Category: CANA News

The founder of the Bahamas Crisis Centre, Sandra Dean-Patterson, says the center is not in favour of a sex offenders registry being made public even as it continues to advocate for its establishment.

Dean-Patterson said that she is concerned that The Bahamas, unlike bigger countries, does not have the systems in place to ensure the safely and orderly use of the registry.

The centre had been at the forefront of the campaign to have the registry established because of alarming rate of Bahamian children being abused, violated and exploited in the country and it was necessary for the authorities to deal with the situation.

‘Now, the sexual offenders register was passed and is in place, but it’s not a public register, and we are not in favour of it being a public register. I know the public would like to know who these sex offenders are.

‘But we are not the United States, the United Kingdom, and the size where you can identify these sex offenders and have them someplace where they’re not going to hurt children,’ Dean-Patterson said, adding ‘what we have advocated is that the persons who need to know, who are obligated, who are directed to protect children, are the ones who have access to this register and who are responsible for the sex offenders who are released.

‘That is the police, social services, the prison. Those are the key people who should have this information and could deal with the information in a way that protects children, but also doesn’t enable vigilantism, which has been the experience in other countries where the sex offender register was public.’

There have been increased calls for the sex registry to be made public after media reports last week said that a mother was seeking help after finding out that a convicted sex offender had been following her 10-year-old daughter home and leaving her sexually inappropriate messages and drawings on their backyard gate.

The ma is also reported to have signed his name on the messages and the mother said she identified the predator after finding a news article that depicted his previous crimes against a minor.

Dean-Patterson said that while the center’s view may not be popular, there is a stark difference between other countries and The Bahamas, noting that The Bahamas’ system calls for the public to have confidence in the system, which can sometimes be difficult.

‘So, really it calls for the public to have confidence in the system and I don’t know that the public is as confident or comfortable with the system protecting our children as it should be,’ Dean-Patterson said, adding ‘I want parents to know, parents of children to know that we are 100 percent in favor of the protection of children.’

The United Kingdom government says more than 180 gangs with various sizes and reaches operate throughout Trinidad and Tobago with the most prominent of which are the Muslims and Rasta City.

‘Gangs are mainly present in marginalised urban areas, particularly in and around the capital, Port of Spain, and the East-West corridor in Trinidad,’ according to a report issued by the Home Office, adding that as of 2025, gangs are responsible for around one-third of homicides in the country.

‘A person who fears a gang is not likely to be able to demonstrate a link to the Refugee Convention on grounds of political opinion. However, those who make a public or visible stand against the gangs are likely to form a particular social group.’

In its June report, the Home Office said that gang violence specific to the situation in El Salvador at the time of the judgement and the current situation in Trinidad and Tobago merit comparison.

‘Both have high levels of crime dominated by gangs which have de facto control over certain communities and have sought to influence the state,’ the report states, noting however, there are significant differences between the two countries.

It said that Trinidad and Tobago has a more diverse criminal landscape with over 180 criminal gangs operating across the country, some of whom confine their control and operations to a single street. As a result, gangs in Trinidad and Tobago are not as dominant as the MS-13 and Barrio 18 were in El Salvador.

‘Gangs in Trinidad and Tobago are reported to be absolutely and relatively smaller, approximately 1,750 members, or less than one per cent of the total population than the MS-13 and Barrio 18 were in El Salvador with 60,000 members and one per cent of the total population’.

The report also states that in El Salvador, gangs sought to influence the state.

‘Whilst there is limited detailed information about the areas that gangs exert influence over in Trinidad and Tobago, sources indicated that they are mainly present in marginalised urban areas. Although there have been reports of government contracts being given to gang leaders in these areas, evidence does not suggest that this influence extends outside of the areas under their control or that it is widespread or systematic’.

The report states that on the available evidence, the situations are sufficiently different to conclude that gangs in Trinidad and Tobago are not ‘political actors’.

Bit it notes that a person who fears a gang may belong to a particular social group (PSG) under the Refugee Convention where they have an innate characteristic or a common background that cannot be changed, or share a characteristic or belief that is so fundamental to identity or conscience that a person should not be forced to renounce it and a distinct identity in Trinidad and Tobago because the group is perceived as being different by the surrounding society.

The Home Office said that persons likely to form a PS are those who make a public or visible stand against the gangs, including those who have not complied with a gang’s rules or demands, or otherwise openly oppose the gang or disrespects a gang leader.

‘Although the above form a PSG, establishing such membership is not sufficient to be recognised as a refugee. The question to be addressed is whether the person has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their membership of such a group.’

On March 12, 2025, the United Kingdom government imposed an immediate visitor visa requirement for all nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, ending decades of visa-free travel and applies to all short visits, including tourism, business, and transits through the UK

London said the sudden policy shift was triggered by a significant surge in unjustified asylum applications and misuse of the UK immigration system by travelers from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Barbados-based Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) says it has launched a regional social media campaign aimed at the removal of unhealthy, ultra-processed food and drink marketing from schools.

HCC said that the campaign is being undertaken in collaboration with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB), the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) and the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN).

The ‘Make it Make Sense’ campaign is also intended to protect spaces meant for children and the target countries include Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Bahamas, Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

The HCC said that the goal is to engage the media on its latest social media campaign, which will be live until July 16 with the objectives being to highlight the problems posed by marketing of unhealthy food and drinks in and around schools.

West Indies Women’s batting shortcomings were cruelly exposed by England Women as they slumped to a 38-run defeat at Lord’s on Wednesday, their first of this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

In what was expected to be a tightly contested top-of-the-table clash, England Women dominated first with the bat in posting a competitive 186 for seven in their 20 overs after being sent in to bat.

West Indies Women never seriously threatened their target after being 69 for four at the halfway stage, with Chinelle Henry’s unbeaten half century with the match already decided propeling them to 148 for five.

The victory was sweet redemption for England, who were knocked out of the 2024 World Cup by the West Indies.

The result also secured England’s spot in the semifinals, with the West Indies now needing to win their final match against Ireland to ensure a place in the knockout round of the competition.

West Indies Women actually started brightly when Chinelle Henry struck in the first over by removing Amy Jones for eight.

However, that wicket did little to stem the flow of runs as Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge added 30 runs in under three overs, before Dunkley was trapped lbw by spinner Ashmini Munisar to leave England 38 for two in the fourth over.

Wyatt-Hodge and Alice Capsey then gave the home side the advantage by putting on 66 runs for the third wicket. Both players were quick to capitalise on anything short and wide, with Wyatt-Hodge bringing up her 50 off 32 balls by flicking Karishma Ramharack through the legside for a single.

But three balls later, Capsey tried to hit Ramharack out of the ground and was caught at long on by Henry after scoring 28 off 23 balls.

Following her dismissal, Wyatt-Hodge and Heather Knight, who made a breezy 43 off 26 balls with seven boundaries, upped the tempo by bludgeoning 40 runs in just four overs to see England progress to 144 for three in the 16th over.

When Player-of-the-Match Wyatt-Hodge was eventually run out for the topscore of 65 from 42 balls, which included eight fours, Knight ensured England finished with a flourish by scoring 41 runs off the last four overs.

Munisar was the West Indies’ best bowler with 2-42 from her four overs.

Needing to complete the highest run chase in a Women’s T20I at Lord’s, the West Indies struggled against England’s opening pair of Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell, crawling to 12 without loss after three overs.

Matthews struck Smith for two boundaries in the fourth over, but then lost her wicket in controversial fashion when she was adjudged to have nicked a delivery behind to the wicketkeeper although the review showed a clear gap between bat and ball.

Deandra Dottin clobbered England captain Charlie Dean for two fours and a six to start the sixth over, but fell trying to repeat another big shot off the last ball of the over, as West Indies slipped to 46 for two at the end of six overs.

The chase effectively came to an end after Campbelle was bowled by Sophie Ecclestone for 20 off 18 balls, and Dean bowled Jannillea Glasgow for six to see the Windies crumble to 69 for four at the start of the 11th over.

Henry and Jahzara Claxton added 63 runs for the fifth wicket, but needed eight overs to do so, with the required run rate ballooning to over 30 runs an over in the process.

Henry brought up her half century in the last over by hitting Smith for two huge sixes, to end on 51 not out off 30 balls, inclusive of four fours and two sixes.

Dean led the way for England with 2-31.

The chief executive officer in the Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Oscar Arnold, Wednesday said multilateralism remains unquestioned, but recognition alone of this value is no longer sufficient in a changing global environment.

He said despite two centuries of progress, many of the fundamental challenges confronting countries within the Organization of American States (OAS) remain remarkably familiar. Arnold told the delegates attending the 56th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly that to say ‘that we gathered during a tumultuous moment in the global theatre would certainly be an understatement.

‘We see it in the news, we hear it around us, we feel it in the worried voices of our people,’ he said, adding ‘I cannot help but wonder how would Simon Bolivar react if he was sitting among us today’.

Arnold said he would not recount the many political, social, and security challenges currently confronting the international community, saying ‘they are evident to us all and have already been referenced by previous speakers’.

Instead, he would wish to focus on the enduring value of multilateralism in the defence of democracy, hemispheric security, and stability in member states, capturing ‘concisely the great shared preoccupation that our democracies, hemispheric security, and even stability in some states may be at risk.

‘It also rightly identifies strong multilateralism as a bulwark against these threats. For small states, a robust, transparent, and rules-based international and multilateral system is an essential element for security, stability, and at times, the very existence of our states. ‘

Arnold said that in a world where disparities in size, economic weight, and geopolitical influence remain a reality, ‘multilateral institutions provide all states, especially smaller states, with something invaluable, a voice, a seat at the table, and a framework through which international relations are governed by agreed rules rather than raw power.

‘They help ensure that sovereignty is respected, that disputes are settled peacefully, and that the interests of all states, regardless of size, can be advanced through cooperation rather than confrontation’

He told delegates that in the inter-American space, this role has been entrusted to the OAS for almost 80 years and that while no multilateral institution is without its imperfections, the OAS has repeatedly demonstrated its value when member states allow it to function in accordance with the Charter, its mandates, and shared principles.

He said the OAS is a trusted platform for political dialogue, collective action, and peaceful dispute resolution, while serving as the guardian of shared norms and commitments that bind the hemisphere together.

The Belize diplomat said that as a regional cornerstone of multilateralism, the OAS must serve the needs of member states on the basis of Charter and international law, notwithstanding the swinging pendulum of ideological euphoria.

‘Today, member states require the OAS to navigate the complex geopolitical minefield in this hemisphere. It is therefore important that we focus on the assets and tools we have on hand, despite the horizon of threats that keep our leaders awake at night.

‘Now more than ever, we must prioritise collaboration over insignificant differences and strengthen our bastion of multilateralism, the OAS, in its capacity to respond to our needs with agility (and efficacy.’

He said Belize is grateful for the work and the role of the OAS as a ‘credible partner’ accompanying both Belize and Guatemala on the journey to a peaceful and definitive settlement of Guatemala’s claim to Belizean territory via the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

He described it as the quintessential example of rules-based multilateralism, which is expected to deliver its judgement in the coming year.

‘Furthermore, the OAS offers a platform for institutional challenge to enable several permanent observers to support Belize and Guatemala with resources for the operation of the OAS office in the adjacency zone.

‘Belize, like many of us here, grapples with the evolving threats of transnational criminal organisations, including drug cartels in very close proximity of our borders. In response, we turn to the vaunted OAS to provide critical specialised training to our law enforcement agencies in areas ranging from combating money laundering to the tracking and marking of small firearms and munitions.’

Arnold said that the importance of strong multilateralism remains unquestioned, but recognition alone of this value is no longer sufficient.

‘If we are to strengthen multilateralism for the future, we must focus on prevention, resilience, and opportunity. This requires a fresh examination of other critical pillars of the organisation’s work, particularly the pillar of development.

‘Democracy, security and stability cannot be sustained without economic opportunity and sustainable growth. Citizens must feel tangible improvements in their lives if the democratic institutions are to maintain public confidence and legitimacy.’

Arnold said that for this reason, a renewed development agenda should prioritise initiatives that create enabling environments for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to generate dignified and decent employment, promote innovation, address the impact of climate change, encourage fair competition, and expand hemispheric trade.

He said such efforts must move beyond policy decisions toward practical, measurable interventions that deliver concrete results for people.

Arnold said that the current multidimensional and evolving challenges facing the region in the multilateral space are daunting, ‘but as we engage in a rethinking exercise, we should pause and identify the opportunities in the existing challenges.

‘While it may be true that despite the passage of almost eight decades, the essential purpose of the OAS still remains relevant, it is also true that the tools available to advance our mission, especially the rapid emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence, open an entire galaxy of opportunities if responsibly adopted.

‘Rethinking the functions of the OAS, particularly its development pillar, is crucial in today’s technological landscape. The economies of the future will be predominantly driven by emerging technologies, making it imperative to adopt the OAS’s function to align with these advancements and be a leader in the hemispheric adoption of technology.’

Arnold said that an OAS that ‘delivers better, more effective, and more directly to our people must be anchored in the realities and opportunities of today.

‘We need to answer the question, where is the opportunity to fortify multilateralism and strengthen the OAS in the crises that we face? That answer will only be found if we seek it together.’

He recalled that the liberator Simon Bolivar famously said, ‘in the unity of our nations rests the glorious future of our peoples, and that phrase has greater relevance today than ever before.

‘Today, I call on all our member states to commit to our multilateral institutions, to recognise the value they represent as essential conduits for cooperation to confront together the challenges that face all our nations.

‘None of our nations can face these daunting obstacles alone. Only together can we achieve our strategic goals and make the difference for the future of our peoples,’ he told delegates.

The telecommunication regulators in Dominica and St. Lucia say they hae requested a ‘detailed report’ from Flow telecommunications following the ‘severe service’ outage experienced by Flow customers over the last weekend.

Flow telecommunications in the Caribbean which is run by Liberty Caribbean, formerly known as C and W Communications, which is a subsidiary of the broader international telecommunications company Liberty Latin America, described the incident as a ‘crisis-level event’ and that its Regional Network Disaster Response and Recovery Center and local Crisis Management Team had been activated.

The St. Lucia-based Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) along with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions (NTRCs) of Dominica and St. Lucia, say preliminary information provided by Flow indicates that the disruption was caused by a fault on a fibre transmission path between Guadeloupe and Antigua.

‘Flow has advised that it is actively exploring measures to strengthen network resilience and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents in the future. These measures include the deployment of alternative connectivity solutions, a review of route resiliency, and the establishment of additional fibre paths within the network,’ said ECTEL’s Communications and Media Relations manager, Karetta Crooks Charles.

She said that the NTRCs and ECTEL will consider these measures, and broader regulatory steps, to promote increased network resilience across ECTEL contracting states, for all operators.

‘ECTEL and the NTRCs recognise the significant inconvenience and disruption this outage caused to consumers, businesses, and other users who rely on electronic communications services. We will continue to monitor the situation and review the information provided by the operator to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to improve service reliability.

‘We encourage the public to consider their own plans for suitable backup or redundant communications in the event of unexpected service outages,’ said Crooks Charles, adding that as regulators, ECTEL and the NTRCs remain committed to fostering a telecommunications environment that promotes reliable services, innovation, consumer choice, and sustainable competition for the benefit of all users throughout ECTEL’s contracting states.

Police are searching for two men in connection with the murder of a sister of a police officer who is on remand at the Belize Central Prison, after he was charged in January this year with the murder of a 19-year-old man outside a nightclub.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero told reporters that Jane Urbina, who was also pregnant, was gunned down while waiting at a bus stop last Saturday.

Urbina and her mother were enroute to San Ignacio after visiting her brother, Police Constable Lionel Rodolfo Urbina, 22, when they were ambushed by two men who arrived on a motorcycle.

One of the men fired several shots at Urbina, wounding her in the abdomen before escaping.

Emergency responders transported Urbina to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The doctors were also unable to save her unborn child.

Police said that they have recovered several 9mm expended shell casings at the scene, and Romero said officers have recorded an eyewitness account from the victim’s mother.

Romero said the police are quite certain that the sister of the police officer was the intended target, as the gunman approached her and shot her alone, adding that the fact that the killers were able to accost the victim at the bus stop, indicated that they had prior knowledge of her movements and location.

A motorist who witnessed the shooting is reported to have pursued the gunmen forcing their motorcycle off the road. But the two fugitives escaped into the nearby bushes.

The police officer is charged with killing Kevin Matthew Depaz, who was stabbed outside a nightclub where he was working as a security guard, on June 30, 2025. He is also charged with two counts of attempted murder in connection with the wounding of Depaz’s friends, Julian Canul, 18, and Newsean Allen, 25, who were also injured in the altercation.

Jamaican long jumper Jordan Scott has set his eyes on the 31-year-old long jump record held by Great Britain’s Jonathan Edwards.

The Englishman has held the record of 18.29-metres, which he set in Gothenburg, Sweden since 1995.

Scott has been in tremendous form in the last few months. He recently produced a lifetime best of 17.69m to finish second behind Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo’s world lead of 17.71m at the Doha Diamond League. ‘Definitely, I want to break the world record set by Edwards, but at the same time, winning is at the forefront,’ said Scott.

The 28-year-old, who is currently the Diamond League leader on 22 points, said he was focused on continuing his winning streak.

‘Competing against the best of the best in the event on the Diamond League circuit is a blessing as these are people I looked up to. Competing with them and being competitive as well feels good.

‘I have already qualified for the Diamond League Finals, but I want to continue that winning form at the Lausanne Diamond League in August, the Diamond League Finals, and also the Commonwealth Games as I think I can win this one for my first global title,’ Scott said.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says Latin America and the Caribbean received US$194.2 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, or 1.7 per cent more than in 2024.

But ECLAC in its latest report released here said that in a scenario of great uncertainty and heightened global tensions, the results were uneven across destination countries and sectors.

ECLAC said that the relative weight of FDI in the region’s economies varies significantly between countries, but on average, the FDI received by the region as a share of Gross Domestic Product (2.8 per cent) and gross fixed capital formation (14 per cent) held steady in 2025.

According to the annual report titled ‘Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2026: Navigating the New Global Context’ the majority of countries in South America and Central America received more investment in 2025, whereas the dynamics in the Caribbean were heterogeneous.

After Brazil and Mexico, the countries receiving the most FDI in 2025 were Chile, seven per cent, Peru and Colombia, six per cent, Guyana five per cent and Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, three per cent each.

ECLAC’s executive secretary, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, said in the current global context of weaponized interdependence, understanding the relationship between trade and FDI is key to designing policies that would allow the region to move towards more productive, inclusive and sustainable development.

‘In Latin America and the Caribbean, the main difficulty lies, more than in a lack of instruments, in the coherent and strategic integration of trade, investment and productive development agendas, which limits the transformative impact that FDI could have in the region,’ he added.

In 2025, reinvested earnings at 51 per cent remained the main component of FDI, despite declining year-on-year. It was followed by equity investment at 34 per cent of the total and and intercompany loans at 15 percent.

With regard to destination sectors, inflows into services (+19.5 er cent) and natural resources (+7.0 per cent) increased, while inflows into manufacturing (-17.2 per cent) declined. ECLAC said as a result, in 2025, services received 53 per cent of FDI, manufacturing 31 per cent and natural resources 16 per cent.

At the same time, 67 per cent of the investment entering the region in 2025, from identifiable sources, came from the United States (35 per cent) and Europe (32 per cent). However, the publication notes that less investment was received from the United States (-11 per cent) last year, while inflows from Europe increased.

As in the rest of the world, the highly uncertain environment had a particularly negative effect on investment announcements in the region, the report indicates.

Last year, 1,326 projects worth a total of US$114.1 billion dollars were announced in Latin America and the Caribbean, which represents a minus 10.2 per cent decline versus 2024 in the number of announcements and a minus 34.3 per cent drop in the dollar amount.

In contrast, FDI outflows from the region have recovered in the last three years, totaling US$62.286 billion dollars in 2025, up 19.3 per cent from 2024 and reaching the second-highest figure since 2010.

ECLAC said public policies can play a key role in the effort to steer these investments, the regional organization says, so that they can create benefits in terms of productivity, technological learning, innovation and market access, while averting fiscal and production-related risks.

The report also analyses the ways in which FDI in the region may be affected by the recent changes to the United States’ tariff policies. The findings suggest that the region’s degree of exposure to changes in U.S. trade policy is highly heterogeneous across countries and sectors, and depends on each country’s production structure as well as its integration in regional value chains.

ECALC said policies, institutions and capacities matter, and proposes that in order to navigate the new global context Latin America and the Caribbean need to diversify export markets and sources of FDI, particularly in economies in which a high share of total exports goes to the United States.

The region is also being urged to bring together trade, investment and productive development within a policy framework aimed at maximizing the impact of existing investment as well as coordinate investment and trade promotion agencies with the bodies responsible for promoting other areas of productive development.

There is also a need to strengthen the technical, operational, political and prospective capabilities of investment and trade promotion agencies, and incorporate mechanisms for monitoring and learning in response to changes in the environment.

Less than two weeks before Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders gather in St. Lucia for their summit, a legal opinion has surfaced laying doubts as to the correctness regarding the re-appointment of Dr. Carla Barnett as the grouping’s secretary general.

CARICOM leaders meet in St. Lucia from July 5-8. In March, in a brief statement, the CARICOM chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr Terrance Drew, said that Barnett had attained the ‘required majority’ from among regional leaders regarding her re-appointment at February’s CARICOM summit held in Basseterre.

Barnett had become became the eighth CARICOM Secretary General on August 15, 2021 and her re-appointment was made during the leaders retreat in Nevis in February this year.

But Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who was not present at the retreat, says Trinidad and Tobago will not recognise the Belizean-born economist after August when her first five year term ends.

‘Trinidad and Tobago only recognises Barnett as SG until the end of her term this August 2026. All CARICOM leaders could do as they please, but Trinidad and Tobago will not recognise her as SG for a next term. That’s not going to change,’ Persad-Bissessar said, adding ‘we have already made that clear. We do not recognise her after August 2026. This is our final position,’ she added.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness subsequently called for a meeting of regional heads to resolve the matter.

‘I think the solution really lies in assembling another heads meeting to have the matter addressed,’ Holness told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper.

In May, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said as far as he is concerned, the Belizean economist has been reappointed and that Dominica had supported the decision..

‘The issue of the Secretary-General, this has been, I’m not sure why you asked me the question, but this thing has been ventilated in the public domain. I mean, every plate and spoon in the kitchen has been exposed on this matter,’ Skerrit added.

Now in a 48-page paper, Professor of Commercial and Environmental Law at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Rajendra Ramlogan, is aurging that the reappointment of Barnett was procedurally flawed, and legally void.

Ramlogan, who said he was approached by a ‘regional expert to provide an independent legal opinion on the matter,’ said the re-appointment raises questions that extend well beyond the tenure of a single office holder.

‘At issue is whether the constitutional architecture established under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (which governs the regional integration grouping) continues to operate as a binding legal framework, or whether procedural flexibility may displace treaty discipline when institutional convenience is attractive,’ Ramlogan argued in his paper, a copy of which has been obtained by the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

‘This opinion proceeds from the proposition that regional integration derives legitimacy not merely from political consensus but from visible fidelity to agreed constitutional processes,’ wrote Ramlogan, noting also that he had undertaken the assignment on a ‘ pro bono basis in the interest of contributing to informed public and regional discourse’.

He said that his opinion identifies a number of interlocking procedural and constitutional concerns which, when considered cumulatively, establish a substantial legal basis for questioning the validity of the reappointment process.

‘The first and most fundamental concern is one of institutional competence. Article 24 of the Revised Treaty confers the authority to appoint and re-appoint the Secretary-General specifically upon the Conference of Heads of Government.

‘The legal question is therefore not whether Heads of Government discussed the issue, but whether they acted through the institutional form prescribed by the Revised Treaty. The evidence examined raises a substantial argument that the decision emerged from a Retreat operating under procedures materially different from those governing Meetings of the Conference.’

Ramlogan argued that if the body exercising authority ‘was not legally functioning as the Conference, the issue becomes one not of procedural imperfection but of competence itself’.

He said that concern is strengthened by the treatment of representation rights.

‘Article 11(2) of the Revised Treaty provides that any Head of Government may designate a Minister or other representative to attend any Meeting of the Conference. The language is broad and unqualified. It reflects a deliberate constitutional choice that Member States act institutionally rather than personally.

‘The Rules of Procedure revised in February 2023 reinforce rather than diminish this structure. Although the Rules permit Heads only caucus arrangements for deliberative purposes, they expressly preserve participation rights where decisions are taken. Read together, the Treaty and the Rules suggest that the exclusion of designated representatives cannot coexist with the exercise of the Conference’s formal powers,’ Ramlogan wrote.

He said that the second major issue concerns the role of the Community Council. Article 24 of the Revised Treaty establishes that the appointment of the Secretary-General occurs by the Conference on the recommendation of the Council.

‘This opinion concludes that reappointment is part of the same constitutional appointment architecture rather than a separate, unconstrained process. Re-appointment is not administrative continuity but the conferral of renewed constitutional authority following expiry of a fixed term. Absent express language excluding Council involvement upon renewal, the better interpretation is that the recommendation requirement remains operative.’

Ramlogan wh said that he hopes his opinion will assist in the ongoing discussion surrounding these issues and contribute meaningfully to wider reflection on governance, institutional legitimacy and the rule of law within the regional integration movement, said the third question concerns voting.

He said that Article 28 of the Revised Treaty establishes the Conference’s ordinary decision-making framework by requiring affirmative support from all members, subject to limited saving provisions regarding abstentions.

‘The Treaty does not appear to authorise the transformation of non-attendance or exclusion into a mechanism for achieving voting sufficiency. Because voting thresholds are calculated by reference to membership rather than attendance alone, procedural arrangements affecting participation acquire constitutional significance.’

Ramlogan said particular concern arises from the factual circumstances surrounding Trinidad and Tobago’s participation.

‘The evidence examined suggests that representations were initially made indicating that ministerial participation could occur but were later altered by a communication limiting attendance to Heads only.

‘The omission of this communication from subsequent official explanations raises constitutional concerns. If participation rights guaranteed under Article 11 of the Revised Treaty were restricted in circumstances affecting a vote, the issue extends beyond procedural defect into questions of institutional fairness and good faith.’

He said additional concerns arise from broader principles of good administration.

‘These include the absence of an express agenda item dedicated to reappointment, the active administrative involvement of the Secretary-General in communications surrounding participation arrangements, uncertainty concerning plenary confirmation procedures, and the absence of any visible legal roadmap from the Office of General Counsel.

‘Individually, these issues may not determine legality. Collectively, they raise questions concerning transparency, impartiality and procedural regularity.’

Ramlogan said that these issues must be viewed against the historical development of Caribbean integration.

He said that the Revised Treaty emerged from the lessons of the collapse of the West Indian Federation and reflected a deliberate movement away from political accommodation toward constitutional governance.

‘CARICOM’s institutions, procedures and voting rules were not designed as technical formalities but as safeguards preserving sovereign equality while enabling integration.

‘That historical lesson remains decisive. Regional integration advances not when difficult decisions are made quickly, but when difficult decisions are made lawfully. If the Revised Treaty can be set aside with respect to the appointment of CARICOM’S chief administrative officer, then the constitutional guarantees protecting both smaller and larger states alike become contingent rather than binding.

‘Yet if the Revised 5 Treaty is applied faithfully, even where inconvenient, CARICOM affirms the principle upon which enduring regional unity depends, that no office, no political objective and no institutional preference stands above the constitutional order created collectively by Member States.

‘The continuing forward march toward Caribbean unity requires not less law but more fidelity to it,’ Ramlogan argued in his paper.