WTO WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS CONNECTION BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND TRADE POLICIES IN THE CARIBBEAN

The World Trade Organization (WTO) in collaboration with the Ministry of International Trade in St. Kitts is hosting a three-day workshop on Trade and Environment for the Caribbean Region under the theme “Making Trade Work for Environment, Prosperity and Resilience” to discuss the connection between environment and trade policies for Caribbean countries.at the Ocean Terrace Inn from January 14 – 16.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Trade, Jasmine Weekes, said that the workshop aims to assist participants in enhancing their understanding of relevant issues considering the intersection between trade and environment, and designing trade and environmental policies that are mutually supportive.

“It is hoped that you as participants would attain a better understanding of how trade can be used as a tool to support effective environmental action such as climate change, mitigation and adaptation,” she said. “A tertiary look at the programme today suggests to me that you have a very intense agenda and so there is little doubt that at the end of this three-day workshop you will all walk away even more enlightened and the objectives of this very important workshop would have been realized.”

She thanked the WTO for bringing the initiative to St. Kitts and said that she looks forward to more capacity building initiatives in the future.

“I wish to express how delighted we are to host this workshop and to register our gratitude to the WTO secretariat for this initiative. Indeed, it is a great way to start the year with these important capacity building programmes aimed at increasing the knowledge base and skillset of our small island member states with limited human and financial capacities,” she said.

Workshop facilitator, Daniel Ramos, expressed that he was excited to be in the Federation and looked forward to a productive three days.

“We want to start by thanking you very much for the support that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has shown for this activity. We think that this provides a very rich ground for exchange and a very rich knowledge base from which we can draw from during the coming days,” he said.

Minister of International Trade, the Honourable Lindsay Grant, welcomed the WTO facilitators, participants and other invited guests to the workshop, and thanked the WTO for engaging the region on “such a very timely and important subject and for choosing St. Kitts and Nevis as host for such important training exercise.”

“Such capacity building initiatives go well in developing our region’s expertise in trade and related matters. We are indeed very grateful, and I also wish to thank you the participants and facilitators for facilitating this debate among the various organizations and institutions in the context of ensuring that the sustainable development goals remain critical and ever present in the policies of member states,” said Minister Grant.