Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Joins Climate Vulnerable Forum
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the newest members of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF). This announcement came during the Fourth CVF Leaders Meeting on Development Reset and Cooperation held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026. The CVF is an international global partnership of countries that have been “disproportionately impacted by the consequences of climate change globally.”
Prime Minister Hon. Dr Godwin Friday represented Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the meeting, which was chaired by the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Amor Mottley. Other Heads of State and Government, ministers and senior officials from climate-vulnerable economies joined development finance institutions and partners to discuss access to affordable long-term financing, the Vulnerability to Viability Compact and the Lifeline Fund, among other climate-related concerns.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines joined the Forum alongside the Central African Republic and Zambia, bringing the CVF-V20 membership to 77 countries.
In his intervention, Prime Minister Friday not only thanked the organisers and recognised the stellar leadership of Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who enters her third year as Chairman of the collective, but also underscored the need for climate justice for South-South vulnerable developing nations.
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines enters the Climate Vulnerable Forum not merely to mark an accession, but to bring the direct testimony of the frontlines into this common struggle for survival and economic equity,” the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Friday pointed to the country’s devastation after Hurricane Beryl, along with the continuing economic consequences of the La Soufrière volcanic eruption, as examples of the developmental challenges faced by vulnerable island states.
He called for reform of the international financial architecture, noting the difficulties vulnerable island states face in accessing concessional financing and the burden of borrowing on commercial terms to finance recovery and reconstruction following major natural and climate-related shocks.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ full endorsement of the Vulnerability to Viability Compact, which seeks to expand access to affordable, long-term financing for critical investments.
As he put it, “The development reset led by this Forum must replace fiscal depletion with durable prosperity”
Dr Friday opined that investments in areas such as water security, modern schools and resilient healthcare should not depend on short-term, punitive debt, but by their very nature, require longer-term financing at rates that support sustainable national development.
Prime Minister Friday also asserted the Government’s full endorsement of the governing instrument of the Lifeline Fund, aimed at providing rapid post-disaster funding for climate-vulnerable states like Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
During his remarks, Prime Minister Friday accepted a challenge from Prime Minister Mottley to encourage his CARICOM colleagues to join the forum. He sees tremendous value in countries working together to secure long-term financing for national investment and development.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ addition to the Climate Vulnerable Forum provides another platform for the country to share its experience as a climate-vulnerable Small Island Developing State in international discussions on development finance, resilience and climate action.
Prime Minister Friday’s participation in the Fourth CVF Leaders Meeting aligns with the Government’s push to engage with international and regional partners, placing Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the centre of
discussions and initiatives directly affecting the country’s development, resilience and the interests of its people.
