No sign of Caricom awareness efforts
A government plan to launch an awareness campaign last month about Bermuda’s bid for full membership of Caricom looks to have been delayed.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in an October 10 statement that it was working towards finalising its discussion document on the topic.
The statement also confirmed that “formal awareness efforts surrounding Caricom and any associated documentation regarding Bermuda’s membership are scheduled to begin in November 2025”.
However, November came to a close without the release of a discussion paper and with no further information made public by the Government on an awareness campaign.
Separately last month, the Cabinet Secretary, in response to a public access to information request from The Royal Gazette, released the letter of permission from the British Government which has enabled Bermuda to negotiate for full membership of the regional bloc.
Major Marc Telemaque shared the February 2024 document, along with an earlier letter of entrustment from March 2016, on November 7.
The Gazette had also asked for disclosure of Bermuda’s formal request for full membership.
This was sought because an earlier Pati disclosure from the home affairs ministry, regarding an American firm contracted to handle communications about Caricom, indicated the formal request had already been submitted.
That disclosure contained a briefing memo from a policy analyst in the home affairs ministry that was sent to the firm, Diplomatic Enterprises. The December 10, 2024 memo noted: “Formal request has been made to Caricom.”
However, the Cabinet Secretary wrote on November 7: “While Bermuda has verbally signalled its desire to achieve full membership in Caricom to the Conference of the Heads of Government of Caricom, the ‘formal request’ for full membership is made on submission of a draft membership agreement.
“That process is ongoing and subject to consultation with and the consideration of the UK Government.”
Major Telemaque added that “any record in this regard” was exempt from Pati, on the face of it, on the grounds that releasing it would or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs, in the areas of national security, defence and international relations.
The February 20, 2024 entrustment letter to the Governor, signed by former MP David Rutley, who was then the Minister for the Overseas Territories, allows negotiations for full membership to be delegated to the Premier.
It lists the conditions needed for Britain to approve full membership, including that:
• Bermuda bears the cost
• The island’s representative to Caricom abstains from discussions that have a “direct bearing on external relations, defence or security and disassociate[s] themselves from any statement made by Caricom on such matters”
• Britain “retains the authority to overrule or amend any proposed agreements, say if there is a proposed conflict with other international commitments or obligations or policies of the UK”
Mr Rutley wrote: “I must make clear that the United Kingdom retains overall responsibility for the external affairs of Bermuda and that the special responsibility of you, the Governor, for external affairs and defence … is in no way affected by this letter.”
The letter refers throughout to Bermuda’s wish to seek full membership, unlike the earlier letter of entrustment from March 2016.
The latter document, signed by former MP James Duddridge, an earlier Minister for the Overseas Territories, granted “general authority to the Government of Bermuda to commence formal negotiations and to conclude agreements, whether bilateral or multilateral” related to Caricom and other regional organisations of which the island belonged.
David Burt, the Premier, raised the March 2016 entrustment letter in Parliament in February last year, claiming its existence “perhaps explains why the Leader of the Opposition did not address full membership in Caricom in his initial Reply to the Throne Speech”.
Mr Burt said: “They knew of this entrustment, while we on this side of the House and indeed the public did not … I am sure that this means that the exploration of full membership in Caricom will enjoy bipartisan support in this House, unless of course this is another position on which the Opposition wishes to reverse itself.”
Michael Dunkley, who was premier between 2014 and 2017, responded that the One Bermuda Alliance did not seek full membership in the Caribbean Community under his leadership and the March 2016 entrustment letter had “nothing to do with” that.
The public can now read both letters in full.
The Gazette’s Pati request asked for any communications between Bermuda government officials and Caricom about Article 45 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas or about the 2007 Caricom Decision, both of which deal with the issue of the free movement of people between member states.
It also requested any communications between Bermuda government officials regarding a referendum on full Caricom membership.
Major Telemaque wrote that “fulsome” searches indicated no such records were held.
The Gazette has asked the Information Commissioner to review his decision.
The Government was asked for the date on which awareness efforts would begin and whether the Premier believed the OBA administration wanted to pursue full membership of Caricom in 2016.
A spokeswoman said on November 18: “There is nothing further to offer from the Government.”
• To read the Cabinet Secretary’s Pati response and the two entrustment letters, see Related Media
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