowed or reversed
deforestation, would gain little.
Burning of forests by farmers clearing land accounts for 20 percent of world
greenhouse gas emissions. A 190-nation UN climate conference agreed in Bali,
Indonesia, in December to work on ways to reward countries for slowing
deforestation.
"Even with quite conservative assumptions, you can generate substantial
amounts of money and emissions reductions," said Johannes Ebeling of
EcoSecurities in Oxford, England, of a study with Mai Yasue at the
University of British Columbia in Canada.
They said a 10 percent decline in the rate of tropical forest loss could
generate annual carbon finance for developing nations of between 1.5 billion
and 9.1 billion euros ($2.4 to $14.30 billion) assuming carbon prices of
five to 30 euros a tonne.
Such curbs would represent about 300 million tonnes of avoided carbon
dioxide emissions a year -- about the amount of heat-trapping gases, mainly
from burning fossil fuels, emitted by Turkey, or half the total of France.
The United Nations wants reduced emissions from deforestation to be part of
a new long-term climate treaty beyond 2012 to help avert more droughts,
heatwaves, outbreaks of disease and rising seas.
Ebeling told Reuters that any credits for avoided deforestation would have
to be matched by tough restrictions elsewhere, for instance forcing
coal-fired power plants or cement factories to pay for right to emit carbon
dioxide.
The study, published in the British journal Philosophical Transactions of
the Royal Society B, said there were big challenges in designing a fair
system.
So far, most focus in the UN debate had been on rewarding countries with
high deforestation rates -- such as Brazil and Ecuador -- for slowing the
losses.
There were also problems such as judging the rate of deforestation or
creating controls to ensure that protecting one forest does not lead to
logging or clearance of another.
And some poor countries that could benefit -- such as Liberia or Myanmar --
may simply lack controls needed to regulate land use.
Still, Ebeling said he was optimistic a system could be worked out because
of a widening political willingness to address deforestation as part of a
new treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2013.

Moths turn Essequibo villages into 'ghost towns' at nights

Guyana Chronicle top story, Saturday 05 April 2008
http://www.guyanachronicle.com/topstory.html
Moths turn Essequibo villages into 'ghost towns' at nights

THOUSANDS of Kabli moths have invaded several villages in northern Essequibo
Coast causing residents to suffer severe itching.
When the Guyana Chronicle visited the villages on Thursday, several
residents of Bounty Hall said the situation is very serious because no
medication seems to stop the itching.
During the nights the villages are like a ghost town with no light as such
residents are calling for urgent help.
According to one resident, Carl Roberts, the very strange moths are
attracted by lights during the night and the dust from the moths which when
in contact with the skin causes terrible itching which results in tiny
bumps.
Mr. Roberts said children are also suffering and are crying when the moths
touch them.
Some of the villages currently under attack are West Bury, Bounty Hall,
Better Success, Andrews, Better Hope and Somerset and Berks.
Reports said the dangerous moths were last night seen as far as Devonshire
Castle, a village some four miles away from West Bury.
The breeding ground for the Kabli moth is the thick bushes on the foreshore
of the Atlantic Ocean between Bounty Hall and Cozier.
According to reports, persons are very afraid to go in the bushes to catch
crabs because of the moth.
Residents are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to visit the area and
eradicate the dangerous Kabli moths and on the Ministry of Health to
urgently visit and provide medication to combat the itching.

UN to scale up security, renewable energy projects

Guyana Chronicle top story, Wednesday 02 April 2008

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/topstory.html#Anchor-----------23817

UN to scale up security, renewable energy projects
- First meeting of UN regional heads ends in Georgetown
'It is wrong to continue with a system that gives incentives for
reforestation but doesn't give incentives to maintain forests' - Top UN
official
By Neil Marks
THE United Nations (UN) system is developing a security project here focused
on employment for youth and peace building and is also looking to expand
projects in renewable energy and make sure Guyana's voice is heard in the
global climate change debate.
<http://www.guyanachronicle.com/UN-Photo.jpg>
UN Assistant Secretary General Rebeca Grynspan speaks at a press conference
yesterday at the end of a meeting between regional heads of UN organisations
in the Caribbean and Latin America. Also at the head table, from left are
Director of the Caribbean sub-headquarters of the Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean Mr. Neil Pierre, Regional Director of United
National Children's Fund Mr. Nils Kastberg, Caribbean representative of the
United Nations Population Fund Mr. Harold Robinson, and head of the UN
system in Georgetown Mr. Aboubacry Tall.

The commitments came following an unprecedented meeting in Georgetown
between a twenty-member high level UN team and the government.
According to UN Assistant Secretary General Rebeca Grynspan, it was the
first time that the regional heads of the various UN programmes for the
Caribbean and Latin America were meeting together. The team comprised
fifteen regional directors and five deputy directors.
Head of the UN system here, Mr. Aboubacry Tall, said the UN's security
project would be complementary to the Citizens Security Programme and the
Security Sector Reform Project in efforts to maintain and preserve "peace
and civility."
He said the project, which is being developed with the government and civil
society, is geared towards three areas: skills training, entrepreneurship
development, employment opportunities for youths -- both at the community
and national level; enhancing the level of dialogue and trust within
communities; and supporting greater responsiveness of national institutions
in a way that makes the citizens feel more included.
Grynspan added that "in the exchange of views with the President, he
highlighted very strongly the importance of youth and youth employment and
youth training as very important centre for social policy and also in the
fight against crime."
In the area of renewable energy, she said that the UN system is committed to
expand on its small projects here.
"We think the UN system can do a lot to mobilize resources towards that goal
(finding renewable energy sources) in Guyana," she said at a press
conference held at the office of the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), Brickdam, Georgetown.
She said, in particular, the UN is looking at alternative energy projects
for isolated communities and also to avoid carbon emissions through the use
of fossil fuels.
Guyana is 100 per cent dependent on imported fossil fuels for
transportation. In 2005, the government spent US$220M on fuel imports, with
gasoline imports alone adding up to nine per cent of Gross Domestic Product.
In addition, she said the UN has made a commitment to ensure that Guyana's
voice is heard in the international climate change debate.
She supported Guyana's position that the post-Kyoto environmental compact to
offer support to countries that have preserved their forests.
"It is wrong to continue with a system that gives incentives for
reforestation but doesn't give incentives to maintain forests," Grynspan
declared.
She said the UN has offered to support Guyana's participation in the
international process, "for the voice of Guyana to be heard and to liaise
with the rest of the countries that take this view."
President Jagdeo has pledged to preserve the nation's pristine rainforest -
the size of England - if he gets partners willing to pay in the interest of
fighting further changes in the world's climate.
"We stand ready to work with any bilateral or commercial partner who shares
our vision of sustainable development where our long established and world
leading commitment to sustaining our forest can be matched by economic
rewards which support our national development efforts...," Mr. Jagdeo said
last October at a meeting of Commonwealth finance ministers

'We will all live to regret it' Professor Girvan warns that EPA could widen inequalities among CARICOM States

Guyana Chronicle news item, Monday 31 March 2008

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/news.html

'We will all live to regret it'
. . . Professor Girvan warns that EPA could widen inequalities among CARICOM
States
<http://www.guyanachronicle.com/Professor-Girvin.jpg>
Professor Norman Girvan

JAMAICA OBSERVER - Leading Caribbean scholar of the political economy,
Professor Norman Girvan, has said the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
between the CARIFORUM group and the European Commission could create wide
inequalities among CARICOM member states and fragment the Community.
Addressing the closing session of the ninth annual Sir Arthur Lewis
Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) conference at the
University of the West Indies, Mona, Friday evening, Girvan called the EPA
"an agreement we will all live to regret at a time not too far into the
future".
The EPA, which was brokered last December, gives Caribbean countries duty
and quota free access in goods (with the temporary exception of rice and
sugar) and services to EU, and is supposed to be the replacement for
preferential trade agreements.
Girvan's warning came as Antony Hylton, Jamaica's former minister of Foreign
Affairs and Foreign Trade, argued in an essay published on Page 13 of the
Sunday Observer that the Jamaican Opposition and Government should work
together on getting an amendment to the EPA, particularly the Most Favoured
Nation (MFN) Clause.
"Our concern about the scope of the agreement to cover areas not yet settled
in the CARICOM arrangements, for example, government procurement, are for
very much the same reason, that is, lack of resources to adequately meet the
challenges inherent in these far-reaching obligations," said Hylton.
"However, our greatest concern then and now is the severe limitation on
policy option by future governments implied by the 11th-hour acceptance of
the MFN Clause, proposed by Europe, and recommended for acceptance by Prime
Minister Golding to the rest of CARIFORUM governments in the dying moments
of the negotiations. The MFN Clause obliges Jamaica and its CARIFORUM
partners to give to Europe any more favourable treatment/benefit it gives to
a third party with which it enters into a subsequent agreement," added
Hylton.
Girvan, who was being honoured at the conference, said there was room for
possible conflict between the provisions of the EPA and those of the treaty
that formed CARICOM.
"The jury is still out on what happens if there is a conflict between the
provisions of governance for the EPA -- which entrenches a joint council of
the European Commission and the CARIFORUM states, and gives that council the
power to make legally binding decisions on the parties, who are obliged to
carry them out on pain of being submitted to the disputes settlement
provisions.
"And the jury is still out on what would happen if there is a conflict
between the organs of governance and the provisions of the Treaty of
Chagaramus and the EPA," Girvan said.
He said, too, that the wording of the EPA does not make clear when CARIFORUM
states can or should act individually or collectively.
"It states that the parties to this agreement are the European Commission
representing EU member states on the one hand, and CARIFORUM states acting
collectively on the other hand, but it also goes on to say, 'for the purpose
of this agreement the CARIFORUM states act collectively', but that where the
provisions of the agreement require the individual CARIFORUM states to
exercise their rights or to undertake obligations, the reference in the
document is to signatory CARIFORUM states," Girvan said.
He said the Caribbean had come to a metaphorical fork in the road. One path
(the CSME) led to greater regional integration "with the purpose of
exercising greater autonomy", and the other path (the EPA) led to "loss of
autonomy to shape our own future".
Girvan said greater regionalism should have existed before any sort of
agreement with the Europeans. Whether the Caribbean would actually ever be
in a position to change its fortunes, Girvan said, was left to regional
governments and time. He said part of the solution also lay in a
"reassertion of the intellectual space" and more critical, individual
thought, particularly among the young.
"In the words of [Marcus] Garvey, 'I want our people to think for
themselves'," Girvan said. In the words of [Lloyd] Best, 'We are at the
centre of our world'.
"In those of [George] Beckford, 'We have the resources in this region and we
have the ingenuity among our people to make of this region a veritable
paradise on this earth.'"