And while the BTIA meets virtually in Belize, Prime Minister Johnny Briceno did so in New York. He gave his first U.N. address this morning. He spoke during a special and virtual General Assembly in which he made the case for Small island developing states under the acronym S.I.D.S..
And in his first address Briceno was focused on money matters calling for an overhaul of the international financial system in a manner that he hopes would address the challenge of indebtedness that small countries like Belize have had to undertake just to get through the pandemic.
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister of Belize "We did what we could, we repurposed where possible and barred when we could ill afford it but now, the situation grows more urgent. The existing resources are about to dry up and the debtors are waiting at the door. We therefore continue to call for an overhaul if the international financial system to address our challenges, limited fiscal space and vulnerability to market volatility. To have emerged out of this pandemic without tangle changes to the international financial system to enable vulnerable countries access to resources they so desperately need would be a complete loss. This is the critical moment to galvanize our commitments to collective action so that the most vulnerable countries can catch our breath as our economy are chocked by the social economic impacts of this crisis."
Prime Minister Briceño also spoke in his capacity as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS).
