The public is advised that due to the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Territory will observe a national period of mourning from today, April 9 until the day after the official funeral and burial.

I would like to begin by thanking ECLAC for providing an international platform for the Caribbean as a group of Small Island Developing States to present our challenges, as well as for creating spaces for us to dialogue on solutions to the very real problems that the Caribbean faces.

We have had an excellent dialogue today regarding the challenges faced by the Associate Member Countries of ECLAC in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I declare open the High-Level Meeting on the Challenges Faced by the Associate Members of ECLAC in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The British Virgin Islands is pursuing sustainable development in the context of a post-disaster society. 

Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie has been hailed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) and regional partners for the British Virgin Islands’ steadfast international leadership and for spearheading the first ever High-Level Meeting of the Associate Member Countries of ECLAC on sustainable development.

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) has welcomed CARICOM interest in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) currently taking place in the Territory, highlighted in the communiqué of the recently concluded 32^nd Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community on February 24 and 25.

I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Rodriguez for Mexico’s leadership over the course of their term as Chair. Mexico ably led the work of the Presiding Officers under the very difficult circumstances presented to us all by COVID-19.

I would like to begin by thanking my dear friends, Luis Felipe and ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Barcena, and the Government of Colombia, for convening this timely Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The BVI participated in the United Nations 13th Ministerial Forum held virtually throughout the week. The Territory currently serves as one of the Vice Chairs of the Regional Conference on Social Development along with countries like Barbados, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Uruguay.