The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), food security, climate change and climate finance, health, and security will be some of the main topics at the 15–17 February CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in The Bahamas.
The three-day Meeting will be led by the Hon. Philip Davis, who is the Prime Minister of The Bahamas. It starts on February 15 at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. The next day, the meetings will start at Baha Mar in New Providence.
Dr. Carla Barnett, the Secretary-General of CARICOM, said that Heads of Government will focus on how far the Community has come on the CSME, which is the region’s most important program.
Ambassador Wayne McCook, who is the CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General for the Single Market and Trade, said that the Single Market and Single Economy are important parts of the regional integration architecture that need to be looked at all the time.
Heads of Government are expected to make a decision about a change to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that will allow for mergers and acquisitions in the Community. They will also be told what is going on with the Common External Tariff (CET) and the Rules of Origin, which are the two most important trade tools for CARICOM (ROO). We expect that job to be done by the middle of the year.
Safety with food
Given how important agriculture is to the Community, Heads of Government will talk about what is being done to make sure there is enough food and nutrition in the region. In its most recent report, the CARICOM Ministerial Task Force on Food Production and Food Security said that Member States had reached 57% of their goal to cut the region’s high food import bill by 25% by 2025. These talks will take place against this background.
Special Guests
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the heads of international financial and trade organizations will be among the special guests who will meet with the Heads of Government. Prime Minister Trudeau said, “Canada and the Caribbean Community share strong ties between our people, common values, and a strong commitment to fighting climate change.” He was talking about why he was going to the Summit. I’m looking forward to meeting with the leaders of CARICOM to talk about how we can continue to work together to help the people of Haiti, strengthen the Caribbean region, and build a better future for people and businesses in Canada, the Caribbean, and all over the world.
This year, Heads of Government will be told about CARICOM’s own golden jubilee events in The Bahamas, which is celebrating its 50th Independence Day. The Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was signed on July 4, 1973, was the first step in making the Caribbean Community. On that date, the Treaty was signed by the Prime Ministers of Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. They were Errol Barrow, Forbes Burnham, Dr. Eric Williams, and Michael Manley.
