Curacao Joins CARICOM, Pledges to Leverage Cultural, Economic Strengths

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CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell (left); CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett and Curacao Prime Minister Gilmar Simon after signing the agreement making Curacao the latest associate member of CARICOM.

CARICOM Secretariat, Greater Georgetown, Guyana – Tuesday, 30 July 2024: Curaçao is now the sixth Associate Member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The country’s Prime Minister said it brings a unique blend of cultural traditions, economic strengths, and social perspectives that will hopefully strengthen the Community.

On Sunday, 28 July 2024, CARICOM Chairman, the Hon. Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, and Prime Minister of Curaçao, His Excellency Gilmar Simon Pisas signed the Agreement accepting Curaçao as an Associate Member of CARICOM during the Opening Ceremony of the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in St. George’s Grenada.

In his inaugural remarks following the signing of the Agreement accepting Curaçao into CARICOM, Prime Minister Pisas stated:

“We also bring the experience, resources, and the vast international network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which we can leverage in optimizing our collective strengths and economic connections, and to navigate geo-political complexities to benefit all CARICOM Members States and Associate Members.”

Describing the occasion as another historic event in Curaçao’s history, the Prime Minister said joining CARICOM is a testament to its “shared vision of a united, prosperous, and resilient Caribbean Community.”

Articulating the potential for participating in Regional Economic Integration, he said the country’s strategic location, natural ports, and well-developed physical and professional services infrastructure, can serve as a hub for regional trade.

The Prime Minister said that through investments in connectivity and logistics, Curaçao can help streamline the movement of goods and services across the Caribbean, which can redound to greater economic activity and job creation.