āThis meeting was timely and useful. We heard Director General Lamyās perspectives on the current status of the negotiations, the obstacles that impede real progress and the way forward in the negotiations. The Caribbean used the opportunity to reiterate our priorities and articulate our key issues in the Doha Development Round of negotiationsā.
World Trade Organisation
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā The month of February will be a time of serious deliberation for the Region as Ministers will convene to engage a number of salient issues related to external trade at the 20th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on February 2-3, 2007 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The tone of the meeting will be set by discussions on refining strategies that capitalize on the collective strengths of the Region to mitigate development challenges.
WASHINGTON, DC ā Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-US trade relations received a boost today, as a result of a decision by the two sides to revitalize a long-dormant Trade and Investment Council (TIC). This decision was reached at a meeting of CARICOM Trade Ministers with United States Trade Representative Rob Portman in Washington, D.C. this afternoon.Ā One of eight CARICOM Ministers at the meeting, Hon.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Trade Ministers are to meet with United States Trade Representative Rob Portman in Washington, D.C., April 12. In addition to Member State delegations, the CARICOM Secretary-General H.E. Edwin Carrington and the Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal will also participate in the meeting.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā The Sixth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial got underway today, amidst mounting concern over the prospects for a successful outcome for the six-day meeting in Hong Kong.Ā At issue is the impasse over concessions in Agriculture, the principle stumbling block for progress in negotiations to date.
The Word Trade Organizationās (WTO) biennial Ministerial Conference gets underway this week in Hong Kong. With the six-day Sixth WTO Ministerial poised to start tomorrow, there have been a series of setbacks in global trade talks, that in large measure have been brought on by an unwillingness on the part of certain countries to yield concessions in respect of liberalizing agricultural markets, resulting in a scaling back of the agenda for the Ministerial.
Ahead of the Ministerial, the Caribbean has been expressing concern at how ādevelopment issuesā are finding expression in on-going talks.
AMENDMENT OF TRIPS AGREEMENT WELCOMED BY CARIBBEAN
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā āThe Caribbean welcomes the recent consensus agreement by WTO Members to amend the TRIPS Agreement and allow Members with insufficient or no pharmaceutical product manufacturing capacity the facility allowed other Members to address their public health needs through compulsory licensing of patented inventions.ā This was the reaction of Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr.
SAVARIN: WTO FALLING OUT OF FAVOR WITH THE CARIBBEAN
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā With the Sixth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference just a week away, Dominicaās Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Labour Hon. Charles Savarin has written an op ed (see below), that highlights on-going concerns that the Caribbean has with global trade talks.