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IdA and EU-LAC Foundation Conference 2017

“The Caribbean in the EU - CELAC Strategic Relationship”

Thursday, 1st June 2017, Luxembourg Palace, Paris

EXECUTIVE REPORT

As part of their strategic association, the European Union - Latin America and the Caribbean Foundation (EU-LAC) and the Institute of the Americas (IdA) organise an annual conference, during the Latin American and Caribbean Week in France. The aim of this event is to enhance and reinforce the bi-regional relationship, and it is supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and the European Commission.

In 2017, the IdA-EU-LAC multidisciplinary conference was co-organised with the Montesquieu Centre for Political Research of the Montesquieu Research Institute (IRM-CMRP) at the University of Bordeaux, a member institution of the IdA. The conference brought together researchers, public decision-makers and representatives of international organisations and of the private sector for the purpose of tackling issues related to the commercial, cultural, geopolitical and scientific relations between the Caribbean, Latin America and the European Union, from the Caribbean, Latin American and European perspectives.

Delegates representing the Institute of the Americas: - Dr Eric Dubesset – Montesquieu Centre for Political Research of the Montesquieu Research Institute (IRM-CMRP), University of Bordeaux - Dr Carlos Quenan, Institute of the Americas - Dr Antonio Romero, Professor of Caribbean Studies, University of Havana

Delegates representing the EU-LAC Foundation: - Paola Amadei, Executive Director - Dr Anna Barrera, Programme Coordinator

1. Background

Based on the existence of strong historical, social and economic relations, and on a set of shared values, Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union (EU) initiated, at the first Rio Summit in 1999, a process of ‘bi-regional strategic association’. This ambitious project, whose objectives included stimulating dynamic political dialogue and creating an extensive free trade area between both regions, was further reinforced in 2010 with the establishment of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). CELAC was created as a regional political platform bringing together thirty-three States of the continent of America, and has become the counterpart to the EU in the bi-regional association.

In the current context of globalisation, the Spanish-, English-, French- and Dutch speaking States and territories have decided to participate in this association as a way to handle the multiple environmental and economic challenges that they are facing. Their exposure to natural disasters, the weakness of their regional exchanges, their production and export levels, as well as their high level of economic dependence and external focus, are obstacles to their development and hamper their integration into the world economy.

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Reducing their vulnerability, as well as promoting their know-how at an international level in various sectors (namely, mobile phone sector, optical fibre, green energy, remote sensing, port infrastructure, tourism, finance) necessarily involves concerted inclusion.

Within the context of global and regional changes, to which we should add the post-Cotonou Consultation process, it is time that we ask ourselves what is the role that the Caribbean States play in the cooperation mechanisms between CELAC and the EU, and how is their participation evolving.

2. Objectives

The principal objective of this conference was to contribute to knowledge and reflection on the obstacles to, and the potential for, greater inclusion and participation of the Caribbean in the strategic association between the EU and CELAC. In order to encourage dialogue between students, researchers, political decision-makers and representatives of international organisations, and taking into consideration the geographic, historical, social, economic and political characteristics of the various Caribbean countries and territories, as well as the most recent academic literature on the topic, we attempted to analyse and evaluate:

- The transformation of Caribbean societies and cultures in the context of globalization; - The main challenges faced by the Caribbean area in terms of economic development and

international inclusion; - The political options for overcoming obstacles caused by economic and environmental

vulnerability in the current context of globalization; - The resources, assets and successful experiences, especially in terms of sustainable

development and social justice, which the Caribbean States and territories may offer to help strengthen the bi-regional association EU-CELAC;

- The opportunities and synergies that are most likely to optimise the benefits of cooperation between the countries of the Caribbean, Latin America and the European Union, in terms of exchanging experience and good practices;

- The possibilities arising from the process of bi-regional strategic association, expressed in the Declarations and Action Plans of the EU-CELAC Summits, to increase the participation of the association EU-CELAC.

3. Participants

Exponents and Moderators (in alphabetical order)

Paola Amadei - Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation Jessica Byron - Director of the Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies Rafael Cox Alomar - Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of the District of Columbia, Washington D.C. Justin Daniel - Professor of Political Science, University of the French West Indies Aldo Dell'Ariccia - Head of the Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Division, European External Action Service (EEAS) Winston Dookeran - Inter-regional Adviser, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Eric Dubesset - Lecturer-researcher at the Montesquieu Centre for Political Research of the Montesquieu Research Institute (CMRP–IRM), University of Bordeaux Leonel Fernández - President of the EU-LAC Foundation (video)

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Patricia Francis – Former Member of the Eminent Persons Group for the Cotonou agreement

Paul-Henri Giraud - Secretary General of the Institute of the Americas Alejandro E. Gómez - Senior Lecturer, University of the Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3 Rebeca Grynspan - Secretary General, Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) Percy Hintzen - Director of the African and African Diaspora Studies Programme, Florida International University Daniel Iglesias - Contracted lecturer, University of Lille 3 Len Ishmael - Former Ambassador of the Eastern Caribbean States to the European Union Anthony Maingot - Professor Emeritus and Founder, Florida International University Hugo Martínez Bonilla - Minister of External Affairs of El Salvador, President Pro Tempore of CELAC Alain Musset - Director of Research, School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) Gonzalo Paz - Invited Professor, Georgetown University Carlos Quenan - Vice-President of the Institute of the Americas Germán Ríos - Corporate Director of Strategic Affairs, CAF Development Bank of Latin America Françoise Rivière - Head of the Research Division, French Development Agency Antonio Romero - President and Chair of the ‘Norman Girvan’ Centre for Caribbean Studies at the University of Havana Domenico Rosa - Head of the General Directorate Unit for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO), Coordination of Development - Southern and Eastern Africa, Coordination of the ACP countries June Soomer - General Secretary of the Association of Caribbean States (video) Rosajilda Vélez - General Director of the Political, Economic and Social Studies Unit of the Caribbean, Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development, Dominican Republic

The speakers whose contributions were accepted based on the initial call issued by the scientific committee of the IdA were Rafael Cox Alomar, Percy Hintzen and Rosajilda Vélez.

Audience

Including the invited speakers, chairpersons and members of the scientific and organising committees, 109 people took part in the Conference. The audience was diverse, including people from the academic world, civil servants, students and other interested parties.

The geographical distribution was as follows: 82 people from the European Union, 5 from Latin America, 18 from the Caribbean and 4 representatives from universities in the USA.

4. Summary of the major themes and aspects presented and debated during the conference

The objectives of the conference are considered to have been fulfilled and the information presented was deemed to be of great interest and an excellent stimulus for reflection on the evolution and transformations of the Caribbean region and its relationship with Latin America and the European Union.

In his keynote speech, Leonel Fernández shared introductory historical explanations of the Caribbean identity, its geopolitical scope and its relationship with the world. He then focused on the evolution of the relationship of the Caribbean region with Europe and emphasised the fact that the expected termination of the Cotonou Agreement in 2020 brings serious concerns for the Caribbean countries and constitutes a major challenge to the relationship between both regions. He pointed out that the tourist sector is key to the development of the region, which should also focus on increasing productivity. In addition, he stressed the specific challenge of climate change in very vulnerable areas

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such as the Caribbean, and ended by stating that the Caribbean would have to redouble its efforts with a view to meeting the 17 SDGs. For her part, Mrs June Soomer highlighted in her keynote speech that one of the priorities in the Caribbean region is gender equality. She referred to the ACS objectives, and their main focus (namely sustainable tourism and the development of trade). Moreover, she explained that this is the only international organisation for the Caribbean Sea and it is therefore a priority to face up to the challenges related to the geography of the region and to climate change. She expressed the view that ACS activities should aim to increase the region’s resilience and creativity, in order to achieve this objective. For this purpose, she pointed out that resources would be needed and proposed the creation of a Caribbean resilience fund based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. As a final remark, she highlighted the need to focus on developing ambitious energy programmes and integrating the SDGs into public action priorities.

Panel 1 dealt with the strengths and vulnerabilities of the contemporary Caribbean area. Anthony Maingot explained that criminality and the energy dependency of the Caribbean are two major concerns in the region. These challenges are further compounded by other elements, including the unstable political context of the United States and the new environmental requirements, the dependency on tourism in the area and the high level of electricity consumption. In her intervention, Len Ishmael offered an overview of the global challenges that have affected the Caribbean, emphasising the fact that the latest changes and uncertainties, such as the evolution of the political relationship with the United States, Brexit, and the refugee crisis in Europe, may also bring opportunities. She recommended working in collaboration with the Association of Caribbean States with a view to creating greater resilience to better equip the Caribbean to face future constraints. Rosajilda Velez tackled the topic of the technological revolution in the Caribbean, against a background of a weak level of international integration, low direct foreign investment and high gross public debt. She presented the strategy drawn up by the Ministry of the Economy of the Dominican Republic to advance towards more complex productive structures, including the digital economy, and public policies favouring social inclusion, stressing that the regional dimension is essential in order to accomplish this objective. Justin Daniel, dealing with the issue of the implementation of sustainable development policies, highlighted the fact that the current fragmentation in the region, manifested in variable political systems, a multiplicity of membership organisations and a diversity of territories, leads to complex and evolving processes requiring national approval. Finally, Winston Dookeran argued that we must define the fundamental obstacles to development in the Caribbean today and the circumstances that result in vulnerability, and that ECLAC is providing skills to foster the development of research into the resilience of the States and the new demands of debt and climate change.

Panel 2 analysed the situation of the Caribbean in the face of recent changes on the international scene. Antonio Romero focused his presentation on the impact on the Caribbean of the economic and social changes in Cuba and on its relations with the United States, pointing out that the region has improved its ability to attract tourism, and also stressing the opportunity to develop multi-destination tourism and regional tourism. Gonzalo Paz highlighted the importance of China in the Caribbean, at both political and economic levels, and the development of a relationship that takes place under a “strategic shadow”, referring to the relationship between China and the United States. The issue of the relationship between the Caribbean and the United Kingdom was the topic dealt with by Jessica Byron, who explained that the outburst of reactions after Brexit showed the extent to which the EU was at the heart of cooperation with the Caribbean. The climate of uncertainty, according to Byron, is being exacerbated by the long timeframe for the conclusion of the negotiations, which highlights the need for the Caribbean to develop a strong diplomacy and to be

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able to use the momentum to re-establish its regional integration. Rafael Cox Alomar made a comparison between the territorial stakeholders of the United States and those of the European Union, in terms of identity, international relations and geopolitics. He also pointed out the challenges faced by those territories in the region which are not independent, such as high levels of public debt, a lack of industry that could boost the economy or a high level of unemployment. Finally, Aldo Dell’Ariccia spoke about the positioning of the Caribbean on the world stage, indicating that the region is still in the search for the best strategies to respond to the multiple challenges it must face and that formulating a renewed trading, political and cooperative association with the EU within the context of the post-Cotonou process would represent the best way forward for its positioning on the world stage.

On Panel 3, the speakers dealt with the topic of the Caribbean and its relationship with Latin America and the European Union. Patricia Francis addressed the issue of the challenges of post-Cotonou cooperation from her experience as a member of the Group of Eminent Persons from the ACP countries, stating that they agreed with the importance of developing and strengthening the relationships taking into account the historical links, and of facilitating the implementation of policies that are better suited to the needs of the ACP countries and the SDGs. Germán Ríos explained that in order to ensure that the relationship between Latin America and the Caribbean results in a win-win situation, use should be made of the collaboration platform offered by the CAF, - an example of positive financial integration and integration of LA with the Caribbean, open for regional agents to agree on specific areas for cooperation and innovation-. Françoise Rivière described the characteristics of the European territories in the Caribbean, the challenge of integrating them into the Caribbean space, and the progressive institutional arrangements that are in place to integrate the European Outermost Regions into the region, and finally recalled the six priorities of the European INTERREG IV programme to promote regional cooperation. Percy Hintzen described the new development alliance between the EU, CARIFORUM and CELAC with optimism, despite a resurgence of nationalism. He recalled that the ACP group is the largest group of countries in the sub region and that the Caribbean could make better use of its links with Europe, especially through CARIFORUM and a re-negotiated Cotonou agreement. Domenico Rosa dealt with the topic of ACP-EU relationships post-2020, highlighting the fact that the association agreement with the EU has a considerable potential to serve as a reference point gathering the shared principles between the ACP and the EU countries , being a base upon which the EU is proposing to negotiate the drawing up of three agreements for each of the regions, thus offering them the possibility of managing their respective priorities, and offering the Caribbean a means of finding its own position within the framework of an agreement which will remain global.

In conclusion, the Foreign Minister of El Salvador, Hugo Martínez, referred to the relationship of CELAC with the EU as a relationship of a strategic nature, solid and longstanding, which has been growing stronger but which has the possibility of strengthening still further. He expressed his support for a CELAC-EU Bi-regional Strategic Association able to face shared global challenges. He cited several topics on the agenda of the forthcoming CELAC-EU Summit in San Salvador, such as the reinforcement of strong and inclusive multilateralism, the commitment to implement the agreement on climate change, and free and fair trade between countries and regions, taking into account a more integrated understanding which would allow small island States and small economies to continue accessing mechanisms of cooperation.

The full minutes of the conference will be published in due course.

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APPENDICES Summaries of the presentations

Opening session

Paul-Henri Giraud - General Secretary of the Institute of the Americas. The GS of the Institute of the Americas (IdA) opened the annual conference of the IdA and the EU- LAC Foundation, thanking the contributors, the authorities and the audience and welcoming everyone on behalf of the IdA. He explained that the event was taking place in the context of the Latin American and Caribbean Week in France and within the framework of the Strategic Association between the IdA and the EU-LAC Foundation. He reminded the audience that the IdA is a group based on scientific interest, that brings together French studies of the American continent in the human and social sciences across a wide network. He stated that this year, for the sixth consecutive time, the IdA was offering its recognised scientific quality to organise this international conference with the aim of strengthening bi-regional relations between Europe and LAC, on the theme of the Caribbean in the CELAC-EU relationship. He also expressed appreciation for the support of the Senate of the French Republic, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Commission and the University of Bordeaux, the whole of the IdA team which made this event possible, the members of the organising committee, especially Carlos Quenan (IHEAL) and Eric Dubesset, and Mrs Paola Amadei, Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, whom he thanked for her great commitment to this strategic association.

Paola Amadei - Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation. Paola Amadei greeted the authorities, organisers, guests and participants and expressed her pleasure at once more being able to co-organise the Annual Conference with one of the strategic members of the EU-LAC Foundation, the IdA, at the prestigious Luxembourg Palace in Paris, which she also thanked for their hospitality. She explained that last year a joint proposal was made, together with President Fernández, to the President of the IdA, Jean-Michel Blanquer (now, the Minister of Education in France) suggesting that this year’s conference should be dedicated to the Caribbean and its role in the strategic association EU-CELAC. She described, on behalf of the EU-LAC Foundation, how this proposal emerged from the commitment of the Foundation and its 61 member States and EU members, to promote greater knowledge and integration of the countries and sub regions that are traditionally less integrated within the bi-regional relationship. Among the various initiatives related to the Caribbean that were carried out between 2016 and 2017, she highlighted a study undertaken by the University of the West Indies on the same topic as the conference – namely, “The Caribbean in the EU - CELAC Strategic Relationship”- , which is about to be finalised and will be made available to the public. The Director emphasised how the EU-CELAC relationship offers the region of the Caribbean the potential for change and development in the near future, especially for those small States of the region. She underlined the key role of the partners in both regions and especially the role of the Caribbean members of the High Ambitions Coalition in the negotiations of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, which led to its successful conclusion, and the importance of the scope of this agreement in current circumstances. More generally, bearing in mind that some of the values shared by European and LAC societies are being called into question, this is a key moment to demonstrate cohesion between the 61 States within the multilateral area. It is her expectation that the Conference will give the room for making progress in this field through the contributions of leading academics and representatives of major regional institutions, also referring to the video sent for the occasion by the President of the EU-

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LAC Foundation, Leonel Fernández, who had to cancel his participation at the last minute. She recalled that the results of this conference’s discussions would be passed on to inter-governmental level, for the purpose of making a substantial contribution to the preparations for the forthcoming CELAC-EU Summit of the Heads of State and Government planned for next October in San Salvador. Finally, she highlighted the participation of the Foreign Minister of El Salvador, Hugo Martínez, in the conference and that he had agreed to be the Keynote speaker at the closing session. Carlos Quenan - Vice-President of the Institute of the Americas. Carlos Quenan expressed his congratulations for this new edition of the IdA - EU-LAC Foundation Conference, organised in the context of the French Week of Latin America and the Caribbean in association with other institutions, especially the Montesquieu Centre of the University of Bordeaux, and the AFD. He stressed that this is an event with high visibility, attended by researchers and policy makers, and the selected topic is highly relevant, being in line with the issues surrounding the Cotonou Agreement, and the evolution of new integrations in LA and in Europe. He commented that the Caribbean had always been very important to the IdA, and this is the reason why there is an IdA Caribbean Hub, supported in Funglode since 2010. He stated that the IdA had organised various activities on the Caribbean, namely on the Caribbean and regional integration (in 2012) and on youth and the Caribbean in 2011 in Santo Domingo in cooperation with Funglode and Iglobal, whose updated results will be shortly available online. New initiatives will be undertaken following the results of the Conference, taking account of the interest and particular relevance of these topics. Moreover, Mr. Quenan highlighted the participation of various intellectuals and key figures from the Caribbean, like Pedro Ureña, not necessarily present on all the panels. He emphasised the effort devoted to the preparation of this conference, naming and thanking the members of the scientific council and the organising committee. He also wished to apologise on behalf of those unable to attend: June Soomer, General Secretary of ACS, Jean-Michel Blanquer, ex-President of the IdA and current Education Minister in France, and Leonel Fernández, President of the EU-LAC Foundation. He also acknowledged the presence of the Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), Rebeca Grynspan.

Eric Dubesset - Lecturer- researcher at the Montesquieu Centre for Political Research of the Montesquieu Research Institute (CMRP–IRM), University of Bordeaux. Eric Dubesset stated that it was an honour to co-organise this conference. He considered that it represented a ‘rendezvous’ taking place at a very appropriate time: the Caribbean has become a subject of study in its own right and is well established on the scientific scene that is structured and extends over national and international levels. He said that this conference was driven by the wish to bring together specialists, researchers, political actors, private stakeholders, and representatives of international organisations from the Caribbean region with the aim of discussing issues related to the new challenges that arise in a restructuring and uncertain world defined by international changes, Brexit, the Trump administration, USA-Cuba relations, among other issues. He reminded the audience that the day was structured around three main themes: Strengths and vulnerabilities of the Contemporary Caribbean; The Caribbean facing changes on the international scene; The Caribbean and its relationship with Latin America and the European Union. Finally, he expressed his thanks to the Chairs of the panels and to all the speakers, and he particularly thanked Marion Magnan, Juliette Sérafini and Zully Rojas for the work they have done on behalf of the IdA

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Presentation

Rebeca Grynspan - Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB). She began by recalling that the Caribbean is where Europe and Latin America (LA) meet, and is by its nature an insular and coastal region. She explained that ten of SEGIB’s member states are Caribbean countries. She highlighted the commitment of this region to unite in diversity, materialised through the presence of people who are Spanish-speaking, English-speaking, French-speaking, Dutch, African, Asian, and more. She said that the Caribbean is an area that reflects the complexity and plurality of the world we live in. She commented that we have to learn to live in a world where we see confrontation, theories of exclusive identity, and the clash of civilizations, while we ourselves are promoting the notion of inclusive identity. She said that when we choose an identity, we do not need to exclude all other identities: it is a matter of recognising ourselves in the multiplicity and complexity of our diversity. In her opinion, this is what the Caribbean represents and what it seeks to encourage. She emphasised that this region, for the first time since the Colombia Peace Agreement, is not involved in an internal or external conflict situation. It is therefore a matter of building on common values such as peace, equality and respect for rights. Thinking of the next CELAC-EU Summit, she said that it is all about the values and proposals to which we must commit as a region, building global governance that better reflects the new power configurations. She mentioned the notion of the Global South, which helps relations between our countries to be more symmetrical. The Secretary General wished to mention two facts of great relevance in tackling the vulnerability of the region: agreeing on a universal agenda for sustainable development and implementing the climate change agreement. Other concepts highlighted by Mrs Grynspan were:

- Financing of economic cooperation for development. She explained that the Caribbean put this topic forward for discussion, as for this region vulnerability indicators are of far greater importance than GDP.

- Debt. The continental countries have been consistently reducing their debt, but this has not happened in the Caribbean, and therefore cooperative schemes are needed.

- South-South cooperation, regional cooperation, thematic cooperation and triangular cooperation with the EU must be developed (former concepts of cooperation have reached the end of their useful life)

- Integration must be increased in the region, as she explained that the potential that integration could bring to this region has not been fully seized so far. She cited examples of agreements currently being discussed in Europe (Mercosur-EU, agreement with Cuba, revision of the agreement with Mexico and Chile) showing how this context may give the region a new boost.

She said that in her opinion the new revolution (the 4th revolution) would give the small countries an opportunity to break new ground in development by digital means and that we must back talent, entrepreneurship and the technological revolution. She stressed that the Caribbean could develop into a voice of leadership in matters such as climate change. Finally, she concluded with a quote from the author of Santa Lucía, Derek Walcott, Nobel Prize for Literature: the Caribbean is “the smell of refreshing possibility” thanks to its diversity.

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Keynote speeches

Carlos Quenan. Carlos Quenan made an introduction of the video projection of President Fernández and spoke briefly about last year’s conference on climate change.

Leonel Fernández - President of the EU-LAC Foundation, video message Leonel Fernández said that when we speak of the Caribbean, a question always arises concerning the Caribbean identity, its geopolitical space and its relationship with the world. In terms of identity, he said that it is known as the Caribbean region after the Caribbean Sea, but it has not always had that name. He recalled that Columbus named the region the West Indies and pointed out that that name is still used in the English-speaking Caribbean. He then referred to the great patriots of the nineteenth century who talked about the Antilles, and more recently there were the Caribbean and Great Caribbean Basins, which include continental territories. He stated that we could interpret all the above as a result of the presence of the European colonial powers. The President quoted a leading Spanish Jesuit from the end of the seventeenth century and the Cuban author Nicolás Guillen to illustrate the theme of Caribbean identity. As for the contemporary relationship between the EU and the countries of the Caribbean within the relationship of the EU and CELAC, he said that because the Caribbean is part of CELAC, it has a bi-regional relationship with the EU through the established political dialogue based on shared values such as democracy, social justice, human rights and peace; trade with asymmetrical access to trade; and cooperation for development. The President cited topics of common interest such as higher education, the environment and drug trafficking. He explained that the Caribbean is also related to the EU by the presence of European territories within the Caribbean. The Caribbean also formed part of CARICOM, which together with the Dominican Republic and Cuba make up CARIFORUM, which in its turn has a relationship with Europe through the ACP Countries (Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific). For over 40 years a strong relationship has developed between CARIFORUM and Europe in 3 areas: political dialogue (democracy, human rights, peace and security); trade and non-reciprocal preferential access to trade; and cooperation for development. The Caribbean countries have managed to benefit from

this cooperation through the European Development Funds, although these resources are gradually decreasing. He added that in 2020, when the Cotonou Agreement comes to an end, the countries of the Caribbean would not have the same conditions available to them, and there would be a trade relationship of a reciprocal nature, with the opening of the Caribbean markets to imports of goods and services with preferential tariff arrangements, leading to a situation of inequality and imbalance. He added that the Caribbean economies are fragile and vulnerable because they are small and that the deficit that will be produced in the balance of payments account is a worrying matter for the economies of the Caribbean. He recalled that the economies of the Caribbean had initially depended on the export of primary agricultural products and also on minerals. In more recent times they have evolved towards a service economy, such as tourism and the financial sector, but they are affected by the credibility issue concerning off-shore finance. He pointed out that for the first time CARICOM has managed to publish its Strategic Plan for the Caribbean Community 2015-2019 with the aim of increasing production and productivity, and maintaining macro-economic stabilisation. He said that in recent times the Caribbean has experienced a decrease in its productive capacity and its GDP and that it must focus on increasing productivity on the basis of competitive plans such as that of CARICOM. In addition, he stressed the challenge of climate change in an area very vulnerable to natural disasters, and the need to invest more in science, technology and innovation, and to strengthen the mechanisms for Caribbean integration within the framework of CELAC. As a goal, he added that the Caribbean should focus on

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meeting the 17 SDGs (poverty, hunger, education, health, renewable energies). Finally, despite all the obstacles and challenges ahead, he concluded optimistically that, looking to the future, the Caribbean will be the architect of its own destiny.

June Soomer - Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), video message June Soomer began by congratulating the EU-CELAC Association and those who had organised this event, designed to share experiences and exchange views on matters such as trade, cultural and political relations and scientific cooperation between the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe, the results of which she hopes will be translated into the implementation of sound, sustainable initiatives to strengthen alliances between EU and CELAC. She acknowledged the specific role that Paris has always played in History: the success of COP21 and the critical role played by the French presidency will always be present in the memory of our vulnerable region, she said. She then introduced herself as Secretary General of the ACS; as a Caribbean and as the first woman to hold this post, for that she feels proud and committed. She emphasised that one of the priorities of this region is gender equality. The SG then referred to the objectives of the ACS since its creation and the collective action at the heart of it with 25 members and 9 associate members, and topics of interest such as sustainable tourism and the development of trade. She explained that this is the only International Organization with responsibility for the Caribbean Sea and that there is a Caribbean Sea Commission, which tries to implement specific protection. She quoted the Nobel Prize-winner, Derek Walcott, and his notion that the rebirth of the Caribbean will be linked to its sea. She added that priority should be given to facing up to the challenges related to the geography of the region and climate changes, bearing in mind that this region has been declared the second most exposed region to natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, drought, etc.). She stated that the activity of the ACS must aim to increase the region’s resilience and to become increasingly creative in achieving this objective. She recalled some statistics from CARICOM and the World Bank related to natural risks and the critical evolutions that can be seen in the region. However, she observed that the resources which can be mobilised to reinforce resistance and resilience are not available to the Caribbean economies. These countries are considered middle-income countries and they cannot support debt sustainability in the long run, which is why they have requested a revision of this categorisation. It therefore seemed a matter of urgency to create a fund for Caribbean resilience, especially when a new hurricane season is beginning. She mentioned the principle of common but differentiated responsibility: the load must be placed upon those countries where the problem originated. She highlighted the importance of focusing on ambitious energy programmes, moving away from oil-based economies and diversifying energy to be more efficient. She also stressed the importance of integrating the SDGs into the public action priorities, which is a considerable challenge. She said that in order to achieve the SDGs, more resources would need to be devoted to them. She reminded the audience that the Caribbean must not play a secondary role and that Caribbean voices are being heard throughout the world, especially their message concerning climate change. She added that the Caribbean also contributed to the acceptance of the new concept of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The SG stated that the comparative advantages of the ACS were identified at the last meeting of CARICOM, for example its focus on aspects of survival, the environment, the sea and the lands of this area, tourism and also science and public action, cooperation, and the implementation of policies to increase the security of marine spaces. She also spoke of difficulties such as a lack of resources and the employability of resources. She added that the ACS recognises synergies between various regional institutions such as CELAC, and within the framework of dialogues with the EU, China, Russia, South Korea, the Arab nations of

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the Gulf, Turkey and Japan. She concluded that a fight against vulnerabilities is developing, led by the ACS, and some successes are now being seen, with a will to show value and determination, and to find real solutions to the issues which can benefit all citizens.

ROUND TABLE 1 – Strengths and vulnerabilities in the contemporary Caribbean The Caribbean world – especially the Caribbean of the islands – has numerous sources of vulnerability, at the environmental, socio-political and economic level as well as because of illegal practices (crime, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, etc.). Its geographical location, peoples and heritage (material and intangible) also give it major strengths and considerable development potential, especially in tourism and renewable energy. How can we tackle the vast topics on the development agenda, while reinforcing the strengths and minimising the sources of vulnerability?

Chair of the Round Table: Alain Musset - Director of Research, School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (French acronym = EHESS)

Anthony Maingot - Professor Emeritus and Founder, Florida International University Energy challenges in the Caribbean and economic vulnerability

Professor Maingot talked about what he had felt and observed about the energy challenges and economic vulnerability of the Caribbean, following over 50 journeys in the region. Firstly, he expressed his concern by the level of criminality, with the exception only of Cuba and, to a certain extent, the French islands. The most important industry in the Caribbean today is tourism, which is affected by criminality, so it is a major concern. He stated that the Federation of the western islands was a great illusion, as the united Caribbean world does not exist anymore. He observed that currently people are afraid of the politics of the United States, with a possible cutback of visas or remittances, external assistance also being reduced on all sides, and a possible change in the United States policy towards Cuba. He explained how the Caribbean energy sector had been dependent on Venezuelan oil until 2015. 90% of the Caribbean’s energy comes from oil. He identified two key problems: the declining Venezuelan supply and new environmental requirements prohibiting the use of heavy fuel oil. He said that in the Caribbean there are two types of country: Independent countries and non-independent countries. We can see a battle for growth, and that battle will continue as assistance and preferential deals come to an end. Currently the demography remains at a stable level. As these countries are modern societies, the consumption of energy (oil for electricity and transport) and food has increased significantly. Compared to the rest of the world, the Caribbean has the most expensive electricity. In his view electricity is used for everything, which is why there is an increasing dependence on energy sources, mainly oil, from the United States. There they import much less oil from Venezuela and Mexico and more from Canada; the USA is almost self-sufficient, so it can sell gas and oil. He also explained the phenomenon of the silent trap of debt, with a high level of indebtedness and low growth. He highlighted the extraordinary handling of the Dominican Republic. In conclusion, he said that the Caribbean is in danger of being controlled by two centres: Houston, Texas for oil and Miami, Florida for tourism and banking.

Len Ishmael - Former Ambassador of the Eastern Caribbean States to the European Union Emerging transatlantic trends: threats and opportunities for the Caribbean in a multipolar world

Len Ishmael focused on identifying the threats currently bearing down on the Caribbean, and she reminded the audience of the importance of taking into account the small size of the Caribbean

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territories. She therefore stressed that in all nine States of the Eastern Caribbean there are a total of fewer than 600,000 inhabitants. Due to their special nature as micro-States, their opportunities for action are limited, and they are not always invited to those debates that concern them. Therefore, alliances would be of fundamental importance to these countries. The speaker claimed for two major questions to be raised at the conference: the elections in the Caribbean, in terms of relations with other countries and regions; and the effect that global changes would have towards the relations with Europe, both in terms of the CELAC- EU relationship, and within the ACP group. She offered a detailed and complex overview of the major evolutions, which may have had an influence in the Caribbean. To begin with, we have witnessed a collapse in the international financial structure, which has caused suffering in every region of the world and has led to a questioning of the institutions. Moreover, the flows between North and South began to be reversed and Brazil lent billions to the IMF for the Greek recovery. Then, new international centres, such as the G20, have emerged. It must be also noted that, in a multipolar world, the United States is distancing itself from its historical stance, China is beginning to defend international trade and climate change, and the emerging States will contribute 60% of world income in the years to come. China granting large loans to finance projects abroad in the energy field is an example of this trend. Citizens are reacting and sharing their complaints and opinions, on different languages (tweets) and within new centres of power. As for Europe, it is going through a complex phase of uncertainties, with, for example, Brexit and the refugee crisis, and with the wish to have a place on the international stage, with new forms of alliances. She also stressed the profound changes seen in LAC where all the countries are middle-income countries (except two in LA and one in the Caribbean), adding that these changes and uncertainties may also offer opportunities. More specifically, while the political relationship with the United States, always considered the most important, is being called into question, Europe is taking notice of the Caribbean, as it constitutes a crossroads where many dramas unfold (trafficking of arms, drugs and people). Indeed, she underlined the fact that the Caribbean is a key meeting point between America, Africa and Europe. She noted that the Caribbean response to the decrease of geo-strategic importance of the region in the 1980s was the opening and forming of an economic union in 2008, with the launch of a process of association and cooperation with many regions and the rapprochement with China and Taiwan. Cooperation was also developed with Brazil and other entities in the Caribbean. All this influenced the relationship with Europe and with the ACP countries, which comprise the largest group in this category (apart from the UN), with 79 members. Bearing in mind that the Cotonou Agreement will come to an end in 2020, she said that the success of the ACP negotiations with the EU will depend on the determination to defend the future of the group and the ability to propose a proactive dialogue with the EU, in line with Caribbean interests. She explained that CELAC has its own interests and that the countries of the Caribbean have had difficulties finding their place within it, but she emphasised that the period of Dominican Republic presidency acknowledged the promotion of specific and positive initiatives. The problem that can be seen in our countries, according to the former Ambassador, is that they are not rich enough to do everything alone, but neither are they sufficiently poor to be receivers of the assistance that is given to poorer countries. Against this background, they need to work in collaboration with the Association of Caribbean States. She added that it is fundamental for the agreement with the ACP countries to evolve towards a political agreement, and in light of the importance of the ACP countries to the Caribbean, all possible opportunities must be seized in order to give visibility to the regional positions. She concluded by stating that the best way of facing the future would be to improve the resilience of the Caribbean.

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Rosajilda Vélez - General Director of the Political, Economic and Social Studies Unit of the Caribbean, Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development, Dominican Republic Elements to support a science and technology strategy for the countries of the Caribbean

Rosajilda Vélez began her presentation by mentioning a study by the World Economic Forum1 , which indicates that the technological revolution is already underway. She explained how technological change means that at least 30% of jobs are being automated, and by 2055 this automation will affect half of the jobs being done today. The main consequence of automation is that the workforce is losing importance in terms of where investment is directed, implying the destruction of jobs in sectors of low productivity. This trend is increasing the levels of inequality, as it can be seen in USA, where those cities of USA that have highest levels of technological development are also facing the highest rates of inequality. She specified that Caribbean countries are facing structural problems in their economies: weak international integration (only 4% of high technology exports), direct foreign investment is low (5.2% of GDP) and gross public debt represents 72% of GDP. She added that, in terms of social debt and environmental risk, there is a substantial amount of job insecurity and high unemployment, amounting to 50% in Haiti, and a high percentage of the population are at risk of poverty. Moreover, only 50% of the population of student age are at university and only 26% of businesses

in the Caribbean are innovative. The Caribbean has been a topic of analysis and discussion at the Political, Economic and Social Studies Unit of the Caribbean, dependent of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development of the Dominican Republic, in relation to the objective of progressing towards more complex productive structures by developing the digital economy and public policies favouring social inclusion. Among the topics discussed, some of the most salient were:

- The challenge of a structural change that requires more technologically intensive activities and the linking of industrial policies with digital development

- The new opportunities presented by international integration – innovation to narrow the productivity gap vis-à-vis developed countries

- The employment opportunities brought by future-oriented activities - Reducing the environmental costs of growth.

She then went on to explain the pillars of the S & T and innovation strategy: education, access to finance, infrastructure, and the business climate (trade facilitation). She expressed the view that the regional dimension of the strategy is essential, and must be built through a regionally integrated digital market and coordinated policies. Indeed, coordination within the region would yield many benefits, for example in terms of university specialisations.

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World Economic Forum (2016) The future of jobs. Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. See: http://reports.weforum.org/future-of-jobs-2016/ (last accessed 15 September 2017).

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Justin Daniel - Professor of Political Science, the University of the French West Indies The Caribbean facing the challenges of implementing sustainable development policies

Justin Daniel began his presentation by highlighting the demonstrated difficulties, bearing in mind the multiplicity of levels of action involved. The Caribbean region is a byword for fragmentation with a variety of different political systems. He highlighted the fact that there exists a multiplicity of membership organisations and a diversity of territories. Taking into consideration the different levels of identification and loyalty to the regional organisations, the States experience different degrees of involvement. He stressed that several of the region’s territories belong both to the North and to the South. The international and regional framework for the implementation of sustainable development policies in the Caribbean is complex and in constant evolution. He also explained that the multiplicity of stakeholders hampers coherence in the governance of sustainable development, an example of that would be the for example due to a lack of transversality with management by sectors (health, education). He referred to the management of the mangroves by way of example. He said that one of the difficulties in successfully implementing policies is ownership by populations and stakeholders of the mechanisms devised for sustainable development. This is the result of a complex alchemy involving the actions of stakeholders and their ability to give meaning to their actions by inscribing them in the history of the nation. The Professor referred to three examples: in Puerto Rico (threat of a mining exploitation in a forest), in Martinique (creation of a natural marine park) and in Trinidad (management of the mangroves). He expressed the view that even though local dialogue may have been organised, the decision can be seen as imposed and the result of an external process. The perceptions people have of these areas are as important as laws, and national agreement is necessary.

Winston Dookeran - Inter-regional Adviser, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Fragility, Vulnerability and Resilience: Three challenges in the Caribbean

Winston Dookeran began his presentation by referring to a conference on the future of the Caribbean, organised last year in Trinidad and Tobago, where there was great intellectual excitement concerning research issues, with a new optimism for this region of the world. He said that after many years there are now new discussions and renewed possibilities. He explained that to make the most of this optimism, the basic obstacles to the development of the Caribbean today and the situations of vulnerability must be defined. He thought it was important to add the terms of fragility and resilience. He said that fragility is also part of the very process towards governance and resilience is the means towards reinforcement and consolidation through policies. The vulnerability of a State is principally based on geography and sometimes on external elements , which emerge beyond the borders of the State. Fragility refers more to a process. Resilience is a form of public action, and must be based on judicious policies of consolidation. He added that in order to understand the Caribbean correctly, one must understand this framework and the nature of the world in which we live. Determinant factors for the future of the region will be, among other things, a profound change in economic policies towards nationalism and a trend towards disorder and international conflict. He stated that ECLAC provided skills to enable research to be developed in universities and for the context and the relationship of LAC with the world, and its vulnerability, to be better understood. Against this background, he was particularly interested in the topic of the resilience of the States. He said that multilateral diplomacy must be organised differently and that the diplomatic chain in which one must take one’s position had to be understood. He also referred to the matter of integration, the importance of convergence in the Caribbean, and he said that all movements have been inspired by the experience that has been observed over more than 50 years in the EU, which is now showing its

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limits. He stated that we must redefine integration in the context of new convergence processes. The private sector and the market economy have made greater progress than the public sector in matters of integration and convergence. He then explained that the new requirements must be understood; these can be summed up in two points. Firstly debt and the need to provide a structural response, and secondly climate change. He said that finding a compromise between these two aspects, the economy and the climate, is essential for survival. He added that there are more and more publications about the small States, which are microcosms where the dynamics, which are the same as in the large States, may be understood. He mentioned that the WB has published a road map of its commitment towards the small States. The small States are becoming important players in Europe and in the world.

Debate

Pedro Ureña: He expressed his congratulations on the conference and his gratitude for being able to take part in it. He observed that only one of the presenters had spoken about the people and the populations, and that we are people who speak different languages, even more complicated when one recognises the Caribbean linguistic norms, for example, creole as a language and not a patois. He added that frontiers could be observed between real culture and the culture taught in school. Because we do not know each other in the Caribbean and we do not speak each other’s languages, it is difficult to accept each other.

Jessica Byron: A question directed to Anthony Maingot on energy sources and renewable energy; she then made a comment directed to Len Ishmael, and emphasised the role of the countries of the Caribbean themselves in the context of complex situations, for example the role of the Dominican Republic as mediator, and of Panama in the Venezuela crisis; finally she congratulated Rosajilda Vélez on her presentation and stressed that the way we manage the fourth technological revolution will have a great impact on our chances of achieving the SDGs.

Anthony Maingot: The island of Dominica had the good idea of working with Japan and creating models for 25% of its energy to be renewable, but in general we are moving towards greater dependence on the United States.

Len Ishmael: Responding to Professor Byron, she clarified that her words were focussed on the relationship of the Caribbean with Europe. She stated that, within the ACP, many funds are dedicated to advancing peace in Africa, for example, or to address the issue of migration. She added that the Caribbean, on the other hand, is seen as a paradise that does not need so much help, and that it is therefore important to help change this perception.

ROUND TABLE 2 – The Caribbean faced with changes on the international scene Various recent international events such as Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in the United States, together with the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, are generating geo-economic and geo-political effects (direct and indirect) in the countries of the Caribbean. How is this marine area positioned on a changing and extremely uncertain international scene, located at the interface of the Americas and Europe, in the face of these great changes?

Chair of the Round Table: Alejandro E. Gómez – Senior Lecturer, University of the Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3

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Antonio Romero - President and Chair of the ‘Norman Girvan’ Centre for Caribbean Studies at the University of Havana Transformations in Cuba and relations with the United States: Impacts on the Caribbean

Antonio Romero began his presentation with some explanation of the process of economic change in Cuba, a complicated but necessary process, and said that these are transformations that also have a social impact. He referred to the economic structure which is far more diverse, where a non-state sector is emerging, a private sector and a cooperative sector, as well as mixed ownership with the presence of foreign capital. He commented that great changes are also being seen in employment structures. For instance, Cuba is acquiring international credibility through an increase in the export of services and in the income from tourism, and the improved financial situation enabled by the renegotiation of debt. He said that most of what has happened is positive. He also commented that Cuba would have to revise its policy on international cooperation, an area where it has been at the forefront. Secondly, he spoke of Cuba’s relationship with the United States. He said that over 70% of the current population was born after the blockade. After 18 months of secret negotiation an agreement was reached to re-establish diplomatic relations, and after two years, greater flexibility is being seen, with a notable increase in the numbers of North Americans coming to Cuba, the signing of 22 agreements, and the visits of leading figures. However, one cannot forget that the USA sanctions against Cuba are still in force because these are congressional decisions. He mentioned the current uncertainties with the Trump Administration. Thirdly, he tackled the question of the impact on the Caribbean. He said that visitors from the United States made up the largest group of all visitors, after Canadians. He highlighted Cuba’s help to CARICOM in terms of health and training in economic resources, and said that every three years a Cuba-CARICOM summit is organised. He ended by saying that the Caribbean has improved its ability to attract tourism thanks to the normalization of Cuba’s diplomatic relations, and he called attention to the opportunity to develop multi-destination and regional tourism.

Gonzalo Paz - Visiting Professor, Georgetown University The Caribbean in the geo-political world and the presence of China in the Caribbean

Gonzalo Paz observed that, when analysing the Caribbean of today, it is inevitable to talk about China since it is becoming the Caribbean´s economic partner, where there are 40 million people, . He said that the Caribbean has been more important to China in political terms rather than in economic, but for the Caribbean, China has been more important economically than politically. The region has been an exporter of recognition, and this is a fundamental value for China, bearing in mind that 21 countries still recognise Taiwan. Against this scenario, he referred to chequebook diplomacy, and to the tensions between the recognition of China and that of Taiwan. He said that the Caribbean is also important to China because of its proximity and its North American influence.

He said that Cuba was the first country in LAC to recognise China and that China is Cuba’s second trading partner after Venezuela. He also mentioned that relations between China and the Caribbean exist under a “strategic shadow”, because the relationship between China and the United States represents the most important bilateral relationship in the world. He also spoke about Chinese migration to the Caribbean and the most recent migration wave, which is a central theme in the Caribbean for its relationship with China. He also explained that China lent more money to LAC than the WB and the IDB, and that this constitutes a central fact that alters the international financing scenario. His final comments focused on the interaction between China and the Caribbean, always keeping in mind the reaction of the United States. It is in this sense that the relationship between CELAC and

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China is important. He also made reference to the second version of China´s White Paper on LAC, launched last year, explaining that it contains some quite interesting information. He added that we are in a period of change and also great confusion, mostly because of the change in foreign policy in the United States, and we are at a time of strong multipolarity and weakened multilateralism. The last piece of information he wished to share concerned Russia’s attempts to return to the region against a background of diversifying opportunities for the countries of the Caribbean. He concluded by highlighting the asymmetry between China and the Caribbean, saying that China is growing by one Caribbean per year, but what for China is of little importance in economic terms, for the Caribbean is fundamental.

Jessica Byron - Director of the Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies Prospects for the relationship between the Caribbean and the United Kingdom post-Brexit

Jessica Byron began her presentation by recalling that we had already spoken about the region’s diversity, the different legal statutes of the various territories and therefore the varying consequences that Brexit entails for each of them. The explosion of reactions after Brexit shows the extent to which the EU is at the centre of cooperation with the Caribbean. The United Kingdom remains the primary market for several Caribbean States, despite the latter having had the benefit of preferential access to the whole of the European market for 40 years. She commented that some States may lose their ability to travel within the EU but the relationship with the United Kingdom will not change for the dependent territories. The opposite is true for the independent States. For example, she referred to the Dominican Republic which does not share a history with the United Kingdom and which exports its organic bananas there. She said that Brexit is not yet defined and the negotiations will be protracted, which will add to a climate of uncertainty. She added that the United Kingdom will have to negotiate new trade agreements and the Caribbean will probably be last in the queue. For CARIFORUM, the EU is its second partner (10%), and among its members, only the Dominican Republic managed to increase its exchanges with the United Kingdom between 2008 and 2015. She commented that the United Kingdom is the most important market for exports from CARIFORUM. Once the United Kingdom is outside of the EU, tariff barriers will be re-established. The United Kingdom imports 25% of the bananas produced in the Caribbean. As far as services are concerned, it is more difficult to evaluate the situation, the Professor said. Some studies indicate that Barbados and Jamaica are the two economies that will suffer most; holidays in the Caribbean will be more expensive. As for cooperation for development, the United Kingdom contributed 15% to the eleventh EDF. Professor Byron made some final recommendations. She said that the Caribbean must focus on what the United Kingdom will do within the framework of the WTO; she said that the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands have a high level of cooperation on matters of security and that this will continue. She stressed the importance of matters concerning the financial system and mobility. She concluded that Brexit means that the Caribbean needs to negotiate once again, concentrating on certain aspects, and to develop effective diplomacy. Indeed, she highlighted the existence of major weaknesses in Caribbean trade diplomacy. She also added that Brexit might act as a catalyst giving fresh impetus to our regional integration. Finally, she said that, the lessons we could learn from the Brexit experience, is, on the one hand, that the non-independent States should be integrated and , on the other hand, that the Caribbean needs to play a more important role within CELAC.

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Rafael Cox Alomar - Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of the District of Columbia, Washington D.C. Identities, international relations and geo-politics in the Caribbean: The territorial stakeholders in the United States and the European Union: A study in contrasts?

Rafael Cox Alomar began by expressing his gratitude for being invited, and he wished to recall that the history of the Caribbean would be forever linked to Paris. He said that the Caribbean is currently experiencing a time of transformation. He commented that various colleagues had referred to the issue of the non-independent territories. He added that we are now experiencing a transformational moment in the Caribbean: in the absence of a foreign policy from the President of the United States, Trump, factors such as Brexit and the instability of economic and fiscal policy in Europe are having a direct impact on the Caribbean territories. He referred to the recent crisis in French Guyana, and also to the case of Puerto Rico a week earlier, a product of the fiscal crisis, and the case of Guadeloupe and Martinique. He wished to state that the European, French and Dutch approach to the Caribbean is very different from that of the United States, where there is less and less flexibility, solutions are pronounced from Washington, we can observe a policy of the territorial homogenization of policy (one size fits all), with federal law and a process of restructuring in Puerto Rico, and there are no mechanisms for consensus. In the case of the EU, France and the Netherlands, the opposite tendency has been observed, with a moving away from the traditional inflexible departmentalization of the post-war period, recognising that the territories must have autonomous relations and must be able to promote their own economic development, and that there is therefore a growing difference in terms of public policies. He said that currently we do not know what is going to happen with President Trump. He added that, in any case, we could indeed point out that the non-independent territories cannot just stand by and do nothing. One of the challenges to be avoided is that the Caribbean might repeat the broad outlines of the colonial era at a cultural and linguistic level. He added that other great challenges facing the dependent territories of the Caribbean are: high levels of public debt, a relative decline in terms of the comparative advantages of jurisdictions, the fact that industries which could boost the economy have not been developed, and the high level of unemployment (23% in Guyana).

Aldo Dell'Ariccia - Head of the Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Division, European External Action Service (EEAS) The Caribbean dilemma: Where to position itself on the world stage? Aldo Dell'Ariccia began his presentation by defining the subject of study constituted by the Caribbean, returning to some of the main observations made previously. He highlighted the diversity of the Caribbean and the complexity of its configurations. He explained that because of this, he had decided to restrict his thoughts to the area defined as ‘Caribbean’ from its inclusion in the EEAS that is, CARICOM plus the Dominican Republic and Cuba (or CARIFORUM). Having clarified this point, he then presented the principal challenges facing these Caribbean nations: the new administration in North America, Brexit, the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement in 2020, the rapprochement of the United States and Cuba, the situation in Venezuela, the evolution of some States towards the category of middle income States, the banking system (and the contradiction between fiscal mechanisms favouring the Caribbean and the international fight against tax avoidance), corruption and criminality, with at least one case of radicalised Islamism (in Trinidad and Tobago). With this overview in mind, what are the responses from the Caribbean? They are being sought both

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internally and externally. He observed that internally, the strategy is to reinforce regional integration within the framework of CARICOM and he referred to the most recent meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations from the region, which took place in Barbados in May 2017. Extrapolating this strategy to the CARIFORUM context, he highlighted the excellent relations between Cuba and CARICOM, but pointed out that, faced with the Dominican Republic, several countries in CARICOM have adopted a fairly critical position concerning the matter of the process to grant nationality to the descendants of Haitians in the Dominican Republic.

He continued by quoting the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who proposed revisiting and reinforcing relations with the traditional partners and reaching out to new allies. Concerning the traditional partners, he referred to the EU and the post-Cotonou negotiations, as well as to ECLAC and the need to reinforce the position of the Caribbean countries. Concerning the other possible non-traditional allies, he mentioned SICA (of which Belize and the Dominican Republic are members), the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). He recalled that the Caribbean, with 16 votes, could have an influence in the United Nations Assembly. Before concluding, he wished to mention that, despite the Caribbean being known as a peaceful region, there are two territorial conflicts, between Guatemala and Belize on the one hand, and between Venezuela and Guyana on the other; both cases should be submitted to and resolved by the International Court of Justice. He concluded that the region is still seeking the best strategies to respond to the multiple challenges it must face at local, regional and global levels. In his opinion, formulating a renewed trade, political and cooperative association with the EU in the post-Cotonou context would be the best way to position the Caribbean on the world stage.

Debate

Cristina Aguiar, Ambassador for Human Rights in the Dominican Republic: She expressed the opinion that the documentation issue of the Haitians in the Dominican Republic would be a challenge that the Caribbean should take into account. She added that for the Dominican Republic it was very hard that other Caribbean countries had so poorly understood the decisions of its Constitutional Court, when it was a matter of its sovereign right to limit the scope of its nationality. She provided explanations of how the process of adopting and enforcing the judgment had developed, reminding the audience that the descendants of Haitians who cannot opt for Dominican nationality are not stateless because they are recognised by the Haitian constitution as Haitians wherever they were born. The problem is not one of statelessness, she added, which people wanted to foist onto the DR, but a question of proof, because the Haitian State has not documented its nationals. She proposed that the Caribbean could perhaps collaborate a little more to insist that Haiti document its nationals, as the right to an identity is one of the primary fundamental rights of a person.

Anthony Maingot: He commented that whenever one travels around the Caribbean one finds Chinese restaurants everywhere and they are always empty. He asked whether the Chinese mafias might be using the Chinese workforce in this way and then charging them a lot of money to take them to the United States, while some remained in the Caribbean.

Gonzalo Paz: He replied that an exhaustive study should be done on the ground to verify what Prof. Maignot was claiming. He mentioned other hypotheses, such as that of financial mechanisms. To strengthen compliance with these commitments, there is a process that allows the Chinese mafias to spread. He said that, as in all grey or illegal areas, it is difficult to know what is going on, but that the hypothesis described by Anthony Maingot could be plausible.

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Jean-Yves Lacascade: He wished to make an observation on the extremely negative impact of Brexit on the Caribbean in respect of its relations with Europe; as far as the overseas territories are concerned, only France and the Netherlands will represent the European presence in the Caribbean. He added that the European Union has been the largest donor of aid for regional integration in the Caribbean and that European support also helped finance programmes enabling the Caribbean to gain a better understanding of the reality of the region . He added that the situation between the DR and Haiti is a fact that affects the cohesion of the Caribbean and its process of international negotiation. He ended with a question concerning the role Europe can give to its French and Dutch overseas territories to enable them to participate in the process of cooperation, that is, the role of the overseas territories in the EU-CELAC relationship.

Rafael Cox Alomar: He responded that the best thing Paris and The Hague could do would be to maintain a degree of flexibility to allow these overseas territories to relate in an autonomous way to the regional organisations.

Jessica Byron: She observed that one of the aspects highlighted by those who have studied the role of the Caribbean in CELAC is that it is always important to think of the dependent territories of the Caribbean as part of the Caribbean, but she pointed out that this is the only region that takes dependent territories into account and gives them a voice in its regional organisations. On the other hand, she found it lamentable that relations between the DR and the other members of CARIFORUM have been so negatively affected by the situation with Haiti, yet she thinks that a distinction should be made between the issue of present-day immigration of Haitians into the RD, for which pragmatic public policies are being drawn up in accordance with human rights and national interests, and the other issue related to the citizenship rights of people who have lived in a country for generations. She emphasised that the question is therefore when exactly do people acquire the right to citizenship when they have contributed to the nation’s development over generations. She recommended that there should be more dialogue within the Caribbean on these points, bearing in mind that one of the issues within the Caribbean is how citizens’ human rights are developed within the countries of our region, and, furthermore, which rights will be granted to citizens from other countries in the region. Finally, she said that thought should be given by the whole of the Caribbean community jointly as to what regionalization means and the extent to which we should be concerned about the nationals of the other neighbouring Caribbean States.

ROUND TABLE 3 – The Caribbean and its relationship with Latin America and the European Union The principal themes of the development and international relations of the Caribbean coexist with the dynamics of commercial, financial, political and cooperative links within the framework of the EU-CELAC relationship. Regarding the cooperation agreement post-Cotonou, how can we ensure that the bi-regional EU-CELAC agenda evolves to be more inclusive of and relevant to the Caribbean?

Chair of the Round Table: Daniel Iglesias – Contracted lecturer, University of Lille 3

Patricia Francis - Former Member of the Eminent Persons Group for the Cotonou agreement Challenges of the post-Cotonou cooperation between the Caribbean and the European Union

Patricia Francis began her presentation by announcing that others had already spoken about the crisis created by a context of instability. It is hoped that the 2030 agenda will enable the SDGs to be reached. She noted that protectionist behaviour is increasingly being seen. She explained that the Eminent Persons Group of which she was a member proposed reforms to the

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EU-ACP relationship post-Cotonou. She recalled that the whole of history since Christopher Columbus has an influence upon the situation of the EU and that all the European countries have been important in constructing the Caribbean, but she stressed that this influence is diminishing. She also highlighted the deterioration in trade exchanges between the Caribbean and the European Union, except with the Dominican Republic. We heard from the group of ACP countries that by sharing the same objectives it was possible to identify the fields in which we share a joint vision with the EU, and the general feeling was that it was important to start from historical relationships to develop and reinforce them and to facilitate the implementation of policies better suited to the needs of the ACP countries, always bearing in mind the fulfilment of the SDGs and the fundamental issues of the economy, financial flows, the environment, etc. She considered that it is useful to be able to influence the common strategies and promote international dialogue. She commented that the Caribbean has a particular interest in the issue of climate change. The existence of a common base between the EU and the LAC countries featuring democracy, respect for rights and the promotion of these values is a solid foundation of agreement from which to develop our ideas. It would be interesting to try to limit the dialogue to the key topics for the Caribbean and the form of association to be developed or deepened. She reminded the audience of the importance of thinking about the ACP countries as a group, their possible leadership, and political will, in terms of the future. She concluded by saying that the Caribbean must take difficult decisions concerning the institutional mechanisms and the agenda. She added that relations within the Caribbean should be simplified because we do not have the necessary resources to maintain these frameworks. The marketing of the region needs to be rebuilt, she said. She highlighted the importance of CELAC for the future of the Caribbean region, but also the importance of the ACP countries, counting on a renewal of energy and a boost in changes initiated such as the new situation in Cuba.

Germán Ríos - Corporate Director of Strategic Affairs, CAF Development Bank of Latin America Latin America and the Caribbean: a win-win relationship

Germán Ríos chose an optimistic title. He explained that Mexico was beginning to look to the South with the Pacific Alliance; that Europe has problems, for example with Brexit, which implies that LA will have to seek alliances with other regions. At the same time, he highlighted the dynamism of the EU in dealing with trade agreements and renewing them. He stated that the LAC countries would not get out of the Spaghetti Bowl of integrations so easily. However, he said that there are matters upon which the Caribbean and LA can collaborate. The issue of climate change, which is a global phenomenon, constitutes a platform of possible collaboration. The issue of renewable energy has been tackled in LA and there could be specific exchanges with respect to the Caribbean. Another platform of collaboration is that of the CAF where he works, which constitutes a successful example of financial integration, a good example of the integration of LA with the Caribbean. The initiative for the physical integration of LA (IDB, WB and CAF) is an interesting initiative aimed at uniting the countries. One OECD initiative for LA relates to productivity; despite the differences between countries and the fact that they do not have the same priorities, this is a topic that concerns us all. In matters of education, science and technology, energy and climate change, there are also possible synergies. He said that if the Caribbean looks to the South, it would see that LA has seen a 20% reduction in poverty and that the middle classes are rising up. He mentioned the matter of the correct focus for working with development aid, and said that it is by sector and by area. He commented that Cuba is not a member of the CAF, but that after the situation with the United States developed, they gave a mandate to the CAF to support Cuba in its transition process, and funds were approved for the development of some projects, for example the marketing of technology through the University of

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Havana. Finally, he concluded by inviting thoughts on specific areas for cooperation, thinking out of the box, and innovating, because we possess great creativity and have great potential, as we focus on new approaches, new challenges and new responses.

Françoise Rivière - Head of the Research Division, French Development Agency Being a European territory in the Caribbean: Is this a strength or an obstacle in terms of regional cooperation?

In her presentation, the AFD representative dealt with five points in turn. Firstly, she gave a presentation on the area of the Caribbean, describing it as being like a mosaic of territories with different relationships with the EU, highlighting the legacy of the colonial history, the diverse economic situations and institutional statutes of the islands. Secondly, she pointed out the common characteristics and particular features of the SIDS (Small Island Developing States), the OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) and the OMRs (European Outermost Regions), explaining that French overseas communities partly share the issues of the other small island economies, but that they are more stable, less open and less specialised. She added that a consensus exists concerning the advantages to be promoted (such as the agricultural resources, the biodiversity, the marine space, the technology and knowledge related to the Intertropical Zone), but she also pointed out that similar specialisations in production may lead to a situation of competition rather than complementarity. Thirdly, she addressed the question of the economic integration of the OMRs within the Caribbean area, saying that this is difficult because of the weakness of trade exchanges (there are restrictions on exchanges) despite the express will and the imperative of economic integration and regional cooperation. Against this scenario, she tackled her fourth point, which related to the positive institutional arrangements promoting the integration of the OMRs within the Caribbean, such as decentralization (Law of 1982) supplemented by the LOOM (= Overseas General Principles Act) (2000) which envisages the development of bilateral relations between the overseas communities and third countries, such as regional organisations. She added that Martinique and Guadeloupe have been associate members of ECLAC since 2012, of CARICOM since 2013, of ACS since 2014 and of the OECS since 2015 (only Martinique). Finally, she explained the policies of the EU, which tend to favour cooperation between the OMRs, the OCTs and the ACP countries with the objective of making the overseas territories ‘active borders’ of Europe in their respective geographical areas. She therefore recalled the adoption of the Cotonou Agreement (2000), the signing of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA (2008) and the common strategy relating to the EU - Caribbean Association (2012). She explained the existence of the EDF and ERDF funds, together with the INTERREG V Caribbean programme (2014-2020). She concluded her presentation by recalling the 6 priorities of the INTERREG IV programme: to strengthen the competitiveness of businesses by implementing joint projects in the Caribbean; to reinforce the ability to face and respond to natural risks; to protect the cultural and natural environment; to respond to the common health issues across the Caribbean; to support the development of renewable energies with the OECD countries; and to strengthen human capital by developing language training in the Caribbean and student and professional mobility in the Caribbean.

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Percy Hintzen - Director of the African and African Diaspora Studies Programme, Florida International University The European Union, CARIFORUM and CELAC: a new development alliance

Percy Hintzen considered that one should be optimistic and observe Europe and the crisis it is experiencing in order to eventually evaluate the alternative which would involve drawing up bilateral relationships with groups in the Asia, Caribbean and Pacific area, and examining how relations between the ACP groups could also help the EU emerge from the crisis. He said that these countries and these new South-South relationships might dictate the conditions of economic development and force the United States and Europe to develop open cooperation between them. This is a revolution in the topography of power and the conditions resulting from colonization and the coercions arising from a postcolonial world directed by the United States. He commented that some analysts link the emergence of China to the decline of the United States. This argument is based on the weight of China, tied to its strong integration within Asia. On the other hand, he noted that the United States is not integrated into its continent, because of the marked priority it gives to national development, and that is has left little opportunity for the LAC, a stagnant region which has constituted a risk to the United States, compared to the strong development in Asia. He said that development possibilities are now being questioned by a resurgence of nationalism, which we can see in Brexit and in the latest elections. He added that the United States must face up to the failure of its policy in LA, and the loss of its power, while Europe is well situated, with the EU-CELAC framework, reinforced by the Cotonou Agreement. He recalled that the ACP group is the largest group of countries, with 16 in the Caribbean, 15 in the Pacific and 48 in Africa. The strengthening of relations with Europe may be linked to the loss of influence by the United States; a Caribbean liberated from American interests can make the most of its links with Europe. He pointed out that the problems of Europe are found in the negative effects of the Neoliberalism ,which have hampered integration. He also highlighted the existence of CARIFORUM and concluded with the alternative that could be provided by Cotonou after the renegotiation.

Domenico Rosa - Head of the General Directorate Unit for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO), Coordination of Development - Southern and Eastern Africa, Coordination of the ACP countries ACP-EU relations post-2020: continuity or opportunity for a new focus for the Caribbean region?

Domenico Rosa began by explaining that the challenge lies in the form and type of agreement that we want to establish between the EU and the Caribbean. He commented that the ACP group had developed in different directions. He said, however, that in the current context of the instability and fragility of multilateralism, the ACP countries now appear more homogeneous than other groups such as the G77. He stated that the Cotonou Agreement brings together a large group of States, under legal obligation, and is considered by the EU to be an Association Agreement (each of the ACP States has an individual association agreement with the EU) and that it therefore has great potential to combat the instability being seen in an increasingly multipolar world. Despite this potential, one can see that the three regions have progressed in different directions and the agreement has been rendered obsolete. In November last year, three options were presented in a communication from the European Commission: to maintain the agreement as it stands; to abolish it and negotiate three new agreements; or to maintain a common base with the principles acquired and shared by the ACP countries and the EU and on this base to construct three agreements for each region, thus giving them the chance to manage their respective priorities. He added that this is the option favoured by

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Brussels and that it offers an opportunity for the Caribbean to find its own position within the framework of an agreement that will remain global. From the Caribbean point of view, he said that the issues of the governance of the oceans, climate change, the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking were priorities, but so was finding a new form of cooperation which, instead of cooperation for development, is defined as international cooperation involving alliances on common issues. He added that this is the option currently being negotiated between the 28 Member States, bearing in mind that the Cotonou Agreement will come to an end in February 2020 and that official negotiations with the ACP countries must begin in August 2018. At the present time two high-level facilitators appointed by the European Commissioner, Neven Mimica, are making a preliminary visit to find out the hopes and expectations of each country. He also said that when three regional agreements are finalised, it would be possible to adopt a broader regional dimension without adding more members but by defining a strategy that could include in the Caribbean the countries having a Caribbean coastline and the OCTs. Finally, he stated that the political cooperation must be defined and the financial aspect could then be dealt with.

Debate

Aldo Dell’Ariccia: When are they planning to include Cuba in the activities of the CAF?

Germán Ríos: Cuba cannot be a member of the WB nor of the IDB nor of the IMF, but it can be a member of the CAF. The CAF is already working towards Cuba eventually becoming a member of the Bank, on condition that Cuba makes a capital contribution.

Len Ishmael: A question for Domenico Rosa: how does he envisage the negotiation of three different regional agreements being possible?; and for Françoise Rivière: in the OECS we believe in regional integration including the non-dependent territories, but one observation one could make is that although Guadeloupe and Martinique are small territories like the other OECS States, they benefit from aid and funds from France to increase their competitiveness, and for the other States this amounts to a punitive tax, considering that they also have the same needs but are not able to access these mechanisms. So how can you justify boosting their integration within the region, but at the same time be authorising a situation and defending artificial ideas that do not allow for a similar positive integration on equal conditions?

Justin Daniel: In his opinion, a triple evolution is taking place concerning the outermost regions of the Caribbean. They have stopped being unaware of their immediate neighbours, who have stopped seeing them as survivors of colonialism, which has enabled better integration of these territories into their regional settings. He added that he also sees a development on the European side: these are territories that have structural difficulties but have stopped proclaiming them in order to highlight their development potential. In this context, it is obvious that it is hard to justify the “sea concession” as it is a complicated source of finance, feeding into the operating budget of the territorial communities. He feels it is not an instrument of development, it penalises exchanges with their neighbours and it leads in the opposite direction of what is being sought, that is, a better integrated regional market.

Jean-Yves Lacascade: He decided to take the floor to quickly clarify the concept of “octroi de mer” (sea concession): this is applied to local production and is not designed to be an obstacle to the development of trade exchanges. We should go back to article 32 of Lomé IV to give new negotiating powers to the local authorities of the French territories with the ACP States and thus allow better understanding of the meaning of “octroi de mer”, instead of developing these

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discussions in Brussels, especially in the post-Cotonou context, so that thought can be given to mechanisms for cooperation between the overseas regions and the ACP countries. He added a question to Mr Rosa on the progress of the discussions on the financing instruments of globalised cooperation and how the EDF will evolve and to what extent Brexit would affect the contributions of Member States.

Domenico Rosa: He indicated that the objective is to develop one single negotiation with the ACP countries, not three, and to leave the ACP group to draw up their negotiating teams within the group, and for ratification to be done for the whole package and not divided into three. Concerning the matter of the budget, he said that it is too early to be able to give an answer. The post-Cotonou debate and the financial support for the new agreement will not be connected yet, because the political level must be dealt with first.

Conclusion

Carlos Quenan apologised for the absence of Jean-Michel Blanquer, who was recently appointed national Education Minister in France. He said that in this concluding session huge thanks were due to all the people who had taken part, including the organising team, Eric Dubesset, the organising committee, the scientific committee, IdA, and the EU-LAC Foundation.

He said that the exchanges that took place following the third panel were a good mix in terms of participants, analyses and debates. He highlighted the presence of people from the Caribbean and from outside of the Caribbean, and the representation from the Francophone, Anglophone and Spanish-speaking Caribbean. He added that the subjects tackled are complex and require in-depth reflection, besides being matters that are constantly evolving, as with the Trump administration, for example, which is causing great uncertainty. He concluded by emphasising the rich breadth of the conference and saying that he would call for one idea to be retained, that of thinking out of the box, with new initiatives to meet new challenges. He ended by recalling the objective of this day ,which is to continue these reflections and integrate them into the viewpoint of the bilateral EU-CELAC relationship at the next summit in El Salvador.

Eric Dubesset said that the primary aim of this conference was to provoke reflection on the new issues of the Caribbean in a world being reconstructed, and on the capacity of the States to contribute to the development of the European and Caribbean/Latin American agenda towards greater inclusion. He added the importance of confronting disciplinary views on matters shared by the Caribbean territories, and drawing up a fresh diagnosis. He considered that these reflections made it possible to propose a political, environmental and economic diagnosis of the region and that a consensus appears to be emerging on the need for development to be coordinated, inclusive and innovative, and to generate employment, security and well-being. He concluded by stating that, in order to reach a wide audience, the activities of this conference will be published.

Closing speech Hugo Martínez Bonilla - Minister of External Affairs of El Salvador, President Pro Tempore of CELAC

The Minister first gave his thanks for the opportunity as Pro Tempore President of CELAC to share some words and thoughts on the relationship between Latin America, the Caribbean and the EU at the close of this conference.

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He said that to analyse the relationship of the Caribbean with the EU is to analyse CELAC’s own relationship with the EU, a relationship that is strategic, strong, and long-lasting, that has grown stronger but which has the possibility of becoming even stronger still. He observed that between the EU and CELAC some 61 countries are brought together; this is a bi-regional community of over a billion people. Since it was established in 2010, CELAC has promoted integration and development under the principles of solidarity, flexibility, graduality, plurality and diversity, complemented by concrete actions to try to bring benefit to the populations of each country in the region. The fundamental basis of CELAC and the bi-regional relationship is, of course, the search for unity within diversity. He said that we are opting for an increasingly strong and robust bi-regional relationship, built around aspects such as those that will be the focus of the CELAC-EU Summit scheduled (at the time of the Conference) for the end of October in San Salvador. Three fundamental themes have been set for this Summit, related to very current topics across the EU and LAC. A nomenclature has been proposed for the Summit that attempts to sum up precisely this challenge around which the discussion in San Salvador will be developed so that the Bi-regional Strategic Association of CELAC–EU can face shared global challenges. The following thematic approaches have been proposed as a focus for dialogue during the forthcoming Summit: the reinforcing of a strong and inclusive multilateralism; a commitment to implement the climate change agreement; free and fair trade between countries and regions. It was hoped that there would be a more comprehensive understanding that would allow countries like those of the Caribbean, the small island States, and the small economies, to be able to continue accessing mechanisms of cooperation, taking account of more comprehensive evaluation, in order to achieve this new era of cooperation between LAC and the EU. He said that he was confident it was possible to keep making progress in strengthening the bi-regional relationship.

Finally, he once more thanked the organisers of the conference for the opportunity to contribute in this arena. He congratulated the actors who participated, and who would be able to bring greater unity between LAC and Europe, beyond what governments could do. He added that El Salvador as a country and in its role as holder of the Presidency pro tempore was fully prepared to confront the challenges, work collaboratively and receive the inputs produced in this conference to also include them in the bi-regional discussions to be held at a higher level.