By CARICOM Secretariat

GUYANA / JAMAICA – Prime Minister of Jamaica,  Andrew Holness, has reaffirmed the importance of CARICOM to Jamaica’s national development, describing the regional integration movement as “an important instrument of multilateral engagement.”

“We see CARICOM as absolutely important to our own national development,” prime minister Holness stated during a visit to the headquarters of the Caribbean Community in Georgetown, Guyana, as part of his official visit to the country.

Greeting the staff of the CARICOM Secretariat, he said that amid a changing global landscape and the emergence of what is often described as “a new world order”, CARICOM remains “an important instrument of foreign policy.”

While member states may not always have unified foreign policies, he said that they advance common foreign policy interests through CARICOM.

The prime minister, who also addressed the opening of the four-day International Building Expo 2026 in Guyana on Thursday evening (25 June), highlighted the growing opportunities for regional economic collaboration, pointing to his visit as an example of the possibilities that exist within the region.

“The opportunities for economic collaboration are very wide and very deep,” he said, adding, “For that to happen, it is not just a bilateral pursuit. We need standardisation of rules; we need to be able to take advantage of common opportunities. There are common challenges that we need to pursue as a Region, and the best institution to do that is CARICOM,” prime minister Holness stated.

Highlighting the role of the CARICOM Secretariat, prime minister Holness said it is critical in helping member governments navigate an increasingly complex global environment.

“Your job as regional administrators and technocrats is to help us, the political leaders, understand the dynamics and the changes that are happening globally and regionally,” he said, adding. “We rely on you to make sense of the changing and complex global situation, and our regional situation as well.”

The Jamaican prime minister added that the Secretariat also has a key role in administering the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and in ensuring that the legal and operational frameworks underpinning the Community function effectively.

“At the heart of it is that if the legal framework and the Treaty are not perfected, then bilateral and multilateral relationships can become very difficult,” prime minister Holness stated. He emphasised the need for citizens “to see the benefit and the value” of CARICOM through integration mechanisms such as free movement of labour, the movement of capital, education and training opportunities, and other initiatives that directly improve their lives.

Prime Minister Holness also expressed confidence that the CARICOM secretary-general, Dr Carla Barnett and her team are “making the best effort” to advise and guide member states on global challenges and the opportunities, in keeping with the Treaty.