49th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting to focuses on security, food, and climate

Jamaica: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) announced that the Forty-Ninth (49) Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government will take place from July 6 to July 8, 2025 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. While the opening ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 6 and the meeting sessions on July 7-8 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Rose Hall, the Eighteenth (18th) CARICOM Road Races will take place prior to the meeting on Saturday, July 5.

This high level summit will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Jamaica Dr Andrew Holness. Minister Holness will take the center stage as he assumes the six-month rotating Chairmanship of CARICOM on July 1, 2025.

Furthermore, in a pre-summit video, CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett shared that the theme of this year’s meeting - People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future, will be from CARICOM’s long term plan to build a resilient and prosperous future for coming generations. 

49th CARICOM Meeting to tackle regional security and economic challenges

Also, she noted that the upcoming 49th Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government will prioritize strengthening regional security, boosting food and nutrition security, and addressing climate change. 

Beyond the core development issues at hand, the Heads of Government will also discuss and find solutions for the very much present geopolitical issues. Among these is the issue of US tariffs which is a growing point of worry for Caribbean economies that also brings into question trade balance and long term economic security.

Also at the meeting, discussions on how the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) can be put to greater use for the purpose of promoting national and regional economic growth. The CSME is a mainstay of CARICOM’s integration projects which also plays a large role in the free movement of people, trade, and in fostering cooperation between member states.

“Our expectation is that this Meeting of the Conference will engender those discussions and decisions that will lead to meaningful outcomes for the Caribbean Community,” stated Dr Barnett in her video message.