Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have agreed to seek an advisory opinion from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the process used to reappoint the bloc’s Secretary General, after Trinidad and Tobago maintained its objection to the reappointment at a Heads of Government retreat on 6 July.
The Community said it would commence proceedings to secure the opinion under Article 212 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, in response to Trinidad and Tobago’s request that the matter be referred to the CCJ. Leaders acknowledged that treaty interpretation is the very purpose for which the court was established.
The status quo on the Secretary General’s reappointment will remain in place unless and until the Community considers the CCJ’s advisory opinion, according to the statement. Leaders said the approach allows the matter to be resolved amicably without affecting the Community’s ability to conduct its affairs.
CARICOM said the review forms part of a broader mandate, agreed at the previous conference in St Kitts and Nevis, to strengthen the Community’s governance architecture and enhance its effectiveness. Heads of Government stressed that the process does not impugn the integrity of any member state or individual, but reflects a collective commitment to institutional improvement.
Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Community’s ideals and objectives, pledging to move forward in unity to advance regional interests amid the challenges currently facing CARICOM.
