St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Round Rally

The Management and Staff of the Shridath Ramphal Centre express their solidarity with the government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines during this difficult time. The eruption at La Soufriere reminds us why these islands are environmentally vulnerable and deserve special attention by the international community. The UWI Open Campus, led by Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs and Principal, Dr Luz Longsworth, will be spearheading the immediate relief efforts from the University. For inquiries, related to support for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: email st.vincent.recovery@open.uwi.edu You can also donate here:
CARICOM Commission on the Economy Report

Come join The Cave Hill School of Business as they host a free webinar entitled “CARICOM Commission on the Economy Report” see the poster below for further details to register.
WTO Young Professionals Programme 2022 – APPLICATIONS OPEN!

The Secretariat of the WTO is seeking candidates for THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAMME for 2022. The WTO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a unique opportunity for qualified young professionals up to the age of 32 years, as at 1 January 2022, from eligible developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO Members, to enhance their knowledge and skills on WTO and international trade issues. The Programme aims to widen the pool of professionals from these countries who can later be more competitive with respect to recruitment in the WTO and/or other regional and international organizations. This is a limited programme that offers selected young professionals with the opportunity to gain work experience in the WTO. There is no guarantee of an extension of the programme or of a job offer after the one-year programme. Learn more about the programme and apply on the WTO’s website here.
ITC/SRC/CEDA Webinar Series – Video Recordings

Get the chance to watch Sessions 1 and 2 of the SRC in collaboration with the International Trade Centre and the Caribbean Export Development Agency training series.
COVID-19 and challenges for financing for development: UNCTAD15 civil society discussion series

On April 7, UNCTAD will be hosting the first in its online discussions with civil society to be held in preparation for the UNCTAD15 ministerial conference that will take place in the week of 3 October 2021. For further information and to register, please visit UNCTAD’s website here.
The State of the Union Fringe Event

The State of the Union will celebrate this historic occasion, to debate and reflect on the theme ‘Europe in a Changing World’. The conference will address the challenges and opportunities for Europe amidst rising concerns over global commons and the climate emergency, a shifting economic and geopolitical power balance, major challenges to multilateralism, and the ongoing global battle against COVID-19. The sessions are intellectually independent of the main programme of #SOU2021 and will take place online on Thursday 6 May. #SOU2021 Fringe Events
Towards a Post-Brexit UK-Caribbean Relationship

Nand C. Bardouille, Ph.D.$*Having not met in five years, the United Kingdom-Caribbean Ministerial Forum (hereafter Ministerial Forum) that met on 18 March 2021 for the tenth time was a meeting of many firsts. It was the first such meeting to take place in the post-Brexit era. And it assumed perhaps its highest profile yet, coming as it did on the heels of the March 16th release of the UK’s much anticipated integrated review of security, defence, development and foreign policy. Speaking of ‘eras’…
SRC Quick Guide on Investment Facilitation

Our newest SRC Quick Guide looks at the topic of Investment Facilitation. Investment Facilitation has become a buzz term in international policy circles in recent years. In this latest SRC Quick Guide, we break down the topic of investment facilitation. We define what it is in contrast to the related topic of investment promotion. We also list some of the investment facilitation initiatives undertaken by Caribbean countries nationally and regionally and the current WTO investment facilitation for development negotiations. Access the Quick Guide here.
A Brief Reflection on Lamy’s Henry Gill Memorial Lecture: New Global Trade Currents, New Caribbean Responses?

Junior Lodge$*On March 17, inst. Pascal Lamy, the former EU Trade Commissioner and WTO Director-General delivered the inaugural Henry Gill memorial lecture. The event was aimed at memorialising the professional life of the former Caribbean trade negotiator and academic. Mr.’s Lamy’s intervention offered a reflection on key lessons on trade and development since…
Services Zones for Post-COVID-19 Recovery and Development

Dr. Ronnie Yearwood & Alicia Nicholls$*At a Covid-19 press conference held on February 15, 2020, it was mentioned in passing that the Government of Barbados (GOB) was exploring the creation of a free trade zone. We applaud the fact that this idea has finally taken root. Some years ago, in his regular newspaper column, Dr. Yearwood proposed the establishment of a free service or trade zone as a new element for Barbados’ economic development. He returned to the idea on several occasions, more recently…