The webinar is being held to mark International Youth Day, which was observed on 12 August under the theme ‘Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond’.
]]>The issues were a common thread of speakers at the opening of the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the RNB on Tuesday, 12 August in Barbados, where the spotlight was placed on the anticipated increase in the need for nurses and midwives, and the need for guidance and action to mitigate the impacts of the shortage.
Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, Minister of Health and Wellness of Barbados, delivered the feature address in which he lauded the achievements of the Regional Nursing Body over the past 50 years and its unwavering commitment to nursing excellence.
“The RNB now stands at a critical crossroad. You are not only being called upon to sustain the gains of the past, but to lead the transformation of the profession, to shape new models of care, and to prepare our nursing workforce to face complex health challenges ahead, which include, of course, ‘Dr. Google’ and the worrisome effects of climate change,” the Minister said.
He pointed to the “troubling trends” and “growing concerns” about nurse retention and called for courage and collaboration in charting the course ahead.
“Too many of our nurses are leaving for greener pastures, an issue that has become more acute in recent years. Small developing states such as ours simply cannot match the salaries and benefit packages offered by the larger, wealthier nations. As a result, we are facing staffing shortages that increase nurse-to-patient ratios, create longer shifts, which can lead to stress and burnout in some cases, and ultimately can compromise the quality of patient care,” he noted.
In her remarks, Ms. Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, highlighted the “critical shortage of these indispensable health professionals.” She cited the State of the World’s Nursing Report 2025 (SOWN), which pointed out that one in seven nurses globally was practising outside of the country of their birth, underscoring a growing dependence on foreign-born nurses within high-income countries.
“This dynamic poses significant challenges to the development and sustainability of health systems in low- and middle-income countries like those within our Region. Accordingly, it is imperative that the Region substantially increase its investments in the education, recruitment, and retention of nurses and midwives to safeguard the resilience and effectiveness of our health workforce,” the Assistant Secretary-General said.
Ms. Nester Edwards, Chair of the Regional Nursing Body and Chief Nursing Officer of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs of Grenada, also warned of the consequences if gaps are not filled.
“While they are among the largest, if not the largest, segment of the workforce in our healthcare systems, the Region continues to face a perennial shortage of nurses and midwives with high attrition rates and migration to more developed countries. According to the SOWN 2025 report, we are unlikely to achieve the targets for universal health coverage if the gap in these shortages is not filled,” she said.
She called for redoubled efforts to find effective strategies to recruit and retain nurses and midwives, including those in the diaspora. “Improving working conditions and utilising technological advancements and incentives, including flexible working hours, should be considered when developing these strategies,” she said.
The RNB chair also urged capacity-building of the next generation of nurses and midwives in leadership, policy development, strategic planning, and research.
Agenda items for the three-day meeting include developing an action plan to address the migration and mobility of health workers in the Region, a review of the SOWN 2025, new developments in nursing, and the results of the April 2025 sitting of the Regional Examination for Nurse Registration.
]]>Suriname, which holds responsibility for the Industrial Policy in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, is spearheading work towards its completion to present it to a Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in October 2025. The work to be carried out in time for that meeting includes deeper engagements with key stakeholders in the business community.
Already, consultations have been held with stakeholders in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while others are planned for later in August.
Ambassador David Prendergast, Director, Sectoral Programmes at the CARICOM Secretariat, said that there is a strong demand for the Policy from the Region’s private sector. The Policy is grounded in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and is intended to promote the development of entities ranging from micro to large businesses.
“Essentially, [this policy] seeks to boost productivity, to create more opportunities for employment across the Region, to use our resources optimally, and to connect us into global value chains which are critical for production with the ultimate objective of improving the standard of living of our people across the Region,” Amb. Prendergast explained.
Industrial Policy development consultant to the CARICOM Secretariat, Mr. Sandiford Ruel Edwards, said given the current global environment, the CARICOM Industrial Policy and Strategy is well-positioned to make a substantive contribution to renewed economic diversification and cultivating indigenous growth and prosperity by addressing both established industrial sectors and emerging innovative fields and technologies.
“It is important to acknowledge that this industrial policy is not a universal remedy; historical global initiatives have sometimes resulted in notable failures, and there remain valid concerns regarding government intervention in market selection. This strategic framework proposes a collaborative model between regional governments and the private sector, targeting 12 industrial ecosystems alongside five cross-cutting enablers,” he said.
The 12 eco-systems at the foundation of the Policy are: Agri-Food, Fisheries and Processing; Construction; Culture and Creative Industries; Digitalisation; Education and Human Capital Development; Energy; Health and Wellbeing; Mobility and Transportation; Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises; Non-Food Manufacturing; Research, Development and Innovation; and Tourism.
The cross-cutting enablers are Financing, Competition Policy and Consumer Protection, Intellectual Property, Standards and Environmental Stewardship. ]]>
Please read her remarks below:
Ms. Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, on Tuesday made remarks at the opening of the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the Regional Nursing Body (RNB) in Bridgetown, Barbados.
- Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, Minister of Health and Wellness of Barbados
- Honourable Davidson Ishmael, Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados
- Mr. Wayne Marshall, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados
- Chief Nursing Officers
- Ms Piedad Huerta, Subregional Program Director, Caribbean, Ad Interim, Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation
- Delegates and other special invitees
Good morning and welcome to the Fifty-second Annual General Meeting of the Regional Nursing Body. The work of the Regional Nursing Body remains a critical part of addressing priority issues related to the education, practice, and regulation of nurses and midwives in the Caribbean region. Your leadership has been pivotal to the harmonisation of the provision of nursing and midwifery services throughout the region and serves to ensure the quality of care they provide. By being here today, you affirm your dedication to the ongoing work needed to tackle vital health challenges and priority concerns throughout the region.
It is important to note that the need for nursing and midwifery professionals is expected to increase, driven by the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases, the rising importance of mental health services, and the persistent challenges posed by both emerging and endemic communicable diseases. This urgency is further amplified by the multifaceted impacts of climate change, shifting geopolitical landscapes, and the demographic pressures of an aging population, all of which collectively heighten the complexity of health service needs across the Region.
However, the Caribbean region continues to face a critical shortage of these categories of indispensable health professionals. In fact, according to the ‘State of the World’s Nursing Report 2025’, one in seven nurses globally were practising outside of the country of their birth, underscoring a growing dependence on foreign-born nurses within high-income countries. This dynamic poses significant challenges to the development and sustainability of health systems in low- and middle-income countries like those within our Region. Accordingly, it is imperative that the region substantially increase its investments in the education, recruitment, and retention of nurses and midwives to safeguard the resilience and effectiveness of our health workforce.
Therefore, we look to the leadership of the Regional Nursing Body to provide the strategic guidance on how the Region can advance and expand the nursing and midwifery professions to support the achievement of universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Secretariat wishes to express profound thanks to the Government of Barbados for hosting the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the RNB. We also want to commend the coordinating teams in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the CARICOM Secretariat for their tireless efforts to make this meeting a reality. Thanks are also extended to the associations, institutions, and development partners, including PAHO/WHO, for their continued support to our Member States. Last but not least, thanks to the Chief Nursing Officers and Nursing Councils of our Member States and Associate Members. Your active participation will be vital for the success of this meeting and instrumental in shaping nursing and midwifery policies and initiatives to advance the nursing profession and improve health outcomes across the region.
I wish you fruitful deliberation throughout the course of this meeting.
Thank you!
]]>Nationals of CARICOM Member States, 18 and older, can submit entries to the competition, which closes on 5 September 2025. The winner will receive an Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max 16, which will be presented at the 50th Meeting of the SCCS in Curacao in October.
Entries to the competition should be sent to sccs.logocompetition@caricom.org, addressed to the Caribbean Community Secretariat for the attention of Mr. Halim Brizan, Director, Regional Statistics Programme, and copied to Mr. Dike Noel, Manager, Communications at communications@caricom.org
Regional Logo Competition Rules and Guidelines
Regional Logo Competition Entry Form
About the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS)
The Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) was established in 1974 and was endorsed the same year by the inaugural meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the expanded Caribbean Community. The SCCS serves as the highest decision-making body for statistical activities within CARICOM. Its objective is to “foster increased recognition of the importance of adequate statistical services to the countries of the Region; to widen the scope and coverage of statistics data collection; and to improve the quality, comparability, and timeliness of statistics produced.”
The SCCS comprises Directors and Chief Statisticians of CARICOM Member States and Associate Members and plays a pivotal role in advancing statistical development. It is responsible for establishing common frameworks, promoting the adoption of regional statistical standards and harmonising concepts and methodologies across Member countries. Through the implementation of a common Regional Statistics Work Programme (RSWP), the SCCS ensures the production of high-quality, harmonised statistics to support the planning, monitoring and evaluation of development initiatives throughout CARICOM.
About the Regional Statistics Programme
The Regional Statistics Programme (RSP) of the CARICOM Secretariat holds responsibility for strengthening the statistical capacity in Member States and at the Secretariat to provide harmonised, high-quality statistical information for decision-making, and to guide, monitor and assess human and economic development in the Community and specifically in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Capacity-building, the promotion of Centres of Excellence, building statistics systems, and developing and reinforcing frameworks to support data collection, including in collaboration with International Development Partners,are key components of the work of the RSP. The work is guided by the Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS), which is the master plan to strategically support the modernisation and transformation of the CARICOM Statistical System (CSS) while ensuring alignment with regional and national priorities.
]]>Be part of the conversation and momentum! Join the CARICOM Secretariat and the World Food Programme (WFP) tomorrow, Wednesday 30 July, as they unveil the findings from the latest Caribbean Food Security and Livelihoods Survey—revealing new insights and opportunities to guide collective action.
Did you know? The report shows that 42% of the population is facing moderate to severe food insecurity—making our work more urgent and essential than ever.
Everyone’s invited. Let’s come together, stay informed, and spark innovative approaches to help ensure that no one is left behind.
To register, please click here.
Please see additional details.
“The [PAHO-CARICOM Joint Sub-regional Cooperation Strategy (JSCS) 2025-2029] is a continuation of a process. CARICOM has prioritised health outcomes for a long time, and this long-standing commitment of CARICOM will continue.”
Dr Carla Barnett | Secretary-General | CARICOMWednesday, 23 July 2025 (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown): The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Tuesday, signed a Joint Subregional Cooperation Strategy (JSCS) aimed at enhancing regional public health response and resilience through coordinated technical collaboration. The agreement was formalised by CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnettand PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa.
This joint strategy establishes a five-year plan for concerted action to address common regional health issues, uniting CARICOM, PAHO, subregional, and international partners to bolster the Caribbean’s health agenda. It focuses on five key strategic priorities to steer PAHO’s technical assistance in the Caribbean subregion. All fifteen (15) CARICOM Member States as well as six the (6) Associate Members will benefit from this strategy.
Dr Barnett, in her address, recogised PAHO’s continued collaboration, noting,
“The [PAHO-CARICOM Joint Sub-regional Cooperation Strategy (JSCS) 2025-2029] is a continuation of a process. CARICOM has prioritised health outcomes for a long time, and this long-standing commitment of CARICOM will continue.”
The Secretary General expressed that this landmark moment in the partnership with PAHO, solidifies the ongoing support for the development and implementation of public health policies across the Region and ensures good health investments for the People of the Community.
Dr Barnett shares more of her perspective on the JSCS below.
“This signing marks a milestone in a long-standing partnership rooted in trust, mutual respect, and a shared vision for the health and well-being of the peoples of the Caribbean,” said Dr Barbosa, emphasising that “the Caribbean faces unique and interconnected public health challenges: from the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases, to the effects of climate change, to the urgency of digital transformation and the need for resilient health systems. These challenges do not stop at borders, and neither can our solutions.”
The PAHO Director provides more insight on the organisation’s long-standing partnership with CARICOM below.
Guyana’s Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, echoed the significance of the Joint Strategy, stating,
“This strategy affirms that health is not just a service, it is a right. In the Caribbean, that right must not be determined by geography, income, or age.”
Minister Anthony shares more of his perspective on the JSCS below.
Helpful Links:
Noncommunicable Diseases | Data/Statistics
https://www.paho.org/en/topics/noncommunicable-diseases
Major Storm on the Horizon: NCDs and mental health conditions to cost South America trillions by 2050
]]>Connect with leading educators, policymakers, and innovators to explore the future of education in the Caribbean and beyond, under the theme–Navigating the Digital Age: Rethinking Teaching, Learning and Assessment.
Take advantage of the limited early bird registration discount by 19 August and register at: https://conference.cxc.org
]]>The launch will feature a keynote address by the Hon. Samal Duggins, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources of St. Kitts and Nevis; remarks by Dr. Wendell Samuel, CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General (ag), Economic Integration, Innovation and Development,; Ms. Teesha Mangra, Chair of the CARICOM Youth Advisory Body, and representatives from regional and international organisations which are partnering to hold the CWA.
Representatives of the media are invited to provide coverage of the following:
EVENT: Launch, Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2025
WHEN: 15 July 2025| 10 am AST
The launch will be streamed live via the following CARICOM social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, and X.
ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN WEEK OF AGRICULTURE
The Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) is the premier event on the regional agricultural calendar. It is a roving event hosted by CARICOM Member States and Associate Members and includes seminars, key meetings, a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), and an exhibition.
The CWA was conceptualised by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as a facility to place agriculture and rural life on the front burner of regional integration activities and in doing so enable:
- the key decision-makers in the public and private sectors to better acknowledge the importance of agriculture and rural life to the economic, social, and environmental stability of the region; and
- for the major stakeholders in agriculture and related sectors to have an opportunity to dialogue and forge a common vision for the repositioning of agriculture and the enhancement of rural life.
The CWA is convened under the aegis of the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu (The Alliance). From the inaugural meeting in 1998, the two main collaborating agencies were IICA and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.
In 2002, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) joined IICA and CARICOM to establish a core group which functions as the Secretariat of The Alliance. Since then, the four agencies have collaborated on the management and logistics necessary for the convening and servicing of meetings of The Alliance as well as the myriad of activities during the CWA. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) which was a joint international institution of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU) from 1983 – 2020, was a major partner and sponsor of the CWA activities from 2003.
To date, there have been 18 successful editions of the CWA. The first CWA was held in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999. Last year, St. Vincent and the Grenadines hosted the event. Close to 500 visitors joined Vincentians for the week of activities that focused on ‘Climate-Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future’.
Click here to listen as Ms. Deborah Daniel, Agriculture Planning Officer, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, reflects on the 2024 edition of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture and shares advice for hosting the event.
]]>The Council – which is comprised of Ministers responsible for fisheries, aquaculture, and the blue economy from 17 CRFM Member States – elected Honourable Kyle Hodge, Anguilla’s Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, Lands, Planning, Water, and Natural Resources, as the new Chair.
“It is a distinct honour for Anguilla to take up this mantle of Chair from the Turks and Caicos Islands. We have very important work to do over the next year, as we continue to chart the way forward for this regional authority for fisheries and aquaculture across the Caribbean Community,” Minister Hodge said.
“As Ministers responsible for fisheries, we will forge resolutely ahead with promoting the efficient management, conservation and development of the region’s living marine resources; developing and maintaining relations with national, sub-regional, regional, and international partners that share our vision and mission for sustainable Caribbean fisheries; as well as supporting actions aimed at ensuring safe, healthy and fair working and living conditions for over half-million fishers, fish workers, and others employed across our fisheries and aquaculture value chains,” he added.
The fisheries sector lies at the heart of a vibrant Caribbean blue economy, which operates within a dynamic international legislative and policy landscape that impacts fish trade in the Caribbean—and by extension both national and regional economies. The Council deliberated upon the implications of the listing of the queen conch under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA). It also deliberated upon strategies for securing Caribbean trade amid measures arising under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, the US Import Provisions & High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, the US NOAA Fisheries Seafood Import Monitoring Program, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Strategy on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships.
The CRFM has played an active role in regional and international initiatives to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other fisheries-related crimes. The Council received updates on the efforts made by the CRFM Secretariat and Member States to address fisheries-related crimes, including efforts through the global Blue Justice Initiative and the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub, based in Jamaica. They also received updates on interventions led by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as a new partnership with the Caribbean Community Implementing Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) and Auxilium Worldwide.
The Ministers approved the CRFM’s new Environmental and Social Safeguard Policy, which will serve as a guiding framework to manage environmental and social risks and to ensure compliance with relevant national, regional, and international safeguard principles and standards.
They also approved the CRFM Strategy for Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Regional Fisheries Management. This document signals the commitment of CRFM Member States to ensure that marine biodiversity and environmental protection are integrated into fisheries management.
The CRFM expresses its sincerest gratitude to Hon. Josephine Olivia Connolly, former Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Culture and Heritage, Agriculture and Religious Affairs, of The Turks and Caicos Islands, for her stellar service as Chair of the Council for the 2024 Programme Year. We also welcome her successor, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, who became the new Minister of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries & Environment in the Turks and Caicos Islands in February 2025.
The Council is scheduled to hold an in-person meeting in October 2025 at Caribbean Week of Agriculture, to be convened by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in St. Kitts and Nevis. (Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Press Release)
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