Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government will meet in St. George’s, Grenada, from 28-30 July 2024, for the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference.
The Meeting’s agenda will comprise the agri-food systems agenda which prioritises food and nutrition security; climate change and sustainable development; foreign policy; the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and engagement with social partners. Hurricane Beryl and its impact on the Region will form part of the discussions.
As CARICOM deepens Regional Integration through the CSME and other sectoral programmes, attention will be placed on the operationalisation of the Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) that envisages a single market for air transport services within the Community.
Heads of Government will also review the progress toward the goals for full free movement and the 25 percent reduction in food imports by 2025. A Strategy for Regional Digital Resilience 2025-2030 will also be on the table for discussion. The new Chairman, the Honourable Dickon Mitchell, is lead Head of Government for Science and Technology, including Information and Communication, in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.
Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, will be the Meeting’s Special Guest.
Two distinguished sons of our Region: legendary Guyanese Cricketer, Sir Clive Hubert Lloyd, and quintessential Jamaican Regionalist, Mr. Roderick Rainford, former Secretary-General of CARICOM, will receive the Order of the Caribbean Community during the Opening Ceremony, scheduled for Sunday 28 July at St. George’s University.
The Chairman, the Hon. Dickon Mitchell of Grenada; the Outgoing Chairman, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana; and the CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett will deliver addresses at the Ceremony. Curaçao will be formally admitted during the Ceremony, which will be streamed on CARICOM’s social media platforms from 4.00 pm (AST).
On Monday 29 July, Heads of Government will conduct business sessions at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort, Grand Anse, historically significant as the birthplace of the Grand Anse Declaration and Work Programme, which was signed during the 10th Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government on 12 July 1989. The Declaration was intended to enhance economic and political cooperation among Member States, emphasizing sovereignty, non-interference, and equality principles. Most notably, it led to the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), promoting economic growth, competitiveness, and opportunities for citizens of Member States.
The customary Closing Press Conference will be held on Friday 30 July, 4.30 pm (AST) at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort via hybrid format.
Grenada is hosting the Conference during its 50th Independence anniversary celebration, while the Community recently closed the curtains on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of CARICOM. These milestones serve as a crucial reference point for leaders to shape a Regional Integration agenda beyond CARICOM’s 50th anniversary.
