CDB Leadership Passes to Belize as Region Eyes New Financing Partnerships  

By Deandrea Hamilton

The Bahamas, June 9, 2026 – The Caribbean Development Bank’s annual gathering may have concluded in The Bahamas, but attention is already turning to Belize as leadership of the institution’s Board of Governors officially changed hands.

At the close of the 56th Annual Meeting in Nassau, outgoing Chairman and CDB Governor for The Bahamas, Michael Halkitis, formally transferred the chairmanship to Belize’s Dr. Hon. Osmond Martinez, continuing the Bank’s tradition of rotating leadership among its regional shareholders.

The handover capped a week of discussions focused on financing development in an increasingly uncertain global environment and strengthening the Caribbean’s ability to withstand economic and climate-related shocks.

One of the meeting’s most closely watched conversations centered on how multilateral development banks can better support vulnerable Small Island Developing States.

During the President’s Chat, titled Financing the Future: MDB Strategies for Uncertain Times, CDB President Daniel Best joined leaders from the OPEC Fund, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage to discuss expanding development finance and building resilience.

OPEC Fund President Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa emphasized that development institutions must move beyond responding to crises and instead help countries prepare for them.

“The real test is whether we can help countries move from strategy to implementation, and from implementation to results,” Alkhalifa said.

The discussions reflected a growing regional push for innovative financing solutions as Caribbean nations continue to confront climate vulnerability, infrastructure demands and economic uncertainty.

Beyond discussions on financing and resilience, the Annual Meeting also featured youth engagement activities, including the Youth FIRE Forum, where young Caribbean leaders participated in conversations about innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and the future of regional development. Senior government officials, development professionals and youth delegates exchanged ideas on the challenges and opportunities facing the next generation, reinforcing a recurring message throughout the conference: that investments made today must ultimately improve opportunities for Caribbean youth tomorrow.

That theme was echoed by Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis, who used the opening ceremony to challenge regional leaders to invest in future generations.

“We must invest in the one asset that no agency can ever downgrade, and that no storm can ever wash away: the mind of a Caribbean child,” Davis told delegates.

With Belize now assuming the chairmanship, regional leaders say the focus remains on transforming ideas discussed in Nassau into tangible results for Caribbean people.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.