OECS Pushes Bold Caribbean Agenda on Resilience and Prosperity Ahead of Global Talks
With Caribbean islands facing escalating climate threats, economic shocks, and mounting social pressures, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has launched a high-level regional dialogue to transform vulnerability into resilience and prosperity.
The two-day Caribbean Regional Dialogue Conference, held August 15–16 at Bay Gardens Beach Resort, set out to define the region’s priorities ahead of the World Islands Conference in Tokyo in 2026.
OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules told delegates that the gathering marked a turning point for small island states.
“We gather for this Caribbean Regional Dialogue with a clear purpose: to move from enduring vulnerability to building resilient prosperity and to carry a strong, united Caribbean voice into the World Islands Conference in Tokyo in 2026,” Jules said. He praised the Sasakawa Peace Foundation for co-hosting the event, describing the partnership as “the co-creation and shared ownership that must drive our path to resilient prosperity.”
The Dialogue brought together governments, civil society, academia, youth, and private sector leaders, focusing on five critical pillars: the Blue Economy, Community-Based Tourism, Agriculture and Food Security, Economic Development and Trade, and Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction. Cross-cutting issues of gender, youth, data, civil society, and private sector integration were also central to the discussions.
Jules noted that Caribbean states contribute less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions but bear the brunt of climate-related losses, including storm damage amounting to as much as 5.7% of GDP annually.
He outlined innovative financial strategies such as hurricane clauses, catastrophe insurance, and climate-linked debt restructuring, calling them “lifelines for economies under siege.”
Key proposals emerging from the dialogue included a Caribbean Island Systems Management Compact, a Blue Value Chains Accelerator, a Community-Based Tourism quality standard, a Caribbean Food Security Deal 2030, and a Climate-Resilient Finance Toolbox to be adopted by member states within the next 12 months.
International partners also weighed in. Mr. Hideyuki Shiozawa, Director of Island Nations at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said the Dialogue offered a rare chance to bridge the gap between policy and practice.
“We hope to get the real information from the people on the ground, those who work on the ground, and the policymakers,” Shiozawa said. “There are gaps between policy and action, and this conference is a good step to share, to understand the actual challenges, and to feel the gap between policy and the challenges.”
The OECS stressed that the outcomes of the Dialogue will strengthen the region’s ability to advocate with a unified voice at global platforms, ensuring that commitments under the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States are translated into practical, island-focused solutions.
