Excerpt and Photo from caribbean.loopnews.com

Low fertility rates, ageing, non-communicable diseases, limited opportunities for youth, and outmigration have emerged as some of the latest demographic trends for the Caribbean region.

These and other issues of importance to Caribbean populations were at the forefront of a global policy dialogue among a panel of experts which took place at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) in Antigua & Barbuda.

Hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) the discussion centered on the findings of the UN DESA report, “Population Prospects of Countries in Special Situations” and featured the voices of John Wilmoth, Director, Population Division, UN DESA, Jenny Karlsen, Deputy Director, Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ashley Lashley, Executive Director, The Ashley Lashley Foundation, Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mayor Bernard Wagner of Belize City, and moderator, Caribbean journalist, Daphne Ewing-Chow.

The UN-DESA report provides an analysis of current and projected population trends from the current period to 2050 for 110 vulnerable countries or territories— among these— Small Island Developing States.