CARICOM and Germany formalise cooperation framework to advance Community priorities

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on Friday, 23 April, signed six Implementation Agreements to support the delivery of a major new programme of Germany-funded technical cooperation valued at €31.9 million, in the Community.

The signing ceremony, which took place at the Georgetown, Guyana Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, marks a key step in the operationalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Technical Cooperation between CARICOM and the Federal Republic of Germany, signed in February 2025.

CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, who signed the Agreements on behalf of the Community, welcomed Germany’s continued partnership and underscored the strategic importance of the programme to CARICOM’s development objectives.

GIZ’s Regional Director for the Caribbean, Ms. Jasmin Ellis-Jones, who signed on behalf of Germany, reaffirmed GIZ’s commitment to working closely with CARICOM, and regional and national partners, to ensure the successful and timely implementation of the projects and the delivery of tangible results for the people of the Caribbean.

The six regional projects will be implemented over the period 2025–2029 by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, regional institutions and national partners.

The projects  include: Promoting Regionally Harmonised Approaches to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in CARICOM Member States (CARIBIO); Supporting the Conditions for a Climate Compatible Circular Economy in the Caribbean Region; Unlocking Blue Economy Potential of Marine Managed and Protected Areas in Caribbean Small Island Developing States; Material and Energetic Utilisation of Organic Waste and Sargassum (BioWaste); Climate Resilient and Sustainable Energy Supply in the Caribbean II (CliRES II); and the Fight Against Climate Change with a Specific Focus on Qualifying in the Caribbean States (Green and Blue Skills Project).

The projects will be implemented in targeted CARICOM Member States through interventions aimed at strengthening institutional capacities, policy development, pilot initiatives, skills training, regional coordination mechanisms, and inclusive, gender-responsive approaches to sustainable development.

Germany’s technical cooperation with the Caribbean has had a long-standing focus on sustainable energy, climate adaptation and environmental management. Since 2008, Germany has provided technical assistance to the Region through GIZ-implemented programmes, and the signing of these Implementation Agreements represents the expansion and consolidation of that partnership.

The signing of the six Implementation Agreements establishes the formal framework for project execution and reflects the shared commitment of CARICOM, Germany and GIZ to advancing sustainable, resilient and inclusive development across the Caribbean Community.