“The future of the Caribbean is ours to shape, but we must act now—together and with purpose,” declared the Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada and Chair of CARICOM during a stirring keynote address at the 2024 Connected Caribbean Summit (CCS2024), which took place from December 9-12, 2024, in Miami, Florida. His call to action set the stage for a transformative Summit focused on leveraging technology, fostering innovation, and driving regional collaboration.
At CCS2024, multidisciplinary leaders from the private, public and justice sectors from across the region and beyond gathered to explore solutions for the Caribbean’s most pressing challenges. Held under the theme “Collaborating for Caribbean Solutions” the Summit served as a platform for meaningful dialogue, knowledge sharing, and action-oriented strategies to accelerate the Caribbean’s development.
Prime Minister Mitchell emphasized that the Caribbean is at a critical juncture. While the region’s resilience is globally recognised, he argued that true development requires embracing digital transformation and building capacity through regional cooperation. “We must leverage technology not as a luxury, but as a tool to address the deep-rooted challenges that continue to hold back our economies and our people.”
He called for an intentional focus on digital skills training, infrastructure investment, and public-private partnerships to position the Caribbean as a hub of innovation. Highlighting Grenada’s own strides, he stressed that small island nations can lead the way by creating enabling environments for young entrepreneurs, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and implementing policies that empower citizens to thrive in the digital economy.
The speech resonated deeply with Summit attendees, particularly as Prime Minister Mitchell challenged leaders to move beyond rhetoric. “It’s not enough to talk about potential; we must act decisively to collectively unlock it.”
These words reflect the spirit of the Connected Caribbean Summit: a regional commitment to shaping our shared future with Caribbean solutions and Caribbean talent. By harnessing technology, nurturing partnerships, and amplifying the voices of Caribbean leaders, the Summit continues to pave the way for meaningful transformation across the region.
Listen to Prime Minister Mitchell’s full speech below and experience firsthand the inspiring call for action and collaboration that energized the Summit: