Government

The Child Labour Education sessions are designed to advocate for and protect children’s rights and to foster collaboration with the private sector and other organizations in implementing Belize’s National Child Labour Policy and Strategy 2022-2025. The sessions also aim to prohibit the employment of children in certain occupations, regulate the working conditions of children in other occupations, and eradicate the worst forms of child labour in Belize by 2025.

The Ministry of Economic Development (MED), as Belize’s National Designated Authority (NDA) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Climate Finance Unit (CFU), announce that the GCF has approved a grant of BZ$2,974,060 for its Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme Proposal for “Enabling Activities for the Formulation and Implementation of a Multisectoral National Adaptation Plan for Belize.”

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise hosted a high-level delegation from the World Bank on February 20, 2023. The delegation, which included executive directors representing various countries on the board of directors, visited 7 Miles El Progresso and San Antonio villages in the Cayo District to observe first-hand how farmers have benefited from World Bank-funded projects implemented in Belize over the last five years.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management, in partnership with the Secretariat of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, hosted a Caribbean regional meeting under the auspices of the project “Wise use of Caribbean Wetlands for Climate Change Mitigation and Conservation of their Ecosystems,” from February 11-22, 2023.

The E-Governance and Digitization Unit under the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics, and E-Governance held its first "National Data Strategy Stakeholder Workshop." The workshop forms part of the National Data Strategy Project, which is being supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through regional technical cooperation, "Promoting Comprehensive Data Policy Frameworks in Latin America and the Caribbean."

On February 17, 2023, the Resilient Rural Belize (RRB) Programme and the Ministry of Economic Development held an official ceremony to open Nago Bank Road in the Belize District. Present were Mr. Marconi Leal, Jr., on behalf of the Area Representative for Belize Rural North; Dr. Osmond Martinez, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Economic Development; Mr. Servulo Baeza, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise; Mr. Victor Espat, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing; Mr. Valentino Shal, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government; and Mr. Ruben Alexander Pineda, Chairman for the Los Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos de Nago Bank Co-operative Society Limited.

The Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) member countries from Central America and the Dominican Republic held their 36th annual meeting in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, to discuss priorities for the region's sustainable development and explore partnerships. The event, held from February 20th through the 21st, was also the ground of discussions for the development agendas of the area and the support of further contributions and strengthening public and private interventions. The meeting also looked at ways to benefit the most vulnerable populations.

U.S. Ambassador to Belize Michelle Kwan joined Minister of Human Development, Families & Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser, and Human Trafficking Institute (HTI) CEO Victor Boutros offered remarks at the start of Belize’s first Human Trafficking Academy today in Placencia. The Human Trafficking Academy is a weeklong conference hosted by The Human Trafficking Institute (HTI) and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), in partnership with the U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Unit and supported by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Council (ATIP).