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Caribbean leaders are set to convene in Barbados from February 19 to 21 for the 48th Regular Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The summit will focus on strengthening regional unity, fostering economic growth, and addressing critical challenges facing member states.
Held under the theme “Strength in Unity: Forging Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth, and Sustainable Development,” the meeting will bring together heads of government from CARICOM’s 15 full-member states and representatives from its associate members.
The three-day summit will cover a broad range of topics vital to the region’s stability and development. Leaders will discuss food security and nutrition, climate change adaptation, and financing for climate resilience. The situation in Haiti, a longstanding concern for CARICOM, is also expected to be a major point of discussion.
Security, digital resilience, foreign relations, and the Single Market and Economy initiative will also be high on the agenda. Additionally, regional transportation—both maritime and air connectivity—will be reviewed as leaders seek to improve travel and trade within the Caribbean. The topic of reparations, a recurring issue in CARICOM discussions, will also be addressed.
Established in 1973 and headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana, CARICOM serves as a platform for regional cooperation and economic integration. Its member states include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands hold associate membership.
The organization’s core mission is to promote economic cooperation, ensure fair distribution of integration benefits, and coordinate foreign policy among member states.
As CARICOM leaders prepare to meet, expectations are high for concrete steps toward tackling shared challenges and reinforcing regional solidarity.
