Press Release, Belmopan, April 17, 2026. Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño chaired a high-level event titled “Delivering for Small States: From Strategy to Results,” held during the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C.
The event highlighted the World Bank Group’s new Small States Strategy, which places job creation at the center of development support for small states while addressing structural vulnerabilities and economic shocks that disproportionately affect these economies.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Briceño emphasized that Small States continue to confront overlapping pressures, including tightening fiscal space, rising energy and food costs, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. He underscored the importance of development approaches that are tailored to the specific realities of small states.
The Belizean delegation attending the annual Spring Meetings includes Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science and Technology; Hon. Osmond Martinez, Minister of State in the Ministry of Economic Transformation; Ambassador Stuart Leslie, Cabinet Secretary; Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary; H.E. Nestor Mendez, Ambassador to the United States of America and Permanent Representative of Belize to the Organization of American States; Zita Magaña, Deputy Financial Secretary; Kareem Michael, Governor of the Central Bank of Belize; and Claude Haylock, Director General of the Financial Service Commission (FSC).
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