NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB / the Bank) concluded its 56th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors on June 4 with a renewed commitment from regional leaders, development partners, and stakeholders to accelerate implementation, strengthen partnerships, and translate commitments into concrete results for Caribbean people.
Closing the meeting, CDB president Daniel M. Best distilled the spirit of the week into a single charge: “The true measure of this Annual Meeting will not be what we said in Nassau. It will be what is done after Nassau.”
Delivering for the Caribbean
A defining message from Governors throughout the week was the urgent need to shift from planning to implementation. Participants called for stronger regional coordination, faster delivery of development programmes, and deeper collaboration among governments, development partners, and the private sector.
Best affirmed the bank’s commitment to rising to that challenge and delivering tangible results for the people of the Caribbean. “We have heard the call from governors for a more unified approach,” he said. “We are committed to doing just that—by aligning our efforts across countries and partners, accelerating decision-making, and deploying practical solutions that translate policy into progress.”
Navigating uncertainty
Across sessions, discussions examined how Caribbean countries can respond to mounting global pressures, among them climate shocks, geopolitical tensions, constrained fiscal space, and slowing economic growth. That conversation extended to the Youth FIRE Forum, where young leaders added their own charge to governments and institutions to ensure that the solutions being built today create real pathways to opportunity for the next generation.
The meeting also spotlighted emerging opportunities to mobilise private capital, broaden access to climate finance, strengthen entrepreneurship, and deploy innovative financing instruments to drive resilience and growth—while underscoring the critical role of data, innovation, and knowledge-sharing in improving development outcomes.
Looking ahead
In closing, president Best thanked the government and people of The Bahamas for hosting the region during a week of consequential discussions on the Caribbean’s future and urged delegates to carry the momentum generated in Nassau into meaningful action.
“As we bring this 56th Annual Meeting of the board of governors to a close, we do so knowing that our work does not end here. If anything, it begins anew, carrying forward the ideas we shared, the partnerships we strengthened, and the commitments we made to build a stronger future for the Caribbean together,” Best said.
The president closed with a rallying call for action across the region. “Let us create a path where we will be remembered not as the generation that managed uncertainty, but as the generation that forged possibility—together. It is time for us to accelerate results and impact to transform our Caribbean. This is the decade of decision and action.”
The 56th Annual Meeting of the board of governors of the Caribbean Development Bank was held in Nassau, The Bahamas, from June 1–5 under the theme “Forging the Caribbean’s Future: Strategic Solutions for Uncertain Times,” bringing together heads of government, finance ministers, governors, development institutions, private sector representatives, civil society organisations, and young leaders to address the region’s most pressing development challenges.
The 57th Annual Meeting of the board of governors of the Caribbean Development Bank will be held in Belize in June 2027.