“While reaching common positions from diverse national interests is complex, as we have demonstrated over the years, the ability to coordinate foreign policy positions demonstrates that the Community remains a most effective means of navigating an unpredictable global landscape. None of our small nations can effectively confront these challenges in isolation. Working together is therefore not an option; it is an imperative.”
Dr Carla barnett | caricom secretary-general
At the opening of the Twenty-Ninth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) on Wednesday 20 May, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett highlighted CARICOM’s commitment to democratic governance, noting the peaceful conduct of elections across ten Member States and the role of CARICOM Electoral Observer Missions (CEOM) in safeguarding electoral integrity.
Addressing the global context, Dr Barnett emphasised the importance of unity in navigating hemispheric and international shifts that affect trade, economies, and foreign policy. She underscored CARICOM’s ongoing engagement with international partners, welcoming representatives from Japan, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates to the meeting.
Looking ahead, she outlined key multilateral engagements for 2026, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the UN General Assembly, the OAS General Assembly, and COP31. She stressed the need for coordinated CARICOM positions on critical issues such as reparatory justice, support for Haiti, climate change and financing, and international peace and security.
Dr Barnett reaffirmed that CARICOM’s strength lies in its united voice, which enables small states to influence global decision-making. She urged Ministers to ensure that COFCOR’s outcomes strengthen the Community’s capacity to respond strategically to an ever-changing international environment.
Please read her complete speech below.
Salutations.
I welcome you all to the Twenty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations.
I must, at the outset, thank the Government and People of the Republic of Suriname for their meticulous preparations and generous hospitality as hosts for this Meeting. We look forward to a productive and collaborative two days of work under the guidance of the new Chair of the COFCOR, His Excellency Melvin Bouva, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation of the Republic of Suriname.
I also would like to take this opportunity to extend profound thanks to the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis, for his guidance and leadership as Chair of this Council during the past year.
It is my distinct pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to the Honourable Christopher Sinckler of Barbados, and the Honourable Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as they join us for their first Regular Meeting of the COFCOR. I also recognise the Honourable Raina Forbin, Haiti’s new Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship, who is unable to join us in Paramaribo for this session.
Allow me to extend a special welcome and congratulations to the Honourable E.P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign of Affairs, Trade and Immigration of Antigua and Barbuda, and Honourable Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas (who unfortunately can’t be here today), who have both been reappointed following their recent electoral victories in Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas, respectively.
Our Community’s commitment to democratic governance has been reflected in the peaceful conduct of elections in ten CARICOM Member States in the past year and a half. CARICOM Electoral Observer Missions were deployed for most of these elections, underscoring our commitment to electoral integrity across the Region.
Mr. Chairman, Ministers, delegates, our present reality is one of hemispheric and global shifts which are deeply relevant to our Community, with immediate and long term impacts on our economies, trade relations and, of course, foreign policy.
In this context of growing uncertainty, the Community continues to engage international partners, through the consolidation of traditional relationships and the widening of our diplomatic outreach.
In this regard, we welcome the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Foreign Minister of Singapore, and a High-Level Representative from the United Arabs Emirates (UAE), and look forward to robust exchanges of views on matters of mutual strategic importance.
Chair, ladies and gentlemen, as we look ahead to the remainder of 2026, the Community will be preparing for several critical multilateral engagements. These include the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November – hosted right here in our Region by Antigua and Barbuda; the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly; the 56th OAS General Assembly and COP31. Active CARICOM-wide coordination and participation in these engagements can actively shape outcomes on regional priorities, including reparatory justice, developments in and support for Haiti, the impact of climate change and access to climate financing, and international peace and security.
We must continue to actively advocate on these issues for our Region, with a focus on shaping a multilateral system that is equitable and serves the interests of all.
One of our Caribbean Community’s greatest strengths is our ability to project a united voice. For us, this is a vital mechanism for ensuring we can be heard and can influence global decision-making. This has been so from the earliest days of the Community, whether we were supporting the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa; demanding the respect for territorial integrity of all of our Member States; or calling for negotiated approaches to achieving peace and stability.
While reaching common positions from diverse national interests is complex, as we have demonstrated over the years, the ability to coordinate foreign policy positions demonstrates that the Community remains a most effective means of navigating an unpredictable global landscape. None of our small nations can effectively confront these challenges in isolation. Working together is therefore not an option, it is an imperative.
Mr. Chair, Ministers, every decision we make in our Meetings, whether at the level of the Conference of Heads of Government, the Community Council, the COFCOR, or other Organs and Bodies, has a direct bearing on the economic and social well-being of our people. We therefore look forward to meaningful outcomes that will strengthen CARICOM’s capacity to address those needs, and to adapt and respond strategically to an ever-changing, always challenging international environment.
I thank you.
