St. George’s— Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, who assumed the CARICOM Chairmanship in July 2024, will deliver his final address as Chair during the Opening Ceremony of the 48th CARICOM Meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Barbados on February 19, 2025.
The three-day event which is scheduled from February 19 to 21, 2025, is being held under the theme “Strength in Unity: Forging Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth, and Sustainable Development,” in which heads of governments of member nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are expected to participate.
During the meeting, the heads of the governments are expected to hold discussions on various critical issues, including food security, nutrition, climate change, economic growth, education, healthcare, adoption of digital technology, international relationships, and the ongoing situation in Haiti.
Discussions are also likely to be focused on creating the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Besides, discussions on maritime and air transportation are also likely to be held during the 48 meetings of the Caribbean community.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell will be presiding over the opening ceremony of the meeting, which is scheduled to be held on the afternoon of February 19, 2025, at Lord Erskine Sandiford Centre in Bridgetown, the capital city of Barbados.
He will be handing over the baton of Chairmanship of the Caribbean Community to incumbent Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley in the presence of the new Premier of Montserrat, Reuben T. Meade, and CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett.
Besides, Special guests at the event will include United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Prime Minister Mitchell said that in his capacity as the chairman of the Caribbean community, he had worked extensively to promote the prosperity and well-being of all citizens in the Caribbean region.
During his tenure as the chairman of the Caribbean Community, Prime Minister Mitchell had extensively worked in the field of climate change, especially in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl in the month of July 2024. The prime minister invoked the debt clause, which had postponed the repayment of a $30 million loan and allowed the government to allocate resources for providing relief and initiating recovery measures.
The Prime Minister had also pitched in for enhancing regional security by supporting collective measures to check the use of illegal firearms among the Caribbean Community.
This initiative taken by the Prime Minister has enhanced public safety across all the Caribbean nations.
The prime minister had also worked towards the integration of the latest digital technologies that could enhance the public services being provided by the Caribbean nations to their citizens.
The prime minister also supported the cause of free movement within the Caribbean nations for easy exchange of knowledge, resources, and talent.
Prime Minister Mitchell has already expressed his confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, stating that under her leadership, the Caribbean Community will prosper and achieve new heights.
Meanwhile, during the upcoming meeting of the Caribbean Community, the business session will be held on February 20 and 21 at Wyndham Grand Barbados—Sam Lord’s Castle in St. Philip.
During this meeting, the heads of the government will be setting the tone for the collective growth of all Caribbean Nations while promoting unity for the year 2025.
