The ongoing insecurity and humanitarian crisis in Haiti continue to receive our priority attention. We will use this opportunity to discuss the Community’s efforts to support the restoration of security, stability, and recovery in Haiti, in the context of new initiatives by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), which have received some input from CARICOM.
CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett, at the opening of the 24th Special Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, United Nations, New York, 22 September 2025.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) – Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Chair of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations;
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean Community and Other Heads of Delegations;
Ms. Elizabeth Solomon, Assistant Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations;
Distinguished Delegates.
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to this Twenty-Fourth Special Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR).
I extend congratulations and a particularly warm welcome to His Excellency Melvin Bouva, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation of Suriname; and the Honourable Sean Sobers, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, on their appointments, following general elections in their respective countries.
I also extend warm congratulations to the Honourable Hugh Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana; and the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, on their reappointments following elections in Guyana and Jamaica.
I also join the Chairman in expressing our appreciation to the Government of Jamaica for graciously hosting this Meeting for the second consecutive time.
Excellencies, this engagement, in the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, is a valued and timely opportunity for us to hold substantive discussions on issues critical to achieving the Community’s strategic objectives and to engage with our international partners.
The Agenda before us will hopefully facilitate frank and meaningful discussions on several crucial and urgent matters for our Community. These include the negative impacts of climate change on our states, the growing geopolitical, security and regional implications of military engagements, and the need for reform of key international organisations, such as the United Nations.
The ongoing insecurity and humanitarian crisis in Haiti continue to receive our priority attention. We will use this opportunity to discuss the Community’s efforts to support the restoration of security, stability, and recovery in Haiti, in the context of new initiatives by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), which have received some input from CARICOM.
We will also engage with representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the newly established Regional Office of Human Rights dedicated to the Caribbean, and with Austria, one of the traditional partners with whom our Community maintains excellent relations.
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, our Meeting today takes place against the backdrop of an international order that is being disrupted by divisive and challenging geopolitical issues, global conflicts, and threats to multilateralism.
In this context, we must rely more than ever on focused and coordinated diplomacy, strengthen our relations with like-minded states, and continue to advocate for multilateralism and a more effective United Nations. Strategic foreign policy coordination remains critical as we prepare for upcoming Summits and High-Level Meetings that are of priority interest to our Region.
This week is an opportune time for CARICOM to capitalise on its presence in New York, to deepen collaboration with our international partners and advance our shared interests. I urge us all to commit to enhanced engagement amongst ourselves. Let us seize every opportunity for dialogue among ourselves, in order to coordinate advocacy so as to ensure that our collective voice is increasingly impactful on the global stage.
I look forward to the fruitful outcome of today’s deliberations.
Thank you.
