Association of Caribbean States

The Association of Caribbean States is intended to promote regionalism among the member states. The success and functionality of the ACS is greatly debated among scholars. The main goals of the association are "to confirm the new concept of the Caribbean Basin by (A) accentuating those interests the Caribbean nations hold in common and (B) working to eliminate barriers left over from its colonial past." The organization seeks to use geographic proximity and regional cooperation (regionalism) for political and economic advantage • The Special Committee on Trade Development and External Economic Relations works in an effort to create larger economic actions in the Caribbean by uniting its member states through integration and cooperation. Through various annual forums the ACS attempts to create economic cooperation in an attempt to benefit and expand the region's economy. The organisation has sought to form a coalition among member states to devise a United Nations General Assembly resolution to ban the transshipment of nuclear materials through the Caribbean Sea and the Panama Canal. VERB programme VERB (Value, Empowerment, Resources, Betterment) programme aimed by ACS for empowering Caribbean peoples in all sectors (agriculture, education, fishery, etc.) with better resources and betterment of infrastructures in Caribbean by prioritising ecological and community welfare values and using renewable natural resources. == Performance evaluation ==

The success of the ACS is debated by many scholars on both sides. Those who suggest the ACS is successful would point to the many initiatives the developmental coalition has undertaken, as well as its large membership and relations with other international organisations like the European Union. Those who suggest it is unsuccessful note how by the end of the 1990s, unlike CARICOM, the ACS had failed to establish a track record which was worthy enough to allow for the evaluation of the ACS as a developmental coalition. Furthermore, some scholars suggest that the ACS is unlikely to become a true player on the international level. Skeptics often point to other failed attempts at economic coalition building like the Central American Common Market (CACM) as an example of the instability of the region. ==Summits==

The summits held by the ACS are the most important meetings, and are attended by the Heads of State or Government of all the member countries, observer countries, social actors, and observer organizations. These meetings are where they will reaffirm and recommit to the organizations goals, objectives, and plans of action. The summit is a time for careful examination of issues faced by the region and to bring collaborative action towards the issues. The so called highlight of the summit is the adoption and signing of the Declaration, where leaders reaffirm and instruct the successful implementation of the proposed policies and actions that are outlined in the Declaration. The ACS has held nine summits: • I ACS Summit, at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, August 17–18, 1995. • II ACS Summit, at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, April 16–17, 1999. • III ACS Summit, at Isla Margarita, Venezuela, December 12, 2001. • IV ACS Summit, at Panama City, Panama, July 29, 2005. • V ACS Summit, at Pétion-Ville, Haiti, April 23–26, 2013. • VI ACS Summit, at Mérida, Mexico, April 28–30, 2014. • VII ACS Summit, at Havana, Cuba, June 4, 2016. • VIII ACS Summit, at Managua, Nicaragua, March 29, 2019. • IX ACS Summit, at Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala, May 8–12, 2023. == Membership ==

Member states • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Associate member states • • • • on behalf of: • • • • • • • on behalf of: • • • • Observer states Source: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Observer organisations • The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - People's Trade Treaty • Central American Bank for Economic Integration • Arab League • European Union • Group of 77 • International Organization for Migration • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development • Pacific Islands Forum • United Nations Social Actors • Caribbean Medical Association • Regional Coordination for Economic and Social Research • Caribbean Shipping Association • Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce • CCA • ACURIL • Association of Caribbean Universities and Research Institutes • The Antilles-French Guiana Regional Centre of the National Institute of Agronomical Research • Latin American Faculty of Social Science Non-participants The United States and U.S. territories Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands do not participate. == Relationship with other supranational organisations ==

Observer organisations • Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat • Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) • Central American Integration System (SICA) • General Agreement on Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) Permanent Secretariat • Community of Latin American and Caribbean States • European Union • Latin American Economic System (SELA) • MERCOSUR • United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) • Organization of American States (OAS) • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) == See also ==