Caricom Heads of Government have adopted a Regional Strategic and Operational Plan for a Caribbean Reparatory Justice Programme (CRJP) as a basis for further action on slavery reparations.
This was one of the decisions flowing from its July 1-4 meeting in Antigua. The CRJP was put together by the Regional Reparations Commission,
A communique from the meeting said that Heads of Government agreed to despatch a Draft Notice of Complaint from the Chair of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee (PMSC) on Reparations, Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of Barbados, to the relevant European Governments with a request that a Conference be held on the issue. Such a Conference is proposed to be held by the end of 2014 or early in 2015.
Heads also agreed to forward the Reparations case during the sitting of the UN General Assembly in 2014 through their statements and other forms of engagement.
They also agreed to convene the Second Regional Conference on Reparations in September 2014 to heighten public dialogue and civil society engagement. An Academic Conference is also planned for late 2014 as a collaborative effort between Caribbean Universities and the University of Essex. At this forum, expert opinions and scientific evidence would be presented in a bid to reach the regional, European and international public.
