BVI Leads Launch of Caribbean Sustainable Development Network

The British Virgin Islands, in coordination with 16 Caribbean governments, has formalised the establishment of a new regional body to strengthen cooperation on sustainable development.

The Caribbean Subregional Sustainable Development Network (CSSDN) was launched following a virtual debriefing of the Eighth Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development. The network is expected to facilitate more structured collaboration among governments implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The CSSDN creates a dedicated space for Caribbean countries to coordinate and engage on sustainable development issues that matter most to our region,” said Mr Benito Wheatley, Special Envoy of the British Virgin Islands and Vice Chair of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), who chaired the session. Wheatley was selected to serve as Interim Chair of the new network.

Ms Latoya Clarke, Programme Director and SDG Focal Point at the Planning Institute of Jamaica, was named Interim Vice Chair.

The initiative was convened by the Government of the British Virgin Islands with technical support from ECLAC. It is also intended to support the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) and provide a framework for consistent dialogue with the broader United Nations system.

Participants received updates on key sustainable development topics from various UN agencies during the meeting, including a progress report on the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ (UN DESA) SIDS Unit.

Mr Sainivalati Navoti, Chief of the SIDS Unit, was joined by Ms Emanuela Calabrini, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, and Ms Anya Ihsan Thomas, Sustainable Development Officer, in delivering the report.

Mr Abdullahi Abdulkadri, Coordinator of the Statistics and Social Development Unit at ECLAC, and Mrs Diane Quarless, Chief of ECLAC’s Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean in Port of Spain, presented on the outcomes of the forum and the status of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Caribbean.

Economic strategy was also addressed through a presentation on productive development policy by Mr Paul Wander, Economic Affairs Officer from ECLAC’s Division of Production, Productivity and Management.

At the close of the meeting, participants recognised Mrs Diane Quarless for her contributions to Caribbean sustainable development as she prepares to conclude her term as Chief of ECLAC’s Caribbean Subregional Headquarters.

The meeting included representatives from Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Curaçao, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sint Maarten, and Suriname.