He invited partners to support economic recovery in key sectors such as infrastructure, the green economy, innovation, education and training, cultural tourism, and security, particularly in the greater north and greater south.

At the closing press conference on 8 July, following the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Montego Bay, Jamaica, both the Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica, and the President-Counsellor highlighted the critical issues and opportunities facing Haiti.

Prime Minister Holness expressed CARICOM’s deep concern over the ongoing situation in the country, stating,

“We continue to be gravely concerned. CARICOM has been very vocal in its call for international support and has been working with Haiti to ensure that its needs and concerns are being addressed.”

He informed the media that in their “detailed discussion” with the President-Counsellor, Heads of Government were apprised of the work of the Council towards strengthening security, holding a referendum on the reform of Haiti’s constitution, and elections in November.

Mr. Saint Cyr outlined the factors necessary to secure a safe and sustainable future in his country, stating,

“Haiti, today, needs the Region to speak with one voice in defence of security, peace, and sustainable development.”

He expressed gratitude to the countries that have already contributed personnel to the Multinational Security Support Mission and those offering training for the Haitian National Police.

At the same time, he pleaded for a redoubling of efforts to restore peace and security in Haiti through training, financial assistance, logistical, and technical support.

Mr. Saint Cyr said that Haiti is also counting on the Community to intensify advocacy with other regional and international partners for rigorous regional cooperation to control the illicit flow of arms and ammunition and combat drug trafficking.

“Haiti relies on its friends and international partners, especially within CARICOM, for the restoration of security, the organisation of elections, and long-term support for national reconstruction. It is together through a united front of coherent sustainable and solidaristic actions that we will be able to face this crisis and deliver on the major priorities of Haiti’s transition,” he stated.

“I welcome the discussions and the shared consensus that Haiti’s security depends on investments including foreign direct investment to address structural causes on insecurity. Haiti remains a land of opportunity,” he added.

Mr. Saint Cyr reaffirmed his commitment to working alongside his colleagues at the TPC toward a successful transition, noting that Haiti is ready to fully assume its responsibilities, but it will not succeed alone.

CARICOM has consistently called for an immediate, unconditional, and sustained ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access. These urgent calls have largely gone unheeded, leading to a crisis of unparalleled proportions. Relentless military operations, including indiscriminate bombardment and direct attacks on aid-seeking civilians, flagrantly violate international humanitarian law.

We are appalled by UN and humanitarian reports depicting widespread hunger, disease, and displacement, deliberately exacerbated by deprivation of basic necessities such as food, water, medicine. Critical fuel shortages further threaten to halt all lifesaving services. The weaponization of essential resources is morally repugnant, intolerable and unconscionable.

We unequivocally condemn all violence against civilians, including the abhorrent 7 October 2023 attacks and hostage-taking. We equally condemn the disproportionate military response, actions contravening international law, and systematic undermining of peace by illegal settlement expansion. The unacceptable dismantling of humanitarian mechanisms, replacing UN-led coordination with military control, demonstrably leads to further civilian casualties.

CARICOM reaffirms its unwavering commitment to a two-state solution as the only viable path to comprehensive, just, and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, consistent with UN Security Council Resolutions and international law. We lament the belligerent and continued disregard for these resolutions, urging the international community to redouble efforts for strict adherence and enforcement.

We, the Heads of Government, urgently demand an immediate ceasefire.  There must be full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza, ensuring vital aid, including fuel, medical supplies, food, and water, reaches all in need without delay. We call for an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and detainees. We demand an end to forced displacement of Palestinians and protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law. It is imperative that there is accountability for all violations of international law, with perpetrators brought to justice.

We, the Heads of Government, reiterate our solidarity with all victims and urge maximum diplomatic efforts for a durable solution to the legitimate security and humanitarian concerns of all parties. The international community cannot stand idly by while this catastrophe deepens.

CARICOM stands ready to support all constructive initiatives for a lasting peace that meets the legitimate aspirations for security, dignity, and stability of all Israelis, Palestinians, and peoples in the wider Middle East.

Agreed 8 July 2025

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Remaining deeply concerned and alarmed bythe surge of gun crime and violence across the Caribbean Region, driven by the proliferation of illegal firearms and activities of gangs and/or organised criminal groups, which continue to pose a serious threat to the Region, its institutions of governance, and the very fabric of our societies,

Underscoring our commitmentto addressthe concerns of our peoples, regarding the impact of organised crime and illicit trafficking on their communities, livelihood, and security,

Cognisant of the current global security threats and the potential impact on the stability and socioeconomic progress of our societies,

Recalling the decision to collaborate on implementing measures to address crime, violence, and national security, and the implications for public health, that directly result from gang activities and the illegal importation of guns into our Region,

Renewing ourcommitment tostrengthening the Region’s response by implementing effective measures to monitor new trends in illicit firearms trafficking, enact robust legislation to include stringent penalties for firearm and gang-related offences, and to strengthen public awareness on the issues relating to the prevention and prosecution of all forms of organised criminal activities,

Determined to create societies characterised by productivity, prosperity, peace, and security,

1. Reaffirm our commitment to continue efforts to complete a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system to, inter alia, address criminal terrorists with a focus on the proactive management of investigations, prosecutions, and sentencing, while also expanding programmes aimed at the early identification and positive redirection of young people who may be at risk of social exclusion or vulnerability to crime;

2. Agree to strengthen the regional institutional security structures, to include the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), and implementation of programmes such as the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), to effectively enhance collaboration and  sharing of information, to disrupt criminal networks, as well as, leverage shared resources to enable law enforcement and support border security efforts;

3. Reinforce national anti-gang strategies to more effectively monitor and disrupt gang movement and their linkages to cross-border firearm-related crimes within CARICOM;

4. Recognise the importance of undertakingthe development or amendment of national legislation to effectively combat gun crimes, the illicit trade in arms and ammunition, trafficking offences in all forms, especially human trafficking as one of the most heinous crimes against humanity;

5. Commit to the development and implementation of comprehensive counter-narcotics strategies through enhanced cooperation, resource sharing, and sustained policy engagement.

6. Resolve to integrate into the formal economy, rule of law, and governance systems, undergoverned spaces that provide, or can provide safe havens to criminal organisations.

Issued in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, on the occasion of the 49^th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

It is for this reason, that the Community must continue to strongly advocate for climate justice and climate finance. Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who assumed the Chairmanship of CARICOM on 1 July 2025, pledged that his country will be a “strong advocate” on the climate front. He made the commitment at the opening ceremony of the Forty-ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM on 6 July in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Climate finance, a matter of “the Region’s survival and prosperity”, was one of the key items on the agenda of the Meeting.

“For others, the issue of climate change may be an academic discussion between scientists trying to determine whether the data set is accurate or whether historically, climate has changed overtime, and therefore climate changing now is nothing new. But last year, just around this time, Jamaica was staring down the earliest forming and perhaps the quickest forming Category 4 hurricane, which devastated a third of our island. So, for us, climate change is not an academic discussion; climate change is real. We live it almost every day. The impact of this has to be understood at the fiscal level, need for financing, but certainly because of our size,” he pointed out during his address at the opening of the Conference.

Dr Holness added that as the Region prepares for COP30 in Brazil later this year, “our call is urgent and clear: the promises of the Paris Agreement must be met—both in emissions reductions and access to climate finance at the level and scale required.”

The European Parliament on Wednesday delisted the two CARICOM Member States and several other countries. The European Commission had updated its list of jurisdictions last month. The list takes the legal form of a delegated regulation upon the imprimatur of the European Parliament.

“We have been actively advocating for such a decision. One which reflects the reality of the hard work we have undertaken to strengthen our financial systems. This is yet another demonstration of the strength of our partnership with the EU, a partnership I am committed to deepening even further as Chair of CARICOM,” Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica said on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the development.

At the closing press conference of the Forty-ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM on Tuesday, 8 July in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Prime Minister Holness had referred to the global architecture for money laundering and the slowness in the full materialisation of the decision of the European Commission.

He placed the Heads of Government Meetings in the context of working collectively towards the solution to challenges such as those related to the fulfilment of the commitments under the global financial architecture.

“Sometimes it’s very difficult for the public to relate with this exercise of bringing regional heads together because it all looks so officious and so way above every everybody’s grasp and understanding of the issues because the issues can often times seem so remote. It doesn’t seem as if it deals with the bread-and-butter issues. But take for example the bread-and-butter issue of being able to conduct banking transactions with ease and convenience. 

“For the average person the overbearing regulations are a great frustration and they could easily conclude it is just the inefficiency of government why we have to fill out so many documents and provide so many forms of identification and answer so many questions to transfer $100, not understanding that there is a global architecture for anti-money laundering and other requirements imposed on states by various global entities and it affects not just Jamaica; it affects an entire Region. This is a problem that is right across the Region and therefore governments have to come together regionally to interface with these global bodies and lobby on your behalf so that the regulation requirements can be much more efficient and simpler for the average person to be able to interface with the financial system,” he said.

In her address as Outgoing Chair of CARICOM at the opening of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Montego Bay on July 6, Prime Minister Mottley warned that the proliferation of disinformation, fueled by the misuse of artificial intelligence, poses a serious risk to the Region’s democracy.

“The improper use of AI can sometimes stoke great fear and panic among our citizens,” she said, citing recent examples in which Barbados was the target of fake news.

“It is almost as if this is a daily exercise now for our countries,” she stated, urging CARICOM to establish its own mechanism to verify information in the absence of action from global tech platforms.
“We need our own CARICOM blue tick to validate truth in this Community,” she said.

Historic gathering

A meeting between Heads of Government and Heads of Judiciary of CARICOM preceded the opening of the Conference. Lauding this gathering as historic, Prime Minister Mottley stated that “it is possible for the judiciary to remain independent but not isolated from the communities in which they operate,” echoing the sentiments of Jamaica’s Chief Justice.

This idea, she added, is critical not only for the development of Caribbean jurisprudence but also for stability in our democracies and for addressing the shared burden of citizen insecurity.

Prime Minister Mottley said that the Region pays a high price for the United States’ Second Amendment rights, and lauded Jamaica’s proposal for a regional justice and security cooperation framework that aligns with the Needham’s Point and George Bridge Declarations.

Underscoring the importance of regional action on citizen security, she said, “We have a duty to our citizens.”

The Outgoing Chair also paid tribute to newly installed President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Winston Anderson.

Outgoing Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, closed out her six-month tenure with a rallying cry for regional solidarity and action in the face of global uncertainty.

Speaking on July 6 at the opening of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where Caribbean leaders first met in 1947 to lay the foundations of regional integration, Prime Minister Mottley reflected on her journey from a “young romantic idealist” and “fervent believer of the regional integration movement” to a more seasoned, though still hopeful, advocate for CARICOM solidarity.

“Our Community has perhaps seen more challenges in these past seven years than at any time since independence,” she said. “But if ever there was a time for regional solidarity, it is absolutely now.”

Highlighting several achievements in trade and economic cooperation during her tenure, the Outgoing Chair said that CARICOM is now poised to finalise long-awaited revisions to the Common External Tariff (CET) and Rules of Origin, crucial trading instruments that protect regional industry while lowering the cost of essential goods for production.

Commending the Council for Trade and Economic Development and the Community Council for completing the work on these critical tools for intra-regional trade, she said now is the time for political decision on what items can see reduced tariff rates without undermining regional production.

Prime Minister Mottley also commended the Regional Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) for responding to the trade tensions stemming from U.S. actions on Chinese-made shipping vessels, including a 500-member strong participation in a Zoom discussion.

Through advocacy with the U.S. government involving CPSO and the CARICOM Secretariat, the Community secured a temporary stay of the imposition of fees exceeding US$1 million per US port call. This stay reduced the risk of trade and supply-chain disruption and increased inflation in the Region.

“As small states, we are vulnerable not just to global economic shocks and natural hazards, but to being marginalised in a world where power and influence often outweigh genuine need. That is why we must think strategically, act collaboratively, and remain focused on the values and interests that unite us,” Prime Minister Holness said.

He was delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the Forty-ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Montego Bay, Jamaica, 6 July 2025. The two-day Heads of Government meeting is being convened under the theme, ‘People, Partnerships, and Prosperity – Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future’ which Prime Minister Holness said, “captures the essence of our regional purpose.”

Focus on people

Geopolitical developments, and the security and resilience of the Region require a focus on people “because human development must be the centre of our integration,” Prime Minister Holness said.

He added that ensuring food security, access to decent work, climate protection, and opportunities for the youth who make up 60 per cent of the Region’s populace, were also key areas of people-centred attention.

Zeroing in on youth engagement in his address, the Prime Minister stressed that young people must have a voice in shaping the decisions that affect their future.

“Youth across the Region have thoughts and ideas about what we are trying to put in place for them and future generations. As key drivers and consumers of technological advancement, they hold immense potential to contribute meaningfully to our development goals. It is important that we engage them in a deliberate, sustained, and meaningful way. Let this meeting send a clear signal—that we view their inclusion not as symbolic, but as a strategic investment in our future,” he said.

Partnerships

The focus on partnerships takes account of the “network of trust” on which global progress is built.

“We need stronger ties within CARICOM and with strategic global partners in Africa, North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East; stronger ties within CARICOM and within strategic global partners in Africa, Europe, North and South America, the Pacific and the Middle East,” Dr. Holness said.

Prosperity

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth, the CARICOM Chair said, must remain “our shared ambition—one that lifts every citizen, especially the most vulnerable.”

“Jamaica will continue to champion initiatives that make these three pillars not just aspirations, but enduring features of Caribbean life, he pledged.

During their meeting, the Heads of Government will hold discussions on a wide range of matters including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), transportation, telecommunications, industrial progress, climate change and climate finance, security, and the situation in Haiti.

“We have much ground to cover over the next few days. While our agenda is undoubtedly ambitious, it reflects a clear and purposeful vision for our Region—one grounded in our shared realities and guided by the need to ensure that our actions are responsive to the people we serve, especially our youth,” the CARICOM Chair said.

“Together, we have nurtured a strong Caribbean identity that transcends borders, that is admired globally, and to which others aspire. As we begin our deliberations for this Forty-Ninth Meeting of the Conference, I encourage of us  to retain our focus on the purpose of our partnership, which is the prosperity, security and well-being of all the people of our Region.”

Monday 7 July 2025 (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown):  The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) officially commenced the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Sunday, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to regional cooperation, integration, and sustainable development. The Meeting is being held under the theme “People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Prosperous Future.”

Delivering remarks at the Opening Ceremony, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett extended gratitude to Dr The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, CARICOM Chair and Prime Minister of Jamaica, and the Government and People of Jamaica for the warm hospitality and for providing an environment conducive to productive deliberations.

“Jamaica features highly in CARICOM’s history,” stated Dr Barnett “This ‘Land of Wood and Water’ was one of the first four nations to signal its commitment to our integration movement by signing the Original Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973. The Rose Hall Declaration, which aimed to deepen integration and strengthen governance in CARICOM, was adopted here at the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in July 2003. Several other pivotal Regular Meetings of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government have also been hosted here.”

Reflecting on over 50 years of regional integration, the Secretary-General acknowledged both the accomplishments and the persistent implementation challenges, particularly in relation to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

“The CARICOM Single Market and Economy, which is designed to facilitate the free movement of goods, services, finances and people, in the interest of increased economic and market efficiency, continues to fall behind expectations. We hope that this Meeting will see a recommitment to strengthening the implementation of the CSME, with a view to ensuring that all aspects of the regimes can be evenly and effectively implemented across the Region, as intended by the framers of theTreaty.”

The CARICOM Secretary-General concluded with a call to action rooted in shared values and mutual responsibility.

“As much as we remain committed to the aims and objectives set out in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, we must also remain cognisant that moving forward is more difficult for some of us. In the spirit of family, we should seek to address the concerns of all if we are to be a Community that benefits everyone in the Region. As several of our regional statesmen have been known to say, “If CARICOM did not exist, we would have to invent it”.

She added, “And, to borrow from one of Jamaica’s national icons, Honourable Robert Nesta Marley, our guiding principle must continue to be “one love, one heart, one destiny.”

As the Meeting proceeds, CARICOM Heads of Government are expected to engage in substantive discussions and adopt decisions that further the prosperity, security, and sustainable development of the Caribbean Community.

Gratitude to Outgoing CARICOM Chair  

The Secretary-General gave special recognition to the Outgoing Chair of the Conference, the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, SC, MP, Prime Minister of Barbados, for her strategic leadership over the past six months amid evolving geopolitical challenges.

“As we grappled with worrying geopolitical issues over the last six months, CARICOM has been led with decisiveness and foresight by the Outgoing Chair, Honourable Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. Prime Minister Mottley, we thank you for your dedication to amplifying the Region’s voice on important issues and to its economic advancement, including through your leadership of the ongoing initiatives to strengthen the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).”

Leaders welcomed to the Conference

Prime Minister Holness was formally welcomed as the Incoming Chair of the Conference. Dr Barnett underscored that as CARICOM’s Lead Head for External Trade Negotiations, he is well-positioned to guide the Community through the complexities of global commerce. His efforts in supporting stability in Haiti were also acknowledged as exemplary of Jamaica’s leadership role in regional affairs.

The CARICOM Secretary-General highlighted that the Meeting also marked the return of several leaders who were re-elected: Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago; Honourable John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize; His Excellency Gilmar Pisas, Prime Minister of Curaçao. She also recognized newly-elected leaders: Honourable Cora Richardson-Hodge, Premier of Anguilla (the first woman to hold this position) and Honourable Andre Ebanks, Premier of the Cayman Islands

CCJ President

She highlighted the inauguration of Honourable Mr Justice Winston Anderson of Jamaica as President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and noted that his elevation was warmly received as a moment of pride for the Region.

“We look forward to the benefit of your experience, intellect and well-known dedication to the rule of law, as we collectively seek to deliver enhanced frameworks for justice within the Community.”

18^th CARICOM Road Race

The recently concluded 18^th CARICOM Road Race was cited by Dr Barnett as a symbol of Caribbean unity in practice, encouraging healthy lifestyles and advancing the Region’s global advocacy on non-communicable diseases. She shared that CARICOM leaders also reaffirmed support for regional participation in the upcoming Fourth High-Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the 80th United Nations General Assembly.

About the Meeting

Jamaica is hosting the Forty-ninth (49th) Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) from 6-8 July in Montego Bay, under the chairmanship of Dr The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP, Chair, CARICOM and Prime Minister of Jamaica.

The Meeting is being held under the theme “People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Prosperous Future.”

Read more about the Meeting here: https://caricom.org/49hgc/

“It’s an interesting journey for us. It’s a transformative journey that we have undertaken as a Region, and I’m happy to report that there have been positives; there have been some highlights that we are, in fact, proud of as a Region. And it says to us, we are progressing in a direction that once we’re able to keep the momentum and to keep our eyes on the ball, we should be able to achieve a majority of what it is that we want for regional food security,” Mr. Shaun Baugh, Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Programme Manager at the CARICOM Secretariat said in an interview with the Communications Unit.

Speaking ahead of the Forty-ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, set for 6-8 July 2025 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Mr. Baugh shared a comprehensive update on the progress of the food security initiative that is aimed at reducing the Region’s food import bill.

The Heads of Government at their last meeting in February, extended the timeline of the initiative – renamed ’25 x 25+5′ – from 2025 to 2030 to build on its early successes.