CARIBBEAN DESIGNS ROAD MAP TO CANCUN

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – A meeting to prepare CARIFORUM member states for the Fifth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, September 10 to 14, in Cancun, Mexico, came to a close today. The meeting, entitled: Caribbean Region Pre- Cancun Meeting, was held June 16 to 19; organized by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Netherlands-based ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Co-operation (CTA). Senior officials and technical experts, with responsibility for trade, and specialists from regional and international organizations took part in the four-day meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The meeting was mandated with refining and deepening the region’s thinking on the Doha Round and preparations for the Cancun Ministerial. Special attention was devoted to agriculture, small island developing states (SIDS) and special and differential treatment (S&DT). Other issues on the agenda included: non-agricultural market access, services, trade-related aspects of intellectual property (TRIPS) and Public Health, Geographical Indications, small economies, the so-called Singapore Issues (investment, competition policy, trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement), rules and dispute settlement, trade and debt finance, trade and transfer of technology, and, trade and environment. The Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, highlighted at the final session of the meeting that the outcomes document that will emerge from deliberations this week will inform the region’s position and priorities on issues under consideration in the Doha Round prior to and at the Cancun Ministerial. Head of the Cuban Delegation to the meeting, Ernesto Marziota, described this week’s deliberations as “an extremely useful and important exercise for the CARIFORUM Group to exchange views and perspectives prior to the Cancun Ministerial”. He added, “the preparatory meeting has afforded the region the opportunity to engage in consultations on a common vision for issues to be raised and positions to be taken at Cancun”. The document is set to go through a comprehensive consultative process. It will be shared with Ministers scheduled to meet on the occasion of the Twenty-Fourth meeting of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Montego Bay, July 2 to 5. Endorsement, of the document, will be sought from Ministers. It will also be tabled before the Heads on the occasion of their meeting to receive approval from them. Countries participating in the meeting included: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica (Commonwealth of), Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago. For More Information Contact: Nand C. Bardouille Tel: (246) 430-1678 email: nand.bardouille@crnm.org