Senior Officials of the WTO Membership Gathered in Geneva, Switzerland.
A two-day meeting of senior trade officials was recently concluded at the World Trade Organization with encouraging signs that negotiators in Geneva will have the political backing to achieve outcomes at the upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 26 to 29 February 2024.
Antigua and Barbuda was represented through its Delegation to the World Trade Organization including H.E Colin Murdoch, Permanent Representative and Miss Joy-Marie King, Director of International Trade and WTO Delegate.
According to Miss King, “the aim of the meeting was to take stock of the progress on international trade issues on the negotiating agenda- such as agriculture and food security, dispute settlement reform, the e-commerce work programme and moratorium; phase two of the fisheries subsidies negotiations, and development issues in addition to deliberating on pressing international issues.”
King further indicated that senior officials had the opportunity to engage each other through various configurations, including plenary meetings of the full membership, breakout sessions on specific issues- international trade and industrial policy and international trade and environmental sustainability, bilateral talks, group coordination meetings, and consultations with the chairs or facilitators of negotiations.
In her submission to the WTO membership, Director King highlighted a number of priority areas for the OECS and Antigua and Barbuda including but not limited to, the great need for the urgent and full restoration of the institution’s binding dispute settlement system as it is the cornerstone to maintaining a rules based global trading system.
Further, the dispute settlement system is an indispensable mechanism to help the smallest, poorest and most vulnerable members to better navigate the uneven power dynamics of global trade.”
The engagement concluded with a session on the way forward, including a concluding summary from the General Council Chair and the Director- General.
Joy-Marie King is a certified expert in the areas of commercial diplomacy, international trade, policy, negotiations and sustainable development.
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