With the world paying greater attention to the pace of globalization of the Caribbean’s quest for Reparations from Europe for Slavery and Native Genocide, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission (CRC) and the Government of Barbados last weekend hosted the Third Caribbean Reparations Conference.
The September 17-19 event – the CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations — was attended by delegates and special invitees from the Caribbean and Latin America, Africa, the European Union, Canada and the USA, who examined past, present and future issues affecting the fastest-growing global Human Rights matter today.
It opened with a special evening ceremony that featured addressees, messages and cultural performances, including:
· A welcome address on behalf of the Barbados government and Prime Minister Mia Mottley by Minister in Prime Minister’s Office with Responsibility for Pan African Affairs and Heritage, Hon. Trevor Prescod
· Remarks by CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett and Chair of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Amr Aljowaily
· Remarks by Chief of the United Confederation of Taino People’s Barbados Chapter and Co-President of the Caribbean Amerindian Development Organization, Damon Gerard Corrie
· Cultural Performances by Barbados’ Poet Laureate Hon. Esther Philips and fellow poet Akeem Chandler; and
· A feature address by Chair of the AIDO Network International, His Highness Papa Paul Jones Eganda
A special video message by CARICOM Chairman, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre was widely applauded, as was the re-launch of the CARICOM 10-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice by CRC Chair, Professor Sir. Hilary Beckles.
Under the sub-theme ‘Reparatory Justice as the Coming Enlightenment’, the gathered reparations activists, government representatives, diplomats, scholars, civil society, cultural and youth leaders, addressed plenaries and round tables and break-out group sessions on socio-economic and technical issues including legal, financial, cultural, gender, health, youth and technology.
Also featured were cultural and heritage exhibitions and a special film night, as the conference sought to energise and focus the work of CARICOM through the CRC and strengthen the intercontinental solidarity between Africa and its diaspora.
Day One (September 18) featured an Opening Dialogue on ‘The Global Reparatory Justice Movement: Charting the Way Forward’ (moderated by CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Barnett) and a Plenary Address on ‘A Crime Does Not Rot: Pan African Reparations Jurisprudence in the Context of the Global Reparations Movement’ presented by Dr. Panashe Chigumadzi and moderated by Professor Verene Spepherd.
Also featured on the first day was a Round Table on ‘Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Cultures: Rights, Recognition and Resettlement’, moderated by Dominica NRC Chair Damien Dublin and addressed by Chief Richard Currie, Ms. Nelcia Robinson (representing the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous People – COIP) and President of the Caribbean Rastafari Organization (CRO) Steve Reid.
Day One closed with a Second Round Table discussion on ‘The Global Architecture of Reparatory Justice: Leveraging International Institutions, Frameworks and Agreements’, moderated by Antigua and Barbuda’s Reparations Supports Committee Chair Dobrene O’Marde and addressed by Professor Shepherd, Chair of the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum for people of African Descent Gaynel Currie, Ambassador Aljowaily, CARICOM’s Culture and Community Affairs Director Dr. Hilary Brown and Dr. Barbara Reynolds.
Day Two (September 19) started with the 3rd Round Table discussion on ‘Spotlight on Civil Society Partnerships: Youth, Artistes and Community Activists’, moderated by Director of the Centre for Reparations Research (CRR) Professor Sonjah Stanley Niaah and addressed by Guyanese reparations Youth Leader Kibwe Copeland, Richard Jones of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPPDC), Grace Eganda and former Curacao Prime Minister Suzanne Camelia Romer.
The 4th Round Table was on the theme ‘The Unfinished Business of Freedom: Reflections on Haiti and Decolonization’ moderated by Dr Chenzira Davis Kahina and addressed by Dr Rhoda Arrindell of St Martin, James Finies of Bonaire, Judite Blanc of Haiti, Benito Wheatley and Dr Dieusel Predelus.
The 5th Round Table was on ‘Responses to Global reparations Discourse’, moderated by Guyana’s NRC Chair Eric Philips, Dr. Baryl Biekman (representing The Netherlands Diaspora), Kamm Howard, Alain Manville of Martinique, Dr Tara Innis and Adwoa Coleman.
The 6th Round Table was on ‘Gender and the Reparations Agenda’, moderated by Bahamas NRC Chair Dr. Niambi Hall Campbell Dean and addressed by Harold Robinson, Gloria Simms and Cecilia Keturah Babb.
The 7th Round Table Panel was on ‘Pathways to Historical Accountability and Redress: Legal, Economic and Environmental Justice’, moderated by Grenada NRC Chair Arley Gill, Dr Lenworth Johnson, Jamaica NRC Chair Laleta Davis-Mattis, Dr. Ranona Biholar, Cynthia Malone and Professor Kamari Clarke.
The 8th Round Table panel was on ‘From Apologies to Action: Negotiating Transformative Reparations settlements’, moderated by Saint Lucia NRC Chair Earl Bousquet and addressed by St. Kitts and Nevis NRC Chair Carla Astaphane and Dr Marie-Annick Gournet of Bristol University.
The Closing Session, moderated by Barbados coordinator Rodney Grant, featured snippets from a Rapporteurs’ Report and Final Recommendations, presented by Ms Mia Mc Morris of the CRR and Antigua and Barbuda Senator Angelique O’Donoghue.
The Final report will be entitled ‘The Bridgetown Action Plan on Reparations’
The Three-day conference was followed by two other meetings – a CRC General Meeting and another of Reparations Stakeholders.
The three sessions drew intense participation, as attendees examined the national, regional and international aspects of the Reparations discussions and debates, 13 years after the CRC’s establishment in St. Vincent & The Grenadines in 2013 under the Chairmanship of host Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, where the Ten Point Plan was also tabled, discussed and adopted.
The conference and meetings paid special attention to issues relating to the future of the global reparations movement following the June 18, 2026 ‘Next Steps’ conference hosted by Ghana President James Mahama, the AU and CARICOM, following the March 25th 2026 adoption by 123 UN member-states of a historic resolution declaring trans-Atlantic Chattel Slavery as ‘The Gravest Crime Against Humanity’ and the later adoption (also by the UN) of the new Map of the World that corrects 400 years of misrepresentation on the size of the African continent – and others.