GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) — Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders will hold their 47th regular meeting in Grenada July 28-30, the Guyana-based Caricom Secretariat announced on Thursday.

The summit was originally due to have taken place on July 3-5, but had been postponed to a “date to be determined” as several Caribbean countries braced for the passage of Hurricane Beryl which left a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

Grenada was among the countries hit by the Category 4 hurricane and its capital St George’s will be hosting the conference in the year of its 50th anniversary of political independence from Britain.

“This meeting of the conference is also being held 35 years since the signing of the Grand Anse Declaration, which set in motion Caricom’s transition to a single market and economy [CSME] and other critical matters,” the Secretariat said.

The CSME allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.

The secretariat said that at the opening ceremony on Sunday, July 28, addresses will come from Caricom secretary general, Dr Carla Barnett; the outgoing chairman, Dr Irfaan Ali; and Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell; the incoming chairman.

Another highlight of the opening ceremony will be the admission of the Dutch-speaking Caribbean country of Curacao as an associate member.

Earlier this week, Mitchell said notwithstanding the fact that Grenada had been “punched in the face” by Hurricane Beryl, the country was moving ahead with plans to host the summit.

“We have been knocked down, but we are on our feet. Grenada is open for business and we will continue to be resilient and so we do intend to proceed with the hosting of the Caribbean Heads of Government Conference later in July.

“We intend to host it because we think it is an opportunity for all of us in Caricom to rally and show solidarity and support to Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Barbados, St Lucia…who have been impacted by this dreadful hurricane,” said Mitchell.

He added that holding the meeting would also, “emphasise some of the larger international issues we have to treat with from the position of climate justice and so on. Caricom is alive and well and we certainly intend to do our part”.