ECCB 2016/2017 Annual Report

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ECCB ANNUAL REPORT 2016/2017

ECCU Growth Dialogue With Social Partners Working Together to Achieve Higher and More Inclusive Growth in the ECCU

A s part of the initiative to forge consensus on a plan of action for addressing growth, competitiveness and employment in the ECCU, the inaugural ECCU Growth Dialogue With Social Partners was convened at the ECCB Headquarters in St Kitts and Nevis on 1 March 2017. The objectives of the Growth Dialogue were to inter alia: •  • Address the economic decline in the ECCU over the last two decades and establish a pathway to the ECCU’s pre-crisis economic performance levels; •  • Encourage active participation from social partners including: governments, representatives of opposition parties, trade and labour unions, civil society organisations, youth, churches, and the private sector, through representative organisations, to

identify key challenges presently faced and identify opportunities which can be prioritised to formulate an ECCU Growth Action Plan; •  • Develop a framework and methodology for implementing the Growth Action Plan for the countries of the ECCU; and •  • Establish a process for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the implementation of the Growth Action Plan. Two plenary panels, comprising (i) social partners and (ii) development partners, examined the theme from different perspectives. Following the presentations, the participants worked in nine break-out groups to discuss the constraints and possible opportunities relating to inclusive growth in the ECCU. They then identified the key components of the Action Plan for implementation across the sub-region.