General Notices

The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) of The UWI, Mona, announces a new issue of the Social and Economic Studies (SES) journal themed “The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Island Developing States”. While all nations and citizens experienced the negative impacts of COVID-19, for small island developing states (SIDS), the effects were much more devastating. SIDS are characterised by their economic, social, and environmental susceptibilities. The pandemic exacerbated global and national inequalities with excruciating consequences for the poorer countries and citizens. This special issue focusses on the impact of COVID-19 on SIDS in the Caribbean region.

Like other SIDS, the Caribbean countries have small economies that have high exposure to external environmental and economic shocks. Already struggling to fulfil the sustainable development goals set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, SIDS found that their progress was halted as they combatted a health crisis that caught them unprepared and under-resourced. The pandemic caused increased economic and social deprivation to the Caribbean people.

While the impact on SIDS had been severe, the pandemic also revealed the resilience of governments and citizens worldwide, and there was much evidence of global solidarity and regional cooperation. The articles in this special issue highlight lessons that we can learn from this devastating experience.

To access the journal online, click here.

To access previous issues of the SES journal published by SALISES, Mona, click here.