CARICOM Chairman calls for integration that people can feel
New Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Philip J. Pierre, Sunday evening (5 July) framed his Chairmanship around a central question he said citizens across the Region are asking: “What more can CARICOM do for me?”
He said the question is not an attack on the Community, but a genuine appeal for solutions to the pressures people face every day, from rising food and energy costs, increasingly intense hurricanes, unpredictable rainfall, the effects of climate change on farming and fishing communities, and concerns about crime and violence.
Delivering his address at the Opening Ceremony of the Fifty-First Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government at Sandals Grande Saint Lucia, the Saint Lucian Prime Minister emphasised that regional integration must connect with the lived experiences of the people of the Community. It must move from “conference rooms to communities; from rhetoric to reality; from communiqués to results.”
Outlining his vision for a people-focused, implementation-driven CARICOM, Prime Minister Pierre said his Chairmanship “must belong not only to governments, but the people CARICOM is expected to serve.”
He underscored the need for every major decision taken by the Community to be measured against its impact on the daily lives of CARICOM people, positing that the Community must not only agree in principle, but implement in practice, and must not only speak of integration, but make integration work for the ordinary citizen.
“It is not enough for our decisions to be recorded. They must be acted upon, measured, and followed through. My mantra is simple: Integration that our people cannot feel will not last,” Prime Minister Pierre said.
Against that backdrop, he identified strengthening regional unity as a priority, describing it as “the foundation on which everything else rests.”
“The world has often benefited from Caribbean disunity. Larger powers and larger markets can more easily engage a divided Caribbean than a united one. But when the Caribbean speaks with one voice, when we act together, when we negotiate as a bloc, our collective influence is far greater,” the Saint Lucian Prime Minister stated.
In this context, the Chairman said he will work to ensure that “no Member State feels unheard, unseen, or isolated.”
“Every voice counts. Every nation matters. Every citizen must be able to see themselves reflected in the work of CARICOM,” said Prime Minister Pierre.
He outlined other priorities including advancing citizen security, advocating for climate justice, promoting economic renewal, improving food and nutrition security, and ensuring that youth, women and vulnerable groups are included in the Region’s development agenda.
In addition, he stressed the need for deeper implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), including the removal of longstanding barriers to regional integration and the pursuit of initiatives that expand opportunities for citizens through improved transportation links, support for agriculture and fisheries, and preparation for emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Prime Minister Pierre said engagement with young people would be a key feature of his Chairmanship, noting that the future of the Community depends on their participation and confidence in the regional integration movement.
“They are asking whether CARICOM speaks to their future,” he said, adding that the Region must answer such questions not with slogans, but with action.
The Chairman also called for stronger support for CARICOM institutions, describing them as vital instruments of regional development and resilience. He noted that citizens must better understand the role these institutions play in areas such as public health, disaster response, education, security cooperation and economic development.
Prime Minister Pierre assumed the Chairmanship of CARICOM on 1 July.