Caribbean RoundUp – Caribbean Life

CARICOM

In her end-of-year message, following rising geopolitical unrest and the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett has commended member states for their strong resilience in 2025 and said that the challenges faced in 2025 exposed their vulnerabilities and highlighted the value of regional unity.

“Hurricane Melissa left death and destruction in its wake in Jamaica and in Haiti. Recovery will take considerable resources and time. In addition, unprecedented geopolitical headwinds threatened export earnings, regional peace, and sovereignty.”

“Amid these and other challenges…we pulled together urgently to help address critical needs in the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes, and pivoted creatively to safeguard businesses and livelihoods.”

She also commended the decision by Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines to allow full and free movement among nationals in the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

“The framework for a comprehensive CARICOM Industrial Policy and Strategy is also well advanced, laying the foundation for stronger and more integrated productive capacity, innovation, and economic diversification. In agriculture, the continued implementation of the 25 by 2025 strategy yielded growth in production, although the hurricane and other climate-related events caused significant setbacks for farmers and agricultural communities.”

“The rich talent of our artisans and artistes filled us with pride as we celebrated our diverse and vibrant culture during CARIFESTA XV in Barbados in August. And our tradition of democracy was honored as seven member states and five associate members held peaceful general elections during the year.”

She continued, “I salute the people of the region, whose contributions continue to affirm that our greatest asset is an engaged and empowered citizenry.”

“As we prepare to embrace a New Year, I have every confidence that the community will continue to respond with clarity and resolve to our challenges.”

She invited all stakeholders to move forward together towards a vision of resilience, prosperity, and unity.

Dominica

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is hopeful that the new year will bring continued investments, further reforms, and renewed focus on improving the quality of life for all Dominicans.

“There will be challenges, but we face them together, united, resilient, and confident in our shared destiny. Let us enter the New Year with renewed faith in ourselves and in our country. Let us strengthen the bonds that unite us, extend kindness where it is needed, and recommit ourselves to building a Dominica that leaves no one behind, Skerrit said in a recent release.

Skerrit said that the Christmas season provides an opportunity for reflection.

“It reminds us of the enduring values of love, compassion, humility, and service to others. It is a time when families gather, communities reconnect, and we are encouraged to look beyond ourselves and care for the vulnerable, the elderly, the sick, and those who may be facing hardship. These values have always defined us as a people, and they continue to guide us as a nation.”

But he said as Dominicans reflect on the year, they should do so with gratitude and pride, noting that 2025 was a year of “determined effort, steady  progress, and meaningful achievements.”

“In a world still grappling with economic uncertainty, climate shocks, and geopolitical instability, Dominica continued to move forward with confidence and purpose,” he said, adding that “this year, we took decisive action to protect working families and restore dignity to labour through the implementation of a revised minimum wage.”

Skerrit stated that this policy reflects his administration’s firm belief that no one who works hard should struggle to make a living.

“We also acted to reduce the cost of living by removing VAT (value-added tax) and customs duties on essential food items, putting real relief into the pockets of households across the country.”

He stated that the country also continued to invest heavily in housing, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and growth sectors as part of a comprehensive vision to build a resilient, inclusive, and opportunity-rich Dominica.

Haiti

As Haiti prepares for an election this year, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has published the electoral calendar in the official gazette, Le Moniteur, showing the key stages from the submission of candidacies to the proclamation of the final results.

The publication of the electoral calendar follows the publication of the Electoral Decree in Special Issue 66 of Le Moniteur by the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT).

According to the CEP, the key dates include the start of the election campaign on May 19, running until Aug. 28, 2026, and the first round of voting (legislative and presidential) on Aug. 30.

The first-round results will be published on October 3, 2026, and the second-round results on December 6, 2026. The final results of the second round will be published on Jan. 7, 2027.

The final publication and posting of the local election results, which will be held on December 6, 2026, are scheduled for Feb. 20, 2027.

The CEP stated that in order to hold elections, it must have access to and operate in all municipalities and communal sections throughout the entire process. It must be able to move about safely and work day and night in all Departmental Electoral Offices (BEDs), Communal Electoral Offices (BECs), and polling stations.

The Provisional Electoral Council said that “A total of 23 communes, spread across the departments of West (12), Artibonite (8), Center (3), and Northwest (1), are currently under the control of armed bandits(and that)… The current security situation has major implications for electoral logistics.”

The CEP said that the budget is a crucial pillar of the electoral process.

“Organising elections in Haiti involves simultaneously managing multiple emergencies that require swift action in all regions of the country. The electoral institution must have its own financial resources to manage certain activities and unforeseen events,” the CEP added.

Jamaica

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, has expressed deep gratitude to the international community for its support and solidarity following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

“In times of crisis, no country can stand alone. We are thankful to our international friends and partners for their commitment, compassion, and willingness to stand with us. Their support has not only assisted in the relief effort but will continue to be critical to the rebuilding of infrastructure and restoration of essential services,” she said.

She noted that every act of support emphasized the importance of bilateral, regional, and international co-operation. “They also reaffirm our confidence in the power of unity and collective action. I reiterate our deepest gratitude to all our partners, including our particularly special diaspora family, who work with us to bring hope, comfort, and life-saving assistance to our people.

Their spirit of solidarity has given renewed meaning to diplomacy, restoring faith in humanity and inspiring Jamaica to press forward with confidence toward a brighter, stronger, and more prosperous and resilient future,” she said.

Johnson Smith listed assistance received from Caribbean neighbors, including The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, St. Lucia, and T&T, as well as support from Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.

She also expressed appreciation for the United Nations and its agencies, namely UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO).

“We are also grateful to the Organization of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the EU’s civil protection and international partnership mechanisms, and the International Federation of the Red Cross, among others,” she said.

Johnson Smith noted that several international bodies, including the OAS and the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA) have adopted decisions or resolutions in support of Jamaica and called on member states to provide assistance.

She extended condolences to the families of the 45 people who lost their lives, those still missing and to families worldwide affected by tropical cyclones last year. The Senate observed a minute of silence in their memory.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

After winning the Nov. 27 general elections, the New Democratic Party (NDP) administration has met with Kingstown-based diplomats, including the Taiwan ambassador, despite stating that if elected to office, it would sever ties with Taipei.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the few CARICOM countries that enjoys diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

In August 2016, then-NDP President and Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace stated that if elected to office, the NDP would switch diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China.

Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday replaced Eustace as NDP president in November 2017 and has not announced any change in the party’s position, but has repeatedly hinted that it would maintain the diplomatic ties.

It was also recently announced by the Office of the Prime Minister’s social media page that the Prime Minister met with several diplomats “to discuss various matters touching and concerning the way forward for St Vincent and the Grenadines with the generous assistance from both nations.”

Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment, and Diaspora Affairs, Fitzgerald Bramble, held talks with the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the United States to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Karin Sullivan.

“The meeting offered an opportunity for Ms Sullivan to extend congratulations to the newly elected Prime Minister and to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to continued strong and constructive bilateral cooperation,” according to a statement.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs anticipates deepening the longstanding partnership between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the United States, with a shared focus on advancing mutual prosperity, security, and the well-being of both nations and their peoples.”

Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan