One of the more interesting aspects of the recently ended Heads of Government meeting, was the positive tone of the remarks made by CARICOM’s ad interim Chair, Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley.
At a notably upbeat press conference at the summit’s end, she went out of her way to indicate that many of the initiatives announced were intended to deliver outcomes that directly benefit CARICOM citizens and civil society, and make the regional integration movement more relevant.
Observing in her opening statement that “family comes before ideology” she said that CARICOM should be doing more to address the issues that affect individuals. Whether they relate to travel, non-communicable diseases, the effects of crime, or more broadly, Caribbean nations’ freedom to associate with one another, a unified and sustainable approach, she said, is required.