Caribbean Community

Agenda and goals

CARICOM was established by the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean and currently includes all the independent Anglophone island countries plus Belize, Guyana, Montserrat and Suriname, as well as all other British Caribbean territories and Bermuda as associate members. English was its sole working language into the 1990s. The organisation became multilingual with the addition of Dutch and Sranan Tongo-speaking Suriname in 1995 and the French and Haitian Creole-speaking Haiti in 2002. Furthermore, it added Spanish as the fourth official language in 2003. In July 2012, CARICOM announced they considered making French and Dutch official languages. In 2001, the Conference of Heads of Governments signed a revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that cleared the way to transform the idea of a common market CARICOM into the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. Part of the revised treaty establishes and implements the Caribbean Court of Justice. Its primary activities involve:

• Coordinating economic policies and development planning.
• Devising and instituting special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction.
• Operating as a regional single market for many of its members (Caricom Single Market).
• Handling regional trade disputes.

Organisational structure

The following is the overall structure of Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Administration and staff

Chairmanship

The post of Chairman (Head of CARICOM) is held in rotation by the regional Heads of Government of CARICOM's 15 member states. These include Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.

Heads of government

CARICOM contains a quasi-Cabinet of the individual Heads of Government. These heads are given specialised portfolios of responsibility for regional development and integration.

Secretariat

The Secretariat of the Caribbean Community is the Chief Administrative Organ for CARICOM. The Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community is the chief executive and handles foreign and community relations. Five years is the term of office of the Secretary-General, which may be renewed. The Deputy Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community handles human and Social Development. The General Counsel of the Caribbean Community handles trade and economic integration.

The goal statement of the CARICOM Secretariat is: "To contribute, in support of Member States, to the improvement of the quality of life of the People of the Community and the development of an innovative and productive society in partnership with institutions and groups working towards attaining a people-centred, sustainable and internationally competitive Community."

Organs and bodies

Community Council

The Community Council comprises ministers responsible for community affairs and any other Minister designated by the member states at their discretion. It is one of the community's principal organs; the other is the Conference of the Heads of Government. Five other organs and four bodies support it.

Institutions

The following institutions are founded by or affiliated to the Caricom:

Caricom Institutions

Functional cooperation

Associate

Cancelled

The following institutions have been cancelled or merged into other ones:

Relationship to other organisations

African Union

Some editorial and political discourse has been made about the African diaspora and specifically the potential level of engagement which could be garnered between the African continent and the Caribbean region. Many Caribbean nations have sought to deepen ties with nations in the continent of Africa. Leading to the African Union-bloc referring to the Caribbean as the potential "Sixth Region" of the African Union under the protocol on the amendment to the Constitutive Act of 2003. Some Caribbean states have already moved to join Africa institutions including Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, and The Bahamas which have all become members of the African Export-Import Bank. And the Caribbean Development Bank has signed a cooperation strategic partnership agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB). In 2022 the former President of Jamaica even made calls for Caribbean States to seek partnership with the AfCFTA agreement. At present Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname are at various stages of establishing direct air flights with Africa to boost person-to-person links and boost trade, or tourism between both regions. Several Caribbean islands have also looked to open negotiations on easing passport visa restrictions between both regions.

The first inter-regional Africa-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit took place in September 2021. In August 2023 the African Union's African Export–Import Bank officially launched its first Caribbean Community office in Barbados beginning the process of integrating willing Caribbean states as the 6th region of the African Union. The Government of Barbados donated the land in order to help complete the deal. In 2023 the CARICOM-bloc's central banks voted to choose the African PAPSS-system as the preferred method for clearing inter-regional transactions.

In August 2026, the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, stated that one of his agenda items when he leads the African Union next year will be the inclusion of the Caribbean Community into the AfCFTA framework. To facilitate the move, a parliament-supported joint commission is to be assembled between both regions with the aim of legal and national standards harmonisation. The initiative may delve into the idea of also separating the Caribbean out of the 6th region known as "diaspora", and forming it as a special 7th region directly of the AU. Under the agreement it's been proposed that leaders of nations which have signed on to the arrangement will be allowed to sit-in and take part in African Union meetings as well.

Association of Caribbean States

CARICOM was instrumental in the formation of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) on 24 July 1994. The original idea for the Association came from a recommendation of the West Indian Commission, established in 1989 by the CARICOM heads of state and government. The Commission advocated both deepening the integration process (through the CARICOM Single Market and Economy) and complementing it through a separate regional organisation encompassing all states in the Caribbean.

CARICOM accepted the commission's recommendations and opened dialogue with other Caribbean states, the Central American states and the Latin American nations of Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico which border the Caribbean, for consultation on the proposals of the West Indian Commission.

At an October 1993 summit, the heads of state and government of CARICOM and the presidents of the then-Group of Three (Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela) formally decided to create an association grouping all states of the Caribbean basin. A work schedule for its formation was adopted. The aim was to create the association in less than a year, an objective which was achieved with the formal creation of the ACS.

Community of Latin American and Caribbean States

CARICOM was also involved in the formation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on 3 December 2010. The idea for CELAC originated at the Rio Group–Caribbean Community Unity Summit on 23 February 2010 in Mexico. This act caters to the integration of the Americas process, complimenting well-established initiatives of the Organization of American States.

European Union: Economic Partnership Agreements

Since 2013, the CARICOM-bloc and the Dominican Republic have been tied to the European Union via an Economic Partnership Agreements known as CARIFORUM signed in 2008. The treaty grants all members of the European Union and CARIFORUM equal rights in terms of trade and investment. Within the agreement under Article 234, the European Court of Justice also carries dispute resolution mechanisms between CARIFORUM and the states of the European Union.

OHADAC Project

In May 2016, Caricom's court of original jurisdiction, the CCJ, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the ACP Legal Association based in Guadeloupe recognising and supporting the goals of implementing a harmonised business law framework in the Caribbean through ACP Legal Association's OHADAC Project.

OHADAC is the acronym for the French "Organisation pour l'Harmonisation du Droit des Affaires en les Caraïbes", which translates into English as "Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in the Caribbean". The OHADAC Project takes inspiration from a similar organisation in Africa and aims to enhance economic integration across the entire Caribbean and facilitate increased trade and international investment through unified laws and alternative dispute resolution methods.

Member states

As of 2026 CARICOM has 15 full members, eight associate members and eight observers. The associated members are five British Overseas Territories, one constituent county of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and two French overseas regions. It is currently not established what the role of the associate members will be. The observers are states which engage in at least one of CARICOM's technical committees.

Under Article 4 CARICOM breaks its 15 member states into two groups: Less Developed Countries (LDCs) and More Developed Countries (MDCs).

The countries of CARICOM which are designated as Less Developed Countries (LDCs) are as follows:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Belize
• Commonwealth of Dominica
• Grenada
• Republic of Haiti
• Montserrat
• Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines

The countries of CARICOM which are designated as More Developed Countries (MDCs) are:

• Commonwealth of The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Co-operative Republic of Guyana
• Jamaica
• Republic of Suriname
• Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Thousands of Caricom nationals live within other member states of the Community.

An estimated 30,000 Jamaicans legally reside in other CARICOM member states, mainly in The Bahamas (6,200), Antigua & Barbuda (estimated 12,000), Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago). Also, an estimated 150 Jamaicans live and work in Montserrat. A 21 November 2013 estimated put 16,958 Jamaicans residing illegally in Trinidad & Tobago, as according to the records of the Office of the Chief Immigration Officer, their entry certificates would have since expired. By October 2014, the estimated Jamaicans residing illegally in Trinidad and Tobago was 19,000 along with an estimated 7,169 Barbadians and 25,884 Guyanese residing illegally. An estimated 8,000 Trinidadians and Tobagonians live in Jamaica.

Barbados hosts a large diaspora population of Guyanese, of whom (in 2005) 5,032 lived there permanently as citizens, permanent residents, immigrants (with immigrant status) and Caricom skilled nationals; 3,200 were residing in Barbados temporarily under work permits, as students, or with "reside and work" status. A further 2,000–3,000 Guyanese were estimated to be living illegally in Barbados at the time. Migration between Barbados and Guyana has deep roots, going back over 150 years, with the most intense period of Barbadian migration to then-British Guiana occurring between 1863 and 1886, although as late as the 1920s and 1930s Barbadians were still leaving Barbados for British Guiana.

Migration between Guyana and Suriname also goes back a number of years. An estimated 50,000 Guyanese had migrated to Suriname by 1986 In 1987 an estimated 30–40,000 Guyanese were in Suriname. Many Guyanese left Suriname in the 1970s and 1980s, either voluntarily or by expulsion. Citing a national security concern, over 5,000 were expelled in January 1985 alone. In the instability Suriname experienced following independence, both coups and civil war. In 2013, an estimated 11,530 Guyanese had emigrated to Suriname and 4,662 Surinamese to Guyana.

Relationship with Cuba

In 2017, the Republic of Cuba and CARICOM signed the "CARICOM-Cuba Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement" to facilitate closer trade ties. In December 2022, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel met in Bridgetown, Barbados with the heads of state and government of the CARICOM. On the occasion of the 8th CARICOM-Cuba Summit to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with the independent States of CARICOM and Cuba and the 20th Anniversary of CARICOM-Cuba Day. Cuba also accepted CARICOM's offer to deepen bilateral cooperation and to join robust discussions in the bloc's regional 'Joint Ministerial Taskforce on Food production and Security'.

Dialogue partners / accreditation to CARICOM

A number of global partners have established diplomatic representation to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat located in Georgetown, Guyana. Nations with non-resident representatives to CARICOM in italics:

1. African Union ^{Non accreditation, but as dialogue partner}
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Belgium
6. Botswana
7. Brazil
8. Canada
9. Chile
10. Colombia
11. Costa Rica
12. Cuba
13. El Salvador
14. European Union
15. Finland
16. France
17. Germany
18. Greece
19. India
20. Indonesia
21. Ireland
22. Israel
23. Italy
24. Japan
25. Latvia
26. Lithuania
27. Mexico
28. Netherlands
29. New Zealand
30. Palestine
31. Panama
32. Peru
33. Portugal
34. Romania
35. Singapore
36. Slovenia
37. South Korea
38. Sweden
39. Switzerland
40. Turkey
41. United Kingdom
42. United States of America
43. Venezuela

Free-trade agreements

• List of bilateral free-trade agreements#CARICOM

Statistics

Symbols

Standard

The flag of the Caribbean Community was chosen and approved in November 1983 at the Conference of Heads of Government Meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The original design by the firm of WINART Studies in Georgetown, Guyana was substantially modified at the July 1983 Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government. The flag was first flown on 4 July 1984 in Nassau, The Bahamas at the fifth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.

The flag features a blue background, but the upper part is a light blue representing sky and the lower, a darker blue representing the Caribbean Sea. The yellow circle in the centre represents the sun on which is printed in black the logo of the Caribbean Community, two interlocking Cs. The two Cs are in the form of broken links in a chain, symbolising both unity and a break with the colonial past. The narrow ring of green around the sun represents the vegetation of the region.

Song

For CARICOM's 40th anniversary, a competition to compose an official song or anthem for CARICOM was launched in April 2013 to promote choosing a song that promoted unity and inspired CARICOM identity and pride. A regional panel of judges comprising independent experts in music was nominated by member states and the CARICOM Secretariat. Three rounds of competition condensed 63 entries to a final three, from which judges chose Celebrating CARICOM by Michele Henderson of Dominica in March 2014. Henderson won a US$10,000 prize. Her song was produced by her husband, Roland Delsol Jr., and arranged by Earlson Matthew. It also featured Michael Ferrol on drums and choral input from the St. Alphonsus Choir. It was re-produced for CARICOM by Carl Beaver Henderson of Trinidad and Tobago.

A second-place entry titled My CARICOM came from Jamaican Adiel Thomas who won US$5,000, and a third-place song titled One CARICOM by Carmella Lawrence of St. Kitts and Nevis, won US$2,500. The other songs from the top-ten finalists (in no particular order) were:

• One Region one Caribbean from Anguilla,
• One Caribbean Family from Jamaica,
• CARICOM’s Light from St. Vincent & the Grenadines,
• We Are CARICOM from Dominica,
• Together As one from Dominica,
• Blessed CARICOM from Jamaica,
• Together We Rise from Jamaica.

The first official performance of Celebrating Caricom by Henderson took place on Tuesday 1 July 2014 at the opening ceremony for the Thirty-Fifth Regional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Antigua and Barbuda.

Celebration

CARICOM Day

The celebration of CARICOM Day is the selected day some Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries officially recognise the commemorative date of signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, the agreement that established CARICOM on 4 July 1973. The Treaty was signed in Chaguaramas, Trinidad & Tobago by then leaders of: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. CARICOM Day is recognised as an official public holiday in Guyana where the secretariat is based, and is observed on the first Monday of July. The government of Antigua and Barbuda has also implemented CARICOM Day as a holiday.

The day features activities that are organised by government entities such as parades, pageants, and campaigns to educate people about CARICOM.

Caribbean Festival of Arts – CARIFESTA

Caribbean Festival of Arts, commonly known as CARIFESTA, is an annual festival for promoting arts of the Caribbean with a different country hosting the event each year. It was started to provide a venue to "depict the life of the people of the Region, their heroes, morals, myths, traditions, beliefs, creativity and ways of expression" by fostering a sense of Caribbean unity, and motivating artists by showing the best of their home country. It began under the auspices of Guyana's then President Forbes Burnham in 1972, who was inspired by other singular arts festivals in the region.