BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC—The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) announced Tuesday that Dr. Nigel Clarke, the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will deliver the 2025 edition of the William G. Demas Memorial Lecture.
It said that Clare, a former Jamaica finance minister, will deliver the lecture against economic challenges in the Caribbean and the current state of geopolitical fragmentation.
Dr. Nigel Clarke
“It’s important for policymakers to determine how best to unlock the region’s potential, boost productivity, and foster resilience,” the CDB said, adding that the lecture will be delivered under the theme “The Caribbean Challenge: Fostering Growth and Resilience Amidst Global Uncertainty.”
It will be held on June 10, during the CDB’s 55th annual meeting in Brasília, Brazil.
“We acknowledge the vital role of innovative thinking in tackling the Caribbean’s major challenges,” said CDB president Daniel Best.
“Dr. Clarke’s extensive experience and deep insight into our economic landscape make him uniquely positioned to offer transformative insights on fostering growth and resilience in this time of global uncertainty. This lecture serves as both an inspiration and a call to action for leaders across the region to build a stronger Caribbean collaboratively,” he added.
Before assuming the senior position at the Washington-based financial institution, Dr. Clarke served as Jamaica’s minister of finance and public service from March 2018, serving before as the country’s Ambassador of Economic Affairs from 2016–2018.
“Under his stewardship, Jamaica implemented a multi-layered disaster risk financing model and became the first small country to sponsor a catastrophe bond, with World Bank assistance independently. In 2023, Jamaica completed its first-ever international issue of a local currency-denominated bond. In 2024, the country successfully executed its first-ever securitization transaction in international capital markets,” the CDB said.
The William G. Demas Memorial Lecture is a flagship event at the CDB’s Board of Governors, which meets from June 9 to 12 this year.
The lecture series honors “the thought leadership of CDB’s second President by bringing into focus the issues and initiatives of significance to the economic development of the Bank’s member countries,” the CDB said.
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