Grenada played a pivotal role in the 12th UK-Caribbean Forum, convened on March 10th at London’s historic Lancaster House. The high-level gathering assembled Foreign Ministers, High Commissioners, and senior officials, including representatives from the CARICOM Secretariat and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, for strategic dialogue on mutual priorities.
Grenada’s delegation was led by Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Export Development, Roxie McLeish-Hutchinson, alongside High Commissioner to the UK H.E. Rachér Croney and First Secretary Lornie Bartholomew. The proceedings commenced with a royal reception hosted by King Charles III, fostering preliminary diplomatic engagement, followed by formal opening remarks from Foreign Secretary Cooper and St. Kitts and Nevis’ Foreign Minister, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas.
Central to the forum were intensive discussions across four critical themes: geopolitics and partnerships, trade and investment, climate change and disaster risk management, and security and justice. Grenada provided decisive interventions on climate change, drawing from its direct experience as a small island developing state (SIDS). Permanent Secretary Hutchinson articulated the transformative impact of climate change on disaster profiles, emphasizing its extensive repercussions across multiple sectors, including public health. She issued a compelling appeal for fortified UK-Caribbean collaboration to establish essential institutions and mechanisms aimed at bolstering climate resilience, adaptation, financial accessibility, and long-term sustainability.
Hutchinson further urged the UK to amplify its advocacy in international forums where Grenada lacks representation, citing the successful precedent of the 2011 Durban Agreement as evidence that strengthened cooperation yields tangible outcomes. Dialogue also advanced on renewable energy initiatives and practical measures necessary to propel regional energy integration throughout the Caribbean.
Parallel trade and investment deliberations addressed the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement, market accessibility, and the reduction of trading barriers. Security concerns, particularly organized crime, arms and narcotics trafficking, and gender-based violence, were examined with contributions from Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Haiti, and Jamaica. UK Foreign Secretary Cooper addressed the enduring colonial legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, pledging to continue these crucial conversations beyond the forum.
Grenada anticipates the formal commitments and detailed action plan emerging from this forum, advocating for their swift and practical execution ahead of the next UK-Caribbean Forum scheduled for 2028. As a committed Commonwealth partner, the Grenadian government aims to deepen its diplomatic and developmental engagement with the UK, enhancing collaboration in areas of shared interest for the socio-economic advancement of both nations.