Dominica to host national consultation on CARICOM-Canada trade and development agreement
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| Published on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 |
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ROSEAU, Dominica -- A two-day National Consultation on negotiations for a new CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement is scheduled to take place in Roseau from July 29-30, 2010.
The consultation is being organised by the Ministry of Employment, Trade, Industry and Diaspora Affairs in collaboration with the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) of the CARICOM Secretariat and the OECS Secretariat.
The consultation has four broad objectives, namely:
- Increase awareness of private sector stakeholders and public sector officials about the negotiations for a CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement, including awareness of the scope, objectives and rationale of such an Agreement
- Indicate to private sector stakeholders the trading opportunities for goods and services from Dominica/OECS/CARICOM into Canada that justifies negotiating this agreement
- Discuss the implications of the proposed text and negotiating proposals for CARICOM generally and the OECS in particular, with a view to obtaining feedback from public and private sector stakeholders on key issues which should be taken into account in finalizing the draft text(s) and negotiating proposals
- Identify areas of particular concern and interest to Dominica which should be taken into account in the negotiations for a Trade and Development Agreement with Canada
Important matters on the agenda for deliberation include:
- Overview of CARICOM- CANADA negotiations for a Trade and Development Agreement
- Trade in Goods to include implications of CARICOM-Canada Negotiations for Market Access in Goods(trade liberalization, modalities, rules of origin, agriculture, fisheries, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures)
- Trade in Services and Investment
- The effect of Labour and Environmental issues in the negotiations
Canada is playing an increasingly important role in the region. Canada and the Caribbean enjoy a long history of close commercial, investment, cultural and political ties. Canada is one of Dominica’s traditional bilateral partners.
The government of Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) provides assistance to the Caribbean through a new regional programme, as well as bilateral programmes in a number of Caribbean countries.
A new CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement is expected to lead to deeper and closer ties between the Caribbean region and Canada. | | | | Reads : 859 | | | |
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