Patricia Scotland Bids Farewell: Outgoing CSG to address CARICOM leaders one last time

The 6th Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, is all set to conclude her tenure this year and she will be stepping onto the CARICOM stage one last time this week during the 48th regular meeting of Caribbean Community Heads of Government. 

CSG Scotland is looking forward to closing out her tenure with a final push for economic resilience, climate action and digital transformation during her address at the upcoming meeting.  

The 48th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the CARICOM is set to take place in Barbados from February 19 to 21, 2025. The meeting will be held under the theme of ‘Strength in Unity: Forging Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development’. 

Ahead of the high-level meeting in Barbados, CSG Scotland said that as she concludes her tenure as Commonwealth Secretary General, she is proud to have worked alongside CARICOM leaders to advance the shared values of democracy, sustainable development and human rights. 

She further said that the collaboration has been a shining example of what can be achieved through cooperation and unity.  

Emphasising the support, she delivered to the Caribbean during her tenure, Scotland said that the region is at the forefront of climate resilience and sustainable development, and she feels honoured to have played a part in supporting these crucial efforts.  

“As I attend my final CARICOM meeting as Secretary-General of Commonwealth, I reaffirm the Commonwealth’s commitment towards continuing to work with the region to address its challenges,” outlined the outgoing Secretary General.  

According to the information, Scotland is scheduled to address a plenary session during the conference during which she will provide an update regarding the Secretariat’s support for Commonwealth CARICOM members with a special focus on climate change, artificial intelligence and debt management.  

Particularly, she will be highlighting the impact of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub which will assist small and vulnerable states in securing the funding to address challenges related to climate.  

Moreover, she will also hold discussions with leaders regarding pressing issues affecting the Community such as security concerns, food and nutrition security, digital resilience, external relations as well as CARICOM Single Market and Economy.  

The outgoing CSG will also be providing an update related to the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which is scheduled to take place in Antigua and Barbuda in 2026.  

Today at #CHOGM2024, Commonwealth Heads of Government have selected the Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/hVUvTqlt1D

— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) October 25, 2024

The major issues on agenda for this meeting are likely to include challenges being faced by Small Island Developing States, international trade, climate change and economic innovation. This meeting will be addressed by the incoming Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey who is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana.