CARICOM Must Accelerate Digital Transformation to Safeguard Competitiveness, Resilience and Sovereignty

he Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, has called for urgent and deeper regional cooperation to accelerate digital transformation across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Prime Minister Mitchell, the Lead Head of Government with responsibility for Science and Technology in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, made the call at the opening session of a meeting of CARICOM ministers with responsibility for ICT that was held under the theme: ‘Accelerating Digital Development to 2030’.

He underscored the fact that digital technologies are now essential to economic resilience, national security, and sustainable development, and highlighted the significant progress the Region is making through the advancement of the CARICOM Single ICT Space, the adoption of the Strategic Framework for Digital Resilience 2025–2030 and strengthened regional collaboration on cybersecurity.

“If CARICOM is to remain competitive and relevant, we need to act collectively and strategically to ensure that our Region is not left at the margins of the global digital economy,” Prime Minister Mitchell stated.

He emphasised that amidst global uncertainty, economic instability, and geopolitical tensions, small states must work collectively to respond to rapidly evolving global rules governing artificial intelligence (AI), digital trade, data governance and internet governance. The Prime Minister added that no single Member State can successfully navigate the digital transition alone, pointing out that strength lies in coordinated regional action.

“We must move decisively from policy discussions to measurable implementation and outcomes to build a CARICOM digital economy,” he said.

Prime Minister Mitchell also placed particular focus on the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) noting that it is increasingly recognised as a defining force in the global economy, with the capacity to enhance public services, drive productivity, and create new industries. For CARICOM, it presents an opportunity to leapfrog traditional development pathways. However, its adoption must be guided by principles of inclusion, trust, and ethical governance.

He also stressed the need to equip young people with the tools to participate in the digital economy and to increase investment in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital skills development, and modern regulatory systems that can keep pace with technological change.

The meeting reviewed and agreed on frameworks related to Digital cooperation, AI, Cybersecurity and Digital skills.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was established on 4 July 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was revised in 2001 to allow for the establishment of a single market and economy. CARICOM comprises fifteen Member States and six Associate Members and is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60% of whom are under 30 years old. CARICOM’s work rests on four main pillars: economic integration; foreign policy coordination; human and social development; and security cooperation.

The members of CARICOM work together to create a Community that is integrated, inclusive and resilient; driven by knowledge, excellence, innovation and productivity; a Community which is a unified and competitive force in the global arena, where every citizen is secure and has the opportunity to realise his or her potential with guaranteed human rights and social justice, and contributes to, and shares in, its economic, social and cultural prosperity.

CARICOM remains one of the best examples of integration in the developing world.

The CARICOM Secretariat, the principal administrative organ of the Community, is headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana.

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