A new report on the future prospects of Caribbean small states has been launched at the Fourth Global Biennial Conference on Small States.
A new report on the future prospects of Caribbean small states has been launched at the Fourth Global Biennial Conference on Small States.
‘Achieving a Resilient Future for Small States: Caribbean 2050’ speaks to the themes under discussion at the conference, including debt, trade, climate change, crime, energy security and youth unemployment.
The report takes a projected view of six Commonwealth member states in the Caribbean countries and shows that if these countries continue on their current trajectory they will be considerably worse off in the decades to come. The report presents an alternative vision for a better future in 2050.
Analysing the challenges faced by the region, the report puts forward concrete policy recommendations aimed at helping alleviate slow growth and mounting socio-economic problems.
Speaking about the research, Wendell Samuel from the International Monetary Fund said: “This book is important because it breaks away from the short-term view when policy-makers are usually loathe to look beyond three to five years.”
“The research looks at the macro economy and social development and proposes an alternative reality. The Caribbean has been slow to recover from the global financial crisis. The book shows there is an alternative to what we have now,” he added.
Small states report launch
Presenting the report on the first day of the conference, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj spoke of the timeliness of the conference and said that the research represented the pioneering thinking needed to find practical solutions to the problems facing small states across the Commonwealth, and not only in the Caribbean.
Mr Maharaj said: “The region is the most indebted in the world. The Caribbean only contributes 2.4 per cent to global trade. The time to talk is over. The time to act is now.”
The final day of the conference, on 13 May, promises to be another busy day as participants gather early for a dialogue with young people about their perspectives on small states’ challenges and their ideas for building resilience.
The conference will then begin with sessions focused on mapping a way forward. Discussions will culminate in an outcome statement, which will be issued at the end of the day.
Read the press release on the launch of the report
Find out more about the Fourth Global Biennial Conference on Small States