Caricom and Dutch Parliament address regional diplomacy and consultation

During a meeting of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Foreign and Community Relations Council (COFCOR) in New York, Minister Melvin Bouva called for increased unity and coordination among member states to strengthen their collective voice in international affairs. A primary focus of the discussions was the ongoing crisis in Haiti, with Caricom expressing support for a Haiti-led process to restore security and stability in the country.

Additionally, Caricom members expressed support for Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the candidate proposed by Guyana for the position of United Nations Secretary-General for the 2027–2031 term. The bloc aims to present a unified front during the selection process to ensure better representation for Latin America and the Caribbean.

In a separate development regarding Kingdom relations, the Dutch House of Representatives’ Committee for Kingdom Relations has urged the Dutch cabinet to restore formal consultation procedures with Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. The committee requested a response from State Secretary Eric van der Burg following complaints that the Caribbean territories are not consistently consulted on decisions affecting the Kingdom, such as the recent decision to abstain from a UN resolution regarding the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans.