The Caribbean’s development trajectory and debt outlook to be discussed in Saint Kitts and Nevis

A proposal to address the Caribbean’s high debt burden and strategies to achieve sustainable development in the region will be the focus of discussions when two important meetings of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC):  the Caribbean Development Roundtable (CDR) and the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) convene in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, on 21 and 22 April 2016, respectively.

The CDR brings together senior level policymakers from governments of the Caribbean; officials of the United Nations system; representatives of regional civil society organizations; academia; regional development institutions and international development partners, to address critical development issues confronting the subregion. 

The meeting’s agenda includes a Town Hall discussion on the ECLAC proposal, when representatives of Caribbean nations will have an opportunity to weigh in with country perspectives. Presentations focused on the possible approaches to the execution of the proposed debt for climate adaptation swap for the Caribbean will be offered by experts from key regional and international institutions, including the World Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Caribbean Development Bank.

At the 26th session of the CDCC which follows on 22 April, ECLAC Member states will consider ECLAC’s work programme for the Caribbean and address such issues as Ageing in the Caribbean and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

More than 20 Member States and Associate Members are expected to attend these meetings, which will be led by the Honourable Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, who assumes the chairmanship of the CDCC from Jamaica.