A Political Scientist reviewing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s remarks in St. Kitts and Nevis said her message amounts to a clear call for reform within CARICOM, urging greater accountability and responsiveness from the regional body.
Speaking on Trinidad and Tobago Today, Dr. Shane Mohammed said the Prime Minister’s remarks highlighted a growing need for institutional reform within CARICOM. He pointed to concerns about communication and responsiveness at the Secretariat level.
“There’s also that concern that she raised with regard to the need for CARICOM to become more accountable, more agile and she went back to that specific letter of correspondence that she would have written to the Secretary General of CARICOM and gotten absolutely no response, which is not what CARICOM is.”
Dr. Mohammed said the issue extends beyond that single unanswered letter. He noted that mechanisms once designed to strengthen dialogue across the region have since fallen away, weakening parliamentary engagement within the Community.
“But the time has come for CARICOM as an institution to sit down and look at itself and make the reforms that is needed to meet the international challenges that we’re facing in 2026 and beyond.”
Dr. Mohammed said as one of CARICOM’s largest financial contributors, Trinidad and Tobago has both the standing and the responsibility to press for change.
The Prime Minister has also reaffirmed the country’s commitment to regional unity, even as she calls for what she describes as necessary reform.