This week, between Monday, March 15, and Thursday, March 18, Anguilla’s Premier, Dr. Ellis Webster, was among regional Heads of Government at a high level virtual meeting with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC.
The meeting dealt with challenges faced by Associate Members of ECLAC in the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals.
It was presided over by the Premier and Minister of Finance of the British Virgin Islands, Mr. Andrew Fahie, in his capacity as Vice Chairman of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee of ECLAC.
Premier Webster commented that the meeting was important for countries like Anguilla. He continued: “Premier Andrew Fahie wanted to have a meeting for the Associate Members of ECLAC. The Overseas Territories, and places like Guadeloupe and Martinique, are not full members of ECLAC, but he felt that it was necessary for them to discuss the challenges of the Associate Member States. This was a high-level meeting to realise the sustainable development goals by 2030.
“We know that the United Nations, in 2015, came up with seventeen sustainable development goals which should be met by 2030. They include no poverty; no hunger; good healthcare; good education; and climate control.”
The Premier added: “As we have seen in Anguilla, with the global financial crisis, the banking crisis, resulting in the resolution; Hurricane Irma and now the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be difficult for territories, like ours, with such high debt to GDP, and contracted economies, …to come back to full effect until 2024.”
Dr. Webster said the meeting on Thursday, March 18, included the Minster of the British Overseas Territories, Lord Ahmad. The event was the United Kingdom Caribbean Forum. It is an annual event, similar to the Joint Ministerial Council.
