GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC—Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders will hold their 47th regular meeting in Grenada from July 28 to 30, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat announced on Thursday.
The summit was originally due to take place on July 3-5. Still, it had been postponed to a “date to be determined” as several Caribbean countries braced for the passage of a very dangerous Hurricane Beryl, which left a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
Grenada was among the countries hit by the category four storm, and the Secretariat said that St. George’s is hosting the conference on its 50th anniversary of political independence from Britain.
“This conference meeting has also been held for 35 years since the signing of the Grand Anse Declaration, which set in motion CARICOM’s transition to a Single Market and Economy (CSME) and other critical matters,” the Secretariat said.
The CSME allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labor, and services across the region.
The Secretariat said that at the opening ceremony on Sunday, July 28, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the outgoing CARICOM chairman Dr. Irfaan Ali, and Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, the incoming chairman, will deliver addresses.
Another highlight of the opening ceremony will be the admission of the Dutch-speaking Caribbean country of Curacao as an Associate Member.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Mitchell said that even though Grenada had been “punched in the face” by Hurricane Beryl, the country was planning to host the summit.
“We have been knocked down, but we are on our feet. Grenada is open for business, and we will continue to be resilient. So, we intend to proceed with hosting the Caribbean heads of government conference later in July.
“…we intend to host it because we think it is an opportunity for all of us in CARICOM to rally and show solidarity and support to Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Barbados, St. Lucia…who this dreadful hurricane has impacted”.
Mitchell said holding the meeting would also “emphasize some of the more significant international issues we have to treat from the position of climate justice and so on.
“CARICOM is alive and well, and we certainly intend to do our part,” he added.
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