Caribbean News
CARICOM Leaders team up for Summit in Saudi Arabia
Joint Statement, Saudi Arabia – CARICOM Summit
Andrew Holness
November 25, 2023 – At the kind invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Leadership of Saudi Arabia and the Leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met in Riyadh, on 16 November 2023 for the inaugural Saudi Arabia-CARICOM Summit. The Summit was co-chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, with the participation of Heads of State and/or Government of CARICOM and the CARICOM Secretary-General.
Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne
Reaffirming their mutual interests and friendly relations, the leaders exchanged views on issues of common interest and discussed ways to further expand and advance their partnership to take advantage of the growth opportunities that can be utilized through cooperation between their two dynamic regions based on a shared vision and the values embodied in the United Nations (UN) Charter. The leaders hereby declare to:
- Join efforts to promote peace, security, stability and prosperity, through mutual respect and cooperation between countries and regions, to achieve sustainable development and progress and maintain the rules-based international order based on adherence to international law and the UN Charter.
- Undertake consultations and explore cooperation on specific areas of common interest between both sides, namely education scholarships), health, maritime cooperation, connectivity, logistics, food security, energy security, tourism economic and other possible areas of cooperation, where appropriate, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Strengthen ties between the two sides, at the multilateral and bilateral levels, and in global fora by pursuing opportunities for sustainable development, peace, security and stability, tourism infrastructure development, as well as creating business opportunities in the ICT/Global Digital Services sector and boosting trade and investment flows by creating mutually beneficial opportunities for joint investments, with special emphasis on
Hon Mia Amor Mottley
sustainable infrastructure, renewables, trade, tourism, logistics, and connectivity.
- Promote trade and investment relations between Saudi Arabia and CARICOM, by enhancing public-private partnership and business-to-business relations between both regions, using available and new physical and online platforms, trade missions, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, and dialogue.
- Support Saudi Arabia’s bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, highlighting the importance of organizing regional and international exhibitions to reenergize economic and cultural exchanges between the Saudi Arabia and CARICOM, mindful that individual CARICOM Member States have pledged their support for Saudi Arabia’s candidature to host Expo 2030.
- Cooperate in the development of sustainable and circular agriculture and in the promotion of sustainable food production, sustainable use and management of water resources and promote trade and investment opportunities in food and agri-based industries and encourage the exchange of information, sharing of experiences, research, modern technologies and best practices, as well as through conducting capacity building
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
activities.
- Promote dialogue among the peoples and cultures of both sides to enhance trust, and advance mutual understanding and greater respect for diversity, thus contributing to a culture of peace.
- Build on the two regions’ cultural diversity, openness and rich history to stress that tolerance and peaceful coexistence are among the most important values and principles for friendly relations between nations and cultures.
- Promote the cultural and creative industries of CARICOM and Saudi Arabia through cultural festivals, art exhibitions, film festivals, workshops, book fairs and other events. Furthermore, encourage
the exchange of best practices and capacity building in the areas of museology, protection, conservation and restoration of cultural and historical heritage. - Promote cooperation in the area of tourism, including heritage, cruise, sustainable and ecotourism, medical and wellness, tourism, by undertaking benchmarking activities, joint tourism investments, and strengthening capacity-building.
Hon Dr. Terrance Drew
- Stress the importance and urgency of promoting joint action towards mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts, protecting the environment and developing low carbon and clean energy technologies.
- Reaffirm the importance of working together to confront the global challenges related to climate change, committing to all efforts to address this urgent issue by setting and achieving ambitious goals to reduce emissions, adopting renewable energy production, and clean technologies including for abatement and removal, promoting equitable promoting equitable access to climate financing for Small
Island Developing States (SIDS) to support mitigation and adaptation measures, and finding innovative technical solutions that will accelerate the transition to low-emission economies, and continuing to
explore sustainable and inclusive pathways to implement the goals of the Paris Agreement. - Welcome Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), and its announcement to establish and host a
Prime Minister Honourable Dickon Mitchell
dedicated MGI Secretariat and allocate US $2.5 billion to support MGI projects and governance.
- Support the announcement by Saudi Arabia about the establishment of an international water organization based in Riyadh, calling for further decisive global action.
- Stress the important role that CARICOM and the Saudi Arabia can play in hosting major sporting events, the Summit endorsed the candidacy of Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. And Welcoming that the Caribbean will host the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 and Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
- Recognize the important initiatives arrived at by Saudi Arabia and CARICOM in their respective regions, and decided to hold the Second Saudi Arabia-CARICOM Summit in 2026.
John Briceno
- CARICOM Leaders expressed their appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to the Government and People of Saudi Arabia for their hospitality.
Prime Minister, Hon. Philip J. Pierre
Issued in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 16 November 2023
CAPTIONS
Header: CARICOM IN SAUDI ARABIA
1st insert Prime Minister Andrew Holness: At the invitation of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, I am in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with fellow Caricom Heads, for the inaugural Caricom-Saudi Arabia Summit in the capital city of Riyadh.
I extend thanks to His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Riyadh Region for the warm welcome following my arrival at the King Khalid International Airport today.
Jamaica continues to pursue investment and partnership opportunities for our national development and looks forward to robust discussions with Saudi Arabia, for our mutual benefit.
2nd insert: Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne and members of the Antigua and Barbuda delegation departed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Caribbean on Friday following a successful First CARICOM/Saudi Arabia summit in Riyadh.
3rd insert: Ahead of the inaugural Saudi Arabia-CARICOM Summit, Hon Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados held talks with Their Excellencies Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to follow-up on a number of discussions already in progress.
4th insert: President Dr. Irfaan Ali and other CARICOM leaders held a round table meeting with members of the Saudi Arabian Government today as part of the CARICOM-Saudi Arabia Summit.
The CARICOM delegation also met with the Crowned Prince, HE Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
The one-day event is being held in the capital city of Riyadh.
5th insert: CARICOM-Saudi Arabia Summit – Welcoming His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy seen here with Hon Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis.
6th insert: Prime Minister Honourable Dickon Mitchell, alongside fellow Caribbean Heads of Government, actively participated in a Saudi–CARICOM Investment Roundtable. The session welcomed prominent figures from major Saudi private sector companies, fostering an environment conducive to exploring investment prospects.
The primary goals of this meeting were to spotlight the appealing investment landscapes in both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the CARICOM countries. Additionally, it aimed to forge new partnerships between entities from CARICOM nations and Saudi Arabia, with a specific focus on identifying investment opportunities within the Caribbean and establishing robust connections with Saudi companies.
This collaboration underscores our commitment to cultivating mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance economic growth and development in our nation.
7th insert: We thank our new bilateral partner Saudi Arabia for hosting our Belize delegation and those of our CARICOM Countries as we arrive in Riyadh to participate in the Saudi-CARICOM Summit.
I thank Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz and his delegation for the warm welcome at the King Khalid International Airport.
8th insert: Prime Minister, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, forms part of the official delegation of CARICOM Heads of Government (HoGs) that will participate in the inaugural CARICOM-Saudi Summit (The Summit).
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will receive the Prime Minister and the accompanying delegations of CARICOM HoGs for The Summit. The Summit will commence on November 16, 2023.
The Summit facilitates opportunities for Saint Lucia and CARICOM to extend avenues of cooperation on trade and investment, renewable energy, climate change and sustainable development with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Under the stewardship of Prime Minister Pierre, diplomatic relations between the Government of Saint Lucia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have elevated – yielding significant inflows of financing support for capital projects and technical cooperation to advance the development of productive sectors, key to the development of Saint Lucia’s economy.
Minister for Education, Hon. Shawn Edward, will act as Prime Minister of Saint Lucia from November 14, 2023 to November 18, 2023.
Caribbean News
MECYS & NRPB Sign Agreement to Begin Revitalization of Sint Maarten’s Sports Facilities
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, April 9th, 2025 – The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (MECYS) has formally handed over the first out of thirteen sport facilities under her authority by signing the respective repair agreements as part of the Emergency Recovery Project I (ERP-I).
The facilities to be renovated include the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, Jose Lake John Cooper Ball Park, Dutch Quarter Basketball Court, and others. This effort is part of a larger Trust Fund initiative to restore 12 school gyms and 13 sports facilities across the island, enhancing resilience and sustainability.
The agreements, signed by Minister of ECYS Melissa D. Gumbs and NRPB Director Claret Connor, ensure that repairs will proceed under structured oversight. The contractor appointed by the NRPB will execute the work, with quality control and adherence to timelines overseen by an engineering firm. The contractor has already taken possession of two facilities in Cole Bay and Cay Bay, marking the start of the physical work.
Minister Gumbs emphasized the significance of well-maintained sports centers in these localities: “These facilities are more than just buildings—they are community anchors where young people develop discipline, teamwork, and pride. Ensuring their full restoration is not
only a matter of infrastructure but of national development. The Ministry remains steadfast in its commitment to providing safe, accessible, and high-quality spaces that support the well-being and aspirations of our athletes, students, and surrounding communities.”
NRPB Director Claret Connor noted that the project plays a critical role in Sint Maarten’s recovery and long-term resilience. “These repairs will not only extend the lifespan of the facilities but also contribute to the well-being of the community.”
The project is being implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten, funded by the Trust Fund, which is financed by the Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank.
Photo Caption:
1st insert: Contractors on site at the basketball court in Cay Bay
2nd insert: Fencing surrounding the basketball court in Cole Bay INSET BOTTOM:
Kingston, Jamaica, April 13, 2025 – Jamaica has partnered with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) to host a crucial workshop on the prohibition of nuclear weapons testing and use globally, in pursuit of a safer and more peaceful world.
The two-day workshop for State signatories from Latin America and the Caribbean is being held at the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Thursday (April 3), Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, said the workshop, which is the culmination of weeks of collaborative planning, builds on a legacy of partnership, which includes a similar event held in Jamaica in 2002.
She commended the CTBTO for its steadfast commitment to global security and disarmament while highlighting its indispensable role in preventing nuclear testing.
“The significance of this workshop is even more pronounced in the current geopolitical landscape, where tensions and global instability have heightened concerns regarding nuclear security,” the Minister indicated.
She noted that the Latin American and Caribbean region has played a key role in global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.
“In fact, the region is leading by example as the only one of six regions to have achieved universalisation of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. This means that all 33 member states of this hemisphere have signed and ratified the treaty,” the Minister pointed out.
She said this overwhelming support underscores the recognition that nuclear security is fundamental to regional and global stability and reaffirms the region’s collective commitment to global security and the CTBTO. “The prohibition of nuclear testing is not merely a disarmament objective. It is deeply interwoven with broader regional developmental ambitions and it accords with the 2014 Declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace,” Senator Johnson Smith stressed. The Minister outlined, further, that data and technological advancements facilitated by the CTBTO’s National Data Centres for All initiative is not limited to the monitoring of nuclear activity but can be used to the benefit of signatory states.
“The data may also be used to boast scientific research to support disaster preparedness, including tsunami early warning systems, as well as climate research and environmental monitoring, which are closely aligned with the region’s realization of the Sustainable Development Goals,” she pointed out.
Thirteen countries in the region host 43 monitoring facilities using seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound, and radionuclide technologies, which collect data that is then made available to states through the National Data Centres.
In the case of Jamaica, the Minister noted that the collaboration with the CTBTO has not only enhanced the country’s contribution to the global framework on nuclear testing but has also significantly strengthened the nation’s technical capabilities in crucial areas, such as disaster management.
Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations at CARICOM, Elizabeth Solomon, in her remarks said the imperative for the prohibition of nuclear weapons testing, use, and proliferation has never been more pressing.
“The politically fraught climate-changing landscape that we are called on to navigate and the escalation of conflicts directly or indirectly involving states in possession of nuclear weapons, have amplified concerns regarding the potential use of these weapons,” she pointed out.
The CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General said that the CTBTO workshop is timely and necessary given the urgency of enhancing countries’ awareness of nuclear weapons and the applicable legal regime.
She noted that CARICOM continues to do everything in its power to maintain the region as a zone of peace.
“CARICOM takes a strong stance against the transhipment of nuclear waste through the Caribbean Sea because of the possible negative effects of a nuclear accident on the delicate land and sea ecosystems of the Caribbean and the potential devastating effects this could have on the economies of our member states,” she outlined.
Contact: Donique Weston
Release: JIS
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