BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) — Caribbean Community (Caricom) foreign affairs ministers are ending a two-day meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on Friday, against the backdrop of a shifting and troubled geopolitical and economic landscape where the rules-based international order is now being eroded.

According to the chairman of the Caricom Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) and host, St Kitts Foreign Minister Denzil Douglas, the rules-based international order is being eroded by the attempts of some countries to undermine multilateralism and the rule of law.

He told his colleagues that there is a pressing need for unity and adaptability as the region navigates a complex global environment.

“Partnerships once considered sacred and principles considered inalienable are now being progressively diminished, prompting the need for the realignment of priorities for many of our countries, even when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and armed international conflicts continue to loom over the global economy,” said Douglas.

“The circumstances constitute an inflexion point for our Caribbean region. They demand a unity of vision and mission to weather the tide and to identify and implement innovative approaches to achieving regional and national development goals.”

“[In] this vein, the continued bolstering of our efforts to deepen relations with non-traditional partners even while we continue to engage fully with our own,” he continued.

The COFCOR meeting is discussing a wide range of issues including regional and international diplomatic relations, security and development priorities.

Caricom Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett, said the deliberations provide an opportunity to assess past actions to advance and safeguard the region’s interests and allow the ministers to examine global developments and dynamics that are impacting member states.

She said these include very real threats to multilateralism, sovereignty, international peace and security, human rights, and international law.

“Our review and analysis are therefore vital. We must reinforce our commitment to strategic, coordinated diplomacy; strengthen partnerships with like-minded partners, both long-standing and non-traditional; and remain a vocal proponent for dialogue and multilateral solutions. In a world in which small states struggle to be heard, it is important to ensure we are well-coordinated around our fundamental principles,” Dr Barnett said.

She noted that regional leaders in the recent past have engaged their counterparts from Canada, Brazil, India, and Saudi Arabia and that several leaders have engaged the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in recent weeks.

She said in addition, the Caribbean-Brazil Summit will be held in Brasilia in June and Caricom is also looking forward to the second Caricom-African Union Summit, which is programmed to take place on Caricom-Africa Day on September 7 2025.

“At the level of this council, later this month, the community will dialogue with Colombia during the Third Caricom-Colombia Ministerial Meeting. Members of this council will also be participating in the Ministerial Council of the Association of Caribbean States which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.”

According to the secretary general, Caricom countries will be participating in several multilateral engagements, including, but not limited to, the fourth international conference on financing for development at the end of June, the high-level political forum on sustainable development in July as well as the United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) at the end of July.

The regional leaders are also expected to participate in the 30th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework CCC (COP 30) in November.

“Caricom’s careful and coordinated preparation for participating in these processes will be important to effectively advocate to ensure that our voices are heard and our priorities are addressed,” Barnett added.

She said this is particularly important in the area of financing, where the region will continue to advocate for the implementation of both the Bridgetown Initiative and the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, as well as reconsideration of recent cuts in technical assistance and international donor funding.

“These cuts are putting at risk the region’s hurricane and other disaster preparedness, as well as other funding for health, and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) agreed to at the UN SIDS Conference in Antigua and Barbuda last year.”