CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett says regional integration must move beyond trade liberalisation to build productive capacity, reduce external dependence and strengthen the Caribbean’s resilience amid global uncertainty.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett has called for a strategic overhaul of regional integration, identifying food and energy security, transportation, productive transformation and digital development as priorities for strengthening the region’s economic resilience and competitiveness.
Speaking on Thursday at the 41st Session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in the Dominican Republic, Barnett said the traditional approach to regional integration, centred largely on expanding markets and liberalising trade, was no longer sufficient to meet the challenges confronting Caribbean states.
Small economies, she noted, are increasingly exposed to geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption, climate change and intensifying competition for investment and productive capabilities.
“Regional integration must now be viewed as a strategic development platform to drive economic transformation, enhance resilience, and advance the Region’s strategic participation in an increasingly uncertain, complex and competitive global economy,” Barnett said.
She was speaking during a panel discussion titled “A New Stage of Regional Integration: What to Do and How to Move Forward,” which brought together regional government representatives, integration officials and private sector leaders.
Barnett said CARICOM was seeking to deepen the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) through sectoral cooperation focused on practical results, economic security and stronger engagement with international markets.
Food and energy security featured prominently in her assessment. She said reducing the Caribbean’s dependence on imported food must be treated as a regional development and resilience strategy, supported by cooperation in agricultural production, research, climate-smart farming, technology and logistics.
She also called for greater regional collaboration on renewable energy, energy efficiency, regulatory coordination and climate financing to reduce external dependence and support more competitive production.
Transportation and connectivity were identified as another critical priority, with Barnett arguing that efficient and affordable shipping, air services, ports, airports and logistics systems were essential to trade, tourism, investment and labour mobility.
Improved regional transportation would allow Caribbean producers to source inputs more efficiently, access neighbouring markets and participate more effectively in Latin American and global supply chains.
On economic diversification, Barnett warned that Caribbean economies remained vulnerable to external shocks because of their dependence on a limited range of activities.
She said regional integration must therefore focus on building competitive industries and value chains rather than merely connecting markets.
Priority sectors include agro-processing, green manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, creative industries, digital services and logistics.
Barnett pointed to CARICOM’s recently approved Industrial Policy as a framework for helping member states develop complementary productive capabilities rather than competing against one another for the same opportunities.
She also stressed the need for stronger regional financial systems, including interoperable payment platforms, improved access to financing for small and medium-sized businesses, and coordinated investment in climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure.
Digital transformation and artificial intelligence, she added, could improve productivity, reduce transaction costs and expand market access, provided countries invest in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, regulatory frameworks and skills development.
Barnett also highlighted the Protocol on Enhanced Cooperation, which allows willing and able member states to advance agreed initiatives without requiring every member to participate simultaneously.
She cited the free movement arrangement implemented by four CARICOM member states on October 1, 2025, as an example of cooperation that could improve the allocation of skills and human resources across participating countries.
In closing, Barnett called for stronger partnerships between CARICOM and Latin America to expand productive investment, technological cooperation, trade diversification and more resilient regional supply chains.
She said closer collaboration between the two regions could strengthen their collective ability to navigate an increasingly complex global economy.
