Caribbean integration at the forefront of CARICOM meeting

Caribbean integration, climate change, food security and trade in the region are the central themes of the event.

“In our half century of history, we have established a solid foundation at regional and international level and we have also demonstrated that the limitations of the small size of our countries can be overcome through cooperation and integration,” said Carla Natalie Barnett, Secretary General of CARICOM, during the opening of the event.

She also made reference to the main achievements of the community, such as the negotiations with Europe for preferential trade agreements, the establishment of the Caribbean Public Health Agency and the recognition of small island states by the UN.

The incoming president of CARICOM, Roosevelt Skerrit, stated in the opening speech that “Unity in economic well-being, security, health and disaster management must be translated into all our processes. That must be our guidance for the next 50 years.” He also mentioned as a pending issue the importance of making air and sea transportation in the region more efficient and affordable, since, according to him, “the movement of people and goods is the backbone of a successful integration agreement.”

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley, pointed out that never before have small countries faced challenges like the current ones, from climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, to violence and insecurity, and commented that the Caribbean population proved to be resilient and inventive against them.

The CARICOM meeting is attended by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres; US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken; the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland; the prime minister of South Korea, Han Duck-soo; the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, among others.