This celebration seeks to unify Africans and African descendants in the Caribbean following the divisiveness of slavery. Governments across CARICOM have already committed to creating and maintaining stronger trade ties. Prime Minister Pierre noted in his statement on Africa-CARICOM Day that,

“We [CARICOM and Africa] now can officially celebrate the strong and enduring bond between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African continent. We welcome the rekindling. We look to our neighbours, to that which was lost to us, to our kin. To those bound to us by blood, by circumstance, and to those who have also survived oppression and thrived in the face of systems designed to break us.” Prime Minister Pierre is known to be a strong proponent of African-ness, evidenced by the elaborate celebrations and reflections now hosted for Emancipation Day and the National Flower Festivals which have their roots in slavery.

Hon. Pierre then reflected on the genesis of the cooperation stating “The First CARICOM-Africa Summit was held virtually on September 7, 2021, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya. The theme of the Summit was: “Unity across continents and oceans: opportunities for deepening integration.” The African Region and CARICOM are one people, bonded by the legacy of slavery and colonisation, and connected through the African influence within our cultural heritage, those manifested and those forgotten.

To date, the South-South alliance has seen the opening of the Afrexibank which is headquartered in Barbados with US$3 billion in funding available to participating member states of CARICOM to boost the development of trade and the first Afri-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF22) which was held in September 2022 and aimed to promote trade and investment, across sectors, including Tourism, Manufacturing, and Agriculture. The ACTIF22 welcomed over 1,267 participants from 108 countries. 

To celebrate, the Regional Integration Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister has undertaken a number of activities inclusive of CARICOM-Africa Musings, Did You Know posts, and a message to schools and churches. Musings invites academicians, institutional heads and thought leaders to reflect on various aspects of the CARICOM-Africa relationship over time, and their vision for its future development. These can be found on the Government of Saint Lucia's Social Media pages, and National Television Network (NTN).