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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines formally joined the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) on September 23, 2026, during the UN High-Level Week in New York. Delivering remarks at the Fourth CVF Leaders' Meeting, Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Godwin Friday shared front-line testimony on climate survival and economic equity, extending sincere thanks to those including Barbados Prime Minister H.E. Mia Amor Mottley and OPEC Fund President Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa for their vital support of the initiative.

Addressing world leaders, Prime Minister Friday underscored the severe compound impacts affecting the nation, including catastrophic destruction from Hurricane Beryl and ongoing recovery efforts following the La Soufriere volcanic eruption. He called for an immediate overhaul of the international financial architecture, condemning outmoded middle-income metrics that unfairly disqualify vulnerable island nations from concessional financing and which force reliance on commercial debt to repair damage caused by global emissions.

Prime Minister Friday said Saint Vincent and the Grenadines registered its full endorsement of the V2V Compact. Dr. Friday emphasized that critical investments in water security, education, and resilient healthcare cannot rely on short-term, punitive debt. He stated that financing must offer terms of 40 years or longer, with borrowing rates set below national economic growth rates.

The government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines declared its full support for the governing instruments of the Lifeline Fund, recognizing it as a landmark mechanism to deliver rapid liquidity during climate shocks.

Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Godwin Friday rejected growing global complacency regarding temperature overshoots, reiterating that maintaining global warming within 1.5°C remains a non-negotiable boundary for Small Island Developing States. Pledging to encourage fellow CARICOM leaders to join the coalition, the Prime Minister urged all nations to support the CVF's efforts to replace fiscal depletion with durable prosperity.

SOURCE: The Agency for Public Information (API)