CARICOM Ministerial Caucus Preparatory to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC 13)

The Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, chaired the CARICOM Ministerial Caucus Preparatory to the WTO Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC 13). The Ministerial Caucus was convened by the CARICOM Secretariat and chaired by Guyana in its capacity as CARICOM lead country and Coordinator on WTO matters.

The Ministerial Caucus was convened to brief the regional Ministers in Charge of Foreign Trade on the status of the preparations for the Conference, including confirming which CARICOM member countries will be attending and evaluating the possibility of harmonizing regional positions on key issues on the Agenda for the Conference.

In his Opening Remarks, the Honourable Minister highlighted the importance of the WTO multilateral trading system, especially in enabling small countries like those in CARICOM to equitably participate in global trade. He emphasized that as small developing countries, CARICOM countries are stronger together and need to have harmonized common positions on the international arena. In that vein, the Honourable Minister urged Ministers attending the Caucus to recommit to and further refine common approaches to the issues of interest to the region at MC 13.

The Ministerial Caucus was addressed by the WTO Director General, Dr. Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala, who highlighted some major issues that will be addressed at the MC 13 and expressed the hope of achieving a tangible outcome at the Conference.

The Director General also applauded CARICOM’s leadership in Geneva on issues of interest to the region and other small developing vulnerable countries. She thanked the CARICOM countries for the support accorded to her and encoruaged enhance momentum in the negotiation process with a view to finalizing agreement on key issues before the Conference.

The MC 13 is scheduled for February 26 -29, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Ministerial Conference is the highest Decision-Making Organ of the WTO. It is expected that several Ministerial Decisions, Ministerial Declarations, and an Outcome Document will be adopted at the end of the Conference. The last Conference was convened in June 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.

February 8, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.