In a compelling address at the Credit Union Summit held on September 24, 2025, at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, Timothy Antoine, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), urged credit unions across the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to bolster their resilience in the face of a rapidly evolving global financial landscape. Antoine described the credit union movement as a ‘force for good’ in the region, emphasizing its pivotal role in fostering financial and economic empowerment. He highlighted the current global economic challenges, including geopolitical tensions, trade wars, and the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence (AI), and called for proactive adaptation to harness the potential of these technologies while mitigating their risks. Antoine encouraged credit unions to ‘light candles in the darkest places,’ drawing on historical and faith-based resilience to continue empowering communities. Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, speaking virtually from New York, echoed these sentiments, underscoring the critical role of credit unions in supporting ordinary citizens across the Caribbean, particularly where traditional financial institutions have failed. Dr. Drew noted the region’s ‘polycrisis,’ encompassing climate change, post-pandemic recovery, inflation, and geopolitical instability, and urged credit unions to rise to these challenges as they have in the past. The summit, themed ‘One Vision, One Future: OECS Credit Unions Growing Together,’ aims to foster collaboration and growth among credit unions in the region.
ECCB Governor urges Credit Unions to Strengthen Resilience Amid Global Challenges
