By: Staff Writer
June 2, 2026
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) president said at the opening of the opening of the 56th Annual Meeting that uncertainty cannot be the excuse of the day when dealing with the challenges the region faces.
Daniel Best, said: “This year we meet under the theme, as you’ve heard, Forging the Caribbean’s Future: Strategic Solutions for Uncertain times that theme speaks directly to the moment we are living through as a region.
“The Caribbean is navigating climate shocks, digital transformation, crime and insecurity, energy pressures, food insecurity, and a challenging global development finance landscape, but uncertainty cannot be an excuse for delay.
“Uncertainty must be our call for action. For the Caribbean, the future will not be secured by ambition alone. It will be secured by delivery, it will be secured by partnership, it will be secured by practical solutions that can move at speed, operate at scale, and deliver measurable impact for our people.”
The Caribbean faces a complex landscape of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Regional GDP growth remains subdued, constrained by long-standing structural challenges, shifting external trade barriers, and high borrowing costs. This volatility impacts key regional industries—such as tourism and rum and spirits—prompting leaders to rethink strategies.
The World Bank projects regional growth to remain constrained by low investment and restrictive financing conditions, making diversification essential for long-term stability.
As a highly exposed region, the Caribbean remains deeply vulnerable to rising sea levels, severe storms, and climate-related shocks.
Also, trade policies and geopolitical volatility, alongside regional security threats, drug trafficking, and mass migration, have created multifaceted instability in certain localized areas.
Best also said: “Let me be very clear, we cannot forge the Caribbean’s future without Caribbean youth. Young people are not simply the leaders for tomorrow. You are leaders now. You are innovators now. You are community builders now. The future is not waiting for you. The future is already being shaped by you. That is why this forum matters.
“This is a strategic platform for placing young people where they belong, at the center of the region’s development conversation. It is not by accident that the very first intervention in this year’s annual meeting is this forum. We are starting with you.”
He continued: “Young people face real structural barriers. Too many still struggle to access decent work, financing, technology, skills training, safe communities, and meaningful participation in decision making. Too many are asked to be resilient without being even given systems resources and opportunities to thrive.
“But that is only one side of the story. The other side is that young Caribbean people are already building solutions. You are creating digital tools, you are leading climate action, you are launching businesses, you are advancing research, you are using culture, food, technology, creativity, and community action to create new pathways for income, identity, and transformation.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that your ideas do not remain on the margins. Our responsibility is to connect youth ambition to finance, mentorship, markets, policy and implementation that has been the direction of CDB’s work.”