CARICOM is a regional organization made up of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. In force since 1973 CARICOM promotes the vision of transforming the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), into a common market.
In October 2008, the “Social Chapter” of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM States required the involvement of civil society in the CARICOM’s bodies.
In 2015, the two regional bodies representing workers (the Caribbean Congress of Labour - CCL), and employers (the Caribbean Employers' Confederation - CEC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding through which they commit to work together on the identification of areas where common legislative and regulatory action within the CARICOM would be essential. CEC and CCL have also developed a joint work program and issued joint position papers, such as on gender-based violence.