Canada-CARICOM Initiative Supports Belize’s Development Efforts

A Canadian-funded programme delivered through the Canada-CARICOM Expert Deployment Mechanism (CCEDM) has provided technical assistance to Belizean villages and public institutions, helping them strengthen their operations and develop projects that could attract funding.

Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the programme connects Caribbean governments and institutions with Canadian experts to address technical needs, strengthen local economies and build climate-resilient communities.

Minister of Economic Transformation Dr Osmond Martinez said the initiative helped fill gaps in specialised expertise by bringing in Canadian professionals to assist local communities and institutions.

“The programme entails that the Government of Canada was supporting villages through a CARICOM expert mechanism in terms of helping us with experts in different areas,” Martinez said.

Among the beneficiaries were Gales Point, BELTRAIDE, the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Social Investment Fund.

The programme also supported work related to DFC’s accreditation and the development of accreditation requirements for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) under the Ministry of Economic Transformation.

According to Martinez, the programme also helped Gales Point’s primary school with sustainability planning and provided training to help villages develop project proposals based on their needs.

“For villages to be able to do their own project proposals based on the needs that they have, and which they can now turn those proposals into bankable proposals, that’s a big deal,” Martinez said.