The 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be held in St George’s, Grenada from July 28 to 30, 2024.
Grenada is hosting this Conference in the year of its 50th anniversary of independence.
This meeting also marks 35 years since the signing of the Grand Anse Declaration, which initiated CARICOM’s transition to a single market and economy, among other significant developments.
The opening ceremony will feature addresses by the CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett; the Outgoing Chairman of CARICOM, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali; the Incoming Chairman of CARICOM, Dickon Mitchell; and will include the admission of Curacao as an Associate Member.
The agenda will cover various important topics such as the agri-food systems agenda, which focuses on food and nutrition security; climate change and sustainable development; foreign policy; the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and engagement with social partners. Discussions will also include the impact of Hurricane Beryl on the Region.
Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, will be the Special Guest at the meeting.
During the Opening Ceremony on Sunday, July 28, at St George’s University, two distinguished sons of the Region—legendary Guyanese cricketer Sir Clive Hubert Lloyd and quintessential Jamaican regionalist Mr. Roderick Rainford, former Secretary-General of CARICOM—will receive the Order of the Caribbean Community.
CARICOM meeting agenda
As CARICOM continues to deepen regional integration through the CSME and other sectoral programmes, special attention will be given to the operationalization of the Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA), which envisions a single market for air transport services within the Community.
Heads of Government will review progress towards goals such as full free movement and a 25 percent reduction in food imports by 2025. They will also discuss the Strategy for Regional Digital Resilience 2025-2030. The new Chairman, the Honourable Dickon Mitchell, who is the lead Head of Government for Science and Technology, including Information and Communication, in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, will be a key participant in these discussions.
The Chairman, the Hon. Dickon Mitchell of Grenada; the Outgoing Chairman, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana; and the CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, will deliver addresses at the Ceremony. Curacao will be formally admitted during the Ceremony, which will be streamed on CARICOM’s social media platforms starting at 4:00 pm.
On Monday, July 29, Heads of Government will conduct business sessions at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort in Grand Anse, a location of historical significance as the birthplace of the Grand Anse Declaration and Work Programme, signed during the 10th Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government on July 12, 1989. The Declaration aimed to enhance economic and political cooperation among Member States, emphasizing principles of sovereignty, non-interference, and equality. Most notably, it led to the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), promoting economic growth, competitiveness, and opportunities for citizens of Member States.
The customary closing press conference will be held on Tuesday, July 30, at 4:30 pm at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort in a hybrid format.
