The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas
The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) aspires towards coordination of foreign policy where possible, and we understand this to include candidatures for positions in external forums, such as the Commonwealth.
Notably, the treaty does not prescribe harmonisation of foreign policy as an obligation; instead, it provides for member states to establish measures to coordinate foreign policies as far as practicable, thereby recognising the sovereign right of each member state to make its own decisions.
Further details are outlined, and the following should be considered in your writing:An introduction of the current and controversial topic Central and Critical Effort: An analysis of the political issue(s) raised in the article/newsclip.
There are several angles that students can probe depending on their chosen article: For example, based on your chosen article or news clip, the angle of article could be a criticism of how the candidature of Kamina Johnson-Smith came about, did it undermine the ‘rotation’ principle and therefore may affect relationships with other countribution whether Baroness Patricia Scotland should even represent the Caribbean;
or an angle of what sovereignty means when a country has signed regional agreement; the issue of foreign policy within CARICOM and the Commonwealth. A critical angle could also be how the United Kingdom stand to benefit given their seeming push for Jamaica to be elected as Secretary General – a broader view on how larger countries may undermine regional coordination efforts.
Students must explore any concurring or opposing views they have and/or how the political issue may affect the Caribbean populace. Is there any anticipated impact on citizens of Jamaica [or your represented country], for example, if Jamaica or any CARICOM country wins the secretary-general? What does this mean for the average citizen? How does any Caribbean country stand to benefit from Commonwealth? Use the information/theories learned in class to analyze this issue.An analysis of the positions, motivations and/or objectives of the authors/speakers in the articles or newsclip. For example, what are the viewpoints of others? Is the author/speaker unbiased?
§ A discussion of how the issues outlined in the article/newsclip affected you as the reader/listener? Did the views impact your political perception of regionalism and foreign policy? Did the author’s/speaker’s view change or reinforce your own political views on issues of globalization and influence of larger countries such as United Kingdom?
