Key Insights

• 80th UN General Assembly Milestone: Marks eight decades of multilateralism, a principle currently challenged by global conflicts and geopolitical shifts, yet presenting opportunities for CARICOM to maintain a strong international profile.
• Complex Global Environment:
  • Ongoing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East.
  • A protracted, multi-dimensional crisis in Haiti impacting security, governance, and humanitarian conditions.
  • The rise of multipolarity complicates diplomatic navigation but also opens new avenues for cooperation.
• CARICOM’s Multilateral Approach:
  • Unlike many regional blocs, CARICOM does not enforce a common foreign policy but agrees collectively on what benefits both individual member states and the region as a whole.
  • This approach sustains CARICOM’s unity and influence despite external pressures.

• 24th Special Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers: Scheduled for September 22, just before UNGA’s high-level week, to finalize common positions and coordinate responses to global challenges\

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• CARICOM remains a resilient and influential regional organization, maintaining a unified yet flexible approach to foreign policy amidst growing global complexities.
• The security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti remains urgent, but new multilateral mechanisms offer hope for more effective intervention, including a specialized gang suppression force and enhanced collaboration between OAS, UN, and CARICOM.
• Strengthening ties with Africa and other international partners signifies CARICOM’s commitment to broadening its global engagement through South-South cooperation and diversified diplomacy.
• The 80th UNGA session and associated summits provide a critical platform for CARICOM to assert its priorities, navigate geopolitical challenges, and foster partnerships that benefit its member states and the wider region.