Leaders from 52 nations (primarily former British colonies in Africa and the Caribbean) met in Malta last weekend for the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOG) Summit – under the auspices of HM Queen Elizabeth II (seen here addressing them in her trademark hat). Their agenda was dominated by trade issues. But talks amounted to little more than poor black leaders (especially from the Caribbean)plaintively protesting the loss of preferential trade access to the European market that was once guaranteed by England, their former colonial master.
It has been demonstrably clear for some time now, however, that the only ties that bind Commonwealth countries are historical. Therefore, it seems a rather pathetic exercise in futility for poor black members to continue pleading for help from rich white members who have little more than sympathy to offer. After all, these rich countries have economic ties of their own that now bind them, through trade agreements, either to America (as Canada established with NAFTA and CAFTA) or Europe (as England established with Maastricht).
And anyone who wonders about the collateral damage these agreements have had on poor and marginalised Commonwealth nations need only look to the fall-out from the recent Banana trade war where England was exposed as an utterly feckless guarantor of their economic interests. Moreover, nothing written in their joint communique ensures them that England will provide any greater support at the upcoming World Trade Organisation (WTO) global free trade talks in Hong Kong next month – where trade preferences based on colonial ties are likely to be discredited even further.
But, as I delineated in this previous article, these poor countries are mostly to blame for their economic marginalisation. Because, despite recognizing the benefits to be derived from integrating their economies, they continue to fight amongst themselves and against the trade winds of globalization as islands unto themselves….
News and Politics
Anonymous says
i too have wondered why african and caribbean leaders continue to look to england for help when america has provided far more aid to them in recent history.
the commonwealth is nothing more than a colonial talking shop.