Caribbean Development Bank has finalized preparations to host its highly anticipated Youth FIRE Forum in June

The Caribbean Development Bank has finalized preparations to host its highly anticipated Youth FIRE Forum on June 1 and 2, 2026, in Nassau, The Bahamas. Convening just ahead of the 56th Annual Meeting of the CDB Board of Governors under the overarching theme of forging the Caribbean’s future through strategic solutions for uncertain times, the forum is designed to tackle how regional youth can build sustainable livelihoods within volatile economic landscapes. 

The event will assemble young leaders, innovators, and development partners to co-create practical solutions regarding climate resilience, artificial intelligence, and social inclusion. 

CDB President Daniel Best emphasized the vital importance of the initiative, stating that Caribbean youth are not merely future leaders but are essential partners in generating immediate developmental solutions. He reaffirmed the bank's commitment to placing youth perspectives, energy, and ideas at the absolute center of regional development policy and programming. 

The two-day forum will kick off with a formal opening ceremony co-hosted by members of the CDB’s Future Leaders Network featuring remarks from President Best, Bahamian Youth and Sports Minister Mario Keith Bowleg & youth representatives from Jamaica and The Bahamas. 

Day one will feature four intensive thematic sessions addressing critical issues such as community prosperity, digital power, climate risk, and youth justice, culminating in a collaborative outcome harvest to draft priority action points. 

The second day will feature a Youth Co-Creation Lab to finalize an official Youth FIRE Outcome Statement for regional governments, alongside an interactive innovation showcase and a high-level intergenerational dialogue led by President Best and regional ministers. 

Concluding with the ceremonial introduction of the second FLN cohort—representing 19 borrowing member countries—the forum aligns directly with the CDB’s 10-year strategic plan for regional resilience. To ensure widespread accessibility, the bank will livestream the major public sessions globally via its official social media & YouTube channels.