Trade Aspects of Regional Integration: CARICOM and the CSME

Course Description

This course combines theoretical perspectives and practical case studies to analyse regional integration as a developmental strategy. The course consists of three parts. Part I examines various theoretical perspectives of regional integration and development. This section also focuses on multilateralism and Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs). Questions to be considered include: What is the relationship between regionalism and multilateralism? Are RTAs stepping stones or stumbling blocks to global trade? What are the advantages and drawbacks of overlapping memberships in RTAs? Part II examines various case studies to evaluate the implications of regional integration for development. The final part of the course – Part III –  delves into the legal provisions of the OECS and CARICOM to see how the theoretical models of integration across the Caribbean region meet the economic and development objectives of each sub-regional community.