Elizabeth Morgan | Is Africa/CARICOM Day a one-sided observance?

Africa/CARICOM Day was observed on Monday, September 7, by CARICOM and its member states.

At the first Africa/CARICOM Summit held virtually on September 7, 2021, a proposal was made by the then CARICOM Chair, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, that September 7th should be celebrated as ‘Africa-CARICOM Day’ with a summit held annually on that date. The first Africa/CARICOM Summit, hosted by then President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, adopted this proposal which is reflected in paragraph 19 of the communiqué as follows:

‘ Further committed to institutionalize cooperation between Africa and CARICOM and the diaspora by designating September 7th of every year as “Africa-CARICOM Day” setting up a dedicated Secretariat/Structure and holding annual Africa-CARICOM Summits on September 7th, and called on Member States to support this initiative.’

Africa/CARICOM Summits

As noted, the inaugural Africa/CARICOM Summit was held virtually on September 7, 2021 under the theme ‘Unity across continents and oceans: opportunities for deepening integration’. The objective of the summit was given as “to reaffirm the bond of ancestry and friendship between Africa and CARICOM and to build a foundation for robust socio-economic and political engagement, as well as partnerships between the two regions for a collective prosperous future”. It was agreed that the African diaspora would be considered Africa’s sixth region.

With delays in convening the second summit, in 2024, former Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson as the statesman-in-residence at The UWI PJ Patterson Institute for Africa Caribbean Advocacy, voiced the institute’s concern that, “no host, time or place for the second Summit that was due in 2022 were in place. Further delay in setting these constitutes a clear and frightening danger”.

The second Africa/CARICOM Summit was not held until September 7, 2025, nearly four years after the first. It was hosted by the government of Ethiopia, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the CARICOM Secretariat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The theme of this second summit was ‘Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations’.

The impression is that this second in-person summit was not as well attended as the first, and especially on the African side. The focus of the Africa/CARICOM relationship seems now to be primarily on reparatory justice.

For now, the next Africa/CARICOM Summit should be held on September 7, 2028.

Observing Africa/CARICOM Day

Since 2021, CARICOM has issued a statement to mark Africa/CARICOM Day every year.

This year, the chair of CARICOM, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre of St Lucia, issued the statement on behalf of CARICOM member states, marking the 5th anniversary of the day. He stated that “This historic milestone reaffirms our shared commitment to a unified vision for a forward-looking partnership and strategic cooperation for our two regions.”

PM Pierre went on to say that “Since Heads of State and Government moved to establish this annual observance at the First CARICOM-Africa Summit in 2021, our bonds have strengthened significantly. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the CARICOM and the African Union (AU) Secretariats on 26 September 2024, marked a pivotal step in deepening inter-secretariat cooperation.”

He concluded “The people of the Caribbean Community are vital constituents of the African Union’s Sixth Region, and our deepening alliance, as a model of South-South cooperation, seeks to deliver practical, measurable benefits, opening new horizons for youth, expanding markets for local enterprises, and reinforcing our collective resilience. On behalf of the Caribbean Community, I extend best wishes for the continued well-being, progress, and prosperity of the African Union and the peoples of Africa as we fortify the fraternal ties that bind us.”

Other statements were also reported as issued by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, and Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith.

The minister noted that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, president of Ghana, and the Honourable Alvin Botes, deputy minister of international relations and cooperation of South Africa, visited Jamaica to mark its 64th anniversary of independence in August. Taking account of these visits, this column addressed ‘Emancipendence and strengthening relations with African countries’ on August 5.

Whither Africa’s observance?

What this column has noted is that, since 2021, there is no evidence which can be found of the African Union (AU) and African Member States officially observing Africa/CARICOM Day. At the time of writing, no message could be found from the AU or any of its member states for this year’s observance. Hence the reason this column is wondering whether Africa/CARICOM Day is only observed by one side of this partnership.

We do know that CARICOM has a habit of agreeing to establish days to be observed which are mostly ignored, especially at the national levels, such as CARICOM Day and OACPS/ACP Day. CARICOM, for now, does seem to be enthusiastic about observing Africa/CARICOM Day, making statements on the day.

Elizabeth Morgan, specialist in international trade policy and international politics. Sendfeedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.