CARICOM Chief urges stronger unity, greater public voice

Jul 06, 2026 News

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…at 51st Regular Meeting of Heads of Govt.

(Kaieteur News) – Against a backdrop of shifting global dynamics and accelerating climate challenges, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett delivered a compelling opening address at the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, issuing a direct call to deepen public engagement and accelerate regional integration.

Speaking to an audience that included CARICOM Chair and Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Hon. Philip J. Pierre, alongside other regional heads on Sunday, Dr. Barnett emphasised that the future of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) relies heavily on the inclusion of everyday citizens.

“The voices of a wider range of people in the community, including civil society organisations, must be more meaningfully incorporated in regional discussions,” Dr. Barnett stated. “Greater public participation will foster deeper understanding of how decisions shape everyday experiences.” Reflecting on the foundations of the Caribbean community, Dr. Barnett noted that the architects of the Revised Treaty of Chaguarmas were driven by pragmatic economic necessity rather than mere sentimentality.

“I dare say the authors of the revised treaty, building on the original treaty of 1973, were not encumbered by an idealistic view of regional integration based solely on shared history, culture, and ideals,” Dr. Barnett observed. “Rather, theirs was a practical vision that by deepening and broadening our intra-regional market, coordinating foreign policy and international trade negotiations, collaborating on key human capital development areas such as health, education, culture and more, we would be better able to weather turbulent storms as we sought to expand real development opportunities for the people of our region.”

She commended the outgoing chairman, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Terrance Drew, for navigating “some quite rough waters over the past six months,” before welcoming Prime Minister Pierre to the chairmanship.

The secretary-general highlighted major milestones for the bloc, notably the expansion of the movement of skilled workers and the October 2025 commencement of full free movement among four member states under the protocol on enhanced cooperation. On food security, she acknowledged the continued rise in agricultural production under the region’s agricultural strategy, now extended from 2025 to 2030, which aims to drastically reduce food imports.

However, Dr. Barnett warned that accelerating climate crises are severely threatening these gains. She pointed to back-to-back economic hits from Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and Hurricane Melissa in 2025, which decimated Jamaican agriculture in successive years.

“The climate challenges we face are even more stark,” Dr. Barnett cautioned, noting that the intensity of shifting weather patterns, hurricanes, and floods is “increasing the need to finance disaster relief and reconstruction at a much faster rate than financing is becoming available.”

Regional security and expanding borders

Turning to regional security, Dr. Barnett reaffirmed CARICOM’s active role in Haiti. The CARICOM Eminent Persons Group continues to engage political and civil society representatives to build a broad consensus toward peace, security, and credible elections. She also acknowledged the active deployment of CARICOM electoral observer missions, including recent general elections in Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas. The meeting also marked a geographic expansion for the regional body. Dr. Barnett formally welcomed Martinique and French Guiana as the newest associate members of CARICOM, joining Curaçao, which was admitted two years prior.

Concluding her address, Dr. Barnett pointed to the vibrant spirit of the region’s people as the ultimate source of inspiration, referencing both the participants of the 19th CARICOM Road Run and the regional football squads.

“As I close, I ask that we salute the national football teams from Haiti and Curaçao, whose dynamic representation in FIFA World Cup 2026 has proudly showcased the energy and spirit of the Caribbean people.”

Urging leaders to look past current geopolitical and economic disruptions, Dr. Barnett challenged the conference to match the resilience of its citizens with decisive legislative action.

“In the interest of the people we serve now, and for future generations, we should see the prevailing volatility and disruption not as a barrier to progress, but as an opportunity to reaffirm through decisive action our commitment to the ideals and aspirations of the revised Treaty of Chaguarmas. To move from resilience to renewal, as this meeting’s theme urges, requires active recognition that as architects of this region’s future, we should work in unison to shape our own destiny on our own terms.”

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• CARICOM, Carla Barnett, CSME

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