CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā A Caribbean delegation of trade experts led by the Honourable Minister of Trade in the Republic of Guyana, Clement Rohee, has left the region for Geneva this week to participate in what is shaping up to look like one of the most crucial turning points to date in the WTO talks.
Subsequent to the release on July 16 of a WTO draft framework agreement setting out the terms for the Doha round, critical issues still remain unresolved as Members have failed to substantially narrow the differences in positions on a number of these issues.
World Trade Organisation
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA ā A meeting of G90 Ministers and Ministerial representatives got underway today in Georgetown, Guyana. The two-day meeting is expected to contribute to efforts to revive and give impetus to stalled World Trade Organization (WTO) talks. The objectives of this meeting are to_ 1) examine the current status of Doha Round negotiations; 2) explore possible elements of a July framework package; and, 3) decide on the steps that the G90 would have to take between now and the end of July. Hon.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā At a recently concluded āmini-ministerialā, convened in Paris, Hon. Clement Rohee, CARICOM Ministerial Spokesperson for World Trade Organization (WTO) issues and Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation- Guyana, underscored that development has to be at the core of the WTOās Doha Round. Minister Rohee also highlighted the significance to CARICOM of Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT). He stressed the importance of recognizing the vulnerabilities of Small Developing Economies.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā CARICOM welcomes elements of a joint letter on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Development Agenda (DDA), issued by European Commissioners for Trade and Agriculture, Pascal Lamy and Franz Fischler, respectively. This according to the Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal. Ambassador Bernal was speaking to members of the international press, in London, May 11, where he is attending the Fourth Meeting of the UK-Caribbean Forum.
ST. JOHNāS, ANTIGUA ā The Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, met with Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Hon. Baldwin Spencer in St. Johnās, Antigua, April 6. At that meeting, Ambassador Bernal pledged the RNMās full support to the new government. āThe RNM is at the service of Antigua & Barbudaā, he said.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā The Sixteenth Meeting of the Caricom Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) was held in Belize City, Belize, during the first week of March.
Several key decisions were made regarding external trade matters, including on issues related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), respectively.
Concerning Africa Caribbean Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, COTED affirmed that a regional EPA must make a meaningful contribution to development.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā A World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council meeting was convened, February 11. There was consensus in the General Council on chairpersons for various WTO bodies.
Barbadosā representative to the WTO, H.E. Ambassador Trevor Clarke, is set to take up the chairmanship of the Committee on Trade and Development. A considerable amount of the WTOās work on trade and development issues takes place in this Committee.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS ā The G-20 ā which was formed ahead of and rose to prominence at the ill-fated Fifth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, this past September - met in Brasilia, Brazil, December 11 to 12. The meeting was convened ahead of a high-level WTO General Council meeting, set for December 15. The meeting took place at Ministerial level. It was intended as an interchange and coordinative session focused on how to advance multilateral agricultural negotiations and, allied to this, attaining progress in the stalled Doha Round.
Caribbean Trade Ministers will meet with the Mexican Foreign Minister and the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, (WTO), Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi in Georgetown, Guyana on Friday 28 November, 2003. H.E Ernesto Derbez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico was the Chairman of the Fifth Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference, which was held in Cancun in early September.
The meeting is scheduled to take place from 3.00 p.m. at the Conference Room of the headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Bank of Guyana Building.
The Fifth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference came to an end in CancĆŗn, Mexico, September 14. However, the āendgameā was not the result WTO members had hoped for.
The CancĆŗn summit closed with no consensus on key items on its agenda. Members failed to bridge their differences. Divisions amongst members proved too deep.