“If You’re Not at the Table, You’re on the Menu”: Prime Minister Drew Advocates for Inclusion and Equity in WB Development Talks

Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 23, 2025 (PMO) — Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, is currently in Washington, D.C., where he is participating in the 2025 World Bank Spring Meetings alongside Caribbean Heads of Government, Finance Ministers, and senior officials from the World Bank. 

The Prime Minister is accompanied by Financial Secretary Ms. Hilary Hazel, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Ms. Naeemah Hazelle, and Press Secretary Mr. Javon Liburd.

As part of a packed schedule of high-level engagements, Prime Minister Drew and Financial Secretary Hazel participated in the Caribbean Ministerial Meeting hosted by Ms. Anna Bjerde, Managing Director for Operations at the World Bank. The meeting focused on key areas such as economic vulnerability, regional resilience, and private sector investment.

Exclusively, Prime Minister Drew emphasized the critical importance of St. Kitts and Nevis’ presence at such global forums. “It is important to attend these meetings because decisions made at these meetings impact us, whether we are here or not. And I believe in a saying that says, if you are not at the table, you’re on the menu,” Dr. Drew stated. “Saint Kitts and Nevis has to be at the table so that its presence can be known and its voice heard… If we are not here, there are decisions that are being made that would affect us, and we would not have had an impact on the outcome.”

Dr. Drew also reiterated the call for international institutions to adopt a more nuanced understanding of the realities faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including St. Kitts and Nevis. “We are being judged on our GDP per capita, but I think that is a misrepresentation. Our economy is small. We are very vulnerable.

He continued, “We would ask the World Bank to allow for more inclusion, especially looking at Saint Kitts and Nevis as a vulnerable state, because of our small size, because of climate change and other issues.”

Highlighting the collective power of regional representation and unity, Prime Minister Drew underscored the importance of the Caribbean speaking with one voice. “Uniting our voices… gives us greater opportunity for success for what we seek to achieve at this level. If we continue to work together, we will see more success for each of us on the issues that affect us — climate change, building resilience, creating jobs, investment in the private sector, [and] transformation of our economies.”

The 2025 Spring Meetings come at a pivotal time for Caribbean nations seeking to influence global economic policy, especially as the region continues to grapple with climate vulnerability and post-pandemic economic recovery.

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis remains committed to international engagement and regional solidarity as it advances its Sustainable Island State Agenda.