CARICOM Leaders Call for Decolonisation During London Meetings

Guardian report highlights CARICOM Reparations Commission’s London advocacy on reparatory justice

The Caribbean reparations movement received renewed international attention following a series of meetings in London involving the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC). A report in The Guardian highlights calls by Commission leaders for the United Kingdom to advance decolonisation efforts alongside reparatory justice.

In Brief

• During a London briefing, CARICOM Reparations Commission Chair Sir Hilary Beckles called on the United Kingdom to begin the process of returning the British Virgin Islands and urged King Charles III to support decolonisation efforts across Britain’s remaining overseas territories.
• Commission representatives argued that reparatory justice and decolonisation are closely connected, describing political self-determination as an essential component of addressing the enduring legacy of slavery and colonial rule.
• The Commission introduced an updated reparations manifesto that outlines the historical, legal, and moral foundations for reparatory justice while placing renewed emphasis on ending colonial governance where it still exists.
• Commission leaders said the Caribbean remains one of the world’s most heavily colonised regions and warned that global inaction on decolonisation could encourage continued territorial domination elsewhere.
• During the London visit, delegates also met with parliamentarians, faith leaders, academics, and international partners to advance the regional reparations agenda ahead of upcoming Commonwealth discussions.

Related: We previously reported on the CARICOM Reparations Commission’s July 2026 delegation to London ahead of the meetings covered in this report.

Source: The Guardian — Caribbean calls for return of British Virgin Islands – and for King Charles to back decolonisation by Chris Osuh.