Guyana President Dr. Irfaan Ali assumed the Chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Jan. 1, replacing Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
During his six-month tenure, he is expected to highlight Guyana’s emerging prominence in Caribbean affairs and make a strong commitment to furthering CARICOM’s strategic priorities, Caribbean National Weekly (CNW) reported.
“The focus will be on regional development goals, encompassing a variety of areas, including economic growth, societal well-being, and maintaining peace throughout the Caribbean Community,” according to CNW. “The emphasis is on harnessing the potential of the New Year to explore and implement targeted programs beneficial to the region.”
Noting that a key aspect of President Ali’s agenda is the enhancement of regional security, CNW added, “Recognizing the global challenges to peace, CARICOM under Ali’s leadership aims to maintain the Caribbean and Latin American regions as Zones of Peace.” The approach involves adhering to international law and resolving border controversies through peaceful and legal means, continuing the efforts made in 2023.
CARICOM is also actively working to address issues of crime and violence, particularly focusing on the illegal weapons trade through its “War on Guns” campaign. This initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure peace and stability in member states, notably Haiti, reaffirming the commitment to maintain the region as a Zone of Peace.
Established in 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM’S four founding members were Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
Currently, there are 15-member nations and dependencies. Countries that are part of CARICOM, include: the four founding members — Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago — The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, and Suriname.
Associate members are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. In addition, there are eight observer nations: Aruba, Colombia, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saint Maarten, and Venezuela.