High-Profile list of National Leaders & Organizations slated for CARICOM Meeting in Nassau

By Deandrea Hamilton & Rashaed  Esson

Editorial Staff

#TheBahamas, February 15, 2023 – The foreign affairs minister of The Bahamas, Hon Fred Mitchell, arguably the most experienced Bahamian CARICOM minister held a debriefing on Monday February 13 in Freeport; there he unpacked the prominent individuals and organizations expected at the 44^th Regular CARICOM meeting.

The roll-call included the president of the Afri-Import Export Bank, Secretary General of the World Trade Organisation and in one of many special presentations, South Korean leaders are expected to make an official appeal.

“Joining us will also be representatives from South Korea because they are campaigning for the support of CARICOM countries for the vote at the Bureau of International Expositions in Paris for the exposition in the year 2030,” said Mitchell.

Also, to be present and representing the United States, former Senator John Dodd  and United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry;  the Assistant Director General of the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and already highly publicized as a special guest, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Additionally, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine will join the Members by video-link.

This year, The Bahamas will be hosting with its Prime Minister, Phillip Davis as chairman.

CARICOM’s priorities this year are many, but these five rise to the top:  Crime fueled by illegal arms trafficking; Food and Energy Security; Haiti’s Humanitarian Crisis and Climate Financing.

“The Prime Minister, in an address at the outlook seminar, which took place at the start of the year, laid out his priorities in Foreign Affairs and the major priority is the issue of climate change.  So, he said, and he’s been travelling around the world beating the bushes on the subject, because for The Bahamas, climate change is existential and that means quite simply this, the sea level is rising around the world and in the Bahamas 80 percent of the land is within three meters of the sea, so that means, if their sea level rise, the country will disappear or as he says we will either be refugees, climate change refugees or die in a watery grave.   That’s the stark reality of what is happening. So, we need to have a couple of things done. Money is the key issue. “

The CARICOM meeting officially opens in Nassau on Wednesday.