Prime Minister Godwin Friday to Attend 50th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in St. Kitts

Regional Leaders Gather for Milestone CARICOM Summit

Prime Minister Godwin Friday of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will participate in the Fiftieth (50th) Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), scheduled to take place in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, from February 24 to 27, 2026. This significant gathering marks Prime Minister Friday's inaugural attendance at a CARICOM Heads of Government meeting since assuming office in November 2025.

The summit, hosted by St. Kitts and Nevis, will convene under the theme 'Beyond Words: Action Today for a Thriving, Sustainable CARICOM'. The Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and current Chair of CARICOM, will preside over the proceedings, having taken up the chairmanship on January 1, 2026. Approximately 95 percent of CARICOM Heads of Government have confirmed their attendance for this historic meeting.

Agenda Focuses on Regional Resilience and Integration

The four-day conference will address a comprehensive agenda aimed at strengthening regional integration and addressing pressing challenges facing the Caribbean. Key areas for deliberation include:

• The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)
• Climate change and financing
• Food and nutrition security
• Regional security
• Transportation
• Reparations
• Foreign and community relations

Discussions are also expected to cover the situations in Haiti and Cuba, with reparations highlighted as a major agenda item. Prime Minister Friday has indicated that the issue of accommodating third-country deportees, a matter he has been discussing with OECS and CARICOM partners, will also be a topic of consideration.

Opening Ceremony and Distinguished Guests

The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for February 24, 2026, at The Marriott Dome, Frigate Bay, with subsequent sessions taking place at the St Kitts Marriott from February 25 to 27. CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett will deliver opening remarks. Distinguished special guests expected to attend include His Excellency Adel al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, and Dr. George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank. Other leaders, such as Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre of Saint Lucia and President Dr. Jeniffer Geerlings-Simons of Suriname, are also confirmed attendees.