CARICOM Leaders Gather in St Lucia for Regional Summit Amid Secretary-General Dispute

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders are convening in St Lucia for the Fifty-First Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, where they will spend the next four days addressing some of the region’s most pressing challenges.

The summit, which begins on Sunday, brings together leaders from all fifteen CARICOM member states to discuss regional priorities, including climate action, food and nutrition security, digital transformation, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and the ongoing crisis in Haiti.

St Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has assumed the chairmanship of CARICOM for the next six months and will preside over the meeting.

The summit is also expected to be overshadowed by controversy surrounding the reappointment of Belizean-born economist Dr Carla Barnett as CARICOM Secretary-General. Although member states unanimously agreed to extend Barnett’s term for another five years during the February summit in St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has indicated she does not recognise the decision and is expected to raise the matter during the meeting.

Despite the disagreement, some regional leaders remain confident the issue will not derail discussions on the broader regional agenda.

The opening ceremony will feature addresses from Prime Minister Pierre, outgoing CARICOM Chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett, and youth representative Rahym Augustin-Joseph, a Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholar.