UN General Assembly
1987

We continue to face the contradiction between formal political independence and the reality of continued economic dependence. We contend with the psychology of dependence, sometimes reinforced by political oligarchies whose narrow interests are served by the time-worn strategy of divide-and-rule. We have come, through long and difficult years, to the hard-won understanding that co-operation among States enhances independence and does not detract from it. We have therefore been forging closer economic ties and have progressed from а free trade association to a common market, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), serviced by a secretariat and a number of regional institutions. Apart from our institutional arrangements, we are in the process of building a network of relationships and contacts among each other at the level of private enterprise organizations, labour bodies and professional groups and associations, as well as intensifying our cultural and sporting contacts.