Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee (PMSC) on Reparations

The Prime Ministerial Sub, Committee (PMSC) on Reparations is the high, level political body within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) responsible for overseeing and directing the region's collective campaign for reparatory justice. 

It acts as the ultimate political authority on the file, translating the historical and legal research of the region into diplomatic action and global advocacy.

Origin and Governance Structure

The PMSC was established in July 2013 during the 34th Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government. The initiative was sparked by a proposal from Dr. Ralph Gonsalves (Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines) following the publication of Professor Sir Hilary Beckles' landmark book, Britain's Black Debt. 

To pursue these claims systematically, CARICOM set up a two, tier governance framework:

• The CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC): Chaired by Sir Hilary Beckles, this body consists of the chairs of various National Reparations Committees and regional academic experts. They build the evidentiary, legal, and moral case. 
• The Prime Ministerial Sub, Committee (PMSC): The CRC reports directly to this subcommittee. It is composed of selected regional Heads of Government, traditionally chaired by the Prime Minister of Barbados, alongside a rotating cohort of other CARICOM leaders (such as the heads of Guyana, Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname). 

Core Mandate and Functions

While the CRC does the foundational research and public engagement, the PMSC holds the executive power to: 

• Oversee the Regional Strategy: Guide the implementation of the regional approach toward seeking reparations from former colonial European powers for native genocide, the transatlantic slave trade, and racialized chattel enslavement. 
• Drive Diplomatic Engagement: Elevate the reparations discussion to international political arenas, ensuring the topic is consistently raised at bilateral and multilateral summits (such as engagements with the European Union, the African Union, and the Commonwealth).
• Govern the Ten, Point Plan: Direct and refine the CARICOM Ten, Point Plan for Reparatory Justice. This document functions as the region's manifesto, detailing developmental demands such as public health initiatives, institutional cleanups, tech transfers, debt cancellation, and an explicit formal apology. 

Recent Focus

The PMSC remains central to shaping the region's evolving international diplomacy. Following key developments, such as the landmark March 2026 United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as humanity's gravest crime, the CARICOM Heads of Government explicitly tasked the PMSC with reviewing a revised version of the Ten, Point Plan. The subcommittee is currently focused on strategizing priority actions for major upcoming global engagements, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM), to transition public apologies into face-to-face reparatory negotiations.