Just this week in Washington, there was a two-day Conference between Parliamentarians from the English-speaking Caribbean and officials of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

It’s the first time such a group from this region met with all three institutions at the same time.

The working sessions focused on the crucial role that Members of Parliament play in fiscal transparency, budgetary preparation, execution and oversight, effective use of public goods and accountability.

The meeting underscored the need to further enhance and deepen consultation and collaboration between the international institutions and the Caribbean Parliaments.

Several Parliamentary participants emphasized the need for more transparent policies on disclosure of information and to ensure that the views and concerns of opposition parties are taken into account when preparing country assessments.