By Belize Live News Staff: CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett delivered a rousing speech at the Africa-CARICOM Day flag-raising ceremony in Barbados, emphasizing the shared history, progress, and future potential of the relationship between the two regions.
Dr. Barnett highlighted the historic First Africa-CARICOM Summit in 2021 as a pivotal moment in charting a new course for increased trade, investment, and people-to-people contact. She pointed to the establishment of the CARICOM Office of Afreximbank and the annual AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forums as evidence of the tangible progress made towards this vision.
The Secretary-General also identified several key sectors for future cooperation, including health, education, culture, tourism, and regional institution-building. She stressed the importance of the upcoming Memorandum of Understanding between the African Union and CARICOM secretariats, which will provide a formal mechanism for joint activities and programs.
Dr. Barnett emphasized the shared commitment to reparatory justice for the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonialism, stating that both CARICOM and Africa have an “indisputable and significant claim to reparations.”
In closing, she celebrated the achievements of people of African descent and reaffirmed CARICOM’s dedication to strengthening the partnership based on the principles of Pan-Africanism. Dr. Barnett expressed optimism for a “vibrant, resilient, and transformative” future for both regions, built on mutual interests and solidarity.
The flag-raising ceremony, attended by dignitaries from both regions, marked the fourth annual Africa-CARICOM Day, a celebration of the deep historical ties and shared future between Africa and the Caribbean.
