Suriname to host Caribbean Development Roundtable

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says the seventh meeting of the Caribbean Development Roundtable will start in Suriname on Tuesday.

It said the two-day event being held under the theme “The Caribbean: Recovery and Repositioning in the context of COVID-19 and beyond”, will bring together regional and international development thinkers and practitioners, leaders, and senior policymakers from ECLAC member states and associate member countries.

The meeting will also be attended by representatives of the UN system, regional and international financial institutions, academia, and civil society, including the private sector, as well as other development partners.

ECLAC said in the wake of the onslaught of COVID-19 which served to exacerbate the debt and vulnerability challenges facing the sub-region, the Caribbean Development Roundtable this year turns the spotlight on recovery and repositioning, with a view to finding practical and workable solutions to invest in resilience, economic recovery, and sustained growth.

“The roundtable, through panel discussions and dialogue among policymakers and key stakeholders, will be updated on the progress being made towards the establishment of the Caribbean Resilience Fund.

“The roundtable will also explore other opportunities for mobilizing innovative and concessional financing for investment in resilience building and adaptation. This is to promote economic recovery through diversification and a deepening of integration within the regional economy, and through global repositioning with the international community’s support,” ECLAC added.

According to the agenda, participants will discuss vulnerability, debt, and liquidity in the Caribbean as well as the multidimensional vulnerability index as an effective measure of vulnerability in middle-income and economic restructuring and diversification for deeper integration of the Caribbean with Latin America and in the global economy.

CMC/