CARICOM renews call for reparatory justice at regional conference in Barbados
Dr Carla Barnett during her speech at the Third CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations | 17 September 2026 | Barbados
Key Points(5)
- CARICOM Secretary-General Dr.
- Carla Barnett has reaffirmed the Caribbean Community’s push for reparatory justice for the genocide and dispossession of Indigenous peoples and the enslavement of Africans.
- Barnett made the call during the opening ceremony of the Third CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations, which began Thursday, September 17, at the Wyndham Grand Sam Lord’s Castle in St.
- The three-day conference, which runs through September 19, is being held under the theme “Reparatory Justice as the Coming Enlightenment” and brings together representatives from the Caribbean, Africa, the diaspora and international organizations.
- She highlighted the revised CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice as a framework for addressing historical injustices and their continuing effects on Caribbean societies.
CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett has reaffirmed the Caribbean Community’s push for reparatory justice for the genocide and dispossession of Indigenous peoples and the enslavement of Africans.
Barnett made the call during the opening ceremony of the Third CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations, which began Thursday, September 17, at the Wyndham Grand Sam Lord’s Castle in St. Philip, Barbados.
The three-day conference, which runs through September 19, is being held under the theme “Reparatory Justice as the Coming Enlightenment” and brings together representatives from the Caribbean, Africa, the diaspora and international organizations.
The gathering comes months after the United Nations adopted Resolution A/RES/80/250 on March 25, 2026, which described the trafficking and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity.”
Barnett said reparations extend beyond financial compensation and encompass recognition, accountability and transformation. She highlighted the revised CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice as a framework for addressing historical injustices and their continuing effects on Caribbean societies.
She also pointed to progress made by the CARICOM Reparations Commission since its establishment in 2013 under the chairmanship of Professor Sir Hilary Beckles. Twelve CARICOM member states now have national reparations commissions or committees.
Barnett highlighted growing cooperation between CARICOM and the African Union, including the Addis Ababa Declaration adopted in 2025, as evidence of increasing international coordination around the reparations movement.
She also acknowledged the role of civil society, Indigenous peoples and young people in maintaining advocacy for reparatory justice across generations.
The secretary-general said the Barbados conference provides an opportunity for participants to reaffirm shared principles, strengthen strategies and renew cooperation as CARICOM continues its campaign for reparatory justice.
