Caribbean Ministers Gird for WTO Hong Kong

Caribbean Trade Ministers meeting in Barbados last week, in preparation for the Sixth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, which will take place in Hong Kong December 13 to 18, stressed that unless development issues are given prominence in the negotiating agenda, the Ministerial is not likely to end in agreement.

The development dimension of the Doha Round is vitally important for the Caribbean, but continues to be neglected in the negotiating agenda. Success for the Doha Round must be gauged by how effectively the interests of the most vulnerable WTO Members, as measured against poverty and small size, are addressed.

Whether or not the Caribbean joins in any consensus at Hong Kong will hinge on whether the legitimate interests of these small, vulnerable economies are adequately reflected in the negotiating agenda. The Region is firmly of the view that it must not be worse off at the end of the Round than when it commenced.

The Ministers expressed regret that so close to the Ministerial Conference, the European Union has not been able to adopt a tariff for imports of Bananas from Latin American countries, and expressed deep concern with the decision of Honduras to place Bananas on the agenda of the Hong Kong Ministerial.

Ministers reiterated concerns, shared with other Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Sugar Protocol countries, that the current proposals by the European Commission for reform of the Sugar Regime, if adopted in their present form, would have devastating consequences for vulnerable economies and lead to severe social and economic dislocation and an increase in poverty.

Ministers emphasized that they would be paying close attention to the outcome of the deliberations of the EU Agriculture Council, and stressed that any decision on reform of the Sugar Regime that did not adequately take into account the legitimate interests of Caribbean sugar producing countries could also influence their disposition towards the several issues to be addressed.