Introduction
Introduction
THE TENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY
HELD AT GRAND ANSE, GRENADA, FROM 3
rd TO 7
th JULY, 1989, having
determined that there should be established an
ASSEMBLY OF CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY
PARLIAMENTARIANS as a deliberative body for deepening the Integration Movement;
THE CONTRACTING PARTIES HEREBY AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
ARTICLE 1
Definitions
In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Association Institution" means any Institution recognised or
designated as an Associate Institution of the Community under Article 14 of the Treaty;
"Association Member" means any Country admitted as an
Associate Member of the Community by the Conference and a Party to this Agreement;
"Community" means the Caribbean Community established by the
Treaty;
"Council" means the Common Market Council established under
the Annex to the Treaty;
"Conference" means the Conference of Heads of Government of
the Caribbean Community;
"Institution" means an Institution established and
designated under Article 10 of the Treaty;
"Member State" means a Member State of the Community Party
to this Agreement;
"Parliament" includes the Legislature of a Member State or
an Associate Member;
"Secretariat" means the Community Secretariat;
"Secretary-General" means the Secretary-General of the
Community;
"Treaty" means the Treaty Establishing the Caribbean
Community and Common Market done at Chaguaramas on the 4th July, 1973.
ARTICLE 2
Establishment
Member States hereby establish an Assembly of Caribbean Community
Parliamentarians having the membership, powers and functions hereinafter specified.
ARTICLE 3
Membership
1. The Assembly shall consist of representatives of Member States and Associate Members
elected by their Parliaments or appointed in such manner from their membership as the
Parliaments shall decide.
2. Each Member State shall be entitled to not more than four representatives at
meetings of the Assembly and each Associate Member shall be entitled to not more than two
representatives.
3. There shall be elected or appointed by the respective Parliaments of Member States
or Associate Members from their Membership alternates for the representatives of Member
States or Associate Members who shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Assembly and
to speak and vote in the Assembly in the absence of the member of the Assembly for whom
the alternate has been elected or appointed.
ARTICLE 4
Objectives of the Assembly
The objectives of the Assembly shall be:
a. to involve the people of the Community, through their representatives, in the
process of consolidating and strengthening the Community;
b. to provide opportunities for involvement in the issues of the integration process by
members of Parliament in each Member State and Associate Member, in addition to those who
now participate;
c. to provide a forum for people of the Community to make their views known through
their representatives;
d. to provide more frequent contact in the monitoring of the policies of the Community;
e. to provide enhanced opportunities for the coordination of the foreign policies of
Member States;
f. to promote greater understanding among Member States and Associate Members for the
purpose of realising and safeguarding the ideals and principles of democratic governments
in the Community and facilitating the economic and social advancements of their peoples;
g. to encourage the adoption by the Governments of Member States of the Community of a
common policy on economic, social, cultural, scientific and legal matters deliberated upon
by the Assembly.
ARTICLE 5
Functions and Powers
1. The Assembly shall be a deliberative and consultative body for the discussion of
policies, programmes and other matters falling within the scope of the Treaty.
2. In carrying out its functions pursuant to this Agreement, the Assembly may:
a. make recommendations to the Conference, the Council, Institutions, Associate
Institutions, and the Secretariat;
b. request from the bodies listed in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph information
and reports for discussion;
c. discuss and make recommendations on any matter within the scope of the objectives of
the Community;
d. discuss and make recommendations on any matter referred to it by the Conference, the
Council, or any Institution or Associate Institution;
e. adopt resolutions on any issue or matter arising under the Treaty.
3.The Assembly shall follow accepted parliamentary procedures and practices and,
in particular, may:
a. establish such committees, agencies and other bodies it considers necessary for the
efficient performance of its functions; and
b. admit as observers to its deliberations, representatives of countries not being
Member States or Associate Members.
4. It shall not be competent for the Assembly to discuss or adopt any resolution on any
matter which is exclusively within the domestic jurisdiction of a Member State or
Associate Member of the Community and any question whether any matter is within the
competence of the Assembly for the purposes of this paragraph shall be decided by the
Speaker of the Assembly.
5. Subject to the provisions of this Article and Article 6, the Assembly shall have
power to regulate its own proceedings, including the adoption of Standing Orders.
ARTICLE 6
Meetings
1. The Assembly shall meet at least once in every year with meetings rotating among
Member States and Associate Members, as far as practicable.
2. Other Meetings of the Assembly may be convened by the Speaker of the Assembly with
the concurrence of the majority of the Members of the Assembly.
3. At each meeting of the Assembly, the representatives of Member States shall elect
from among their number a Speaker who shall preside in the Assembly and shall have only a
casting vote.
4. Member States and Associate Members shall meet the cost of attendance of their
representatives at meetings of the Assembly.
5. Each representative of a Member State shall have one vote.
6. Each representative of an Associate Member shall have the right to speak but not to
vote in the Assembly.
7. With the permission of the Assembly, observers may speak but not vote in the
Assembly.
8. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, a decision of the Assembly shall be
by a majority vote of the members of the Assembly present and voting.
9. The quorum for a meeting of the Assembly shall be one-third of the representatives
of Member States.
10. Meetings of the Assembly shall be conducted in public.
11. The Speaker of the Assembly shall hold office until the election of the next
Speaker at a subsequent meeting of the Assembly.
ARTICLE 7
Organisation and Management
1. There shall be a clerk of the Assembly, who shall be the Clerk of the Parliament of
the host country.
2. The Secretary-General shall designate a senior official of the Community to:
a. assist in coordinating the work of the Assembly;
b. liaise with the principal organs, Institutions, Associate Institutions, and other
bodies of the Community, in relation to the deliberations of the Assembly.
3. Administrative and secretarial services for meetings of the Assembly shall be
provided by the host country assisted, to the extent possible, by the Secretariat.
ARTICLE 8
Implementation
Member States and Associate Members shall take all appropriate measures to:
a. fulfil obligations undertaken by them under this Agreement;
b. pursue measures which support the attainment of the objectives of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 9
Signature of Agreement
This Agreement shall be open for signature by any Member State of the
Community listed in the Annex to this Agreement.
ARTICLE 10
Ratification
This Agreement shall be subject to ratification by the signatory Member States in
accordance with their respective constitutional procedures. Instruments of Ratification
shall be deposited with the Secretary-General who shall transmit certified copies to the
Government of each Member State.
ARTICLE 11
Entry into Force
This Agreement shall enter into force on the 30
th day after the date of the
deposit of the seventh Instrument of Ratification by a Member State in accordance with
Article 10 of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 12
Accession
After the entry into force of this Agreement, any new Member State or any Associate
Member of the Community wishing to become party to this Agreement shall deposit an
appropriate Instrument of Accession with the Secretary-General and such Accession shall
take effect thirty days after the receipt of the Instrument. The Secretary-General shall
transmit a certified copy of the Instrument to the Government of each Member State or
Associate Member of the Community.
ARTICLE 13
Amendments
1. A proposal for the amendment of this Agreement adopted by a majority of the
representatives present and voting and representing three-fourths of the Parties to this
Agreement, if approved by the Conference, shall be subject to ratification or acceptance
by the Parties to this Agreement.
2. Every such amendment shall enter into force thirty days after the deposit of the
last Instrument of Ratification or Acceptance with the Secretary-General who shall notify
the Parties to this Agreement of the entry into force of the amendment.
ARTICLE 14
Withdrawal
1. A Member State or Associate Member of the Community which withdraws from membership
of the Community in accordance with Article 27 of the Treaty shall, if party to this
Agreement, be deemed to have withdrawn from this Agreement with effect from the expiration
of the time limited by that Article.
2. Without prejudice to paragraph 1 of this Article, a Member State or Associate Member
may withdraw from this Agreement by giving notice in writing to the Secretary-General who
shall promptly notify the other Parties to this Agreement. Such withdrawal shall take
effect twelve months after receipt of the notice by the Secretary-General.
3. A Member State or Associate Member undertakes to honour any financial obligations
duly assumed by it while it continues to be a Party to this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorised by their respective
Governments, have affixed their signatures to this Agreement.
Done in a single copy which is deposited with the Secretary-General who shall transmit
certified copies to all Parties to this Agreement.
Signed by:
For Antigua and Barbuda on 17
th June, 1993 at St. John’s, Antigua
Signed by:
For Barbados on 19 February 1992 at Kingston, Jamaica
Signed by:
For Belize on 17 November 1994 at Kingston, Jamaica
Signed by: F
For The Bahamas on 23 March 1993 at Roseau, Dominica
Signed by:
For Dominica on 7 July 1993 at Nassau, The Bahamas
Signed by:
For Grenada on 23 March 1993 at Roseau, Dominica
Signed by:
For Guyana on 19 February 1992 at Kingston, Jamaica
Signed by:
For Jamaica on 7 July 1993 at Nassau, The Bahamas
Signed by:
For Montserrat on
6 July 1996
at
St. Michael, Barbados
Signed by:
For St. Kitts and Nevis on
27 March 1996 at St. Michael, Barbados
Signed by:
For Saint Lucia on 8 April 1995 at Castries, Saint Lucia
Signed by:
For Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on
6 July 1996
at St. Michael, Barbados
Signed by:
For Trinidad and Tobago on 28 February 1993 at Nassau, The Bahamas
ANNEX
Antigua and Barbuda
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Montserrat
St. Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
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