CARICOM Set to Celebrate Milestone 50th Anniversary in 2023
by Karen Rollins Jan 9, 2023
In 2023 the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will celebrate 50 years since the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas on 4 July 1973 which established the regional organisation.
The milestone occasion will be marked by several events around the Caribbean in keeping with the anniversary’s slogan, “50 Years Strong: A Solid Foundation to Build On”.
Incoming CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, said the upcoming anniversary, which closely coincides with his island’s own 50th Independence Day, was an opportunity for the Caribbean to “build on and strengthen the foundations of the past 50 years”.
In his New Year statement, Mr Davis added: “For our community, this milestone comes at a time when regional co-operation has never been more urgent and necessary. The shock of and response to the Covid-19 pandemic was a stark illustration of the limitations of working alone.
“Working alone, none of us will be able to overcome the existential threat posed by climate change. Working alone, none of us will be able to fully seize the opportunities of the new world order, where old certainties are fast disappearing, and new technologies favour the agile and the clever.”
Mr Davis suggested that while a lot has been achieved in the Caribbean over the past 50 years, there is still much to do.
He particularly highlighted the need for even greater food and nutrition security as well as increased usage of renewable energy, and called for a ‘Loss and Damage Fund’ (as agreed at COP27 in Egypt) to be made fully operational.
He concluded: “This New Year holds much promise for our Caribbean Community. Over the next 50 years, we will continue to seek to strengthen our partnership, so that the lives of all of our people are made better. (curlygirldesign.com) ”
