What Caribbean leaders said at closing ceremony of 48th Regular Meeting of CARICOM

The Prime Minister of Barbados and the new Chairman of the CARICOM Mia Amor Mottley on Friday, February 21, 2025, said that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is close to settling arrangements that will enable nationals of the regional countries to have free movement from June 1.

PM Mottley, who chaired the bloc’s three-day 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, was speaking at the event’s conclusive press conference. The media meet occurred at Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle Resort in St. Philip. 

Besides the Barbadian leader, the concluding event saw the presence of Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis, and Laurent Saint-Cyr, a member of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council. Keith Rowley, the outgoing prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, was also seen.

The regional leaders agreed to “settle the arrangements that would allow smaller numbers of members of the Community to act if they so desire, rather than requiring unanimity”, she told the audience. 

Freedom of movement for CARICOM nationals from June 1

“If that protocol for enhanced cooperation is completely ratified by the end of March, it opens the way for a number of countries to…the possibility of freedom of movement for CARICOM nationals from June 1, with the according rights of primary and secondary education, emergency health care, and access also to primary health care.

“Recognising that families will want to move, and that this will be the suite of rights that will be available to those countries that will want to participate in the freedom of movement, we are conscious that this region, with the exception of Haiti, has an acute problem of a declining and aging population." 

PM Mottley, who over as the chair of CARICOM in January this year, added, “And therefore, it is imperative that we move away from the gradual approach to the freedom of movement, and move to the point where those of us who believe that we are ready for It can open up, to ensure that, that possibility that has long been like the Holy Grail of the integration movement, can now become a reality in this year of 2025.”

The 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM was indeed not business as usual. 1/ pic.twitter.com/QmPXggX4ux

— Mia Amor Mottley (@miaamormottley) February 22, 2025

The Barbadian PM is one of the strong proponents of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) which seeks to create a single economic space to facilitate economic integration, competitiveness and standards of living in the Caribbean region. It aims to see free movement of people, goods, services, capital and skills to enhance travel, trade and investment. Mottley is in charge of CSME in CARICOM Quasi Cabinet. 

‘Good and instructive meeting’

Mottley called the three-day summit which kicked off with the opening ceremony in Bridgetown on February 19, “a very good and instructive meeting”. She said the regional leaders were not intimidated by global challenges but were approaching them confidently, recognising that “unity, more than ever, will be required from us to meet the common challenges that the world has presented”.

“From the changing geo-political environment, to the climate crisis, to the international economic shocks that are potentially still there, to the consequences of the climate crisis with respect to the production of food, or the consequences of diseases, such as bird flu, that can lead to an unfortunate increase in the cost of food to the recognition that as a community [we] must continue to expand…,” the PM added.  

What the other leaders said at press conference

Jamaica PM Holness

Jamaican PM Andrew Holness said one big concern remains with the changes seen in the US trade policy, which has left the private sector concerned. He said CARICOM is ready to approach the situation with confidence and also trying to see that the changes, besides disrupting the normal routine of trade, could also create major opportunities for the region. 

He said CARICOM has a well-established office for trade negotiation and they were using that office and its resources to guide them on structuring their trade policies to not only tackle challenges but also take advantage of opportunities. 

Trinidad and Tobago PM Rowley

PM Keith Rowley, who is set to step down from the post this year after serving for almost a decade, said steps are being taken to improve laws to treat gun violence as an act of terrorism. The Trinbagonian leader, who is in charge of security (drugs and illicit arms) in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, said this as a measure to combat gang violence in the CARICOM region. 

“We agreed that notwithstanding social considerations, we agreed that the changing nature of crime is such that actions and acts of violence in the public space in certain instances must now be regarded as acts of terrorism,” he said. Trinidad and Tobago has seen a spike in gun violence in recent months which forced it to proclaim an emergency in December 2024. Rowley was also given a tribute by his fellow heads of government and he officially announced the conclusion of the event.

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali

President Irfaan Ali of Guyana spoke about a comprehensive plan to boost the CARICOM region’s agriculture sector at the press conference to strengthen the Caribbean food supply chain, ensuring resilience, sustainability and competitiveness. 

“Given the current situation, we have established a holistic framework through which the industry and a food system must be built to ensure resilience, sustainability and competitiveness,” Ali, who holds the responsibility of Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification and Food Security in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, said in the press conference.

The new approach, he said, will overcome the challenges posed by climate change, supply chain disruptions, and the shifting global market landscape.

Bahamian PM Philip Davis

The Bahamian PM Philip Davis spoke about the issue of climate change and crisis and the situation in the associated members of CARICOM. On the first, he said the bloc discussed the outcomes of COP29 which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November last year. “We thought it was mixed as we did not get all that we wished,” he said. 

Among the positive outcomes, Davis cited that at the climate conference, the rules for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which governs international carbon markets, were settled as the framework for a voluntary carbon market was agreed upon. 

On the other hand, he said nothing materialised about the agreement in 2015 under which the developing countries including the small-island developing states (SIDS) were supposed to be given an annual aid of $100 million by the northern countries. Davis said a new regime, New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance was agreed upon at COP29 and it seeks to increase climate finance for developing countries from $100 billion to $300 billion annually. “We hope it brings results,” he said. 

“We should continue our advocacy to ensure that not only finances are available for the SIDS but also to ensure that there will be easy access and timely release of funds once a request is made,” he said. 

Davis also expressed concern over the state of self-determination in the associate members of CARICOM and wanted the people’s will in those territories to be given priority. 

Haitian representative Saint-Cyr gave updates about the problems in his homeland and said it needs international support to resolve the problem before the country goes to the next election.