KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – In 1980, Adolf Ratzka, a German disability rights activist, grew frustrated with how decisions about disabled people’s lives were made without their input.
It is said that this was when he coined the phrase “Nothing About Us Without Us,” which went on to fuel a global disability rights movement and played a key role in the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This document reshaped how governments, institutions, and societies approach disability, shifting the narrative from charity and medical care to one of human rights, inclusion, and equal participation.
Fast-forward 40 years, and advocacy remains as relevant as ever. Today, however, the focus has shifted to another pressing challenge: building resilience and ensuring the long-term sustainability of vulnerable communities.
Just as disability rights advocates once fought for inclusion and equality, today’s leaders are championing efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness, secure vital resources, and enhance the ability of small island nations to withstand external shocks.
In the Caribbean, these efforts are exemplified by leaders like Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, among others.
Facing increasing risks posed by hurricanes, coastal erosion, and other natural hazards, these leaders have consistently called for more substantial support to bolster resilience and protect their nations’ future.
Mottley, in particular, has been a vocal proponent of improving financial mechanisms that allow vulnerable nations to respond effectively to disasters and secure sustainable development.
Their persistent advocacy called on international organizations, including the World Bank, to rethink their support mechanisms.
In response to this call, we expanded our support and services, developing our Crisis Preparedness and Response Toolkit in 2024. This comprehensive suite of tools aims to help countries, especially vulnerable ones like those in the Caribbean, better respond to crises and prepare for future shocks.
The new toolkit is designed to empower countries to act swiftly and effectively in times of crisis. It allows nations to redirect financing where it’s most urgently needed quickly and offers the opportunity to build enhanced catastrophe insurance without incurring additional debt. An essential toolkit element is the Rapid Response Option, which enables countries to promptly repurpose a portion of unused World Bank financing across their portfolio to meet immediate emergency needs.
We also offer a Climate Resilient Debt Clause, which allows countries to pause payments for up to two years after a natural disaster, providing crucial breathing room when needed most.
In developing these tools, we have ensured flexibility to address the diverse needs of vulnerable countries. Initially, the Climate Resilient Debt Clause covered only two types of natural disasters: tropical cyclones and earthquakes.
After receiving feedback from Caribbean countries that experience severe flooding but are not typically affected by storms, we expanded the scope of the debt clause. It now includes all-natural disasters like droughts and floods and health emergencies like pandemics.
We have added two Caribbean countries, Belize and Suriname, to the International Development Association via the Small States Exemption. The World Bank’s International Development Association typically focuses on low-income countries. Still, the Small States Exemption recognizes that small nations face unique challenges, including high vulnerability to natural disasters, limited economies of scale, and external shocks, even when their income levels exceed the usual eligibility thresholds.
For Belize and Suriname, this means both countries will have access to concessional financing, special support for addressing disaster resilience, and greater flexibility in financing terms. This, too, has been a result of advocacy by the leaders of these nations.
As the World Bank continues evolving to meet the changing world’s demands, advocacy remains our compass, challenging us to listen more deeply and serve more effectively. The objective measure of development is not in policies or programs alone but in the lives transformed, the inequalities bridged, and the resilience built for future generations.
The journey ahead may not be easy, but with advocates inside and outside our organization, we are reminded of what’s possible: a world where no crisis is met with silence, and no community is left to face it alone.
*Lilia Burunciuc is the World Bank Director for the Caribbean.
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