There are always more countries to visit than any Prime Minister has time for, but Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau is spending a lot of time abroad lately. He has been in the Middle East, Africa and Germany since February 6. And next week he will be in Barbados to meet with CARICOM leaders.
I have to say that the announcement of this meeting is long overdue. The last interactions of this kind were when previous PM Harper met with CARICOM in 2007 and again in 2012. There are many reasons for a Canadian leader to meet more regularly with CARICOM and with other Caribbean states. As the PMs press release notes, there are nearly 1 million people of Caribbean descent living in Canada; 2 million Canadians who visit the CARICOM region annually; shared democratic values; and longstanding cooperation on trade, security and defence, and governance. In many ways, if Canada was to ever have a “backyard” it would be the Caribbean.
PM Harper met with CARICOM in 2007 and 2012. These engagements focussed on the roll-out of Canada’s $600 million dollar development program for the CARICOM region as well as launching trade negotiations. While ultimately CARICOM’s demands for additional development assistance, as a quid pro quo for concluding trade negotiations, soured the relationship (and sank the trade agreement that had largely been completed) the high-level contact was nonetheless important. Much of Canada’s current development programming in the region is based on delivering the last phases of this $600 million fund.
PM Trudeau has generally focussed Canada’s development assistance on cross-cutting support for women and girls and gender equality issues. Caribbean states have not necessarily prioritized these issues and probably are not receiving a lion’s share of this funding. However, under his watch in 2017 Canada announced a $100 Pledge for Caribbean Reconstruction and Climate Resilience to support regional and country-specific activities that address all the stages of the disaster management cycle. Pledge initiatives enhance disaster risk management systems, promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, and supporting climate-resilient reconstruction. And in 2018 announced $20 million for technical assistance in support of public financial management for Small Island Developing States including in the Caribbean. (Source: visit announcement)
When visiting Barbados, whether the PM brings with him further funding announcements, the fundamental reason for this visit (as with the visit to Africa) is to seek support for Canada’s bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. While a number of issues are on the agenda most observers see the UN issue as likely to predominate (see extract from the visit announcement below)
The Caribbean region and Caribbean states are important political, economic and cultural partners of Canada, and the visit will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen its partnership with this regional grouping of 20 Caribbean member states and Associate Members, and nearly 20 million people.
The Prime Minister will discuss challenges of mutual interest, including protecting oceans and the environment in the fight against climate change – in a region that is particularly vulnerable to its impacts, as well as creating good jobs for the middle class and sustainable economic growth.
Prime Minister Trudeau will participate in group discussions and bilateral meetings with CARICOM leaders. He will be received by the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley – the current Chair of CARICOM and host of this meeting.
As Canada pursues its candidacy for election to the United Nations Security Council in 2021-2022, we will continue to advance shared interests to benefit people and businesses in Canada, the Caribbean, and around the world.
During PM Harper’s tenure, Canada lost in a bid for such a seat. Upon his election, and in keeping with the the now infamous “Canada is back” pronouncement by PM Trudeau, winning a seat in the next round has become a Canadian priority. Although some see it as a bad idea (see here and here) or unlikely (see here and here). PM Trudeau used his meetings in Africa to bolster the campaign and no doubt will do the same in Barbados.
While there is always plenty of good will in the Caribbean for Canada, bloc support from CARICOM cannot be assumed. China, the EU, the U.S. and, following Brexit, a perhaps reinvigorated UK, all vie for the support of CARICOM states in return for their significant development assistance. Pledges may already have been made. Canada’s strong support of the opposition to the Maduro regime in Venezuela (an issue which sees CARICOM divided) may be sufficient to prevent some from supporting. CARICOM has also looked a bit divided in the wake of U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo’s meeting with only some members of the group and it is possible that it may be difficult to find common ground on a foreign policy issue so soon afterwards. And there is Canada’s competition in the Security Council race…Norway and Iceland. Like Canada, these countries are hard not to like and they are running their own charm offensives as well. Add the multitude of visa issues that have been longstanding bilateral irritants between CARICOM and Canada and PM Trudeau’s job could be a challenge.
PM Trudeau will be greeted warmly by CARICOM next week. The group and bilateral discussions will be described as highly productive. There might be some additional Canadian development assistance announced. There may even be vague expressions of some CARICOM member state support for Canada’s UN bid.
However, the real success of the visit will only be known when the election outcome is known.
Leave a Reply