Secretary General, Mr. President, Excellencies,  

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the fourteen (14) Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).  

For eight decades, ECOSOC has been a cornerstone of the United Nations system and a central pillar of global economic and social governance. From its early role in post-war recovery, through its stewardship of the Millennium Development Goals, to its central place in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Council has helped shape global norms, mobilize partnerships, and promote policy coherence across the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Its legacy is one of inclusiveness and a sustained commitment to human dignity and shared prosperity.

For CARICOM, ECOSOC’s work has been especially significant. As a community of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the Caribbean has long relied on the Council as a platform where our voices and development priorities can be heard and our particular vulnerabilities understood. Its convening role has enabled CARICOM to engage constructively with development partners, international financial institutions, civil society, and the private sector in advancing our sustainable development objectives.

Today, ECOSOC’s role is more vital than ever. The world faces a convergence of crises: widening inequality, the accelerating impacts of climate change, constrained fiscal space, rising debt distress, and uneven progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. For CARICOM States, climate change is an important issue, compounded by limited access to affordable and adequate financing for mitigation, adaptation and resilience building. In this context, ECOSOC’s leadership on financing for development, inclusive and sustainable growth, and climate action is essential. Equally important is its role as a convener—bringing together key stakeholders in efforts to forge coordinated and innovative responses to address current global challenges. In particular, we welcome its engagement with youth through the dynamic Youth Forum and its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti which has served to keep the unique challenges of a member of the Community at the top of the International agenda. The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, convened annually under the auspices of ECOSOC, is one such effective tool for reviewing progress, as we pursue the SDGs.  

As we mark this milestone anniversary, ECOSOC 80 offers an opportunity to strengthen the Council as a platform for effective multilateralism and renewed global solidarity. This means reinforcing its capacity to promote policy coherence, elevate development issues at the highest political level, and ensure that global commitments translate into real results, especially for vulnerable countries.  

In closing, CARICOM reaffirms its commitment to a strong, responsive, and inclusive multilateral system, with ECOSOC at its core. We stand ready to work with all partners to seize this moment as a turning point—one that renews trust in multilateralism and accelerates collective action toward sustainable development for present and future generations.

I thank you.