BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, July 1, 2022: Facilitating Access to Adequate, Affordable Financing for its Borrowing Member Countries will be central to the agenda of the next Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank, (CDB) scheduled for June 2023 in Saint Lucia.

Sustainable financial solutions for regional development, greater inclusion of private sector partners, and broader exposure for the host country and the Region throughout the year are high on the agenda as the Bank commenced planning for the event today.  The 2023 meeting will also deepen the Bank’s outreach to the youth and strengthen engagement with potential and upcoming young regional leaders.

President of CDB, Dr Hyginus 'Gene’ Leon said, “Enabling Access to Adequate, Affordable Finance for our Borrowing Member Countries is the overarching goal that is determining CDB’s current focus, and the 2023 Annual Meeting will reflect this emphasis. We are expanding the scope of the event to have a more holistic impact on the economies of the Region while we continue to drive sustainable development.”

For 2023, the CDB’s Annual Meeting seminar series will continue with strategically designed fora to bring stakeholders together to devise solutions to urgent regional issues. The Bank will also seek greater involvement from the international financial community.

To build out the agenda, CDB will be consulting a wide range of stakeholders to collectively determine the agenda to ensure that the meeting’s events build capacity, provide helpful data, and meet needs across sectors.  Areas of emphasis will include the Bank’s main focal points recently outlined by Dr. Leon, food security, energy security and water security.

CDB’s 53rd Annual Meeting will be held under the auspices of the Honourable Phillip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, who was appointed Chairman of the Board of Governors at the 2022 Meeting, held last month in the Turks and Caicos Islands.