PM Mottley calls for reform of Caricom Governance mechanisms
Chair of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, said that there is need for reform of the governance mechanisms of Caricom.
Prime Minister Mottley raised the issue of governance of the Region in her address to the opening of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom on Wednesday in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Head of States at the opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in Barbados along with Caricom and special invitees (Office of the President photo)
“We have a responsibility to reform this institution we have spoken for too long as to the need for independent funding mechanisms, whether it is assessed at the imports, whether it is an issue of a small fee for all border passings, people coming in and out of our borders, or whether it, whether it is the assignment of renewable energy licenses to Caricom and our regional institutions,” she said.
Prime Minister Mottley said that the time upon us to settle the independent funding of the institution. She also recognized that there may be need for a greater political voice alongside the administrative structures of Caricom.
Chair of Caricom, the Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, addresses the opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom
“The time is upon us for settling the independent funding of this Caribbean community. In addition, we need to review the governance mechanisms and to recognize that there may be a need for a greater political voice alongside the administrative structures of Caricom as we have come to know it over the last few decades.” Mottley highlighted.
Meanwhile, the 48th Regular Meeting of Caricom Heads of Government opened last Wednesday night and saw presentations from outgoing Chair, Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell; current Chair, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and Caricom Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett.
Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, were the guest speakers at the opening ceremony.
The regional meeting, which is being held under theme: ‘Strength in Unity: Forging Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development’, concluded on Friday.
Topics discussed at the high-level engagement included food and nutrition security, climate change and the climate finance agenda; the ongoing challenges in Haiti; security issues; digital resilience; external relations matters and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Other issues such as maritime and air transport, West Indies Cricket among others.
