KIWICOM: An insight into how New Zealand works with CARICOM

Given that CARICOM, as its name suggests, is an organisation for Caribbean nations, it is not massively surprising to know that most of those in attendance at CARICOM meetings are representatives from the 15 Caribbean Member states, Associate states or neighbouring states. What might be more surprising, however, is that the nation of New Zealand, some 13,000km away, also has a permanent representative to CARICOM.

At the recent CARICOM conference held in St. Kitts, the High Commissioner of New Zealand, Mr Anton Ojala (based much closer in Barbados) told WIC News about his responsibilities and expectations.

In an interview with our reporter, Mr Ojala revealed that he worked quite closely with CARICOM and that there would be an annual consultation with the Secretariat at some point this week. He also stated that he had no particular preference for any particular regional outcomes that may be agreed at a meeting.

“We’re really observing in terms of discussions. Our interests are really about using the opportunity to advance a few bilateral type issues rather than focus on the outcomes at a community level. We’re not going to tell CARICOM how to do their business but we’re more than happy to keep talking and working with them and working things on a case-by-case basis.”

New Zealand’s focus was more on finding ways of strengthening ties with CARICOM and building a platform for greater international co-operation. He also said he felt that CARICOM was a great forum to try and make some sense of a highly complicated world.

“I think the international environment is challenging for all small states and I think we’d include New Zealand in that and I think the more we can work together – and it’s meetings like this that provide the opportunity for exchanging views and just getting to know each other and our priorities – is a way to address that.”

When asked about the nature of CBI (Citizenship by Investment) Programmes in the Caribbean and whether New Zealand would be interested in providing support in some of the security or consultation processes, Mr Ojala described why that might be difficult after describing why CBI Programmes are so important to countries that use them.

“I think that’s an issue for smaller countries at a broader level for small countries – how they fund themselves – and so countries around the world have looked at similar type schemes. They’re not without risk and they need to be carefully managed. I think New Zealand is probably so small and so far away that some of the practicalities of working together on some of these ongoing issues are probably a little too challenging. But there are certainly other partners I know closer to the Caribbean who I know have a strong interest and are already involved to some extent so we’re certainly not going to cut across other people’s cooperation.”

Mr Ojala also gave the thumbs up to the relationship between New Zealand and the Caribbean and said it stretched beyond just the game of cricket. “It’s very good and friendly. We’ve got a shared historical connection as members of the Commonwealth. We are a very long way away and that makes it very challenging but we’ve got a lot of common interests and I think the relationship’s in good shape.”

In concluding an interview in which he had talked up co-operation between New Zealand and the Caribbean, the High Commissioner also provided a note of competitiveness by saying he hoped New Zealand and the West Indies would meet in the later stages of this year’s Cricket World Cup.

If that were to happen, it is difficult to see a defeat for either side souring a relationship that is going from strength to strength.