From May 19 to 22, 2026, the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) National Designated Entities (NDE) Forum and Capacity Building for System Transformation Programme convened in San Ignacio, Belize, bringing together climate stakeholders from across the region to advance collaborative climate resilience work. Hosted by the Government of Belize and organized by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), the event gathered a diverse cohort of participants including government delegates, climate technology specialists, development partners, financial bodies and regional intergovernmental organizations, all aligned to strengthen cross-border cooperation and speed up the rollout of climate resilience initiatives across LAC.
Antigua and Barbuda sent its representation to the forum through Garth Simon, a delegation member from the country’s Department of Environment, who attended in his capacity as the representative of Antigua and Barbuda’s NDE under the CTCN mechanism. This participation marks another step forward in the Caribbean nation’s ongoing commitment to engaging with global and regional climate action frameworks.
This year’s forum centered its discussions on two core priorities: scalable climate technology solutions and system-wide strategic approaches to national climate action, all designed to support countries in meeting their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) outlined in the Paris Agreement. Attendees explored a wide range of cutting-edge and nature-centered solutions, from digital innovations such as artificial intelligence-powered climate forecasting, drone-based environmental monitoring, integrated climate data infrastructure, and broader digital transformation for climate governance, to nature-based strategies that include large-scale mangrove restoration and comprehensive ecosystem protection.
A key pillar of the event was a series of structured capacity-building workshops focused on the interconnected water-energy-food nexus, a critical issue for small island developing states and low-lying coastal nations across the LAC region. These sessions equipped participant delegates with tools and frameworks to embed climate resilience more effectively into national development planning and long-term policy strategies, addressing the overlapping vulnerabilities that climate change creates for essential resource systems.
For Antigua and Barbuda, participation in this forum builds on the Department of Environment’s sustained efforts to deepen the country’s engagement in regional and international climate initiatives. The department has prioritized progress in four key areas: climate resilience building, environmental data system development, climate technology deployment, and cross-cutting sustainable development. Engagement in events like the CTCN NDE Forum directly supports national priorities, helping to strengthen institutional capacity, refine climate adaptation planning processes, and speed up the adoption of innovative climate solutions across Antigua and Barbuda’s islands.
The 2026 forum comes at a defining moment for climate action across the LAC region. As nations across Latin America and the Caribbean face intensifying climate impacts, from more frequent extreme weather events to slow-onset changes such as sea level rise and coastal erosion, the event underscores the growing recognition that strengthened regional cooperation and open knowledge sharing are essential to accelerate the deployment of accessible, effective climate technologies for all nations.