VI Strengthens South‑South Cooperation Role
The Virgin Islands is playing a leading role in shaping South-South cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean, officials said. VI Special Envoy E. Benito Wheatley joined regional vice chairs and UN ECLAC representatives to prioritise development cooperation, trilateral partnerships and monitoring international agreements to benefit the Global South.
The Virgin Islands is taking a visible role in regional efforts to strengthen development cooperation among countries of the Global South, according to a press release from the Office of the Premier. Benito Wheatley participated in a leadership bureau meeting of the Regional Conference on South-South Cooperation in his capacity as a Vice Chair.
The meeting, chaired by Chile's Enrique O’Farrill Julien, Executive Director of the Chilean Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AGCID), included vice chairs and representatives from Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador and the Virgin Islands, together with the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) secretariat.
Delegates discussed priorities for cooperation based on each country's expertise and capacity. Key topics included strengthening development cooperation within Latin America and the Caribbean; expanding dialogue and policy exchanges between the region and other Global South partners; boosting trilateral cooperation involving development partners and regional states; and monitoring the implementation of international agreements intended to benefit developing countries. “We are in the early stages of shaping the agenda of the Regional Conference on South-South Cooperation,” Mr Wheatley said.
He stressed that shifting priorities among traditional development partners—toward security, trade and other national interests—make regional and South-South cooperation increasingly important. “As a region, we must now place much more emphasis on development cooperation between our countries, as well as with those development partners who stand ready to work with us through trilateral cooperation.
The BVI will continue to contribute a Caribbean perspective to the dialogue as we shape the South-South Cooperation agenda.” For BVI residents, the discussions could translate into practical benefits: increased access to technical assistance, capacity-building in disaster resilience and climate adaptation, cooperation on health and education projects, and opportunities for trilateral arrangements that pair local needs with external funding and expertise.
The Virgin Islands already serves as a Vice Chair of ECLAC’s Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) and as a Vice Chair of UN ECLAC, positions that amplify its voice when advocating Caribbean priorities. Officials said the meeting is part of ongoing regional efforts to ensure developing countries secure development-focused support and to hold international commitments accountable.
The Premier’s Office indicated further consultations and agenda-setting activities will continue as the Regional Conference develops its work plan.
Primary source: VINO