Ministry of Transport Contributes to Regional Dialogue on Transportation and Climate Change

Adele Catzim-Sanchez, CEO of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Transport, represented Belize at a Regional Policy Dialogue titled “Public Policies and Investments for Transport Decarbonization,” hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) from November 29 to 30 in Washington, D.C.
The dialogue provided a platform for government officials, high-level experts, and private sector leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to share innovation, best practices, and bottlenecks in aligning the transportation sector with global and domestic climate change goals. The agenda included discussions about decarbonization in public transportation, logistics, road infrastructure, the aviation industry, and marine ports.
Discussions emphasized the importance of having:
1. a clear national policy framework;
2. robust business and financial models for public-private partnerships;
3. adequate national institutional capacities; and
4. key performance indicators to monitor progress.
During the session, CEO Catzim-Sanchez stated, “Belize has benefited from significant IDB investments and welcomes the opportunity to deepen this relationship within the transport sector. Transport remains the backbone of economic development because it facilitates the movement of people, produce, and freight within and across our borders.”
CEO Catzim-Sanchez also met with transportation and energy experts to discuss the possibility of continuing IDB technical assistance for Belize’s transition to electric mobility in public transportation. This project builds on previous IDB-funded projects that resulted in Belize’s National Comprehensive Transport Master Plan and key recommendations for modernizing the country’s public transportation sector.