Why the WTO Appellate Body Crisis Matters to the Caribbean
Dr. Jan Yves Remy and Alicia Nicholls$*The Appellate Body (AB) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) – the final court charged with hearing appeals on points of law at the WTO – faces an existential crisis. On 10 December 2019, the terms of two of its remaining three members – the quorum needed to adjudicate an appeal – will expire. Their positions will not be filled if the current United States (US) blockage of appointments continues. This means that new appeals of panel decisions will not be heard after that date.
Given Caribbean countries’ limited and ‘checkered’ experience with…
China: The Villain or the Hero?
Diakia Straker$*China’s impressive growth and its reach across the world have sparked some concerns on the international stage and the literature remains divided on China’s motive for its ‘Going Global Strategy’. On the one hand, China is seen as a threat to the USA-led world order, and on the other hand, China is hailed as a saviour to many of the world’s emerging markets.
In this SRC Trading Thoughts, we consider whether China is a force for good or evil in the Caribbean and engage on the topic of how best the Caribbean can leverage its trade and investment relationships with C…
SRC/IDB host Special Lunch Time Chat on Blockchain
On November 20th, 2019, the SRC held a special Lunch Time Chat in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) at the SRC Conference Room in the CARICOM Research Building, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. The topic was “The Promise of Blockchain for the Region”. The speakers were Annie Bertrand and Marcos Allende of the IDB. The session was moderated by Dr. Jan Yves Remy, SRC Deputy Director. Ms. Bertrand presented the Blockchain Innovation Initiative that was launched last month to raise awareness about the potential value of blockchain technology for the Caribbean. She also provided details about the funding available to finance research and development in collaboration with the SRC and the IDB lab. A call for research on blockchain is available here. Mr. Allende’s presentation gave participants a basic understanding of how the technology has evolved already to meet the needs of public entities such as customs, land/property/citizen registry, tax authorities, central banks and regulators in particular. Blockchain is increasingly used by the governments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), thanks to the support of the IDB and LAC. They are currently working on 20 projects including one with the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) in Barbados. Video Recording from the session The session was also transmitted live via Zoom teleconference. The Zoom video recording may be accessed here:
JOB OPPORTUNITY: Trade Marketing Manager
The West India Biscuit Company Ltd. is seeking to recruit a proactive and results-oriented individual to fill the position of Trade Marketing Manager within their Commercial Department. Deadline for application is November 22. Please see the job advertisement below for further details:
SRC co-hosts Symposium on China-Caribbean Trade and Investment Relations
On November 12, 2019, the University of the West Indies Cave Hill (The UWI Cave Hill) held a Symposium entitled “Exploring New Horizons in Caribbean-China Trade and Investment Relations” on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination (EBCCI) of The UWI. The half-day symposium was a collaborative effort by the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy & Services (SRC), the Confucius Institute, the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) and the Faculty of Law, each of whose mandate touches in some respect on the Caribbean’s growing relationship with China. The symposium was held on the margins of the annual Confucius Institute Board Meeting between the Cave Hill Campus and the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). It was attended by members of the University and business communities, students, as well as academic and policy experts from the Caribbean and China. The first panel focused on the “Evolving Dynamics of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Caribbean and the Legal Norms and Principles underpinning the BRI”. The panelists were Professor the Honourable Ambassador Richard L. Bernal, OJ, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs, The UWI who joined via Zoom link; Sir Trevor Carmichael, KA, LVO, SCM, QC, attorney-at-law, Dr. Lan Hua, Associate Professor, Faculty of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL); Dr. Don Marshall, Director and Senior Research Fellow of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES); and Dr Yu Meng, Assistant Professor of private international law, School of International Law, CUPL. The panel was chaired by Dr. Ronnie Yearwood, Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at The UWI Cave Hill. The second panel was on “Business, Investment and Trade Dimensions in Caribbean-China Relations”. The panelists were Ambassador Jackman; Dr. Dong Jingbo, Associate Professor of Law at CUPL; Connie Smith, Managing Director of Tricor Caribbean; Dr. Helene Zamor, Lecturer in French and Coordinator for Modern Languages at The UWI Cave Hill. Ms. Huan Zhu, Research Associate Professor at the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies joined via Zoom link. The moderator was Alicia Nicholls, trade researcher with the SRC. Please see below a photo of some of the organizers and panelists:
“Opting Out” of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas? The Significance of the CCJ’s Pending Advisory Opinion
Dr. Jan Yves Remy and Alicia Nicholls$*The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will mark another milestone in its decade and a half history when it shortly delivers its first advisory opinion pursuant to Article 212 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC). Late last month, the Court held a publically broadcast two-day hearing where it heard oral submissions from counsel of the CARICOM Secretariat, Member States and Caribbean law faculties from which it had received written submissions. The subject-matter of the advisory opinion concerns the circumstances under which it is lawful for CARICOM Member States to “opt-out” of CARICOM Heads of Government decisions that involve fundamental objectives of the C…
SRC hosts Lunch Time Chat on Natural Disasters and Trade
On November 6, 2019, the SRC hosted its seventh SRC Lunch Time Chat. It was on the riveting topic of “Natural Disasters and Trade”! The session was held at the SRC Conference Room at the CARICOM Research Building, The University of the West Indies Cave Hill, and was also streamed live via Zoom teleconference. The two esteemed presenters were Jeremy Collymore – Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Development, and Resilience Consultant to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, and Stephen Fevrier, Head of Mission, Permanent Mission of the OECS to Geneva. The moderator was Alicia Nicholls, SRC trade researcher. Link to recording The zoom recording may be accessed here.
IDB Call for Research Proposals on blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT)
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in collaboration with the Shridath Ramphal Centre of the University of the West Indies, is inviting researchers to submit research proposals (two-page abstracts) that propose use-cases for how blockchain based technological solutions can mitigate private sector development challenges in the Caribbean. A maximum of four (4) proposals will be selected to receive a minimum of USD$1,000.00 and to work with a committee to develop each research paper over a period of three months. The preliminary findings of the selected research proposals will be presented and validated at a date and venue to be determined by the UWI and Compete Caribbean. In April 2020, the research papers will be finalized after which only high-quality papers will be published by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in partnership with the Shridath Ramphal Centre of The UWI (SRC). The deadline for submission of applications is December 6, 2019. Please see the three relevant documents below for further information: Call for Proposals – flyer Project Summary – Blockchain Call for Research Proposals Application Form – Blockchain Call for Research Proposals
Revitalization of the Agricultural Sector in the Caribbean : Promoting Domestic Agriculture as a solution
Neil C.A. Paul$*What is the current situation with respect to Caribbean agriculture? A decimated Windward Islands banana industry, struggling to regain some semblance of the glory days, following the now infamous World Trade Organization (WTO) decisions pertaining to preferential access for Caribbean bananas to the European Union (EU) market. The Caribbean sugar industry, too, has lost its kingly status in a world that doesn’t need cane sugar anymore, with the many alternatives such as Stevia and Beet sugar. In addition, high labour costs, high costs of imported inputs and low levels of productivity, which, in some cases is associated with economies of scale, contribute to the difficulties in the sector. The less than vibrant domestic agricultural sector continues to be ignore…
OECS Workshop on E-Commerce
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, will host a workshop for officials of OECS Member States on the trade-related aspects of electronic commerce (e-commerce). The workshop will take place at the Harbour Club Hotel, Saint Lucia on 31st October and 1st November 2019 and will focus on continuing negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). These negotiations are being followed by the OECS Geneva Mission on behalf of OECS Member States. Read more here.