In October 2020, Barbados will become the first small state to host the 15th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This milestone boosts Barbados’s and the wider Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) visibility on the global stage.
The conference offers small states a vital platform to share experiences, promote resilient economies, and sustain growth. For CARICOM, it’s a chance to highlight support for a fair multilateral trading system and ensure small developing countries’ interests—such as Technical Assistance, Capacity Building, and Special Treatment—are included in ongoing WTO reforms.
The event also provides an opportunity to bring global focus to the unique challenges small island states face, especially climate change’s impact on trade and development, a key economic risk identified by the IMF.
By hosting UNCTAD, Barbados aims to demonstrate that small states can successfully lead major international conferences and “punch above their weight.”
