Foreign relations of Barbados

This article deals with the diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and international relations of Barbados.

At the political level, these matters are officially handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which answers to the Prime Minister. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is Kerrie Symmonds.

Barbados is a moderate political and economic power in the Caribbean region.

Between independence in 1966 and the 1990s, Barbados has used a pro business and investment policy to expand its influence in the world. Through the usage of its network of international bilateral relations, the country has been able to maintain an independent foreign policy. Barbados' recent policy has been to focus and strengthen ties with nations that country feels will enhance its diplomacy or foreign trade. Barbados has sought to engage in multilateral diplomacy through the United Nations, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the group of ACP countries, the Organization of American States, and several other agencies which it is engaged. In 2008 Barbados and the other members of CARICOM signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union and its European Commission. The deal covers CARICOM's membership in the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM). CARIFORUM in turn is a part of the Group of African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) States. The agreement outlines Barbados' future development and trade ties with the European Union, and serves as a blueprint for future relations between both trading blocs under the Cotonou Agreement and the Lomé Convention.

Barbados has placed an emphasis on a furtherance of relations with the nations of Africa where the majority of islanders have ancestral connection. A prior CARICOM-Africa summit were held with future agenda to be formulated.

As a small nation, the primary thrust of Barbados' diplomatic activity has been within international organisations. Currently Barbados has established official diplomatic relations with 105 countries around the globe.

History
In 1965, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago established the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). Following independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, Barbados went on to become a founding member of many other international organizations.

On 4 July 1973, the founding nations of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Jamaica signed the original Treaty of Chaguaramas in Trinidad thus establishing the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). The agreement to establish CARICOM wound up succeeded the CARIFTA organisation. By the following year many of the remaining English-speaking Caribbean states followed suit and also joined CARICOM by May 1974, bring it slowly to the 15 members it has today.

Barbados also is a member of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), established in 1970, with headquarters in Wildey, Saint Michael (Bridgetown). The eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System (RSS), which associates Barbados with six nations of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is also based in Barbados. In July 1994, Barbados joined the newly established Association of Caribbean States (ACS).

In 2002 the United Nations opened a building in the Marine Gardens area of Hastings found in the Parish of Christ Church the facility simply called the United Nations House acts as a regional operations headquarters for several programmes of the United Nations in Barbados and for many of the other islands in the Eastern Caribbean region.

Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Barbados maintains diplomatic relations with:

Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments treaties
Barbados has a number of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with a growing list of nations. Some of which include:
 * Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) – Signed 29 May 2009
 * 🇨🇦 Canada – Signed: 29 May 1996
 * People's Republic of China – Signed: 20 July 1998
 * 🇨🇺 Cuba – Signed: 19 February 1996
 * 🇩🇪 Germany – Signed: 2 December 1994
 * 🇬🇭 Ghana – Signed: 22 April 2008
 * 🇮🇹 Italy – Signed: 25 October 1995
 * 🇲🇺 Mauritius – Signed: 28 September 2004
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden – Signed: 29 March 1995
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland – March 1995
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom – April 1993
 * 🇻🇪 Venezuela – July 1994

Double Taxation Agreements
Barbados has a number of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) with a growing list of nations. Some of which include:
 * 🇦🇹 Austria – Signed: 27 February 2006
 * 🇧🇼 Botswana – Signed: 23 February 2009
 * People's Republic of China – Signed: 15 May 2000
 * CARICOM – Signed: 6 July 1994
 * 🇨🇺 Cuba – Signed: 17 June 1999
 * 🇫🇮 Finland – Signed: 15 June 1989
 * 🇬🇭 Ghana – Signed: 24 April 2008
 * 🇲🇹 Malta – Signed: 5 December 2001
 * 🇲🇺 Mauritius – Signed: 28 September 2004
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico – Signed: 7 April 2008
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands; Signed: 28 November 2006
 * 🇸🇨 Seychelles; Signed: 19 October 2007
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden – Signed: 1 July 1991
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland – Extended to Barbados from UK, 1954
 * United States of America– Signed: 18 December 1991
 * 🇻🇪 Venezuela– Signed: 11 December 1998

Barbados and the Commonwealth of Nations
Barbados has been a member state of the Commonwealth since 1966, when it became an independent Commonwealth realm and the 27th member state of the Commonwealth.

Barbadians have held various roles within the Commonwealth of Nations such as elections observers, or even more prominently. The country's former Governor-General, Dame Nita Barrow who served on the original Eminent Persons Group of 1985-1986 researched ways to bring about an end of apartheid in South Africa.

Various Commonwealth meetings hosted by Barbados:
 * 1990 Eleventh Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Bridgetown
 * 2005 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting
 * 2010 Ninth Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting

Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Barbados was viceregally represented by the Governor-General of Barbados until 30 November 2021.

The last Governor-General of Barbados, Dame Sandra Mason was installed in as the first President of Barbados on 30 November 2021 upon Barbados becoming a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations.

United Nations
On 7 December 1966 the Security Council of the United nations met to debate the membership of Barbados to the General Assembly of the United Nations. During the 1487th plenary meeting of 9 December 1966 it was decided that Barbados would be granted membership. Thusly Barbados became the 122nd full member of the United Nations General Assembly on 12 December 1966.

Barbados has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.

Diplomatic missions
Barbados has diplomatic missions headed by resident ambassadors or high commissioners in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Venezuela, and at the European Union (Brussels) and the UN. It also has resident consuls general in Toronto, Miami, and New York City. Australia, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, Colombia, People's Republic of China, Guatemala, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela have ambassadors or high commissioners resident in Barbados.
 * Barbadian diplomatic missions

Participation in international organisations
ACP • ACCP • ACS • Afreximbank • AOSIS • BIS • C • CAF-BDLAC(Associate) • Carib-Export • CARICOM • CARIFORUM • CARTAC • CCtJ • CDB • CDERA • CITEL • CTO • CXC • CFATF • CRNM • CROSQ • CSME • ECLAC • FAO • G33 • G77 • IADB • IDB • IAEA • IBRD • ICAO • ICCt • ICFTU • ICJ • ICRM • IDA • IFAD • IFC • IFRCS • ILO • IMF • IMO • Intelsat • Interpol • IOC • IOM • IMPACS • ISO • ITU • LAES • MACHC • MIGA • NAM • OAS • OPANAL • OPCW • PAPSS •PAHO • Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas • RSS • SIDS • UN • UNCTAD • UNESCO • UNHCR • UNIDO • UPU • WCO • WFTU • WHO • WIPO • WMO • UNWTO • WTO

Issues

 * In 2008, Barbados submitted an updated claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) to extend its territorial waters and continental shelf (Exclusive Economic Zone) margins.
 * Barbados started the process of settlement of maritime boundary with Guyana.
 * Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur had announced that Barbados would begin to settle its maritime boundaries with France(Martinique).

Disputes – international:
 * Venezuela, The Barbados Government charged that 1990 Maritime Delimitation Treaty agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela extended into its maritime area.

Illicit drugs:
 * Barbados is one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe