This year’s Roundtable will explore possible options for debt relief for heavily indebted countries in the subregion. Senior level policymakers from governments of the Caribbean, officials of the United Nations system, representatives of regional civil society organizations, academia, regional development institutions and international development partners will meet to address the Caribbean’s debt obligations and consider practical solutions for current debt overhang.

The CDR will be followed by the 26th session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) on 22 April 2016, where senior level government officials will take stock of the outcomes of the CDR, and review the implementation of the work programme for the ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean for the biennium 2014-2015, and endorse the programme of work for the biennium 2018-2019.

The CDCC was created as a permanent subsidiary body of ECLAC to promote the economic and social development of ECLAC member States and associate members. ECLAC Caribbean acts as the secretariat of the CDCC.  Regular sessions of ministers are held every two years, with a meeting of the Monitoring Committee convened during the intervening year. Transmission of relevant reports and decisions of the CDCC are sent for ratification at the biennial sessions of ECLAC.