Dr. Barnett is on a three-day official visit to the Dutch-speaking Member State from 24 -26 November to participate in activities marking this historic milestone.

The Secretary-General attended a networking reception hosted by the President of Suriname, H.E. Jennifer Geerlings Simons, for stakeholders and key development partners. She also participated in the National 50th Independence Anniversary Thanksgiving Service.

On 25 November, Dr. Barnett also attended an Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Suriname, and she will join officials at a Parade of the Armed Forces, which will feature parachute jumping demonstrations in celebration of the Golden Jubilee.

During her visit, the Secretary-General will also pay a Courtesy Call on the President of Suriname.

In a congratulatory message to the President of Suriname, Her Excellency Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett said:

“For thirty years, Suriname has been a valued Member of CARICOM, as the Community’s first non-English speaking country. This visionary action has been well-demonstrated though its commitment to regional integration, including as the lead Head of Government in the CARICOM Quasi-Cabinet on Community Development and Cultural Cooperation, including Culture, Gender, Youth and Sport, as well as Industrial Policy.”

The Secretary-General’s full message reads as follows:

“Excellency,

On behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), I extend warm congratulations to the Government and People of the Republic of Suriname as you celebrate your nation’s Fiftieth Anniversary of Independence.

The theme for this Golden Jubilee, “Srefidensi na Srefidenki” (Independence through Reflection), reminds us that independence is best anchored on courageous thoughts, decisions, and actions, thereby giving true meaning to sovereignty.

For thirty years, Suriname has been a valued Member of CARICOM, as the Community’s first non-English speaking country. This visionary action has been well-demonstrated through its commitment to regional integration, including as the lead Head of Government in the CARICOM Quasi-Cabinet on Community Development and Cultural Cooperation, including Culture, Gender, Youth and Sport, as well as Industrial Policy. Further, Suriname’s stewardship and advocacy on climate change and forests have strengthened our Community’s global voice on this critical issue.

We look forward to your continued active engagement within the CARICOM Quasi-Cabinet on these issues, which lie at the heart of regional transformation, resilient societies, creative economies, and an empowered citizenry.

CARICOM values the deep bonds of friendship and cooperation that we share with Suriname. On this momentous occasion, the Community extends very best wishes to the Government and People of Suriname for joyous celebrations, and continued peace, prosperity, and progress. Happy Fiftieth Independence Anniversary!”

Ends.

She expressed appreciation for the support the Community has received from the EU over the years and emphasised the need for continued collaboration, particularly in addressing climate change. She referenced her visit on Monday 17 November to Jamaica alongside CARICOM Heads of Government to show the Community’s solidarity following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

“It is a terrible situation. There is need for support for clean-up, humanitarian relief and reconstruction because the job confronting Jamaica is unimaginable. They are still counting the losses. There was infrastructure that was newly built, roads that have been washed away, houses are gone,” Dr Barnett said, explaining the scale of the destruction.

She also highlighted the challenge of restoring livelihoods in western Jamaica, where the agricultural sector suffered severe damage for a second consecutive year.

Turning attention to Haiti, the Secretary-General thanked the EU for its support as an organisation and from EU member states which assist Haiti directly. She stressed the need for international financing to sustain security efforts on the ground, particularly in the transition from the Multinational Security Support Mission to the Gang Suppression Force.

“There is a lot for us to work on together,” Dr. Barnett told Ambassador Pierantoni, reaffirming the Secretariat’s readiness to support efforts to strengthen the CARICOM-EU partnership.

Ambassador Pierantoni, who served in Guyana from 2014 to 2015 as Head of Regional EU-Caribbean Cooperation, expressed his commitment to deepening CARICOM-EU relations, highlighting the shared values on regional integration, multilateral cooperation, human rights, international law, and democracy.

“These are difficult times, the world is changing rapidly, and it is very important that we remain credible partners with a firm belief in multilateralism,” Ambassador Pierantoni stated.

He recalled the participation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Barbados earlier this year. This he said, reaffirmed the EU’s high regard for its relationship with CARICOM. Ambassador Pierantoni also reiterated EU solidarity and willingness to continue supporting Member States affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Ambassador Priono expressed condolences for the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in some CARICOM Member States. He pledged to build on the work of his predecessor and strengthen ties between Indonesia and CARICOM.

The new Indonesian envoy said the country is interested in advancing its relations with CARICOM in technical cooperation and capacity building, trade and economic ties, and in multilateral advocacy and global inclusivity. It is also ready to share its expertise in disaster risk management, tourism, and the digital economy, while learning from CARICOM’s experience in climate resilience.

Ambassador Priono encouraged CARICOM businesses to explore opportunities in Indonesia and ASEAN markets.

“The Population and Housing Census is a direct source of SDG data and a key input to many SDG indicators. It also provides the statistical frame on which numerous household surveys rely to track national and regional development progress.”

Mr. Brizan commended the European Union for its support under the 11th EDF, noting that several Member States including The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis have already benefitted from in-country technical assistance in census data cleaning and analysis.

Mr. Junior Alexis of the Statistics Office, Grenada, underscored the importance of the initiative, noting that some Member States are in the final stages of their 2020 Round of Population and Housing Censuses and are engaged in analysis, interpretation, and dissemination.

With Member States facing varying levels of technical capacity in these areas, he said that the workshop addresses the challenges Statistical Offices may be experiencing.

“This,” he added, “is not only a technical priority, but also a developmental imperative that supports climate resilience planning, social policy, education, labour force strategies, agricultural development, and economic transformation.”

The workshop features two experts in statistics, Dr. Frank Eelens and Dr. Bart de Bruijn, who are renowned demographers and consultants in population and development of the IBF International Consulting Firm.

The OIF delegation was led by the Special Envoy of the OIF to Haiti, H.E. Domitien Ndayizeye, former President of Burundi. He was accompanied by Ambassador Emmanuel V. Adjovi, Regional Representative of the OIF to the Caribbean and Latin America; Mr. Cyril Ntone, Diplomatic Attaché; and Mr. Guillaume Kazirikanyl, Technical Assistant to the Special Envoy.

In preparation for its onward mission to Haiti, the OIF met virtually with the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group (EPG). This engagement was followed by an in-person meeting at the CARICOM Secretariat with Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, Ms. Elizabeth Solomon; the Ambassador of the French Republic to CARICOM, His Excellency Olivier Plançon; and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian High Commission in Guyana, Mr. Daniel Bood. Discussions focused on the OIF’s visit and ongoing efforts to support peace and security in Haiti.

“The challenge before us is clear: how do we measure what matters the most? How do we quantify the effects on the lives and livelihoods of our citizens so that we can respond effectively and build resilience,” CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General, Dr Armstrong Alexis.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has welcomed a partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to develop a statistical framework to measure poverty and vulnerability in the Region.

The initiative, which will be piloted in The Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, aims to enhance data systems to inform development strategies and strengthen resilience for sustainable development.

It will produce regional knowledge products, methodological guidelines, and training modules for administering multipurpose surveys to assess economic, social, and environmental vulnerabilities in participating countries.

A commencement workshop for the 36-month Technical Cooperation Project was held on 12 November at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, with regional participation via video conference.

CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Armstrong Alexis, welcomed the initiative, noting its urgency in light of recent disasters.

He said that the devastating impact of the powerful Category 5 Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica and Haiti reminded the Region that vulnerability is not just a concept, but a lived reality. Dr Alexis stressed the need for effective responses and solid evidence through accurate, comprehensive, and timely data.

“The challenge before us is clear: how do we measure what matters the most? How do we quantify the effects on the lives and livelihoods of our citizens so that we can respond effectively and build resilience?”
“Without data,” he warned, “the Region risks being reactive rather than proactive.”

Dr. Alexis added that understanding vulnerability in a consistent, comprehensive manner is essential not only to address the climate crisis but also to advance the Region’s quest for climate justice.

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Representative in Guyana, Ms. Lorena Solorzano-Salazar, said that the IDB is pleased to collaborate with CARICOM and to build on a long-standing partnership that includes successful initiatives such the Common Census Framework.

“Today’s workshop marks the beginning of a project that will enhance the regional capacity to generate data needed for a more resilient and equitable Caribbean,” she stated, emphasising the project’s critical importance in helping governments respond to the multidimensional realities of poverty and vulnerability.

“Our collective experience has taught us that to address these issues effectively, we need reliable, comprehensive, and up-to-date data. Without it, it becomes extremely difficult to design and monitor innovative policies,” she added.

The IDB Country Representative said that the project aligns with the Bank’s institutional priorities of reducing poverty and inequality, strengthening resilience, and improving governance through robust data systems.

It also supports the commitments made at the just-concluded 15th Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians to strengthen collaboration among national statistical offices.

The Bahamas is designated as the project lead for the participating states. Managing Director of the country’s National Statistical Institute, Mr. Jamiko Deleveaux told the workshop that the project is a priority for The Bahamas and the wider Community.

He emphasised the urgent need to address them by formulating evidence-based, adaptive strategies that target social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities, given the major sustainable development challenges faced by Small Island Developing States.

Mr Deleveaux said that the initiative aligns with The Bahamas’ commitment to implement regional statistical development strategies. It also advances a shared goal of building efficient CARICOM statistical systems that respond to national, regional, and international development agendas, ultimately enabling resilient communities and driving sustained economic growth.

Delivering remarks from the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters at a ceremony to launch the Plan, the Secretary-General said that the Community looks forward to the work of the CCJ, as it honours its legacy and shapes legal horizons over the next seven years.

The full address reads as follows:

 Accepting all protocols that have been established, permit me to simply acknowledge the President, Judges and Staff of the Caribbean Court of Justice and all the CCJ stakeholders participating in this launch event
 Specially invited guests
 Distinguished ladies and gentlemen

I am pleased to bring just a few remarks this morning as the Caribbean Court of Justice launches its Strategic Plan for the next seven years.

The CCJ is one of the most vital Institutions of CARICOM, having sole and exclusive jurisdiction over the interpretation and application of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

It is the Caribbean Court of Justice, whose interpretation and development of Community jurisprudence, as provided in Decisions and Advisory Opinions, that helps to flesh out the Treaty architecture of our Community, and set out the approach of the Court in issues dealing with the Treaty and trade within the Community.

In original jurisdiction cases, the Court has also focused on the rights of Community nationals. This is likely to increase, given the recent decision by four CARICOM Member States to move ahead to implement full free movement of Community Nationals among themselves.

The over 40 original jurisdiction cases decided so far in the two decades of the CCJ have been invaluable in helping our Community and its Member States to better understand and implement the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. We are richer in knowledge and understanding because of the diligent work of this Court, and we expect to gain even more as this work continues.

The CARICOM Secretariat, CARICOM Members States and Associate Members, extend our very best wishes to the Honourable Mr. Justice Winston Anderson and his team, as the CCJ commences implementation of its first Strategic Plan under his Presidency. We look forward to the work of the CCJ, as it honours its legacy and shapes legal horizons over the next seven years.

We are confident that the Court will impart more guidance, more insight, and more wisdom to the people of CARICOM and their governments, with justice that is timely, tempered and learned.

I wish all of you the very best as you seek to implement this very well-prepared Strategic Plan for the next seven years.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

The Regional Consultation to Review the Proposals for a Draft CARICOM Policy on the Resolution of Financial Institutions and the Drafting Instructions for a related CARICOM Model Law, brought together representatives from 13 CARICOM Member States and the Regional Banking Association. The engagement underscored the Community’s commitment to advancing policy and legal harmonisation, a foundational pillar in establishing the common economic space envisioned under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Work on the Resolution Framework is being financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), Strengthening the Framework for CARICOM Integration and Cooperation Process (SFCICP) Programme.

The Consultation was facilitated by technical experts from Momentus Global Development and a team from the CARICOM Secretariat led by the Director of Economic Policy and Development, Ms. Evelyn Wayne; Senior Legal Counsel (Drafting), Ms. Melanie Ffrench; and Technical Assistant to the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Integration, Innovation and Development (EIID), Ms. Shamika Walrond. The session provided participants with the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the Draft Policy and Drafting Instructions.

The outcomes of these deliberations will contribute to the finalisation of the Draft CARICOM Policy on the Resolution of Financial Institutions and comprehensive Drafting Instructions for the preparation of a CARICOM Model Law.

The negotiations, which were launched in Jamaica in 2022, will update the partial scope agreement between CARICOM Member States and Colombia which was concluded in 1998. The negotiations with Colombia fulfill a critical mandate given by the CARICOM Heads of Government.

CARICOM and Colombia agreed to hold virtual intersessional meetings to advance the negotiations and conduct a final round of negotiations in March 2026.