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The Caribbean Community Heads of Government convened in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday, 3rd July, 2023 for their 45th regular meeting, and the launch of a yearlong series of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary since the regional grouping was founded.  

The Port of Spain meeting will address a number of important issues for CARICOM, including food security, Climate change and climate financing, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSMSE) and the ongoing difficulties in Haiti.

Addressing the opening session on Monday, incoming Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister of Dominica Hon. Rosevelt Skerrit said it is significant that on the 50th Anniversary of CARICOM, the meeting is held in Trinidad and Tobago. “It was here, 50 years ago, that Prime Ministers, Errol Barrow of Barbados, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica and Dr. Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas, setting the Region on a solid footing on the road to integration,” Skerrit said. “We deserve to be proud of our history”, he said, adding that;  “It is  no mean feat that we are the longest surviving economic integration movement in the developing world and second only to the European Union globally”.

Prime Minister Skerrit noted that as new targets are set, CARICOM must ensure it thrives in this ever-changing global environment. He said there are unfinished tasks that must be completed including the issues of free movement, non-tariff barriers to trade, and reliable and affordable transportation.

The CARICOM Chairman said, “We must address our minds and collective will to resolve some key issues. We have the opportunity on this historic occasion, as we deliberate over the next few days, to take some decisions that can be truly transformative for our people, and which will shape the future of our Community for the next 50 years.”

SOURCE: Agency For Public Information