In the wake of pervasive global challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Caribbean stands at a critical point in its economic development. Development and Diplomacy: Resetting Caribbean Policy Analysis in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic is an illuminating exploration of the region’s need to recalibrate and reshape its developmental policy strategy.

Under the stewardship of Winston Dookeran and Dr M. Raymond Izarali, the volume embarks on a comprehensive examination of the frontiers in economic policy analysis: convergence, complexity, competitiveness, and the circular economy. These frontiers, often discussed in isolation, collectively establish the theoretical framework for the World Economic Forum’s “The Great Reset Initiative”, aimed at rebuilding a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive world following the pandemic.

Thought-provoking chapters – written by scholars and practitioners both within and beyond the region – span issues such as the challenges facing small island states, the adequacy of orthodox growth models, regional advances in policy structures, liberalism, investment and capital flows, and health diplomacy to name a few and encapsulate a multidisciplinary approach. This approach expertly weaves together the disciplines of economics, politics, and diplomacy to forge not only a holistic understanding of Caribbean policy dynamics but also forge a clear path to translating research findings into actionable policy insights, which could propel the Caribbean towards a future of renewed prosperity and shared success.

Development and Diplomacy is a sequel to previous publications, such as Winston Dookeran’s Power, Politics and Performance: A Partnership Approach for Development (2012); Crisis and Promise in the Caribbean: Politics and Convergence (2015); The Caribbean on the Edge: The Political Stress of Stability, Equality, and Diplomacy (2022) and Dookeran and Carlos Elias’s Shifting the Frontiers: An Action Framework for the Future of the Caribbean (2016). This volume is poised to empower professors and students in the field of development studies, policy leaders and practitioners within agencies, and the voices of citizens and advocates shaping public discourse.