A planned virtual meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders to address the ongoing crisis in Haiti was postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances,” the CARICOM Secretariat announced Friday.
Originally scheduled as a special session of the 41st Inter-Sessional Meeting, the talks were set to focus on Haiti’s deepening political and socio-economic turmoil, along with updates on the region’s readiness to implement key elements of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), particularly the protocol on enhanced cooperation for free movement.
The Secretariat, based in Georgetown, Guyana, did not provide a new date but said the meeting would be rescheduled and apologized “for any inconvenience caused.”
Sources told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that CARICOM leaders had also been expected to discuss member states’ preparedness to fully enact the free movement of persons—a longstanding goal of the CSME that allows for the free movement of goods, services, capital, and skilled labor across the 15-member bloc.
A new date is expected to be announced later this month, as CARICOM heads prepare to meet in person for their annual summit in Jamaica from July 6 to 8. During that summit, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness is expected to assume the rotating chairmanship of the regional grouping from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
Haiti remains a central concern for the region, with CARICOM playing a key role in efforts to stabilize the country and facilitate political dialogue.
