SRC and BCCI launch Agrilab Project!
On September 18, 2021 the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC) in collaboration with the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on Food Security in CARICOM. At the end of this session the two entities announced that their partnership would continue in the form of an upcoming Agri-Trade Lab. The SRC and BCCI are proud to announce that on December 10, 2021 the SRC-BCCI Agri-Trade Lab pilot project will be officially launched. The Agri-Trade Lab will connect local farmers and agro-processors with researchers at the SRC capable of leveraging their technical expertise to solve various agri-trade related challenges faced by the project’s participants. Some of the agri-trade challenges this lab is positioned to address include, but are not limited to, market intelligence & analysis; market access & market penetration matters; sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures; technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) measures; trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights; and more! Local farmers and agro-processors who are involved in agri-trade, or who are interested in pursuing trade opportunities can apply to be part of this free pilot project by completing the required application form which is available on the SRC website: www.shridathramphalcentre.com or by clicking here. Application forms should be submitted electronically by emailing Mrs. Chelcee Brathwaite (SRC Trade Researcher) at chelcee.brathwaite@cavehill.uwi.edu and Ms. Shanice Haynes (BCCI Research Officer) at bcci@barbadoschamber.com no later than January 31, 2022.
U.S. Embassy Bridgetown funds University of the West Indies Regional Trade Research
From bottom left to top left to right – U.S. Ambassador Linda Taglialatela, Professor Clive Landis, Dr. Jan Yves Remy, Dr. Dion Greenidge, Professor Troy Lorde, and Ms. Lisa Alleyne. On November 23, the United States Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean hosted a signing ceremony to mark the provision of grant funding to the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, which are geared towards supporting regional trade and investment. UWI’s Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy, and Services was awarded US$50,000 to support programs focused on U.S.-Caribbean trade and investment, and the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business was awarded approximately US$15,000 to develop micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the Caribbean. The funding is part of an education initiative entitled Revitalizing the U.S – Caribbean Trade and Investment Agenda, which will bring the institutional collaboration between the United States Embassy and the University of the West Indies to a new level. Speaking at the signing ceremony, United States Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, Linda Taglialatela, said “I can promise you that the U.S. Embassy will support you in holding the torch of knowledge high. It is with that light, and the freedom with which it illuminates, that we will be able to see new possibilities and seize upon them.” Representing the university was principal of UWI Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis, who thanked Ambassador Taglialatela and the Embassy for supporting the campus’ trade research initiatives. Professor Landis said: “We our deeply appreciative of this demonstration of solidarity and I wish to give every assurance that we value highly the strengthening of these bonds between the U.S. government and the UWI Cave Hill campus.”
Register TODAY for FREE ‘Women and Trade in the Americas’ Short Course!
The WTO Chairs of Barbados, Mexico and Chile are pleased to offer this short online course on Women and Trade in the Americas. The 9-day course, starting November 22 to December 2, is available every day from 10 am AST (9 am EST) to 1 pm AST (12 noon EST). It is open to trade and gender students and policy makers. The course, supported by the WTO Chairs Programme , is divided into three modules and seeks to build capacity in the formulation and implementation of trade policy that is inclusive and empowers women. Participants will engage with eminent trade experts, academics, diplomats and negotiators on topics such as feminisms, and its intersection with trade theory; mainstreaming gender in trade agreements; historic and novel challenges faced by women in global trade, with special attention to the women in the Americas. For more information see the Programme and Flyer, or contact SRC Director and WTO Chair, Dr. Jan Yves Remy via email at janyves.remy@cavehill.uwi.edu. The link to join the programme is: https://zoom.us/j/95000241798?pwd=VE5YZytFVlNMQ0E3Sk1VNlUxY0J1Zz09
The UWI Cave Hill Shridath Ramphal Centre hosts Women and Trade in the Americas Training Programme
The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Tuesday, November 23, 2021— The Shridath Ramphal Centre (SRC) at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus is collaborating with the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM) and the University of Chile to offer the Women and Trade in the Americas Training Programme which focuses on building capacity in the formulation and implementation of an inclusive trade policy that empowers women. The online course is organized through the WTO Chairs Programme, which was developed to support and promote trade-related academic activities by universities and research institutions in developing and least-developed countries. The 9-day programme which began on Monday 22nd November 2021, concludes on Thursday 2nd December 2021. It is designed as an introduction to the gender equality dimensions of trade in the Americas and provides an overview of the relationship between trade and women from a policy and legal perspective. At the virtual opening session of the module, Director of the Shridath Ramphal Centre, Dr. Jan Yves Remy, noted that the training programme supports the Centre’s mandate as a world-class centre for training, research and outreach on trade and development issues in the Caribbean. “This course, coming as it does on the brink of the 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva, could not be better timed. It unites students from around the region on a very important new issue on the WTO agenda – ensuring that women are supported and represented in trade negotiating outcomes. We are grateful to the sponsors and to the WTO Chairs Programme for allowing us to bring the issue of trade and gender to this region, through a training module.” Dr. Remy, shared. Dr. Remy was joined by fellow Chairs, Felipe Munoz from University of Chile, Dr. Amrita Bahri, Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, Werner Zdouc, of the WTO Secretariat Representative and WTO Sponsors of the programme from The Netherlands and France. The course spans a myriad of trade and gender related topics in the Americas including trade agreement negotiations, E-commerce and digital opportunities, health issues including COVID-19 and allows participants to engage with eminent experts regarding historic and novel challenges faced by women in global trade. Participants of the training programme include students, researchers, policymakers, businesspersons, and personnel in national, regional, and international organizations with mandates in trade and/or gender. By the end of the course, these persons should be made aware of the need to incorporate gender into trade policy development as an essential prerequisite for inclusive and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Webinar 1 on “US-CARICOM Trade and Investment Relations” – December 14
Join the SRC, in collaboration with the US Embassy to Bridgetown (Barbados) and the Caribbean Policy Consortium, for the first in our three-part webinar series on ‘US-CARICOM Trade and Investment Relations’. The first webinar, carded for December 14 (11 am-12:30 noon AST) is entitled ‘US entities involved in US-CARICOM Trade and Investment Policy’. Our esteemed panelists are: Stephen Lande (Manchester Trade) Amb. Anton Edmunds (St Lucia) Jason Marczak (Atlantic Council) Amb. Patrick Duddy (Director, Duke University Centre Int’l /Global Studies) Moderator: Dr. Jan Yves Remy (Director, SRC, UWI) Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DEkRzFXGRZW_e7m2Z0r9ZA
Video Recording – Road to MC12 Webinar 1
Watch the recording of the first in the SRC and OECS’ two-part ‘Road to MC12’ Webinar Series below:
VIDEO RECORDING – 2nd Webinar in SRC/OECS Road to MC12 Series
In the lead-up to the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, the SRC and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) brought together international and regional trade experts to discuss the issues at stake for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States. In this second of two webinars held on 23 November 2021 we discussed some of the new initiatives being pursued by sections of the WTO’s Membership such as Joint Statement Initiatives (JSIs) on e-commerce, investment facilitation, services domestic regulation, plastics pollution and trade and environmental sustainability. Our experts were ·Ambassador Chad Blackman: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations and WTO · Mr. Stephen Fevrier: Senior Adviser to the WTO Director-General · Dr. Carolyn Deere Birkbeck: Director, Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs and Senior Researcher, Global Governance Centre, The Graduate Institute of Geneva · Mr. Audel Cunningham: Trade Consultant/Expert, Former Legal Adviser at CARICOM Secretariat’s Office of Trade Negotiations · Organizers/moderators: Mr. Joel Richards (OECS) and Ms. Alicia Nicholls (SRC) The recording of the second webinar may be viewed below:
Brace For Impact… Major Disruption To The Yuletide Season Consumer
Dr. Kai-Ann Skeete$*Approximately nearly 18 months since the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States were disrupted by the Covid-19 Pandemic, we can now look back and examine the lessons learnt from surviving the catastrophic human, social, economic, and political losses. As we commence our Christmas preparations, there is one more lesson we need to…
The Road to WTO MC12 – Webinar 1
In the lead-up to the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, the SRC and the OECS Mission in Geneva have brought together international and regional experts closely involved in WTO negotiations to discuss the issues at stake for CARICOM countries. In this first of two webinars, to be held on 16 November 2021, 11 am AST, we will discuss the legacy “Doha” trade issues like agriculture and fisheries, and reform issues like special and differential treatment dispute settlement. Our experts are· Dr. Edwini Kessie: WTO Director of Agriculture Division; Head of WTO Delivery Unit,· Dr. Mustaqeem De Gama: Counsellor at South Africa’s Permanent Mission in Geneva,· Mr. Wayne Mc Cook: Former Jamaica Ambassador to WTO and the People’s Republic of China; Former Advisor to WTO Director-General and · Ms. Alicia Greenidge: Trade Consultant, President/Chief Executive, Summit Alliances International. The event will be moderated by Dr. Jan Yves Remy (SRC) and Mr. Joel Richards (OECS). Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lej7xr_kTEqEsN_dgDVRFw
The Science of the COVID-19 Vaccine – Recording
