In an interview with veteran CNN International journalist, Christiane Amanpour, on the impact of COVID-19 in Barbados, that country’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, made the case for a vulnerability index to be used, inter alia, to determine countries’ eligibility for aid. The interview took place yesterday April 29, 2020.

Prime Minister Mottley noted that “when we had 9/11, we had other issues that were imposed on us on a one- size-fits-all prescription. Now we have this pandemic. We need global leadership similar to what we had post-World War II to become — to be able to recognize that we need a plan that protects not just the strongest among us, but also the most vulnerable.”

On the vulnerability index, Prime Minister Mottley stated that “the Commonwealth Secretariat has, in fact, settled on a framework since 30 years ago, 1989, 31 years ago. We believe it needs to be revisited.”

This is welcomed news for the SRC which is currently working on creating its own SRC Trade Vulnerability Index. Our working research paper may be accessed here.

Watch the Prime Minister’s full interview here: