Caribbean development report: A perusal of public debt in the Caribbean and its impact on economic growth

This paper examines the genesis and evolution of debt and debt overhang in the Caribbean with individual case studies, to extract lessons and make broad recommendations with regard to appropriate mechanisms and policy measures that can be implemented to reduce the debt burden of the subregion. The econometric model utilized in the paper has shown that a one percent increase on debt to GDP ratio causes a 0.015decline in real GDP growth for the countries in the Caribbean panel, suggesting that debt has a pernicious effect on growth on Caribbean economies. What is even more worrisome was that Car…

Caribbean Outlook 3: Economic recovery and repositioning in the era of COVID-19. Policy Brief

The economies of the subregion were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those dependent on tourism. As a result, the Caribbean has seen a reversal of the hard-won gains achieved in growing their economies and reducing unemployment and inequality. The inflation stemming from pandemic supply chain disruption, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has made the sustained uptick in economic performance beyond pre-pandemic levels unlikely, notwithstanding strong growth estimates for 2021 and 2022. The last two years have taught the region that continued ‘business as usual’ is…

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Gave Keynote Lecture at ECLAC

In the framework of an official visit to Chile, the Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, gave a keynote lecture today at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, in which he advocated for deepening cooperation ties between the countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. The senior official – the first Jamaican leader to visit this United Nations regional organization – was received by ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena, who welcomed him and highlighted the country’s commitment to moving ahead on achieving the goals of t…

Primer Ministro de Jamaica realizó conferencia magistral en la CEPAL

En el marco de su visita oficial a Chile, el Primer Ministro de Jamaica, Andrew Holness, realizó hoy una conferencia magistral en la sede de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) en Santiago, en la cual abogó por la profundización de los vínculos de cooperación entre los países del Caribe y de América Latina. La alta autoridad –el primer mandatario de Jamaica en visitar este organismo regional de las Naciones Unidas- fue recibido por la Secretaria Ejecutiva de la CEPAL, Alicia Bárcena, quien le dio la bienvenida y destacó el compromiso del país por avanzar en el cumplim…

Report of the twenty-ninth session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Policy Brief: Planning for resilience: an integrated approach to tackle climate change in the Caribbean

The Caribbean subregion is exceptionally vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. Vulnerability is a key multidimensional concept at the heart of resilience building, relating to each country’s multiple spatial and socioeconomic risks and conditions. In fact, due to its geographical location and concentration of population and activities in low-lying coastal areas, the Caribbean is the second most hazard-prone region in the world...Moreover, impacts of extreme weather events on Caribbean small economies are of national proportions. For example, in the hurricane s…

Advancing the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean

Strategies for Post COVID-19 Recovery in the Caribbean

Strategies for increasing economic resilience in the Caribbean