In the first edition of the 2021 Caribbean Economic Forum series, former Governor of the Bank of Jamaica Brian Wynter; Moisés J. Schwartz, Manager of the Institutions for Development Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); and Diether W. Beuermann, Lead Economist in the Caribbean Country Department of the IDB discuss how having robust institutions can help countries in the region recover more quickly from external shocks, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.