November 3, 2023: Planning and Development Minister Pennelope Beckles has officially assumed the position of Chair of the Bureau of the 30th Session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) from 2024 to 2026. The Honourable Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Suriname was the previous Chair from 2022.
Pursuant to resolution 358 (XVI) of 1975, the CDCC was created as a permanent subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) to promote development cooperation among Caribbean countries. The CDCC also cooperates with other intergovernmental bodies in the Caribbean, including the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), CARICOM, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).
As the Bureau Chair, Minister Beckles is entrusted with leadership from 2024, driving the CDCC’s objectives to promote and strengthen economic and social cooperation and integration among the countries of the Caribbean Latin America; share information and experiences among members; and promote common positions and strategies on economic and social issues among Caribbean nations. The Bureau, which comprises a Chair, three Vice-Chairs and a Rapporteur, shall hold office for the period 2024 – 2026, until the convening of the next regular session of the CDCC, in 2026. Minister Beckles is also expected to host the next Session of the CDCC, in 2024.
The member countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Associate members of the CDCC include Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, and United States Virgin Islands.
Minister Beckles, along with Foreign and Finance Ministers from Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Suriname, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados participated in the Twenty-First Session of the Monitoring Committee of the CDCC, which also featured a seminar on ‘Positioning the Caribbean in the Knowledge Economy: the Role of Data’, which was held in Port of Spain from November 1-3, 2023.
As Chair of the Committee, Trinidad and Tobago stands to benefit from shared ideas to create better coordinated and resourced data ecosystems, including how the Caribbean should approach innovation in data science to inform better decision-making in the public and private sectors. There are also opportunities for cooperation in the adoption of concrete measures aimed at the sustainable development of the member countries of the CDCC as well as the promotion of initiatives to strengthen cooperation. Trinidad and Tobago for the time frame will also guide a “think-tank” approach in support of sustainable human development, embracing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development in the Caribbean. In the position of Chair, Trinidad and Tobago will also steer the CDCC’s role as an advisory and consultative body to the Executive Secretary of ECLAC on issues of particular relevance to the Caribbean sub region.
Upon receipt of the Chairmanship, Minister Beckles stated, “Trinidad and Tobago accepts the chairmanship of the 30th Session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee with a strong commitment to fostering collaboration, dialogue, and progress among our member nations. Together, we will work towards our common goals. To this end, Trinidad and Tobago looks forward to a productive and harmonious tenure.”
