Plans are underway for the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which will be hosted by Jamaica in July 2025.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, confirmed the details during a recent JIS Think Tank session, announcing that Prime Minister Andrew Holness will assume the Chairmanship of CARICOM on July 1.
Among the key issues on the agenda are trade and regional security, both of which Holness has prioritized in recent discussions. At the 48th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads in Barbados earlier this year, he presented on external trade negotiations in his capacity as chair of the Prime Ministerial Subcommittee on the issue.
“We’re doing the work between the two meetings to allow for a richer discussion,” Johnson Smith said. “Security, as you know, is one of the critical constraints on economic growth across all of the countries in the region.”
She added that Holness has been advocating for a more global approach to tackling transnational crime, emphasizing the need for stronger cooperative mechanisms and strategic coordination across borders.
The CARICOM meeting is expected to be held later than usual, as it coincides with the International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, scheduled for June 30 to July 3. The scheduling adjustment will allow regional leaders, many of whom also serve as Finance Ministers, to participate in both events.
