CDB and IDB to Sponsor Civil Society Organisations DialogueRepresentatives from national Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and regional organisations from 18 countries in the Caribbean will be meeting at the Grand Barbados Beach Resort from January 25 to 26, 2005. The objectives of the meeting, which is being sponsored by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will be to strengthen the role of CSOs as partners in sustainable national and regional development, and to prepare Caribbean CSOs for participation in a wider meeting to be held in Panama. It's expected that as a result of this meeting, participants will become more knowledgeable about financial resources available from CDB and IDB and that the level of networking among CSOs and the two development banks will be improved.This meeting follows a decision taken at the IDB's Fourth Regional Meeting with CSOs in Latin American and the Caribbean in Jamaica in February last year. It was agreed then that in order for issues of particular relevance to the English-speaking Caribbean to be more fully addressed, a separate meeting would be held in the Region prior to the Fifth IDB/CSO regional meeting. That meeting is scheduled for Februray 20-21, 2005 in Panama.