Premier and Minister of Finance of the British Virgin Islands, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie, in his capacity as Vice Chair of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), has presented the official report of the CDCC to the Member and Associate Member Countries of ECLAC on October 28 at the virtual 38^th Session of ECLAC, October 26-28.

In his statement, the Premier reported, “This year, considering the multi-dimensional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has served to dramatise the true scale of the vulnerability of the small, heavily indebted, undiversified economies of the Caribbean, the member countries of CDCC have met virtually since April to urgently address the specific needs of the sub-region, share experiences while identifying common solutions, through a series of ministerial dialogues with Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Social Development, as well as those responsible for gender and women’s rights.”

He further stated, “The British Virgin Islands is honoured to serve the sub-region as a member of the bureau of the CDCC during these challenging times. Under the leadership of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as the Chair of the Committee, the British Virgin Islands joins Dominica and Cuba as Vice-Chairs, ready to play an active role in advocating for international and regional support to advance the recovery of the Caribbean post-COVID-19, and to re-energise progress towards implementation of the SDGs and the SAMOA Pathway.”

Premier said, “I use this opportunity to call on the leadership of the wider Latin America to join us in true solidarity, to bolster our efforts at recovery even as we explore opportunities for meaningful cooperation and integration among the countries of our region.”

As a Vice Chair of the CDCC, Premier Fahie has demonstrated strong leadership within the ECLAC subsidiary body for the Caribbean and wider regional commission.

Prior to the 38^th Session of ECLAC, Premier Fahie chaired the ECLAC/UWI Development Partners Forum on investing in higher education for post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Sports, Agriculture and Fisheries Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley also attended the forum and made a statement on behalf of the British Virgin Islands on investment in higher education.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

• Highlights from the meeting.