Photo: Heads of Government at the Opening Ceremony: The Forty-Six Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), held in George town, Guyana, on February 25, 2024

by Marco Lopez 

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Feb. 26, 2024 

The Garifuna Collective joined drummers from across the Caribbean on Sunday in an ensemble called the “Caribbean Drumming Fusion” to set the tone of the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign. Trade, Education, Culture, Science, and Technology, represented Belize at the opening ceremony which took place in Georgetown, Guyana on Sunday afternoon. 

In early January 2024, Guyana took its seat as an elected member of the UN Security Council. For the next six months, the northern South American Caribbean country, through its President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, will serve as the chair of CARICOM, succeeding the leadership of Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit. 

This high-level meeting will run for three days, from February 25 – 28, 2024, and will focus on five major thematic areas: advancing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), Climate Resilience, Food and Nutrition Security, Energy Security, and Regional Security. 

Dr. Carla Barnett, Belizean-born Secretary-General of CARICOM, during her remarks highlighted that significant policy work has led to accomplishments in some of these areas – these three days of meetings “will be focused on moving our integration movement determinedly forward in the best interests of our region and its citizens,” Dr. Barnett said. 

On Haiti, the Secretary-General noted that the region is working together with stakeholders to “find solutions to the multi-dimensional crisis.” She added, “We are committed to retain the region as a zone of peace, despite various border controversies and despite the passage of guns and dangerous drugs through our lands and seas.”

Barnett lauded the work of the region which pushed forward to operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28 in December 2023. 

“CARICOM speaks loudly and clearly in the international community. Our determined advocacy has helped to spur positive change for critical hemispheric and global issues. The decision at COP28 in December 2023 to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund; and growing acknowledgement in the international community that the Bridgetown Initiative presents a more relevant financial approach to addressing the unique needs of our region, are but two examples of the impact of CARICOM’s advocacy,” Dr. Barnett said. 

She called for “harnessing the wisdom” of the 50-year integration movement that is CARICOM, and welcomed active participation from the cross-section of our societies to achieve the region’s goals. 

“We owe no less to the people of the Caribbean Community, at home and in the diaspora,” Dr. Barnett noted. 

In his remarks, the outgoing Chairman of CARICOM said that over the past 6 months, they took concrete steps to implement the Community Agricultural Policy, ensuring the region remains on course to meet the Food Security Initiative targets.

He added, “We advocated for ambitious climate action, championing the Caribbean Climate Action Plan which will safeguard our future from the devastating effects of climate change. With this upcoming hurricane season being projected to be extremely active, I want us to continue emphasizing the vulnerabilities of our region and the need to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund.” 

Speaking to a meeting held in December 2023 aimed at easing the tensions that have flared over Essequibo, a vast border region rich in oil and minerals that represents much of Guyana’s territory but that Venezuela claims as its own, the outgoing CARICOM Chairman said, “When I began this address by speaking of my immense pride, I did so with memories still fresh, of what we achieved as a group when we met as a family in December in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to maturely address the tensions between our two brothers. We made the international news, not for unrest, war, or violence, but for our hosting of mature, proactive deliberations that created a template that others in the world would do well to follow.” 

He added, “It is therefore fitting that with a strong sense of pride in our accomplishments, I pass the baton to His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, and assure him of my unstinting support.” 

Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali is the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces in Guyana. A referendum held on December 3rd, 2023 by their Latin American neighbor, Venezuela, restated Venezuela’s claims of the Essequibo region, about two-thirds of Guyana’s national territory. 

Ali’s leadership, regional support, and Venezuela’s cooperativeness have led to a de-escalation of the threat and commitments to non-violent resolutions. The ICJ is set to rule on this matter in December 2024. 

On Haiti, Ali, in his comments said that the interest of the people of Haiti is paramount for the region. “Anything that impedes the interest of the people of Haiti is of immense concern for the people of this region,” he said. 

He said that the region is committed that the people of Haiti realize their full potential in “peace, security, and with good governance.” 

“Sometimes as a region, we are in a tough position, and we have to take tough measures; but always in the interest of the region’s people. That is fundamental for the region,” Ali said. 

“There is no war too big for us to stop. What we need is the courage; what we need is the willpower; what we need is the determination; what we need is the constancy of our moral compass,” he added.

He shared that the Caribbean region has a natural ability to live in peace and tolerance. 

He also touched on plans to further Food and Nutrition Security Goals, and the need for regulations on the use of Artificial Intelligence. In his comments, he called on leaders to take action against violent music and lyrical content being published by artists of the region.  

“We have to lead a revolution against this narrative and re-position our culture in the way it was conceived, that is, for positive living and positive upliftment. And this is not about anyone or against anyone; this is for our region and the future of young people in his region,” he said.  

His government has already taken steps to prevent artists who promote criminal lifestyles and violence from performing in the country. 

The full opening session of the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community can be found on.