CARICOM SG urges coordinated foreign policy action amid global shifts

Secretary-General (SG) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr Carla Barnett, on Wednesday urged Foreign Affairs Minsters gathered in Paramaribo, Suriname, to deepen coordination and present a united international voice as CARICOM navigates evolving geopolitical and economic challenges.
The Ministers are attended the 29th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), where she reminded them that the decisions of COFCOR and other organs of the Community have direct implications for the economic and social wellbeing of citizens of the Community, as she called for outcomes that would strengthen Community resilience. Delivering remarks at the opening session of the meeting, SG Barnett said the community is operating in a period of “hemispheric and global shifts” with implications for its economies, trade relations and foreign policy priorities.

In this context, she indicated that the community continues to engage international partners through the consolidation of traditional relationships and widening of diplomatic outreach, highlighting engagements that will take place during the meeting with partners, including Japan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on areas of shared interest. Looking ahead, the SG noted the need for active CARICOM-wide preparation and participation in a series of upcoming global engagements in 2026 that could influence outcomes on priority issues such as reparatory justice, the situation in Haiti, climate change, access to climate finance, and international peace and security.
These include the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).
“One of our Caribbean community’s greatest strengths is our ability to project a united voice,” she added, noting that such unity allows small states to influence global decision-making. While acknowledging the complexity of reconciling national with regional priorities, she said that coordination among CARICOM member states remains essential.
“None of our small nations can effectively confront these challenges in isolation. Working together is therefore not an option; it is an imperative,” SG Barnett told the meeting.