"In the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), we have seen the rise of formidable women leaders in government, the private sector and civil society, yet women remain underrepresented in formal political institutions and upper management roles. Only 2 of our 15 Member States – Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago - have a woman as Head of Government at this time. We are expecting another to be installed as Head of State and Government next month in Suriname. Only one of our Member States, Guyana, has implemented a 30% gender quota for women in parliament." - Dr.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) is deeply distressed by the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the alarming tensions across the Middle East, which threaten global stability.

The Government of Guyana and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) yesterday signed a US$18 million financing agreement to kickstart the Agricultural and Infrastructural Development Programme (AIDP), which will see over 4,300 farmers across the ten regions of Guyana benefitting, with forty per cent of the beneficiaries being women and youth. The programme will allow for a further boost to Guyana’s agriculture sector in the form of support for compliance with food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary standards in the sector.

The upcoming Forty-Ninth Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government will place emphasis on improving regional security, enhancing food and nutrition security and combatting climate change, CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, said.

The Meeting convenes 6-8 July, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, with Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, as the Chair. Prime Minister Holness assumes the six-month rotating Chairmanship of the Community on 1 July 2025.

The CARICOM Eminent Persons Group (EPG) has been in contact with the nominating stakeholders in Haiti to ascertain their willingness to meet to undertake an exchange on the present situation in the country, at a critical point in time in the transition process. In this regard, the views of the stakeholders would be of importance when the CARICOM Heads of Government meet in Conference in Jamaica, in early July 2025, to discuss regional issues on their agenda, amongst which the situation in Haiti and CARICOM’s continued support for the Haitian people and country.