Curacao joins CARICOM amid 47th Conference in Grenada  

Grenada: The Caribbean Island of Curacao on Sunday joined the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as the newest associate member of the community. Curacao joined CARICOM during its 47^th regular meeting of the Conference of heads of government in St George, Grenada.

The meet this year was held in accordance to address Climate Change & Sustainable Development, Foreign Policy, CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), Engagement with Social Partners and the advancements for digital technology.

The CARICOM meeting this year is a special event for Grenada as the prime minister of the country, Dickon Mitchell was appointed as the new chairman of the community. Mitchell takes over the position from Guyana’s president Irfaan Ali.

After the commencement of the opening ceremony, the event on 29^th July 2024 will conduct a business session, at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort in Grand Anse. On the last day of the meet, a closing ceremony will be held at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort in the evening around 4:30 PM.

Notably, Before the start of the event, the Outgoing Chairman of CARICOM and President of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and his delegation, along with Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, visited Carriacou to witness the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024.

Apart from this, several other members of the community also visited Grenada to speak with survivors and assess the damage caused by the then-category 4 storm. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, joined by Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, paid a visit to the country and met with Prime Minister Dickon Mitchel. The authorities also disbursed relief funds for fellow Caribbean islands for a faster rehabilitation.

This year meet has also featured several other guests including the Minister of International Development for Canada, Ahmed Hussen. This is to be noted that Hussen will also visit the Gouyave Fish Processing Facility on July 29 where he will access the progress made in the COMPETE Caribbean project which is funded by Canada. The minister will also visit St. Patrick Parish to evaluate the impact of Hurricane Beryl to the Grenada.