News article from the St. Kitts & Nevis Observer via: https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/new-report-urges-greater-investment-in-caribbean-countries/
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Apr 22, CMC – A new report is urging greater investment in Caribbean countries to strengthen resilience, close infrastructure gaps and achieve sustainable growth.
The joint report by the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was discussed here on Tuesday during the ONE Caribbean Ministerial Dialogue.
“Regional integration delivers its greatest value when it leads to practical solutions for people, businesses, and governments across borders, and ONE Caribbean is showing exactly what that looks like,” said Anabel González, Vice President for Countries and Regional Integration at the IDB.
“In just two years, the program has moved from concept to action, providing a strategic framework for alignment of over a billion dollars of IDB Group operations across the region, and leveraging an initial $20 million in IDB non reimbursable resources to raise an additional US$13 million in donor grants, cultivating high-impact partnerships,” she added.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Kennedy Swaratsingh, said the ONE Caribbean Ministerial Dialogue is both a moment of reflection and a call to action.
“As Governors and Ministers, donors and supporters, our responsibility is to recognize that our region not only faces shared vulnerabilities, but also shared opportunities to pool technical expertise, scale up investment, and leverage innovative financing mechanisms.
“Today, we are more resolute than ever to ensure that ONE Caribbean delivers practical, people-centered outcomes with regard to safer communities, stronger economies, more reliable food systems and resilient infrastructure,” he added.
The event was attended by regional leaders, economists, policymakers, and international partners, facilitating dialogue and generating actionable recommendations for IDB member states and the wider region
The main findings of the second edition of the Caribbean Development Dynamics Report 2026: Investing in Sustainable and Resilient Development report outlined three priority areas for policy action to drive sustainable growth:
The report underscored that deeper regional cooperation can amplify investment, reduce costs, strengthen institutions, and bring the necessary scale to projects that would be difficult to deliver individually.
It said that platforms such as the IDB Group’s ONE Caribbean programme provide a practical framework for this cooperation, aligning priorities, strengthening project pipelines, and mobilizing public and private investment across countries.
The report also detailed the essential role of resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and well-designed public-private partnerships in protecting livelihoods, safeguarding natural assets, and reducing long-term fiscal risks.
It noted that investments aligned with the Caribbean’s inherent strengths, such as the blue economy, energy, the creative economy, and tourism, can robustly support long-term development.
The scale of required investment necessitates diversified financing sources, including domestic resource mobilisation, private-sector participation, and international capital flows,was also among the main findings of the report, underscoring the importance of innovative financial instruments, such as green, social, sustainability, and blue bonds, as well as debt-for-nature swaps and resilient debt clauses.
ONE Caribbean is the IDB Group’s regional programme and strategic framework for addressing shared Caribbean challenges in the areas of resilience and adaptation, disaster risk management, citizen security, private sector development, and food security, while strengthening institutions and promoting digital transformation.
Created in 2024 at the request of Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, The Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago, the programme has benefited from grant resources from the United Kingdom and Canada, and also indirectly benefits countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) through IDB’s partnership with the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Under the Cybersecurity Preparedness and Rapid Response initiative, developed in partnership with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), a coordinated regional response is being delivered to escalating cyber threats.
ONE Caribbean is providing targeted support for countries to develop cybersecurity action plans and has established a dedicated facility offering rapid technical assistance for severe cybersecurity incidents.
ONE Caribbean is partnering with the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) and Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to promote deeper financial integration and explore feasibility of an ambitious regional capital market which would foster harmonization of standards, reduce cross-listing barriers, and unlock long-term public and private financing across the region.
ONE Caribbean is also expanding fiscal research, training, and capacity building under the Fiscal Research Centre (FRC), established through a partnership between the IDB, University of West Indies, University of Ottawa, and the Jamaica government.
The FRC serves 17 countries across the region and through a “train the trainers” capacity-building model is now rolling out a foundation course for policymakers and academics as well as producing a flagship publication on lessons learnt from a decade of reforms, providing a local platform for economic and public financial management dialogue.
Additionally, under ONE Caribbean, the Project Preparation Coordination Mechanism provides support for structuring public, private, and PPP projects across the region. The initiative has generated strong momentum with over 300 stakeholders engaged, 30 project proposals submitted across sectors such as energy, transport, water, waste management, and urban development, and multiple projects allocated funding in its first year alone.
