By Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron
Back in 2015, I was the first British Prime Minister to pay a bilateral visit to the Caribbean for many years. It should not have taken so long, given the rich and varied links between us. People of Caribbean heritage and the culture of the Caribbean enrich our national life. Every year, over a million Brits flock to the Caribbean to visit family or enjoy your incredible natural beauty.
In 2023, our annual trade was £5.1 billion – around five times as much as when I visited as Prime Minister. And our Caribbean Overseas Territories are vital members of the British family. These ties speak to our friendship. But friendships will only thrive if you continue to invest in them. That is why, in 2015, I announced a major new package of British investment in the region.
This investment included a landmark £350 million UK-Caribbean Infrastructure Fund across the region. Such a fund was vital given the enormous challenges facing states in the Caribbean. Speaking to all Caribbean leaders in New York before that 2015 visit, I heard just how critical climate change was to them. And then I saw for myself, in Jamaica and Grenada, how vulnerable communities already
were to rising temperatures and sea levels.
This challenge is particularly felt by Small Island Developing States (SIDS). I do not believe we can fully grasp the problem of climate change unless we view it from their perspective. Collectively, SIDS have contributed significantly less than one per cent of global cumulative CO2 emissions. But they are hit harder than others by the effects, having to adapt to a world of rising sea
levels, stronger hurricanes, and higher temperatures. And, crucially, SIDS find that much of the support on offer from the international community is difficult to access.
All too often the numbers and funds in a politician’s press release or on a development bank’s spreadsheet do not seem to translate into projects on the ground. I wanted the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund to be different. And, since having returned to
government, I am pleased to discover it has been different – and is making a difference.
Crucially, this Fund did not consist of loans or tied aid. It was an offer of cash grants. Money for those in the region to spend on the things they needed most. Roads and bridges upgraded from Belize to Guyana. Ports in Montserrat and St Vincent and the Grenadines modernised. Water and sanitation services in Dominica and Grenada improved. Better irrigation systems for farming in Jamaica.
This week, states from the Caribbean and beyond gather in Antigua for the fourth Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Conference. I regret that given the recent news of a general election in the UK I cannot join you in person. But as I announced to the High Commissioners and Ambassadors from the Caribbean earlier this month, I am delighted to confirm that we are moving to the next stage of our landmark UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, and further details will be shared at next week’s Conference.
We are investing up to £200 million in further resilient infrastructure in the Caribbean. As I said to Caribbean High Commissioners and Ambassadors, I want to continue to make a difference on the ground. And we are making changes to enhance our impact even further – using a new mechanism to leverage private finance and loans from development banks and the Green Climate Fund. Working
together, I am sure that we can translate this additional funding into greater prosperity for your
communities.
For many years, states of the Caribbean have been speaking up, persistently and powerfully, about some simple truths. The threat of climate change. The unfairness of the international financial system. The realities of your unique circumstances. As a friend, Britain has sought to listen. I announced the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund in 2015 to demonstrate my commitment to our long-standing friendship. By continuing to invest in your infrastructure, Britain is continuing to invest in a thriving friendship with you.
