The Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met on 10 April 2026 to discuss the issues in relation to Governance of the Community that have been raised by Trinidad and Tobago, especially including the re-appointment of the Secretary-General of the Community. Neither the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago nor any representative from Trinidad and Tobago attended the Meeting.
In keeping with the discussions among the Heads yesterday, information related to communications with Member States in preparation for and during the Fiftieth Regular Meeting of the Conference, as well as discussions and decisions taken by Heads while meeting in Retreat is shared in the attachments.
It is hoped that as the Community moves forward, it will be possible to revert to the use of internal mechanisms for addressing the challenges that arise from time to time, lest unfortunate and erroneous statements diminish the progress towards deepening the integration process for the benefit of the people of the Region.
-11 April 2026-
Attachment 1
In preparation for the 50th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) which was held in St Kitts and Nevis from 24-27 February 2026, all Member States were duly informed of the Official Events, the Draft Agenda of the Conference and the Programme of Work indicating which Agenda Items were to be taken in Plenary sessions, in Caucus and in Retreat of Heads only.
The Offices of all Heads of Government were informed of the date and venue of the Retreat via official correspondence prior to the Meeting of the Conference and via communication during the meetings. All Member States acknowledged receipt of all official correspondence related to the convening of the 50th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago departed St Kitts and Nevis on the evening of the first day of the Conference, February 25, before the Retreat on February 26. On 25 February at 10:33 PM Foreign Minister Sean Sobers called the Secretary General on WhatsApp to inquire if he should attend the Retreat in the absence of his Prime Minister. He was advised he could and that other Heads who have had to leave may be represented by their Foreign Ministers. He indicated that he had a problem with seasickness so he may not be able to attend.
At 10:55 PM on 25 February, Chairman received the following WhatsApp messages from the Secretary-General: “Chairman. TT Foreign Minister Sobers called me to ask if he should come to retreat in the absence of his PM. I indicated that other Heads who have left may be represented by their FMs.” “He also indicated he gets seasick, so he’s not looking forward to the boat ride. So we may not have TT represented tomorrow.”
At 12:37 AM on 26 February, Secretary-General sent the following message to Minister Sobers: “Minister, if the boat trip will cause nausea am sure the Chairman would understand if you chose not to come tomorrow.”
The Minister did not subsequently indicate to the Chairman or the Secretary-General that he would be willing and able to attend the Retreat.
During the Retreat, under the Agenda item, Financing and Governance of the Community, Heads decided to consider the reappointment of the Secretary General and agreed to the reappointment as provided for under Article 24 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. The Secretary General was not in the room during the discussion of this matter.
A decision was also taken to delay the announcement so as to inform, as a matter of courtesy, the Heads who were not at the Retreat, before the official announcement was made. Attempts were made to reach the Heads who were absent to inform of the decision, but it was not possible to make contact with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago by email or telephone call. After some efforts to reach the Prime Minister, the Chairman was asked to speak with the Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
While on Retreat, under the Agenda Item on Financing and Governance, Heads of Government also agreed to establish a sub-Committee of Heads comprising Barbados, Dominica, Guyana and Jamaica to review the Governance and Financing of Community institutions. Under the Agenda Item Geopolitical Developments, Heads also agreed to issue a statement on CARICOM’s Meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Timeline of Correspondence overleaf sets out official communication with Member States on the preparation for the 50th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM which was held in St Kitts and Nevis from 24-27 February 2026.
The link to the remaining critical attachments – Timeline and Programme of Work can be viewed here: https://caricom.org/wp-content/uploads/Statement_CARICOM-Chairman_25th-Special-Emergency-Meeting_Conference-of-CARICOM-Heads-of-Government_10-April-2026.pdf
About CARICOM:
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was established on 4 July 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was revised in 2001 to allow for the establishment of a single market and economy. CARICOM comprises fifteen Member States and six Associate Members and is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60% of whom are under 30 years old. CARICOM’s work rests on four main pillars: economic integration; foreign policy coordination; human and social development; and security cooperation.
The members of CARICOM work together to create a Community that is integrated, inclusive and resilient; driven by knowledge, excellence, innovation and productivity; a Community which is a unified and competitive force in the global arena, where every citizen is secure and has the opportunity to realise his or her potential with guaranteed human rights and social justice, and contributes to, and shares in, its economic, social and cultural prosperity.
CARICOM remains one of the best examples of integration in the developing world.
The CARICOM Secretariat, the principal administrative organ of the Community, is headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana.