Good morning ladies and gentlemen .
All protocols observed. It is my pleasure to share some thoughts with you all this morning at the opening of this Special First Meeting of Directors of Gender Bureaux.
The Bank is particularly encouraged to see the decisive steps being taken by the CARICOM Secretariat towards a Plan of Action on Gender Equality aligned with the transformative agenda for the region, agreed by the CARICOM Heads of Government.

2015 is a very important year it marks significant milestones in the global development agenda ,including the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the
adoption of a new sustainable development agenda to replace the existing Millennium Develop ment Goals

There is already consensus that Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment will be even more crucial to achieving this new agenda, as they were for making progress on the Millennium Development Goals.