Belize Pushes Regional Security at ONE Caribbean Dialogue

Belize joined regional leaders in shaping the future of Caribbean cooperation at the ONE Caribbean Ministerial Dialogue held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Belize delegation included CEO in the Office of the Prime Minister, Narda Garcia, and Cinnamon Bottaro, the country’s representative on the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The high-level meeting brought together ministers, senior officials, and development partners to review the first two years of the ONE Caribbean initiative and chart its next phase through 2029.

Launched in 2024, ONE Caribbean is the IDB Group’s flagship regional program aimed at strengthening cooperation among Caribbean nations, including Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, The Bahamas, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The initiative focuses on four priority areas: climate resilience and disaster risk management, citizen security, private sector development, and food security.

Garcia played a leading role in the dialogue on citizen security, steering discussions on tackling transnational organized crime, protecting vulnerable groups, and strengthening cybersecurity across the region. She helped shape conversations on how regional partnerships can better address shared security challenges.

Belize also took part in all four thematic sessions, underscoring its active role in the initiative. The country has already benefited from ONE Caribbean through infrastructure planning support, including updates to its National Transport Master Plan and the development of a Domestic Airports Master Plan.

Additionally, Belize was identified as having strong potential to contribute to regional food security through expanded agricultural trade within the Caribbean.