“I am on record as saying that we need to launch a war on gangs of a similar magnitude and nature to the war on terror.”
Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MPChair, CARICOM
Prime Minister, Jamaica
CARICOM Heads of Government have agreed to tackle the Region’s crime and security challenge with the adoption of the Montego Bay Declaration on Transnational Organised Crime and Gangs, underscoring leaders’ united stance against criminal networks.
This was highlighted by Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP, CARICOM Chair and Jamaica’s Prime Minister, during the closing media conference for the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government, which was held from 6-8 July in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
“A secure CARICOM is a viable CARICOM,” stated the CARICOM Chairman, “And as such, security remains high on the agenda for the duration of my chairmanship and beyond.”
Prime Minister Holness shared that leaders also held talks with the Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Valdecy Urquiza, who “committed to strengthening cooperation and expanding access to its global resources.”
In the Declaration, leaders reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering the Region’s efforts against organised crime by tracking emerging trends in illicit firearms trafficking, introducing strong legislation with tougher penalties for firearm and gang-related offences and enhancing public awareness to support prevention and prosecution initiatives.
Firm stance
During his keynote address at the Meeting’s opening ceremony on Sunday, the Prime Minister underscored that CARICOM nations must take a firm stance on organised criminal gangs, reiterating his position that gang violence must be regarded as acts of terrorism.
He stated that gang networks have grown well beyond typical street-level crime and now pose a serious threat to regional security and emphasised that addressing this issue requires the same level of urgency and coordinated action as the global fight against terrorism.
“I am on record as saying that we need to launch a war on gangs of a similar magnitude and nature to the war on terror,” the CARICOM Chairman stated.
Dr Holness underscored the urgent need for Member States to collaborate in dismantling the resources that fuel criminal organisations, particularly their access to financial systems.
Referencing a July 2024 United Nations report, Dr. Holness noted findings on the influence of gang activity in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. The report also highlighted a correlation between escalating drug production in South America, widespread firearm availability, and rising homicide rates.
Dr Holness further stated that the deteriorating security situation in Haiti serves as a stark warning and a call to immediate, coordinated regional action.
“It is the organisation of violence for profit. It is not merely street-level, dispossessed, socially excluded youngsters. There is a level of intelligence, a level of resources, a level of organisation that has been brought to crime and violence, which is being used for profit, stated the Prime Minister.
Adding, “My own view is that policy and jurisprudence need to evolve to address this matter.”
The Prime Minister underscored the immense scale and complexity of crime affecting the Region, cautioning that it cannot be resolved overnight or through short-term efforts.
He emphasised that a durable solution will require robust investment and widespread public engagement across the Community, noting that unified support is essential to effectively confront the threat.
Helpful Links:
UNODC, Caribbean Gangs “Drugs, firearms, and gang networks in Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago”, 2024
Keynote Address | Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP | Prime Minister of Jamaica | Chairman of CARICOM | 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government| 6 July 2025
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.”
]]>“There can be no sustained prosperity without security,” the Prime Minister said, pointing out that urgent action is required to confront the growing problem.
“We must dismantle the influence of gangs in our communities, disrupt their financing, and cut off access to weapons,” Dr. Holness said during his address at the opening of the Forty-ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, which ended on 8 July in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
He quoted a 2024 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime which highlighted the worrying combination of risk factors including surging drug production in South America, the proliferation and competition of transnational and local gangs, and high availability and use of firearms [that] have contributed to soaring homicide rates.
“If the situation in Haiti is an indicator, these are not ordinary times and they require urgent action,” the Prime Minister said.
Acknowledging that the problem cannot be solved overnight, the Prime Minister said it will require “significant investment and unified public support”.
“I am on record as saying that we need to launch a war on gangs of a similar magnitude and nature to the war on terror. Aside from climate change, the threat that poses an existential threat in the near term for many of our states would be the growth of gangs. Many Caribbean states, by virtue of our history and the kind of civilisation we wish to develop, would seem to categorise gangs as a social problem; a problem caused by the alienation of youth, poverty, breakdown of social mores and values, and therefore the policy response must be or should be a social response, one that treats crime and violence as a public health crisis – and basically so, there is no question that it is a social problem why 90 per cent of persons involved in crime are males, and speaking for Jamaica, 90 per cent of those who are victims of homicide are males, so yes, there is that strong social component.
“But I believe that our society, and the way that we think about crime and violence needs to evolve to accept and understand the evolved nature of the challenge we face, and the truth is that what we are now facing is the organisation of violence. It is the organisation of violence for profit. It is not merely street level, dispossessed, socially excluded youngsters. There is a level of intelligence, a level of resources, a level of organisation that has been brought to crime, and violence is being used to support a profit motive and my own view is that policy and jurisprudence needs to evolve to address this matter,” the Prime Minister said.
Underlining the importance of security to the Community’s progress, Heads of Government invited the Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), Mr. Valdecy Urquiza, as a special guest to the Meeting.
Jamaica also mounted a security exposition at the Meeting. Prime Minister Holness said the exposition is intended to spotlight “our shared commitment to building a safer, more resilient Region by exchanging ideas, innovations and best practices. It is also an opportunity for you to see how the significant investments made by the Government of Jamaica in national security over the past nine years are yielding results in crime reduction and public safety.”
]]>“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.”
– Dr Carla Barnett | Secretary-General | CARICOMMonday 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.”
18th CARICOM Road Race
The recently concluded 18th 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/
“As Chair of CARICOM, Jamaica reaffirms its commitment to advancing the work of the Community. A secure and sustainable future for our Region can only be achieved through united coordinated efforts.
Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MPChair, CARICOM
Prime Minister, Jamaica
As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) marks its 52nd anniversary on 4 July 2025, Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica, has underscored the centrality of unity and cooperation for the Region’s future.
“CARICOM has embodied the Region’s response to our shared historical experiences and common challenges as Small Island Developing States,” Holness stated in his message.
“Our future lies in cooperation, working together to secure peace and prosperity for the people of the Caribbean.”
The Jamaican Prime Minister stated that CARICOM has been a beacon of regional integration and cooperation and has grown to include 15 Member States and six Associate Members, symbolising a diverse group of nations with a unique Caribbean identity and a shared ambition for a sustainable and prosperous future.
Noting that CARICOM stands as a testament to what can be achieved when differences are transcended for the common good, he referenced the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
He described this driver of regional growth and development as “a powerful vehicle for advancing regional economic integration,” highlighting its role in creating new opportunities, enhancing competitiveness, strengthening resilience, and promoting inclusiveness.
While he acknowledged the progress of the CSME, Prime Minister Holness also emphasised the need for continued efforts to unlock the full potential of the CSME, particularly in driving inter-regional trade, facilitating the movement of skills and capital, and fostering sustainable economic growth.
In his message, Prime Minister Holness also commended the significant role of regional institutions such as the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and The University of the West Indies (UWI) in implementing policies and programmes that directly impact the quality of life for Caribbean citizens.
Looking toward the future, he underscored the importance of addressing new and emerging challenges through collective efforts. These include tackling climate change, securing climate financing, strengthening food and energy security, combating transnational organised crime, and bolstering resilience to external shocks.
He also reiterated CARICOM’s commitment to supporting Haiti in its quest for lasting peace and stability.
He stated, “As Chair of CARICOM, Jamaica reaffirms its commitment to advancing the work of the Community. A secure and sustainable future for our Region can only be achieved through united coordinated efforts.”
Prime Minister Holness extended warm greetings to CARICOM nationals within the Region and in the diaspora and called on them to celebrate the progress made and recommit to the journey ahead.
“Together, let us continue to build a Caribbean Community that shines as a beacon of unity, shared purpose, and hope for both present and future generations,” he concluded.
Please watch the CARICOM Chairman’s message below.
Prime Minister Holness will assume the six-month chairmanship of the Community on 1 July 2025, succeeding the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. A founding member of CARICOM, Jamaica holds responsibility for external trade negotiations in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.
Prior to the Meeting, on 5 July 2025, male and female professional and amateur athletes who are nationals of CARICOM Member States and Associate Members will gather in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, for the 18th CARICOM Road Races. This activity is intended to promote camaraderie among athletes in the Region and help to underscore the positive influence of sport and physical education on quality of life.
The opening ceremony of the Meeting, scheduled for Sunday, 6 July, 5:00 pm, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre (MBCC), will feature remarks by Prime Minister Holness and Dr. Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary-General.
Heads of Government will begin the two-day business sessions of the Conference on 7 July at the MBCC. They will focus on developments in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); security issues; Haiti; external trade negotiations; climate change and the climate finance agenda; food and nutrition security; and preparations for the second Africa-CARICOM Summit.
Other matters for the attention of the CARICOM leaders include transportation, telecommunications, digitalisation of the tourism industry and the CARICOM Industrial Policy.
CARICOM Heads of Government met in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in 1982 for their third meeting following the establishment of the Caribbean Community in 1973. Jamaica hosted the Eleventh Meeting of the Conference in 1990. Montego Bay was the location of the Eighteenth, Twenty-Fourth, Thirty-First, and Thirty-Ninth Regular Meetings of the Conference in 1997, 2003, and 2010, and 2018, respectively.
At the Twenty-fourth Meeting of the Conference in Montego Bay in 2003, which marked the 30th anniversary of the Community, the Heads of Government adopted the Rose Hall Declaration on Regional Governance and Integrated Development, which provided a roadmap for modernising the regional integration movement. It placed emphasis on improving regional governance; deepening the integration process in the context of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the realities of the international economic environment; and establishing a respected place for Member States in the international system.
Resolution – Rose Hall Declaration
]]>“On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of our Community, we have resolved to consolidate the achievements of the past and also to chart ‘New Directions’ for the future which are designed to give new meaning to the purposes of our community, to further consolidate our common cultural identity and to promote an integration strategy that will optimise the development possibilities of the region and thereby contribute to the well-being of its people.
“We, the Heads of Government are determined, and call upon the Organs of CARICOM, the Member Governments and Social Partners of the Community to be similarly resolute, in pursuing the fulfilment of these undertakings so that a marked deepening of integration in our Region will be achieved.”
The Prime Minister and the Hon. David Burt, Premier of Bermuda, will support the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of CARICOM, to review the sector’s environment, with a view to creating a competitive environment where customers and providers are treated fairly.
Addressing the media at the end of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Prime Minister Mottley referred to the annual billion-dollar earnings of some communications platforms and services from which the Region does not benefit economically.
“We were informed that (these entities) earn as much as $11.6B a year and they pay no taxes. There is no contribution in any way to the regional economy, and at the same time, the absence of revenue to the telecommunications firms means that at the very time that we need to be looking at re-investment to make our telecommunications infrastructure sturdier, it is not there,” the Chair stated.
“We are at the stage of exploration, but Premier Burt and Prime Minister Mitchell will work with me to be able to put the Community in a position to be able to better level the playing field to ensure that there is fairness to the consumer, fairness to the provider and a competitive environment. We are conscious that the Caribbean, as a region of small states, has higher telecommunication costs than we would normally like to see as compared to other regions,” Prime Minister Mottley said.
]]>She describes the event as the ultimate Caribbean experience for CARICOM nationals and visitors from the international community: “You’re going to get from fashion to food, from music to dance, to sculpture…all kinds of creative expression.”
She warned, “If yah miss it, blame yahself!”
Listen to the CARICOM Chair’s preview of the event in the video below.
Senator the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, will head the working group which will include other ministers from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Hon Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of CARICOM, made the announcement at a press conference on Friday, 21 February 2025, following the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Barbados.
The Chair said that within the next six weeks, the working group must identify steps towards the mutual recognition of drivers’ licences, insurance products, harmonising customs and phyto-sanitary regulations, and removing non-tariff barriers for the smooth intra-regional movement of goods.