Open Letter to CARICOM Heads of Government

In Response to the Official Communique of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government July 6–8, 2025, Montego Bay, Jamaica

by HCC

Open Letter Time to Lead Again 5 asks post hog

HCC OPEN LETTER

TO CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT

IN RESPONSE TO THE OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE

OF THE 49TH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT JULY 6-8, 2025, MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

July 22, 2025

Dear Honourable Heads of Government and State of CARICOM,

The President and the Board of Directors of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) note with disappointment the distinct absence of any mention of non-communicable disease (NCDs) and the upcoming  4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4)  in the Communique of the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).  The HLM4 will be held on September 25th, 2025 in New York during the 80th Meeting of the UN General Assembly under the theme “Equity and Integration: Transforming Lives and Livelihoods through Leadership and Action on Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being.”

In HCCs Open Letter, we recalled the historical legacy of CARICOM leadership, engagement and participation in previous UN HLMs on NCDs, and called on CARICOM Leaders to deliver on five (5) key civil society asks:

  1. Commit to continued leadership on NCD prevention and control and commit to attendance at the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4) on September 25th, 2025 in the official Communiqué emerging from the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
  2. Support the twelve Caribbean civil-society led advocacy priorities for inclusion in the official Communiqué from the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and in the HLM4 Political Declaration [1].
  3. Support one or more CARICOM Heads of Government or State to have a lead role in at least one of the multi-stakeholder panels at the HLM4.
  4. Support the hosting of a high-level side-event on the margins of the HLM4 led by CARICOM Heads of Government and State as was done in past UN HLMs on NCDs.
  5. Endorse the inclusion of a representative from a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representing people living with NCDs and a youth representative in country delegations to the HLM4 in recognition of the whole-of-society response to NCDs.

Although Dr. Carla Barnett, the Secretary General of CARICOM, highlighted the HLM4 in her opening remarks and urged CARICOM Heads of Government and State to attend, the HLM4 was absent on the meeting’s agenda, raising concerns around the political priority of NCDs at the highest levels of decision-making in CARICOM. In stark contrast, in 2018, in lead up to the 3rd UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, in the Communique of the Thirty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM Heads endorsed regional NCD advocacy priorities and commended civil society organisations for their efforts in NCD prevention and control. CARICOM Heads then went on to host a highly successful side-event on the day of the HLM3 attended by the Director General of the WHO and the Secretary General of CARICOM.

The HLM4 comes at a critical time,  18 years after the Declaration of Port of Spain and 5 years away from the 2030 SDGs. If the recent Conference of Heads of Government is any indicator of political will, we are in a troubling state. CARICOM countries are grossly off track when it comes to NCD targets – as evidenced by the WHO NCD Progress Monitor 2025 and the 2024 POS NCD Summit Grid Report.  A recent opinion editorial penned by health civil society organisations across the region, begged the question – What does health in a secure and sustainable future look like? Within the context of aging and contracting populations and increasing economic and climate vulnerabilities, a secure and sustainable future for the Caribbean is unachievable without high-level political action on NCDs.

Just about 2 months shy of the HLM4, there is still time for CARICOM Heads of Government and State to demonstrate leadership and commitment to this global agenda which will have country-level impact. Three of HCCs five Asks are still achievable – HLM4 participation, hosting of an HLM4 side event, and endorsing CSO/youth representation in country HLM4 delegations.

CARICOM has been globally recognised for its leadership on NCDs, including most recently with the 2023 Bridgetown Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health. As Member States meet in New York on September 25th, 2025 for the HLM4, let us collectively demonstrate the leadership of CARICOM. Now is the Time to Lead Again.

Dr. Kenneth Connell, HCC President On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition 

[1] 1. Engage communities and put people first in the NCD response.; 2. Address the commercial determinants of health and conflict of interest; 3. Accelerate the implementation of healthy food environment environments; 4. Promote full implementation of the WHO FCTC and the WHO MPOWER measures; 5. Enhance physical activity across multiple settings; 6. Accelerate the implementation of WHO SAFER alcohol harm reduction measures; 7. Expand, integrate and strengthen mental health services; 8. Eradicate cervical cancer, and reduce illness and premature death due to breast, prostate and colon cancers; 9. Strengthen health systems using equity-, rights-based, and climate-resilient approaches; 10. Breakdown silos, foster networking enhance collaboration; 11. Mobilize investment, with resource allocation and mobilization strategies for sustainable financing of NCD prevention and control interventions; and 12.Strengthen accountability, mechanisms, metrics and related data collection, analysis, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting at all levels.

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