Holness reaffirms CARICOM's importance to Jamaica's development

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reaffirmed the importance of the Caribbean Community to Jamaica's national development, describing the regional integration movement as a vital instrument of multilateral engagement and foreign policy.

Holness made the remarks during a visit to the headquarters of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Georgetown, Guyana, as part of his official visit to the South American nation.

"We see CARICOM as absolutely important to our own national development," the prime minister told staff at the CARICOM Secretariat.

Pointing to what he described as a changing global landscape and the emergence of a "new world order," Holness said CARICOM remains an important vehicle through which member states pursue common interests on the international stage.

While acknowledging that member countries do not always share unified foreign policies, he said they are able to advance common foreign policy objectives through the regional bloc.

Holness also highlighted the significant opportunities for economic cooperation within the Caribbean, citing his visit to Guyana as an example of the possibilities that exist across the region.

"The opportunities for economic collaboration are very wide and very deep," he said. "For that to happen, it is not just a bilateral pursuit. We need standardisation of rules; we need to be able to take advantage of common opportunities."

"There are common challenges that we need to pursue as a Region, and the best institution to do that is CARICOM," he added.

The Jamaican leader stressed the critical role played by the CARICOM Secretariat in helping member governments understand and respond to an increasingly complex global environment.

"Your job as regional administrators and technocrats is to help us, the political leaders, understand the dynamics and the changes that are happening globally and regionally," Holness said. "We rely on you to make sense of the changing and complex global situation, and our regional situation as well."

He also noted that the Secretariat plays an essential role in administering the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and ensuring that the legal and operational frameworks underpinning the Community function effectively.

"At the heart of it is that if the legal framework and the Treaty are not perfected, then bilateral and multilateral relationships can become very difficult," he said.

Holness further emphasized the need for Caribbean citizens to see the practical benefits of regional integration through initiatives such as the free movement of labour and capital, educational and training opportunities, and other measures that directly improve people's lives.

The prime minister also expressed confidence in CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett and her team, saying they are making every effort to guide member states through global challenges and emerging opportunities in keeping with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

CARICOM, established in 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas and revised in 2001 to facilitate the creation of a single market and economy, comprises 15 member states and six associate members and serves approximately 16 million people across the Caribbean.