• Honourable Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community;

• Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community;

• Honourable Ministers;

• Other Heads of Delega

"This forum’s focus on three critical matters - agriculture and food and nutrition security, green economy transition, and digitalization of business – will inform the ongoing narrative and action plans on how strategic investments can be directed towards development, sustainability, and resilience.  These are matters of great priority in CARICOM." - Dr. Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary-General

As CARICOM, and all SIDS, continue to bear the brunt of global climate change – climate change that we do not cause - we are alarmed by the apparent drawback by some in the international community from the ambition necessary to limit increases in global temperature to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

"The 7th Caribbean Food Security and Livelihoods Survey results provide a basis for the CARICOM 25 by 2025 initiative, a visionary initiative aimed at reducing the region's food import bill by a quarter by the year 2025. This goal is not just about economic numbers; it is a comprehensive strategy to enhance food sovereignty, bolster local agriculture, and fortify the Caribbean against external shocks.

 Professor Edward Greene, Chancellor, University of Guyana;

 Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, Vice-Chancellor, University of Guyana;

 Dr. Mellissa Ifill, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Institutional Advancement, University of Guyana and Chair of this evening’s proceedings;

 Fellow presenters:

o Professor Alissa Trotz, University of Toronto;