Prime Minister Gaston Browne

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Prime Minister Gaston Browne departed Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday to attend the Fifty-First Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), taking place in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, from July 5 to 8.

The regional summit will bring together Caribbean leaders to discuss a wide-ranging agenda focused on strengthening regional cooperation and advancing policies to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the Community.

Prime Minister Browne is accompanied by Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to CARICOM, Ambassador Clarence Henry, and Senior Foreign Service Officer Kurt Williams.

Among the key issues before the Conference are the continued advancement of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), climate change and climate financing, regional security, public health preparedness, food and nutrition security, governance and financing of the Community, reparations, border issues, and the situations in Haiti and Cuba.

Leaders will also consider membership applications from Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands, while receiving updates on regional initiatives including cricket and CARIFESTA.

Food security is expected to feature prominently during the meeting, with Heads of Government reviewing progress under the Vision 25 by 2025+5 Initiative, CARICOM’s strategy to transform regional agriculture, reduce dependence on imported food and strengthen the Caribbean’s resilience to external shocks.

Discussions are also expected to focus on expanding agricultural production, increasing intra-regional trade, encouraging greater private sector investment and accelerating initiatives aimed at improving food self-sufficiency across the Caribbean.

Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister Browne said the Conference comes at a critical time as the region faces mounting geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, supply chain disruptions and emerging public health threats.

“This Meeting comes at a particularly important time for our Region as CARICOM confronts a rapidly changing global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, climate change and emerging public health threats. No Member State can effectively address these challenges in isolation,” Browne said.

He added that regional cooperation remains essential to protecting the interests of Caribbean citizens and expressed confidence that the discussions would produce practical solutions to strengthen food and nutrition security, deepen economic integration and build greater resilience throughout the Community.

Regional leaders will also review a Food Security Response Matrix prepared by the CARICOM Secretariat in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its potential impact on the Caribbean.

The framework outlines strategies to reduce the effects of rising energy costs, fertilizer shortages, shipping disruptions and food price inflation through measures such as boosting regional food production, strengthening shipping networks, expanding renewable energy in agriculture and establishing strategic food reserves.

Health security will also be high on the agenda as leaders consider recommendations from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to strengthen disease surveillance, improve preparedness and enhance regional coordination following the World Health Organization’s declaration of an Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Prime Minister Browne is expected to contribute actively to discussions, continuing Antigua and Barbuda’s advocacy for deeper regional integration, stronger food sovereignty, climate resilience and coordinated Caribbean responses to global challenges affecting Small Island Developing States.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to return to Antigua and Barbuda following the conclusion of the Conference on July 8.