ATTEMPT LESS BUT IMPLEMENT MORE:  PROFESSOR NORMAN GIRVAN

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Attempt less but implement more, was the advice offered by Professor Norman Girvan to Caribbean Policymakers and Stakeholders at Caribbean Connect in Barbados

Professor Girvan of the Institute of International Relations of the University of the West Indies (UWI), told Day 2 of the three-day symposium on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) at the Sherbourne Conference Centre in Barbados, that the Region was well studied and replete with reports and recommendations on various aspects of development. Despite all of this, implementation had been uneven and fragmented, if at all.

Prof. Girvan urged obligatory, regular reports on implementation, and a Single Development Vision for the Community which would encompass economic, social, environmental and governance issues.

Citing pressing environmental challenges to the Community and the well documented, high degree of environmental degradation, he recommended several key actions. These included the implementation of existing environmental laws, regional and international commitments; development of a Common CARICOM environmental regime, and the publication and periodic issuance of Regional & National State of the Environment Reports. These should be tabled in National Parliaments, the Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly as well as meetings of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government.