(Caribbean Community Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - CARICOM’s efforts to tackle critical sustainable development challenges have gained support through cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany.
H.E. Safiya Sawney, Special Envoy and Ambassador for Climate of Grenada, told UN News that she is pleased to see the reference in the draft outcome to the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States, or ABAS, which was adopted during the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States in May 2024. Ms. Sawney said that including the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda in the UNOC3 political declaration signals growing unity among island nations.
As the international community observes World Oceans Day 2025 on 8 June, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) reaffirms its solidarity and deep commitment to collective action in the sustainable management of our ocean, a vital and expansive natural resource central to the Region’s identity, economy, and future.
The Bahamas is gearing up to launch an electronic system to modernise the regulation of international trade in wildlife. This milestone reflects The Bahamas’ commitment to global best practices for sustainable wildlife trade and positions the country as a regional leader in digital environmental governance.
Environment and Sustainable Development Ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met in a special session of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in Antigua and Barbuda, 30 April 2025.
The Hon. Sir Molwyn Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, chaired the one-day meeting, which deliberated on regional environmental and natural resources governance, and sustainable ocean-based economic development.
As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) pursues the blue economy as a feature of its economic development strategy, it recognises that marine biodiversity conservation, restoration of ecosystems, and the reduction of plastic pollution, are critical to this effort.
CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Dr. Wendell Samuel, has called for cooperation to shape a future in which “our environment, including oceans, is not only protected, but fully leveraged for the benefit of our people and future generations.”
A regional policy framework on the environment, which CARICOM Ministers responsible for the Environment have approved, was launched on Tuesday, 29 April, in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on 4 April 2025, began a series of regional thematic consultations dedicated to formulating the CARICOM Ocean Policy and Governance Framework. The consultation took place in Miami, Florida, in the margins of the Regional Preparatory Workshop for the first meeting of the Preparatory Commission on the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
As one of the intergovernmental organisation signatories to the OCM MOU, the CARICOM Secretariat, is pleased to be part of this ambitious governance arrangement to advance sustainable use and conservation of shared marine resources in the wider Caribbean.