( gef ) and the climate investment funds ( cif ). here again, science and technology can help to leverage economic opportunities in the green economy. some areas are as follows : • devising engineering solutions such as sea defenses, hurricane resistant buildings and the provision of water storage ; • developing technological solutions such as using more resilient crops to protect critical biodiversity conservation ; • creating new incentive mechanisms such as payment for ecosystem services ; and • facilitating the transition to a low - carbon economy. the third frontier of growth opportunity relates to the “ silver economy. ” population ageing is a global phenomenon, which is having major implications on all aspects of human life in every society. this process is enduring and irreversible. in the caribbean, people are also living longer than ever before but not healthier. at the start of the 21st century, the elderly in the caribbean – persons 60 years or older – represented at least one - tenth of the population, larger than ever before in the history of the region. world bank research warns, however, that non - communicable diseases ( ncds ) are rising rapidly as the caribbean population ages. today, the four leading causes of death in the caribbean are all ncds – heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. in the caribbean, five times as many people are dying from ncds as from all other illnesses combined. in fact, these findings have spawned the creation of a rather interesting world bank blog entitled “ is bis central bankers ’ speeches fried chicken setting back development in the caribbean? ” alluding to the fact that unhealthy eating habits are a major risk factor for ncds. the expansion of ncds is increasing the economic burden on families and on already strained public health systems in the caribbean. in jamaica, for instance, an average individual suffering from ncds spends approximately one third of household income on healthcare services and medicine purchases. in the eastern caribbean, the annual cost for treating a diabetic is more than annual per capita spending for health care in the six countries of the eastern caribbean. again, there is a unique opportunity for scientists and economic policymakers to take advantage of the growth opportunities that arise from reducing the future burden of ncds, promoting healthy aging, and increasing the potential benefit from the demographic transition in the caribbean. and they must do it while ensuring that out - of - pocket health expenses do not inflict severe financial hardship on families, and while narrowing the gap in access to health services

fadilj bajrami : ecb regional cooperation programme with central banks in the western balkans address by mr fadilj bajrami, vice governor of the national bank of the republic of macedonia, on the occasion of the third programme steering committee meeting of the ecb regional cooperation programme with central banks in the western balkans, pristina, 27 march 2015. * * * dear governor hamza, dear deputy governor gjoni, dear mr. fehlker, dear mr. chlad, representatives from central banks, ladies and gentlemen, i am glad to be here, in pristina, with you today, on the occasion of the third and final meeting of the steering committee, to officially mark the successful completion of the joint cooperation programme between the ecb and the national central banks of the eurosystem, on the one hand, and the central banks of the western balkans, on the other. the inclusion of the three central banks in this programme, which aims to strengthen their institutional capacity and align their operations with the central banking standards of the eu, is of enormous importance for the region, given the role of central banks in the eu accession process. namely, this regional approach of the ecb allows raising the level of compliance with the eu standards and policies, but also creates an opportunity to advance the cooperation between the central banks in the region and the central banks of the eu. therefore, i believe that the cooperation will continue in the same spirit and will further advance through other forms of cooperation in various central banking areas. concerning the nbrm, it is my pleasure to emphasize that with the ecb colleagues, we have jointly established the current progress of implementation of the recommendations from the needs assessment of the nbrm, and defined the follow - up steps. on this occasion, let me point out that the nbrm will remain committed to the implementation of the recommendations provided in the report, bearing in mind that many of them have already been incorporated in the nbrm strategic plan. hence, the further support of the ecb and the eurosystem in terms of experience and knowledge is of immense importance, as well as the assistance of our strategic partners, with whom we hope to continue working together on the implementation of the recommendations. eventually, allow me to express my gratitude to the ecb and other central banks of the eurosystem involved in the programme, as well as the hosts, hoping to have future opportunities to meet at similar