The Virgin Islands has been tapped to help lead a regional effort to boost development by facilitating collaboration among countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The member states of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean recently selected the VI to serve as a vice chair of the Second Regional Conference on South-South Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to VI Special Envoy Benito Wheatley.
The conference, which was established in 2023, supports development cooperation across the region.
The VI is also serving as a vice chair of UN ECLAC and its regional subsidiary body, the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee.
As a vice chair of the regional conference, the territory
will assist the new chair, Chile, for a two-year term into 2027.
Among other responsibilities, the conference’s leadership bureau will work to facility member states in sharing technical assistance based on their areas of expertise, according to Mr. Wheatley.
“Triangular cooperation will also be a priority, in which member states cooperate on development initiatives with multilateral organisations and the backing of a developed country,” according to a press release he issued Friday.
Chile visit
During a meeting of the conference held June 17-18 in Santiago, Chile, Mr. Wheatley promoted closer technical cooperation between the Caribbean and Latin America.
Such collaboration, he said, is particularly important for vulnerable middle- and high-income Caribbean countries that are ineligible for conventional development assistance because of their per-capita income level.
As a panellist on the topic “International Cooperation and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4),” Mr. Wheatley also welcomed an initial agreement reached by country negotiators on concessional financing for vulnerable middle-income countries and small island developing states.
In the lead-up to last week’s session, the VI advocated for access to development and climate finance for Caribbean island states, including the associate members of ECLAC like the VI, according to the special envoy.
‘Vote of confidence’
Mr. Wheatley said ECLAC’s choice of the VI as vice chair is a “vote of confidence” in the territory’s “ability to positively contribute to the advancement of the region through our consistent engagement and steadfast leadership.”
The other vice chairs of the leadership bureau include Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and El Salvador.
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