Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government will meet in St George’s, Grenada for their 47th Regular Meeting, from July 03 to 05, with legendary Guyanese and West Indies cricketer, Sir Clive Lloyd, slated to receive an award.The opening ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, July 3, at St. George’s University, a release from the CARICOM Secretariat said yesterday.
It said that the Meeting’s agenda will comprise agri-food systems which prioritises food and nutrition security; climate change and sustainable development; foreign policy; the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and engagement with social partners.
Further, as CARICOM deepens regional integration through CSME and other sectoral programmes, attention will be placed on the operationalisation of the Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) that envisions a single market for air transport services within the Community.
According to the release, Heads of Government will also review the progress toward the goals for full free movement and 25 per cent reduction in food imports by 2025, while a strategy for Regional Digital Resilience 2025 to 2030, will also be on the table. Incoming Chairman, Grenadian Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, is lead Head of Government for Science and Technology, including Information and Communication in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.
Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, will be the meeting’s Special Guest.
Awards will also be given to Guyanese cricketer, Sir Clive and Jamaican regionalist, Roderick Rainford, former Secretary-General of CARICOM. They will both receive the Order of the Caribbean Community during the opening ceremony. The incoming Chairman, PM Mitchell of Grenada; the outgoing Chairman, Irfaan Ali of Guyana; and the CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett, will deliver addresses at the ceremony, which will be streamed on CARICOM’s social media platforms from 5.00 pm.
Then on Thursday July 4, Heads of Government will conduct business sessions at the Radisson Beach Resort, Grand Anse, historically significant as the birthplace of the Grand Anse Declaration and Work Programme, which was signed during the 10th Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government on July 12, 1989. The Declaration was intended to enhance economic and political cooperation among Member States, emphasising sovereignty, non-interference, and equality principles. Most notably, it led to the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), promoting economic growth, competitiveness, and opportunities for citizens of Member States.
The customary closing press conference will be held on Friday, July 5, at the Radisson Beach Resort Grenada in hybrid format. The following day, Saturday, July 6, professional and amateur athletes from the Caribbean will compete in the 17th CARICOM Elite 10K, Open 10K, and Youth 1.7K road races, which commence at the Camerhogne Park in Grand Anse.
Grenada is hosting the conference during its 50th Independence anniversary celebration, while the Community will close the curtains on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of CARICOM. “These milestones serve as a crucial reference point for leaders to shape a regional integration agenda beyond CARICOM’s 50th anniversary,” the release added.
A webpage: Heads of Government Conference – CARICOM (https://caricom.org/47hgc/) with all the details related to the 47th Regular Meeting, has been created and will be live from Monday 24 June.
