Addis Ababa, September 7, 2025 (FMC) – At the opening of the Second Africa-Caribbean Summit in Addis Ababa, CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett called for united action between Africa and the Caribbean to tackle shared challenges, including climate change, financial reform, and regional connectivity.
Addressing the summit, Barnett highlighted the disproportionate climate burden borne by both regions despite their minimal contribution to global emissions. “We together account for approximately 6% of global emissions… but we are bearing an inordinate burden of the impact,” she said. She urged joint advocacy grounded in the Bridgetown Initiative to secure resources for climate resilience and adaptation.
Barnett also stressed the importance of enhanced transportation links, pointing to multilateral Air Services Agreements and existing bilateral initiatives, such as the Antigua and Barbuda–Nigeria joint venture for LIAT 2020, as models for improving inter-island travel.
Emphasizing trade and investment, she said that strengthening the Africa-CARICOM partnership would demonstrate the tangible benefits of South-South cooperation in today’s rapidly evolving international landscape.
She further reflected on the shared history of Africa and the Caribbean, noting that the summit’s theme – Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent – is timely. “We must be unified in our demand for due compensation for the exploitative practices that traumatized and disadvantaged millions on both sides of the Atlantic,” Barnett concluded.