By Belize Live News Staff: From August 18 to 21, 2025, forty-four participants from 14 Caribbean countries, including Belize, took part in a regional workshop on population estimates and projections held in Belize City.
The four-day event was organized by the United Nations Population Fund Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean (UNFPA SROC) and the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Center (ECLAC-CELADE). It aimed to strengthen the capacity of national statistical offices across the region to produce accurate and policy-relevant population data.
The workshop is part of the Enabling Belize’s Statistical System (EBSS) project, implemented from 2024 to 2027 with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), the project’s main beneficiary, is working to modernize and strengthen national statistical systems to guide effective planning and policy.
Keynote speaker Carlos Pol, CEO in the Ministry of Economic Transformation, highlighted the importance of accurate data for national planning. UNFPA’s Tisa Grant and ECLAC’s Simone Cecchini underscored the value of building local capacity and ensuring demographic statistics inform decision-making.
Participants were trained in demographic modeling techniques, including fertility, mortality, and migration projections. The event also encouraged regional collaboration, peer exchange, and best practices in strengthening population data across the Caribbean
