CARIBBEAN-Dominica assumes chairmanship of the CARICOM Group in Geneva.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Dominica has assumed the chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Group in Geneva, succeeding Haiti, according to the St. Lucia-based Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission.

The CARICOM Group in Geneva comprises the CARICOM ambassadors and heads of mission of diplomatic missions accredited in Geneva. Its members include The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, the OECS and Trinidad and Tobago. The missions are accredited to the United Nations and other international organizations based in Geneva, including the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Group operates in accordance with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which calls on CARICOM member states to coordinate their foreign policies. As a result, the Geneva-based missions meet regularly to review and align their positions on issues before the many UN agencies and international organizations that make up International Geneva. A corresponding group of technical experts from the member missions supports the work of the heads of mission.

Under the Group’s rotating annual chairmanship, the OECS and Dominica have taken over leadership for the coming year.

Ambassador Colin Murdoch heads the Permanent Delegation of the OECS in Geneva, while Chargé d’Affaires Kamila Bell leads the mission of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

“Our group faces a challenging year ahead because of the volatility in international relations and the many changes taking place, but we will work assiduously with our colleagues to secure and promote the interests of the small states of the Caribbean region,” said Bell during the handover ceremony, acknowledging the complex international environment the Group will navigate over the next year.

Ambassador Murdoch emphasized the importance of effective coordination and collective leadership in advancing the region’s priorities.

“Leadership matters and the missions of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the OECS can and will coordinate the policies of the CARICOM Group in Geneva to serve the interests of our region better.”

The OECS Commission said that the transition underscores the sub-regional grouping’s continued commitment to presenting unified positions on key international issues and strengthening the voice of CARICOM’s small states within the multilateral system.

The OECS comprises the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Montserrat.