48th CARICOM meeting: Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit attends opening ceremony in Barbados

The Prime Minister of Dominica, Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit attended the opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).  The three-day ceremony began on Wednesday, 19th February, 2025 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Bridgetown, Barbados. 

This meeting was held under the theme, “Strength in Unity: Forging Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.” The summit provides a great platform for bringing all the CARICOM leaders together, aiming to exchange significant dialogues with a vision to find out solutions to the most pressing issues facing Caribbean nations.  

“I joined my colleague CARICOM Heads at the Opening Ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday,” said PM Roosevelt Skerrit. 

PM Roosevelt Skerrit conducted healthy discussions with several leaders on important issues such as climate change, food and nutrition security, financial sustainability, the ongoing challenges in Haiti, regional security, digital resilience and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). 

I joined my colleague CARICOM Heads at the Opening Ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday.

The meeting is being held under the theme “Strength in Unity: Forging… pic.twitter.com/Kl1NL9i9Cv

— Roosevelt Skerrit (@SkerritR) February 21, 2025

The Prime Minister aimed at taking bolder steps with a vision to drive further progress, building a stronger and more resilient Caribbean. He reiterated his commitment to advance regional cooperation, addressing shared challenges, aiming to position Dominica as a leader in sustainable development. 

Opening Day of CARICOM Heads Conference

The opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government was attended by several Caribbean leaders. The outgoing CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell shed light on the conference and emphasised on the challenges faced by Grenada due to Hurricane Beryl. 

He described CARICOM’s response as a “unified force”. He therefore, asked everyone to continuing to take such collective action, aiming to build CARICOM. He also pledged to extend international support to CARICOM nations aiming to advocate for climate justice, economic resilience, and fairer global trade policies.

The Newly appointed CARICOM Chair and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley also delivered crucial address and encouraged leaders to be “present and bolder than ever”. She also focused on her priorities for CARICOM which includes, freedom of movement, tackling the rising cost of living, enhancing education, and strengthening regional security. 

She aimed at developing Caribbean region by providing them an access to education, healthcare, and fundamental human rights.