The Caribbean Community and the Pacific Islands Forum have formalised a partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two regions on the shared priorities of small island developing states.
The two organisations announced the arrangement in a joint press release, saying the partnership is intended to deepen collaboration between the Caribbean and the Pacific on matters of common concern to SIDS.
Both regions are made up largely of small, vulnerable island economies that face similar pressures, including exposure to extreme weather, high import costs, limited land and narrow economic bases. The formal link between CARICOM and the PIF is expected to give the two groupings a more coordinated voice when they press those concerns in international forums.
Small island developing states have long argued that their circumstances are not adequately reflected in global rules on development finance, climate support and trade. By working together, Caribbean and Pacific governments can present a single set of positions rather than separate appeals, which supporters say carries more weight with larger economies and international institutions.
For Dominica and its CARICOM partners, the agreement adds another channel of advocacy on issues that sit at the centre of national policy, from hurricane recovery and climate adaptation to access to concessional financing. The Nature Isle has repeatedly stressed that its vulnerability to storms and its middle-income classification limit the support it can obtain after disasters.
The Pacific Islands Forum brings together a wide group of island states and territories across the Pacific, several of which share the Caribbean's concerns about rising sea levels, ocean governance and the sustainability of fisheries. Those themes overlap directly with Caribbean interests in the blue economy, marine protection and the management of shared ocean resources.
The joint statement did not set out a detailed work programme, but the formalisation of the relationship signals an intention to consult regularly and to align positions where the two regions' interests converge. Such coordination is often most visible in the run-up to international conferences on climate change, disaster risk and development financing.
Caribbean leaders have consistently argued that small states must speak with one voice to be heard. The arrangement with the Pacific Islands Forum extends that logic beyond the region, linking two parts of the world that are separated by distance but share many of the same structural challenges.
Details of how the partnership will operate in practice, including any joint meetings or common positions, are expected to emerge as the two organisations take the arrangement forward.
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