Mr. Chairman, Mr. President, Fellow Governors, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to attend the 54th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Please allow me to extend my sincere thanks to the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Canada’s Minister of International Development Hon. Ahmed Hussen, the host government of Canada, and management and staff of CDB for the excellent organisation of the one-week annual meeting events.
The theme of this Annual Meeting is "Partnerships for Resilient Prosperity", which is aligning with the current situation and concerns of the Caribbean region, and holds great practical significance. Today, our world, our times and history are changing in ways like never before. We have just emerged from the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the world economy has not yet fully recovered. Meanwhile, geopolitical conflicts, inflation, debt risks, climate change, and wealth disparity are intensifying, hindering the progress of achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Human society is facing unprecedented challenges. In the face of these major crises, no country can stand alone, and no country can solve these problems single-handed. Unity, cooperation, and common development are the only correct paths forward.
We are pleased to see that over the past year, as an important multilateral development bank in the Caribbean region, the CDB has made great strides in strengthening international cooperation and building regional resilience. In 2023, the CDB was designated a technical partner of the Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF), and a grant recipient agency of the fund from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which is the largest international fund for education in lower-income countries, thereby diversifying and expanding the bank’s funding channels. Meanwhile, with the overall COVID-19 situation being alleviated, operational efficiency of the CDB has significantly improved. In 2023, focusing on building “social resilience, production resilience, environmental resilience, financial resilience and institutional resilience”, the CDB has approved a total of US$ 461.6 million in loans and grants, a substantial increase of 140% compared to 2022, making important contributions to overall regional resilience and sustainable development. We highly commend these achievements.
As the world's largest developing country, China has always adhered to the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, upheld the principles of peace, development, and win-win cooperation, and constructively participated in global governance and international cooperation, including cooperation with the Caribbean region. Since becoming a member of the CDB, China has participated in all previous donations of Special Development Funds (SDF). This year marks the conclusion of the SDF 10, as well as a critical year for kick-starting the next cycle. In the future, China will continue to work together with other contributors to support the SDF projects in key areas such as regional infrastructure, climate change, private sector development, poverty reduction, and educational transformation. China is always ready to share its development experience to promote sustainable and inclusive development in the Caribbean region.
Finally, I wish the Annual Meeting a great success.