The communities in the east and west ends will have the chance to hear more, and have their say, on full CARICOM Membership
Government is going on the road once again with its CARICOM plans – this time to both ends of Bermuda.
Two more Town Halls have been planned in St George’s and in Sandys, to, quote, “bring the conversation directly to communities in the West End and East End of the island.”
Town Halls will take place on Thursday May 14th at St. James Church Hall in Sandys, and then on Tuesday May 19th at Penno’s Wharf in St. George’s.
Both events begin at 7:00 p.m.
This follows the Town Hall in April, in which the push for full CARICOM membership centred primarily on the strengthening of identity based on Bermuda’s historical and cultural links with the Caribbean.
Government states that strengthened CARICOM engagement could deliver tangible benefits in terms of access to regional markets, enhanced food security, workforce mobility and climate resilience… a full picture of how these benefits may manifest is still to be painted.
Because of our status as a British Overseas Territory, a number of reservations for full CARICOM membership must be agreed upon with the UK, and accepted by CARICOM.
As of the last Town Hall, Government was waiting on a response from the UK on 42 proposed reservations, and we have reached out to Government for an update on the status of those submissions.
WATCH the report above. Government press release below…
Government of Bermuda Press Release:
The Hon. Alexa N. H. Lightbourne, JP, MP, Minister of Home Affairs, announced two additional public meetings as part of the national consultation on Bermuda’s deepened relationship in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The sessions will take place on Thursday, 14 May at St. James Church Hall in Sandys and on Tuesday, 19 May at Penno’s Wharf Cruise Ship Terminal in St. George’s, and both sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m.
These public meetings follow earlier consultation events and are designed to bring the conversation directly to communities in the West End and East End of the island.
The meetings build on the existing conversation related to CARICOM including Public Consultation, which the Ministry launched alongside a Green Paper, an online public survey, and a series of targeted stakeholder discussions spanning youth groups, community organisations, the education sector, the public and private sectors, unions, and healthcare. The consultation is open to all residents and reflects the Government’s commitment to grounding this decision in public input before any position is advanced.
The Green Paper outlines several areas where strengthened CARICOM engagement could deliver tangible benefits for Bermuda: expanded economic access to regional markets, trade, and investment; enhanced food security through stronger regional supply chains and resilience against global disruption; workforce mobility and skills exchange to support economic growth and opportunity for Bermudians; and deeper regional partnerships in climate resilience, disaster response, and shared services.
Bermudians are encouraged to review the Green Paper in advance, submit questions ahead of each session, and complete the public consultation survey at togetherforcaricom.gov.bm.
Minister Lightbourne said, “This consultation belongs to the people of Bermuda, and these town halls exist so that every person has the opportunity to be heard.”
