Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nassau, The Bahamas

25 February, 2021

Press Release

Minister of Foreign Affairs Participates in the Thirty-Second Inter-Sessionals Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is pleased to inform the general public that the Hon. Darren A. Henfield, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs, led a delegation on behalf of the Most Honourable Prime Minister Dr. Hubert A. Minnis, ON, MP, in the Thirty-Second Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and was virtually held 24 – 25 February 2021.

During the two-day session, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of CARICOM Member States engaged in discussions on diverse topics. These issues included equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a human right; the impact of COVID-19 on the region; the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); the advancement of the CARICOM Agri-Good Systems and the prioritization of regional food security; the CARICOM Joint Tourism Policy and reparations for CARICOM countries. The CARICOM Secretariat will release statements with respect to access to COVID-19 vaccines, the Commission of Inquiry in the British Virgin Islands and the situation in Haiti.

Minister Henfield, addressing the meeting on behalf of the Prime Minister who leads the work on Tourism in the Quasi Cabinet of CARICOM, referred to the Joint Tourism Policy and a proposed Emergency Tourism Plan. Such a plan, is critical to address the urgent need to stimulate the region’s tourism recovery over the coming months, while augmenting efforts to build the industry’s long-term inclusiveness and sustainability.