Barbados - National Report for Third International Conference

In charting a path to Sustainable Development, the Government of Barbados designs and incorporates policies and programmes that take into account special defining characteristics of a Small Island Developing State that makes this country especially vulnerable to external shocks. These vulnerabilities include:i. Natural disastersii. Small domestic sizeiii. Limited resource baseiv. Narrowness of output and exportsv. Openness to tradevi. Remotenessvii. Dependence on the well being of other global economiesThe country is also faced with an ageing population and a population growth rate of almost zero, is characterised as a Net Food Importing Developing country and is experiencing a loss of competitiveness in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.