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“…Don’t let us sell ourselves short. There will be threats of many kinds and at many levels….But if we have unity among ourselves in the Caribbean and with the rest of the ACP, we will prevail.” Caribbean governments must heed the voice of reason and pause, review, renegotiate before the region’s fate is sealed by ill-advised signatures that commit to a new era of European dominion.This stirring expression of caution was put forward by none other than eminent dignitary, Sir Shridath Ramphal, who was one of the panelists speaking yesterday during the national consultations on the recently initialed Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union and CARIFORUM (CARICOM/Dominica)The forum was attended by several representatives of civil society as well as key figures of the negotiating process such as Henry Gill,Cheap Soccer Jerseys Wholesale, the Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) that negotiated on behalf of CARIFORUM.Also present at the event was Karl-Friedrich Falkenburg, deputy director of Trade at the European Commission, President Bharrat Jagdeo, Dr Clive Thomas and Sir Ronald Sanders among others.According to Sir Shridath, at this point in time, the only response now has to be a collective one.He noted that collectively the stakeholders should put signing on hold until after the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States’ Summit in Accra.“Then let us,China Jerseys Online, with the rest of the ACP, engage the EU…The EU needs the six EPAs even more than any one Region needs it….Don’t let us sell ourselves short…There will be threats of many kinds and at many levels….But if we have unity among ourselves in the Caribbean and with the rest of the ACP, we will prevail.”Ramphal in his opening statement to the gathering reiterated that when Gill initialed the EPA on December 16 last, he was just authenticating the text as that which had been negotiated, emphasizing that by that act of initialing, Caribbean countries, did not become obliged under international law, treaty law (or WTO rules), to sign the EPA in that form, “or at all.”He noted that ‘consent to be bound’ requires a further policy decision and a formal step which in this case is a signature, “Moreover,Cheap NFL Jerseys, they are not precluded by international law, by treaty law (or WTO rules), from renegotiating that initialled agreement…This much is clear from general international law and more specifically from the 1970 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.”According to Sir Shridath, the reason he sought to include that in the EPA consultations was because it has been suggested, nationally and regionally, that since “we” have initialed the EPA, governments are obliged to sign the initialled text.“That is simply wrong,” he emphasized, adding that no one should feel constrained by that act of initialing alone, in that too many have taken refuge in that misconception, implying that we have to do ‘the right thing’ and sign, “when to sign this agreement in its present form may be the wrong thing for generations of West Indians.”Regarding the questionable aspects of the EPA, sir Shridath said that in the Cotonou Agreement there was a provision where Europe committed, in the absence of a trade agreement. “Europe will examine all alternative possibilities, in order to provide these countries with a new framework for trade which is equivalent to their existing situation and in conformity with WTO rules.”The existing arrangement at that time was that of preferential access to the European Markets.RECIPROCITY The notion of reciprocity was also high on the agenda of all and sundry involved in the consultations, in that CARIFORUM had to liberalise some 80 per cent of its imports from Europe resulting in the loss of billions of dollars in the region.According to Sir Shridath’s perspective on the notion it did not take ‘rocket science’ to work out that if you place a burden of equal magnitude on one who is weak and another who is strong that you have enlarged their relative inequality.He noted that reciprocity as a principle has a ring of fairness about it; but that is as between equals.“Between factors of unequal strength and capacity, ‘reciprocity’ is pernicious… If you say that you with your hundreds and we with our millions shall have the same right of establishment, the same right to do business in each other’s country, have you produced a fair result?”He noted that the idea of reciprocity in the EPA has set the stage for an unequal contest,Cheap Wholesale Jerseys, “Yet if there is a mantra that is recited throughout the EPA it is ‘reciprocity’. In fact it is made the credo of the EPA”He questioned that the Europeans would know better given that, Aristotle in his ‘Ethics’ propounded the doctrine that: as between unequals, equity requires not reciprocity but proportionality.”Sir Shridath reminded the gathering that COTED Ministers have long voiced their dissatisfaction.He added also that Christiane Taubira, of French Guiana in the French Assembly and a special Evaluator of the EPAs for President Nicolas Sarkozy, the current President of the European Union, has openly condemned the anti-developmental character of the EPAs.In pointing out the dangers of signing the EPA in its current form, Sir Shridath also reminded that to sign as it is would be setting precedence for negotiations to follow.“The EPA will become the benchmark agreement for everyone else dealing with us…We will have no choice but to grant the same concession to Canada and to the US and to any others with whom agreements may be subsequently negotiated…Therefore, let us understand; this is an agreement with the world…It’s a global giveaway, reciprocity for all… Remember; this EPA is of indefinite duration”Sir Shridath also alluded to the fact that recently the Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs…..announced that he has found an exit strategy embedded in the EPA namely ‘Denounciation’“It would be interesting to hear from the EU whether Brussels shares that view; and whether Europe has an ‘exit strategy’ too…Is this what Guyana is being invited to do, go through a marriage ceremony contemplating divorce?”Lack of information availableSir Ronald Sanders who also contributed to the presentations under the theme (Whither the EPA) pointed out the fact that the implementation of the EPA will be horrendously costly for CARIFORUM to implement and the European Union with whom the trade agreement is being entered into is not providing adequate funding to assist.Sir Ronald noted also that the fact that consultations were being held was indicative of the lack of information available to the public on the EPA,NFL Jerseys China Cheap, “not enough is known and understood.”He noted also that even some of the decision makers who are required to sign on to the trade agreement did not fully understand the EPA and yearned for additional information so that a better decision could be made.Sir Ronald also used the opportunity to slam the EU noting that if there was any uneasiness with that body there would be no EPA right now which was another reason for CARIFORUM to pause and reflect adequately on the trading agreement.He did concede, however, that an EPA between the Caribbean and the EU was most desirable but it had be an agreement that is fair; that contributes to the development of the region and that would be readably acceptable to and sustainable to its people.“This consultation is an indication of the unease that is felt throughout the Caribbean about the EPA and it is not the only manifestation of such unease…Throughout the Caribbean, political parties, religious groups, trade unions and others are saying that not enough is known and understood about the details of the EPA.”He noted that despite the desire for an EPA with the EU “with whom we have enjoyed mutually beneficial relations for a very long time” there should be more time to learn the details of the EPA and their implications and to continue to negotiate in the spirit of corporation those aspects of it that cause us concern.According to Sir Ronald,Cheap Soccer Jerseys, Caribbean and European leaders, cognizant of the importance of satisfying concerns of their business communities and trade unions would not have proceeded to sign the EPA.“Why then should the Caribbean not pause to reflect more deeply on an agreement that would bind the people of this region if we sign it for generations to come?”He posited that the EU’s negotiators have said to CARIFORUM that, “If you don’t sign we will place your important exports under threat of tariffs and therefore become uncompetitive in the EU market.”Sir Ronald added that in Guyana’s case, “this would mean that rice and sugar will be adversely affected and so would the Guyanese economy, Guyanese employment and Guyanese poverty.”That reality he emphasised must pre-occupy the minds of Guyana’s leadership, but the reality that the EU is not about to remove that threat, continues to hang over the heads of government like a sword of Damocles.He noted that the EU knows very well that despite the economic strides that this country has made in trying to lift up its people, damage to its rice and sugar exports now would set back the economy and Guyana’s social conditions overnight, reversing the improvements that the country has struggled to achieve.“The EU and its negotiators know that too, why then does it not prick their conscience or call them to a higher principle”