Regional integration

Regional integration refers to the process by which states within a particular region increase their
level of interaction with regard to economic, security, political and also social and cultural issues.
Past efforts at Caribbean regional integration have often focused on removing barriers to free
trade in the region, increasing the free movement of people, labour, goods, and capital across
national borders, adopting cohesive regional stances on policy issues such as those concerning
the environment, climate and communication.

Factors that promote regional integration

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Historical experience

Colonialism is the practice in which one nation rules over others and develops trade for its
own benefit. This is the system under which all Caribbean nations were controlled; due to
independence this system of leadership has ended. Caribbean people are all descendants of
migrants due to enslavement or indentureship of Africans and Asians respectively. This is
how all Caribbean nations are able to relate because they know from whence they came and
acknowledge their common history.

Strategic/ geographical position

The Caribbean countries are close together and relatively form an archipelago of islands.
They all lie in or along the shores of the Caribbean Sea. It is because of their relative positioning
that these nations are capable of interacting share a certain conversant relationship.

Common language

Since most of the countries in the region were under the British rule, English is the common
first language. This therefore engenders easy communication among the states.

Common cultural heritage

The Caribbean people share a common culture in terms of language, dress, music, cuisine
and general lifestyle all due to the history of the Caribbean.

Small population

The Caribbean countries are at a disadvantage when competing against international markets
because of their small size. Coming together makes it easier to influence international markets.
There are limited human and physical resources available in the Caribbean region and this
necessitates the pooling and trading of these resources among Caribbean countries.

Common challenges

Common problems such as unemployment, difficulty in accessing international markets, lack of

adequate capital, poor housing, inadequate health facilities and the effects of natural disasters.
There are also the common challenges of globalization and trade liberalization. The Caribbean
region is faced with much competition from the outside world. Caribbean businesses are,
therefore, required to amalgamate or face ruin.
Regional integration agreements are commonplace across the world. Economic groupings and
trading blocs are being established and a large number of countries are linked by special trading
arrangements among them.

Major challenges facing the Caribbean region

The Caribbean region is facing major challenges of differing nature. Some of these problems
include:

Falling remittances from nationals overseas

A significant decline in tourism

Volatile exchange rates and, the fall in income and reserves

A fall-off in overseas investments with difficulties in accessing markets of developed

countries, and small national markets because of the small size of the region

Very low levels of production and productivity in some countries in the region

Increasing levels of unemployment and underemployment; shortage of skilled

workers

Inadequate technological development

Lack of economic diversification (revenue comes from within the region)

Falling tax revenues

High level and cost of imports but low value exports

Difficulties in raising money on international markets to cover the daily operations of

government

High levels of indebtedness

Budgetary pressure related to the cost of delivering policies intended to mitigate the
worst effects of the recession and/or stimulate future economic growth

Vulnerability to natural disasters

The grave problem energy and its cost in the region

Yearly drought from which the region suffers, causing the availability of water to be a
problem

Consumption of mostly imported food

Pollution and disregard for the environment as the countries grapple with air, water
and land pollution

Widespread poverty which, although governments work to alleviate it with welfare

programes, pension schemes and education fund, it seems endless

The small revenue that is received has to go a long way in relieving our problems,
one of which is health, as diseases of various types continue to plague our society

Problems of education relating to funding; quality of teachers; the status of the

teaching profession; students' academic performance; equal educational opportunity
and the curriculum in relation to labour force needs and global competition; teacher
shortages; overcrowded, unsafe schools and unequal access to educational
technology

Population growth in a region where there is a young population, which is becoming

very alarming and must be controlled

Wasting of good fertile land for construction of homes and businesses

Continuing, long-term challenges being experienced in sectors of the Caribbean

economy

Slow progress towards the creation of a viable Caribbean Single Market and Economy

An alarming growth in crime, violence and narcotics trafficking