CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The CARICOM Region is grappling, for the first time, with the complex but highly significant issue of government procurement in the context of external trade negotiations. In order to guide the Region in this undertaking, the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) recently convened the first meeting of the Technical Working Group on Government Procurement (TWG-GP) in Kingston, Jamaica, March 17 to 18, 2003. The RNM Director General, Ambassador Dr.
Trade
CARICOM Ministers at the Fourteenth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) which met in Georgetown, Guyana on 31 January - 1 February 2003 expressed deep concern regarding the challenge to the European Union (EU) sugar regime launched by Brazil/Australia at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in September 2002. This challenge, if successful, would be disastrous for CARICOM Countries whose economies depend vitally on their sugar industries. Ministers considered this challenge as the most serious threat to CARICOM’s most important agricultural crop.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS - The Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Ambassador the Honorable Dr. Richard Bernal, O.J., was the principle speaker at a town hall meeting, at the Nassau Beach Hotel, in the Bahamas on Monday the 20th of January. The meeting provided an opportunity for the Bahamian public to be sensitized about The Bahamas’ involvement in trade agreements.
Ambassador Lortie
Distinguished officials of the Government of Canada
Distinguished delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
First of all, Ambassador Lortie, let me express my appreciation and that of my delegation to you for your kind opening remarks and to the Government of Canada for the warm welcome and kind hospitality extended to my delegation since our arrival. In spite of these snowstorm conditions, the warm spirit of Canada which characterizes the special relationship which our Region has long enjoyed with your country has been very much in evidence.
As Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, I would like to thank the Ministry of External Affairs and International Trade and Civil Aviation for affording me the privilege of presenting this address on the occasion of the re-launch of your Council on Economic External Trade, on the eve of the historic Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, on the Revival of the Regional Economy. I could not but notice the spirit of determination inherent in this national effort and heartily congratulate those involved.
Decisions leading to the continued implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) are expected to be made when Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Officials and Ministers of Government responsible for Economic Development meet in Guyana 22-28 May, 2002. The Officials will meet on 22-25 May 2002, while the Ministers will meet on 27-28 May 2002.
Having already established a Single Market for intra-regional trade in goods, the Caribbean Community has taken a significant step towards the creation of a Single market for Services, Capital and the Establishment of Businesses by CARICOM Nationals.
Officials and Ministers of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), one of the chief organs of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), meet in Guyana on 23-25 January, to deliberate on a host of trade related and economic issues affecting the regional integration movement.
The COTED Officials will first meet on 23-24 January at the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel to set the agenda for the Ministerial session on 25 January.
There is an upsurge in cross-border investment within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with potential conglomerate forms of business organisations emerging in the Region. The enterprising intra-CARICOM investors are mainly from the light manufacturing, distribution and financial services sectors.
As someone associated with the development of the Single Market and Economy, I most excitedly welcome the publication of the Caribbean Trade and Investment Report 2000. Empirical research has to be the foundation of meaningful policy-making, especially in our rapidly changing regional, hemispheric and global environment, and it is in that regard that this publication will contribute immensely to informing our deliberations on the deepening of the integration process.