By Peter Richards
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Jul 5, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders opened their four-day summit here on Sunday underscoring the importance of unity as the region confronts the global challenges that seek to undermine their economic and political stability.
St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre, who assumed the chairmanship of the 15-member regional integration grouping, said that this moment calls on all stakeholders to be greater than the limits of the present.
“It calls us to sing beyond election cycles. It calls us to sing beyond national borders. It calls us to sing beyond the pressures of today and towards the Caribbean we must live for tomorrow.
“We owe that to the founders of this community. We owe it to the generations who struggled for independence, dignity, and self-determination. We owe it to those who believe that small states acting together could become a powerful force for development, justice, and progress.”
Pierre said that above all, the regional leaders owe it to the people of the Caribbean, warning “history may forgive us for disagreements, it may even forgive us for delay, but it will never forgive us for failing to create a stronger, safer, fairer, and more united Caribbean community”.
He pledged that as he assumed the chairmanship of the grouping for the next six months, “I’m prepared to serve and listen to my colleagues while working with them in advancing the common good of the CARICOM people.
“Unity within CARICOM must be foundational. If we are to create a safer place for our people and secure climate justice for them, we need to find an economic space for our youth, offering them a chance to develop and express their creativity while offering them hope.”
(Details in Politics section)
CMC/2026