ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the term non-state actors that refers to national and regional civil society organizations whose purpose is public in nature, and to private purpose groups such as employers' organizations and business organizations, being interest groups with a mix of public and private purposes. The chapter investigates the contribution of non-state actors to input and control legitimacy. Unlike in Europe, where developments within the European Union have given rise to a heated debate between opponents and proponents of further integration, Caricom does not seem to evoke a similar discussion or critical stance on the part of the non-state actors in the Caribbean. This chapter presents an explorative overview of the nature of the participation of non-state actors in Caricom decision making. Barbados was one of the first and most active members of Caricom, and at the same time is home to a high number of non-state organizations.
