STATEMENT BY HER EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR GAIL MATHURIN, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, OFFICE OF TRADE NEGOTIATIONS (otn), ON THE OCCASION OF THE SIGNING OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF BARBADOS AND THE CARIBBEAN REGIONAL NEGOTIATING MACHINERY FOR THE CARICOM TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAMME, 7 october 2009, bridgetown, barbados

Chairman (Mr. Leonard Robertson)
Minister Counsellor (Development) of the High Commission of Canada in Barbados Mr. Douglas Williams
Secretary-General of CARICOM, His Excellency Edwin Carrington
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Barbados, Mr. William Layne.

It gives me great pleasure this morning to witness the signing of this amendment of the Contribution Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Barbados and the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery for the CARICOM Trade and Competitiveness Programme.

I would like to acknowledge the support which the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has provided steadfastly over the years to the OTN’s predecessor, the CRNM. That support has been essential in enabling the region to develop its capacities to meaningfully engage in the international trade negotiation arenas. My predecessors would have greatly appreciated the consistency and flexibility of the support offered by this sterling partner in development.

The Contribution Agreement itself has been one of the valuable elements of Canada’s support to the Region’s negotiating capacity and the amendment is intended to bring this element in line with the new dispensation covering the OTN.

As the new Director General of OTN, I offer my personal commitment to building and sustaining this fruitful partnership. The financial support provided under this Agreement will continue to be used to build and effectively utilize the technical capacities and trade negotiation skills within the region, and to improve OTN’s efficiency and effectiveness in the preparation for and undertaking of trade negotiations, especially with regard to strengthening our systems to facilitate critical stakeholder participation in the negotiation process.

Fulfilling the mandate set by the CARICOM Heads of Government will require sustained teamwork and cooperation. In this regard, I look forward to working alongside the staff of OTN, the wider CARICOM Secretariat and all our allies in the donor community to help the region to attain its development goals.