During a joint working session on February 2 and 3 in Kingston, Jamaica, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the World Bank mapped a route for tighter collaboration to push the Caribbean’s development agenda.
Multi-sectoral teams from the institutions investigated opportunities for greater collaboration to improve development results in Caribbean countries. Sustainable Development, Infrastructure, Energy, Human Development, Private Sector Engagement, and Regional Cooperation were among the topics examined. The conversations included current areas of attention, active projects and initiatives, lessons learned, and best practices.
The two-day workshop finished with agreements on next steps to appropriately address Caribbean countries’ development demands. Tourism, renewable energy, digitization, capacity building, and education have all been identified as priority sectors.
“Having reinforced linkages between the CDB and World Bank teams, I’m sure of our shared resolve to roll our sleeves up and continue working toward the greatest outcomes possible for the people of the Caribbean. “The strength of partnerships is most successful in achieving desired economic and social gains,” said Ms. Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean.
“The Caribbean’s demands are broad, and the key to covering more area is collaboration and cooperation across institutions that are aiding the region’s sustainable development plan,” stated Mr. Isaac Solomon, CDB Vice President, Operations. We will see greater results from alignment, and now that we have had the dialogues, we will take measures to move forward.”
The CDB and the World Bank have a long history of collaboration, with their most recent projects focusing on improving public procurement in the Caribbean. Joint measures have included the construction of a procurement training center, the execution of joint procurement assessments, and the implementation of a coordinated and ongoing procurement reform program throughout CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.
