EU and CARICOM: Dilemmas versus Opportunities on Development, Law and Economics (Foreword)

Globalization is a phenomenon of inherent complexity. As such, it is defined by a number of positive, as well as negative, traits. The seemingly inextricable links between countries - created by international trade and membership in a variety of international organizations - are seen as a guarantee and precondition of (relative) international security and peace. However, they are being questioned by various forms of nationalism, disguised in the forms of trade protectionism or feverish defence of state sovereignty. Even though globalization has managed to create unprecedented links between countries across the world, it has also made the divisions in society more visible. Events such as Brexit – a prominent example of profound political miscalculation and risk of applying instruments of direct democracy to questions of great complexity – depict a picture of the British society divided between the so-called “anywheres” and “somewheres”. It seems that our hunter-gatherer mind-set still needs to cope with the evolution of a globalized world that is constantly outpacing the ability of the human mind to manage change. Brexit is a step into the unknown for the British society as well as for the European Union – it is one of the first steps backwords in the story of the European integration. Even though this observation is not positive, this event can undoubtedly serve as a catalyst in a chain of unforeseen consequences. Considering the special relationship and ties between the United Kingdom and CARICOM, the authors of the present volume wrote a book that might potentially be a starting point for a highly topical research line in the near future. Brexit has wide-ranging ramifications, with a potential impact on the relationship between the United Kingdom and the CARICOM countries as well. As the authors note in the beginning of their book, the consequences of Brexit are not limited to the mutual relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom – and the matters within the United Kingdom, which might even have an impact on the independence of the British judiciary – but can be felt on the other side of the world. As such, it is an example of the so-called butterfly affect, in which the movement of a butterfly´s wings can cause a storm on the other side of the world. The present book does not shy away to name the shortcomings of globalization in the field of institutional and legal frameworks. However, the motive of this form of diagnosis is inherently positive, articulating the inevitability of globalization – naturally respecting and promoting the importance of sustainable development – as it lacks any meaningful alternative capable of improving our lives. Even though states remain relevant actors, their role is balanced with the increasingly relevant role of non-state actors, ranging from individuals to companies and non-governmental organizations. Thus, the spirit and notion of collaborative governance penetrates the book as a red line and an underlying precondition for realization of the idea of sustainable development in a globalized world.