Caribbean Community

The Caribbean Community, often called CARICOM, is a group of countries and regions that work together. It includes 15 member states and five associated members across the Americas, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The main goal of CARICOM is to help its members grow their economies, share benefits fairly, and work together on international issues.

CARICOM was created in 1973 when four countries signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Today, it plays an important role in supporting the countries of the Caribbean and helping them become stronger together. The main office of CARICOM is located in Georgetown, Guyana. CARICOM also has special status as an observer at the United Nations General Assembly.

History

CARICOM, also called The Caribbean Community and Common Market, started with the Treaty of Chaguaramas on 1 August 1973. The first members were Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

Before CARICOM, there was the Caribbean Free Trade Association from 1965 to 1972. This group helped the English-speaking countries in the Caribbean work together after another group, the West Indies Federation, ended in 1962.

In 2001, leaders from CARICOM met in The Bahamas and signed a new treaty. This helped turn CARICOM into a bigger market and economy area.

Haiti’s membership was paused from 2004 to 2006 after some leaders were removed. After new leaders were chosen, Haiti joined again.

Since 2013, CARICOM and the Dominican Republic have had a special agreement with the European Union. This helps with trade and investment.

In 2025, four CARICOM members—Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—allowed people to move freely between their countries.

Agenda and goals

CARICOM was created by English-speaking countries in the Caribbean. It now includes many island nations, plus Belize, Guyana, Montserrat, Suriname, and Bermuda as associate members. For many years, English was the only working language, but later Dutch, French, Spanish, and Haitian Creole were added.

In 2001, leaders updated the Treaty of Chaguaramas to create a bigger market area called the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. CARICOM helps its members by coordinating economic plans, supporting less-developed countries with special projects, running a shared market, and solving trade disagreements.

Organisational structure

The Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, has a clear structure to help it work.

The leader of CARICOM, called the Chairman, changes every few years. This position is held by leaders from each of the 15 member countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

There is also a group called the Heads of Government, who help guide the work of CARICOM.

The main office that runs CARICOM is called the Secretariat. It is led by a Secretary-General, who serves for five years and can be re-elected. The Secretariat works to improve lives and help the member countries grow together.

Community Council

The Community Council is made up of ministers from each member country who focus on community issues. It works together with the Heads of Government to guide CARICOM.

Institutions

The Caribbean Community has several important groups and organizations that help its member countries work together. These groups support cooperation and shared goals among the members.

Relationship to other supranational Caribbean organisations

Association of Caribbean States

CARICOM helped create the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) on July 24, 1994. The idea came from a group formed by CARICOM leaders in 1989. They wanted to bring together all Caribbean countries to work more closely together.

CARICOM talked with other Caribbean, Central American, and some Latin American countries about this idea. In October 1993, leaders from CARICOM and three Latin American countries decided to form the ACS. They set a plan to create it within a year, and they succeeded in forming the ACS.

Community of Latin American and Caribbean States

CARICOM also helped start the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on December 3, 2010. The idea came from a meeting in Mexico in February 2010. CELAC supports the idea of bringing all countries in the Americas closer together.

European Union: Economic Partnership Agreements

Since 2013, CARICOM and the Dominican Republic have had a special agreement with the European Union called CARIFORUM. This agreement, signed in 2008, helps make trade and investment easier between these groups.

OHADAC Project

In May 2016, CARICOM signed an agreement to support a project called OHADAC. This project aims to create uniform business laws across the Caribbean to help trade and investment grow. OHADAC is inspired by a similar effort in Africa.

Member states

See also: Member states of the Caribbean Community

As of 2024 CARICOM has 15 full members, seven associate members and eight observers. The associate members include five British Overseas Territories, one part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and one French Overseas Territory. Right now, it is unclear what role these associate members will play. Observers are states that take part in at least one of CARICOM's technical committees.

CARICOM splits its 15 member states into two groups: Less Developed Countries (LDCs) and More Developed Countries (MDCs). The Less Developed Countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Republic of Haiti, Montserrat, Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The More Developed Countries are Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Barbados, Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, Republic of Suriname, and Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Many people from CARICOM live in other member states. For example, about 30,000 people from Jamaica live in other CARICOM countries, mostly in The Bahamas, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Barbados is home to many people from Guyana. In 2005, around 5,000 Guyanese lived there permanently, with another 3,200 staying temporarily. Some Guyanese were also living there without proper papers.

Migration between Guyana and Suriname has a long history. By 1986, about 50,000 Guyanese had moved to Suriname. In 1987, estimates were between 30,000 and 40,000 Guyanese in Suriname. Many left Suriname in the 1970s and 1980s due to instability, including coups and civil war. In 2013, about 11,530 Guyanese had moved to Suriname and 4,662 Surinamese to Guyana.

Relationship with Cuba

In 2017, the Republic of Cuba and CARICOM signed an agreement to strengthen trade ties. In December 2022, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel met with leaders from CARICOM in Bridgetown, Barbados. This meeting marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between CARICOM countries and Cuba and the 20th anniversary of CARICOM-Cuba Day. Cuba agreed to work more closely with CARICOM on regional issues, especially food production and security.

Dialogue partners / accreditation to CARICOM

Many countries and groups have set up diplomatic ties with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana. Some of these partners do not live in the area but still work closely with CARICOM. These include:

1. African Union ^{Non accreditation, but as dialogue partner}
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Belgium
6. Botswana
7. Brazil
8. Canada
9. Chile
10. Colombia
11. Costa Rica
12. Cuba
13. El Salvador
14. European Union
15. Finland
16. France
17. Germany
18. Greece
19. India
20. Indonesia
21. Ireland
22. Israel
23. Italy
24. Japan
25. Latvia
26. Lithuania
27. Mexico
28. Netherlands
29. New Zealand
30. Panama
31. Portugal
32. Romania
33. Singapore
34. Slovenia
35. South Korea
36. Sweden
37. Switzerland
38. Turkey
39. United Kingdom
40. United States of America
41. Venezuela

Free-trade agreements

The Caribbean Community has agreements to help its members trade with each other more easily. These agreements make it simpler for countries in the group to buy and sell things without extra taxes or barriers.

List of bilateral free-trade agreements#CARICOM

Statistics

See also: Trade bloc

Symbols

Standard

The flag of the Caribbean Community was chosen and approved in November 1983 at a meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The flag has a blue background with a yellow circle in the middle. The circle shows two interlocking Cs, which stand for unity and breaking free from the past. The blue parts represent the sky and the Caribbean Sea, while the green ring around the sun stands for the region's plants.

Song

For CARICOM's 40th anniversary in 2013, a competition was held to choose an official song. The winning song, Celebrating CARICOM by Michele Henderson of Dominica, was first performed in July 2014 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Celebration

CARICOM Day

CARICOM Day is a special day some Caribbean countries celebrate to mark the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973. This treaty created CARICOM. In Guyana, where the CARICOM office is located, CARICOM Day is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday of July. Activities include parades and events to teach people about CARICOM.

Caribbean Festival of Arts – CARIFESTA

Further information: Caribbean Festival of Arts

The Caribbean Festival of Arts, or CARIFESTA, is an annual event that showcases the arts of the Caribbean. Each year, a different country hosts the festival. It began in 1972 in Guyana to celebrate the culture, traditions, and creativity of the Caribbean people and to bring them together.