As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) observes its 53rd anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas this CARICOM Day 2026, Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett has delivered a keynote message reaffirming the bloc’s unwavering commitment to advancing regional integration through collaborative effort, even in the face of mounting challenges that threaten decades of hard-won progress.
Founded in 1973 when regional leaders gathered to sign the foundational Treaty of Chaguaramas (later revised in 2001 to launch a single market and economy), CARICOM has grown into one of the developing world’s most successful regional integration projects. Today, the bloc counts 15 full Member States and six Associate Members, representing a combined population of roughly 16 million people—60 percent of whom are under the age of 30. Its work is structured around four core pillars: economic integration, coordinated foreign policy, human and social development, and cross-border security cooperation, with its central administrative body, the CARICOM Secretariat, based in Georgetown, Guyana.
In her anniversary address, Barnett framed CARICOM from its inception as a powerful collective declaration of the Caribbean region’s right to shape its own independent destiny. Over more than five decades, she noted, intentional collaboration and mutual support across member states have delivered tangible results: deepened regional economic partnerships, and a greatly amplified voice for small island Caribbean nations on pressing global issues that directly impact their populations.
Barnett detailed the breadth of progress the bloc has driven across sectors critical to public well-being, from bolstering regional security frameworks and emergency response systems to accelerating coordinated action on climate change, improving public health outcomes and expanding educational access across the region. Working alongside national implementation bodies in each member state, CARICOM’s governing bodies, the Secretariat, and its specialized institutions have built the regulatory frameworks, protective safeguards, and targeted initiatives needed to foster inclusive growth and long-term sustainable development across the Caribbean, laying the groundwork for a safer, more resilient regional home for all citizens.
The secretary-general emphasized that CARICOM’s enduring strength has always grown out of shared purpose and the determination of Caribbean people to overcome the structural constraints of small national size and limited individual national resources. Across every sector, at home and around the world, CARICOM nationals continue to distinguish themselves through extraordinary creativity and dedication, serving as an inspiration for the entire region.
Even as the bloc celebrates these milestones, Barnett acknowledged the growing pressures that threaten to erode progress and strain regional unity. The Caribbean has faced consecutive years of record-breaking climate-driven disasters, including devastating hurricanes that have crippled key growth sectors such as agriculture and tourism, which underpin livelihoods across much of the region. Compounding these local shocks, the bloc continues to navigate an increasingly volatile global landscape, marked by shifting economic conditions and widespread disruptions to cross-border trade and international commerce.
Against this challenging backdrop, Barnett reaffirmed CARICOM’s core conviction that continued progress depends entirely on sustained collective action. Together, member states remain committed to advancing priorities that directly improve citizens’ lives: expanding intra-regional trade, generating new employment opportunities, cutting the region’s heavy reliance on food imports, reducing violent crime, and retrofitting built infrastructure to withstand climate impacts. Equally high on the bloc’s agenda are improving digital connectivity and expanding regional transportation networks, to enable seamless, affordable communication and smooth movement of people and goods across member state borders.
Barnett also stressed that CARICOM remains deeply focused on meeting the current and future needs of the region’s large youth population, who deserve a prosperous, technologically advanced Caribbean full of economic and social opportunity. Closing her message, she called on the region to use the 53rd anniversary as a moment to renew confidence in the enduring value of regional unity and interdependence.
“Happy CARICOM Day 2026!” she concluded.