MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Caricom Summit underway in Montego Bay

Security and resilience are not optional, Holness stressed

The 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) is underway in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from July 6-8. The summit focuses on critical issues for the region, including security, trade, climate change, and economic integration.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness assumed the pro tempore presidency, emphasizing the theme “People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Towards a Secure and Sustainable Future.” He highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change as a tangible threat and called for intensified efforts against organized crime and illicit arms trafficking.

“It reflects a profound truth: that security and resilience are not optional, they are the foundations of prosperity. That people-centered development and strategic partnerships are not merely aspirational, but essential,” Holness said. He also urged member countries to diversify economic and trade ties within Caricom and with other global partners. “Climate change is not an academic discussion,” but a tangible threat with increasingly frequent devastating effects, he added.

“We must strengthen cooperation with Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and also among ourselves. The resources in Caricom are sufficient to meet the needs of our peoples,” he also pointed out.

Outgoing President, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, underscored the unprecedented challenges facing the region, such as climate change, food security, and technological sovereignty. She emphasized the need for stronger regional integration and peace, specifically advocating for efforts to resolve the crisis in Haiti.

A significant development at the summit is Mottley's push for a “regional sea, air cargo revolution.” She announced that two Caribbean member states were looking to acquire cargo planes and revealed plans for a private-sector proposal for an inter-island regional ferry service. Mottley stressed the importance of political will to overcome the long-standing challenges of costly and inefficient intra-regional transportation, which she believes is crucial for trade, food security, and overall connectivity.

“If ever there was a time to resume public education about Caribbean civilization and the need for integration, it is now. Let disintegration not be our future,” Mottley said.

Simultaneously, protesters gathered outside the Montego Bay Convention Center, urging Caricom leaders to sever diplomatic ties with Israel due to its military campaign in Gaza. Organized by the Palestinian Solidarity Action Group in Jamaica and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the demonstrators called for an end to what they termed “genocide and war crimes” in Palestine. Their demands include stopping military shipping under Caribbean flags, ending visa-free travel for Israeli citizens, and joining international sanctions against Israel, drawing parallels to Caricom's historical stance against South African apartheid.

Created in 1973, Caricommunity has fostered the political and economic integration of its member states.