Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley has called on CARICOM leaders to continue championing regional unity as the Caribbean faces growing social, economic, and geopolitical challenges.

Reflecting on her first address to the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in 2018, Mottley noted that the region is now confronting perhaps its most difficult period since achieving independence.

“Indeed, some may argue more challenges than we have ever seen since the famous September 1947 Montego Bay Conference, which called for a regional integration movement… we live in a very different world from 1947, but if ever there was a time for regional solidarity, it is absolutely now.”

Mottley, speaking at the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM on Sunday, July 6, highlighted that during a recent Heads of Government meeting in Barbados, she urged leaders to speak openly and frankly in order to build stronger institutions that support the long-term development of the region.

She underscored the Caribbean’s resilience and its capacity for growth, drawing on the spirit of perseverance in the popular Jimmy Cliff anthem You Can Get It If You Really Want. “The region has the power of vision, but the power of trial and effort,” she said, encouraging continued effort in the face of adversity.

“…Our region, like every other region across the world, is suffering from the vicissitudes of cost of living issues that are making it more difficult for ordinary Caribbean people to make each day and to go through each day and night. And the question for us as heads of government and heads of state is, how do we make it easier for people to sleep? And how do we allow them to be able to undertake that task of taking care of themselves and their families in the easiest ways despite what has been triggered globally through geopolitical issues and wars and conflict, and disruption of supplies?” she added, charging CARICOM leaders to implement stronger measures to support their citizens.

Addressing the Threat of AI and Misinformation

Mottley also urged regional heads to develop a CARICOM-wide validation mechanism to combat fake news, particularly those generated through artificial intelligence.

“We live in a world now where fake news, regrettably, is a key part of all that we have, and where the improper use of AI can sometimes stoke great fear and panic among our citizens. And if we fail to do so, we put seriously at risk the stability of our democracies,” she warned.

She stressed the need for CARICOM to create credible systems to verify the truth across member states. “In the last two weeks alone, my government in Barbados has had to put out as clear fake news one that sought to ban President Trump from our country, one that sought to impose on Barbados travel advisories that didn’t exist.”

Turning her attention to public safety, Mottley emphasised that citizen security must remain a top priority for CARICOM, given its importance to democratic stability and the development of regional legal systems.

“This is so critical, not just for the development of Caribbean jurisprudence, but also for the stability of our democracies. There is no country in this region that is not facing some level of citizen insecurity. And regrettably, we pay a high price for the Second Amendment rights of the United States of America’s citizens,” she added.