Carrington GEORGETOWN, (AP):
CARIBBEAN LEADERS are preparing for a three-day summit this week in Guyana, planning to lay the groundwork for a common appeals court and come up with new efforts to stem a rising tide of violent crime.
Leaders at the Caribbean Community annual summit, which starts Wednesday in Georgetown, also are expected to discuss declines in tourism, the elimination of trade barriers and the political situation in its newest member, Haiti.
The region's heads of Government plan to examine a report on the reasons for a recent upsurge in violent crime in several member states, including Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St. Lucia.
The summit comes at a crucial time for the region, as it negotiates opening markets in preparation for the planned Free Trade Area of the Americas. Last week, Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) meeting in the Dominican Republic urged European countries to offer more aid while moving toward free trade agreements with poorer nations.
"This summit is a very important one because it sets the framework for a number of things," said Caribbean Community secretary-general, Edwin Carrington. "Time is not on our side. The world is not waiting on us."
Heads of Government also will discuss plans for setting up a Caribbean Court of Justice to replace the London-based Privy Council and end former British colonies' long-standing relationship with the council as their highest court of appeal.
Many Caribbean Governments seeking to enforce the death penalty have complained that the council shouldn't have power over judicial issues on their soil.
Efforts to establish the Caribbean court were boosted in March by a Privy Council ruling that struck down mandatory death sentences for certain crimes in Caribbean countries.
Carrington said Caribbean leaders would be updated on efforts to raise start-up funds for the court, which is also considered key in setting up a European-style single market by 2004 just one year before the hemispheric FTAA takes effect. Officials believe the movement to a single market could lead to trade disputes that would require the regional court's intervention.
Leaders at the summit also will examine the political situation in Haiti, where a dispute over flawed elections in 2000 is holding up hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid. Haiti's Parliament voted recently to become the 15th member of the Caribbean Community, which is largely made up of former British colonies. Officials say Haiti is expected to complete the necessary paperwork to attend this summit for the first time as a full member.
As of Sunday, leaders from all members, except Dominica and the British territory of Montserrat, had confirmed their attendance in Georgetown, where the community is headquartered.
The head of the Caribbean Development Bank, Compton Bourne, will update leaders with an economic report for the region.
Declining tourist arrivals since the September 11 attacks on the United States, as well as reduced banana production due to drought in the Eastern Caribbean islands, has hurt some economies.
Organisers also will brief leaders on preparations for hosting the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. Venues for the matches have yet to be announced.
