CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett outlines plans for inclusive regional integration at 48th CARICOM Meeting

Carla Barnett, secretary-general of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said last week that deliberate measures were being taken to achieve a more inclusive and meaningful regional integration. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM at Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Bridgetown in Barbados on February 19, 2025, she said stakeholders were being engaged with to assisting and ensuring that the integration process is seamless and effective. 

Secretary-general stresses involvement of all CARICOM citizens

A former economist and politician from Belize, Carla Barnett said in her address, “We are counting on the active involvement of all CARICOM citizens – our entrepreneurs, our civic leaders, our youth, our indigenous peoples, from The Bahamas in the north, to Belize in the west, to Guyana and Suriname in the south, as well as from the diaspora, regardless of age, colour or creed."

The (CARICOM) Secretariat has redoubled its efforts to engage with various Community stakeholders and involve them in our work. We have a vibrant group of CARICOM Youth Ambassadors who meet regularly and interact with the Secretariat in a structured way. 

“We are also deepening the engagement with the Caribbean Congress of Labour and civil society groups. We will hear from our young people and some regional stakeholders during this Meeting. These are deliberate steps towards a more inclusive and meaningful integration process.”

Barnett also said that the meeting was set to be held against the backdrops of global shifts in priorities and expressed hope that decisions taken by CARICOM would be driven by its commitment and collaboration towards regional integration. 

The CARICOM Secretariat is the Community’s main administrative organ and is led by the secretary general, the chief executive officer of the community. The secretariat is headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana.

Cannot rely on promises or assumptions: Carla Barnett

“We cannot rely on promises made, nor on traditional assumptions. To meaningfully address economic disparities, empower our citizens, protect the vulnerable, and create worthwhile opportunities for our young people, requires purpose and action,” Barnett, who has been serving as the secretary-general since August 2021, said.

The diplomat said a lot is yet to be accomplished as CARICOM continues to build on the integration process under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (2001) which established provisions of the key CARICOM Single Market and Economy to create a single economic space in the region.

“We anticipate that deliberations and decisions at this Meeting will be driven by commitment and collaboration, grounded in the desire to make our regional integration work for all our citizens,” she added.

That the latest meeting of the heads of the government of CARICOM emphasized regional integration was evident from its theme which is “Strength in Unity: Forging Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development”.

Ahead of the event which was chaired by new CARICOM chairperson Mia Amor Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, Barnett said the heads of government would look into challenges arising in a rapidly changing global reality and seek to come up with solutions that advance regional integration and economic and social development.

The meeting concluded on February 21, 2023, with a press conference which was also attended by Barnett.