From Belize to the Maldives: The Caribbean’s Voice Heard at UN-SIDS Forum

CAIPA is proud to highlight the participation of Mr. Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director of BELTRAIDE (Belize Trade and Investment Development Service) and member of the CAIPA Board, who represented the Caribbean's voice at the SIDS Global Business Network Forum, held on the margins of the UN-SIDS event in the Maldives.

Speaking during the session "From Showcase to Closure: Financing and Follow-Through," Mr. Quiroz offered a distinctly Caribbean-Central American perspective on the question of scale as a factor in investor decision-making. As he noted, Belize is a Small Island Developing State with a geography unlike many of its SIDS peers, sitting on the Central American mainland while remaining a full CARICOM member, with deep Caribbean economic and institutional ties. He highlighted that this positioning is central to Belize's investment proposition: with Mexico's population exceeding 131 million and Guatemala's at approximately 19 million immediately next door, Belize can serve as a strategic bridge between the Caribbean and much larger continental markets.

The core message he delivered resonated well beyond Belize: SIDS must move past the mentality that being small means being limited. “In reality, our islands and territories are innovators and problem-solvers, and there is significant opportunity for those willing to deliberately pursue regional integration, market access, and competitive advantage by looking beyond their borders and thinking big,” notes Quiroz.

This intervention reaffirmed an important truth for the region: despite our size, Caribbean SIDS continue to attract significant FDI, and there remains substantial room for investors to participate in that growth story, whether in Belize specifically or across the wider Caribbean. According to UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2025, the Caribbean recorded a 21% increase in FDI inflows in 2024, reaching $3.9 billion, even as the broader Latin America and Caribbean region saw investment decline overall. This underscores the resilience and continued attractiveness of Caribbean SIDS as investment destinations.

The Forum also marked the launch of the Island Investment Forum (IIF), a new initiative under the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) to facilitate investment in small island states. For CARICOM and CAIPA members, this offers a valuable new channel to connect Caribbean opportunities with the global SIDS investor community.

Investors interested in exploring opportunities in Belize or the broader Caribbean are welcome to reach out to CAIPA, and we would be pleased to facilitate the appropriate connections with our 24 member countries in the region. Contact CAIPA