ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The Grenada government Wednesday hinted that it would not be rushed into signing the Samoa Agreement that will serve as an overarching legal framework for the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) for the next 20 years.
The agreement was signed last Wednesday in Apai and succeeds the Cotonou Agreement. It covers sustainable development, growth, human rights, peace, and security.
The provisional application of the agreement will start on 1 January 2024. It will enter into force upon consent by the European Parliament and ratification by all EU member states and at least two-thirds of the 79 OACPS members.
Dominica and Jamaica have since indicated that they would be signing the accord that has raised concerns in several quarters, including the Roman Catholic Church, “ amid fears that it will impose laws on Caribbean people that are not in keeping with the culture and values.
Trinidad and Tobago Roman Catholic Archbishop Jason Gordon said that while the agreement is “written as a trade agreement and an agreement of support, financially, etc. for the African Caribbean and Pacific nations, embedded in that agreement and when it is signed it is for 20 years and cannot be revoked …is anyone who signs that agreement will have abortion legislation in their countries.
“They will have to impose abortion legislation, transgender, LBGTQ, comprehensive sex education, a whole range of values will be imposed because of the signing of that document,” he added.
But speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday, both Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Export Development Joseph Andall told reporters that St. George’s would not be rushed into signing any agreements containing morality issues.
And all said, “There is a window for countries to sign,” after indicating that some CARICOM countries have not affixed their signature to the accord.
“Grenada, for sure, we are not willing to surrender our sovereignty to any international organization, and if there is any part and proposed agreement inconsistent with our constitution and with our values, we will think very long and hard before entering into any such agreement,” Andall told reporters.
Prime Minister Mitchell said the culture of any particular country or region essentially designs international agreements, morality, and values.
“So questions raised by the comments of the Archbishop, I think, are always questions for debate,” said Mitchell, an attorney, adding,” I want to say morality is a private issue…we have to bear that in mind.
“Certainly, in the region context, we have separated church and state a long time ago… from a public perspective, the government deals with law and what’s legal and not legal.
“And so we must be careful not to divide the line between private morality and law. And I certainly think from our perspective the morality of other countries should not be imposed on the morality of countries, nor in my view, it should be tied to aid”.
He said it would mean that other countries are trying to impose either their morality or public policy on other countries by tying it to aid.
“Philosophically, that is not something we support. Our approach is if countries intend to engage in grant funding, aid funding, or loans with us, those are commercial matters, and from our perspective, commercial terms should govern them.
“If you attempt to impose what I would call morality issues into them, then I think certainly from our perspective…it is not likely that this government would simply sign because we need to get some grant funding or aid funding”.
Mitchell said that while the Archbishop’s views are “obviously his and the sense I got from his comments is…I have not yet read the agreement, so I can’t tell you whether the agreement says the things people are saying.
“I suspect at the end of the day our technocrats and bureaucrats will go through the agreement and be in the best position to tell us exactly what the agreements state,” Mitchell added.
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