Belmopan, June 5, 2026.
Belize officially assumed the prestigious Chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The official handover took place during the closing ceremony of the 56th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the CDB in Nassau, Bahamas.
Accepting the Chairmanship on behalf of Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño, Belize’s Governor to the Caribbean Development Bank, the alternate Governor, Dr. Hon. Osmond Martinez expressed Belize’s commitment to advancing sustainable development, resilience, and economic transformation across the Caribbean region over the coming year.
In tandem with assuming the Chairmanship, Belize has been announced as the official host country for the 57th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, scheduled to take place in June 2027. This marks a historic return of the summit to the country, as the last time Belize held the Chairmanship and hosted the event was over three decades ago, in May 1994.
Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño delivered recorded remarks marking Belize’s assumption of leadership, stating, “It is a distinct honour to accept the Chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank on behalf of the Government and people of Belize. We are proud to assume this responsibility as we look ahead to hosting the 57th Annual Meeting in June 2027. As Belize prepares to take on this Chairmanship, we do so with a distinct sense of purpose and possibility.”
The CDB Annual Meeting is the Bank’s highest decision-making forum. It brings together Ministers of Finance, Governors, development partners, private sector leaders, and international institutions from its 28 member countries and beyond to discuss the region’s most pressing development challenges and opportunities.
As Chairman, Belize will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic discourse of the Bank over the next twelve months, culminating in the 2027 summit on Belizean soil. The upcoming year will focus heavily on accelerating regional integration, scaling up climate finance, and building robust socio-economic frameworks for the Caribbean.
The Belizean delegation was led by Dr. Hon. Osmond Martinez, Minister of State in the Ministry of Economic Transformation, and included Mr. Carlos Pol, Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Henry Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Development Finance Corporation (DFC); Mr. Michael Rudon Jr., Director of the Government of Belize Press Office; and Mr. Jerdie King, Economist.
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