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Abstract - Quest for Global Competitiveness - Universidad de Puerto ...

Abstract - Quest for Global Competitiveness - Universidad de Puerto ...

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IntroductionCaribbean governments are <strong>de</strong>pending heavily on the success of international tra<strong>de</strong> an<strong>de</strong>conomic <strong>de</strong>velopment agreements, to eradicate poverty and to attain sustainable <strong>de</strong>velopmentwithin their jurisdictions. To date, many of the negotiation processes <strong>for</strong> these agreements haveresulted in much political and economic division within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).These divisions have not only produced many missed opportunities to increase tra<strong>de</strong> an<strong>de</strong>conomic <strong>de</strong>velopment <strong>for</strong> the region, but have also restricted CARICOM’s ability to advance itsagenda on the global stage. Even though the Virgin Islands (BVI) remains only an associatemember of CARICOM and not of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), it stillhas an interest in the progress of the regional grouping and its tra<strong>de</strong> and economic <strong>de</strong>velopmentinitiatives. This is <strong>de</strong>spite the general belief that the Government of the Virgin Islands has nointerest in the CSME. In or<strong>de</strong>r <strong>for</strong> the Caribbean to see improvements in future tra<strong>de</strong> negotiationprocesses, a review of its past negotiating hurdles must be un<strong>de</strong>rtaken and addressed.The purpose of this research was to examine the BVI’s perspective of the recent tra<strong>de</strong>negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). The EPA is the most recentexample of divisions emerging from a tra<strong>de</strong> or economic <strong>de</strong>velopment negotiation process andwill be the point of emphasis <strong>for</strong> this study. The concern of 'two Caribbeans' emerging wasalready raised by a Caribbean analyst because of the wi<strong>de</strong>spread <strong>de</strong>bate prior to the signing ofthe agreement. Setting asi<strong>de</strong> the character assassination, suggestions that Caribbean Heads hadagreed to a flawed document, letters questioning the role of senior figures and damaging interinstitutionalrivalry, what remains clear is that a more fundamental philosophical divi<strong>de</strong> hasemerged in the context of the EPA over the direction in which the region and its integrationprocess are hea<strong>de</strong>d [1] . Furthermore, almost one week after CARICOM signed the EPA with2

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