Members of the Jamaican delegation at the Mexico WTO meeting at a briefing. From left are Ambassador Ransford Smith, Jamaica's permanent mission to Geneva, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade K.D. Knight, Ambassador Gail Mathurin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ryan Peralto, Jr., general manager of Dairy Industries. - Photos By Earl Jarrett THE JAMAICAN private sector and other non-governmental organisations have made their strongest showing at the fifth WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun in Mexico.
The private sector views this participation as an investment in defending the interest of the local business community within the multilateral trading system. Six individuals representing a cross-section of private sector organisations and NGOs are involved in the conference
These include Earl Jarrett, a vice-president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ); Ryan Peralto, Jnr., general manager of Dairy Industries and a member of the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA); Nicola Gordon-Rowe executive director of the JMA; Vivian Gray, trade officer at the PSOJ; Amsale Maryam, chairperson of the Association of Development Agencies (ADA); Judith Wedder-burn, deputy chairperson of ADA; and Rosealea Hamilton, chief executive officer of the Institute of Law and Economics.
The group met with Minister of Foreign Affairs K.D. Knight and his technocrats on arrival in Cancun where he outlined his strategy for the conference. He said that success at Cancun would be defined by Jamaica's and CARI-COM's ability to get consensus on some critical issues within agriculture, non-agriculture market access, smaller economies, special and differential treatment, and the continuation of the work programme on the Singapore issue.
STRATEGIC WORKING GROUPS
Luis Ernesto Derbez, Mexico's Minister of Foreign Affairs, is chairman of the meeting by virtue of his country's hosting of the meeting. He has, therefore, appointed five "friends of the chair" to preside over the strategic working groups, where definitive positions will be taken that will determine the outcome of the conference. The friends of the chair are: Singapore, Hong Kong, Kenya, Canada and Guyana.
The group expressed concerns as to whether Jamaica's position would find traction amidst the competing interests of the other 145 member countries of WTO. The delegation felt that if the proceedings do not reflect greater consideration for developing country issues, and especially Jamaica's position, then the country would have no choice but to take stronger action in order to have its voice heard.
The private sector and NGOs discussed with the Minister their concerns related to the lack of transparency within the WTO process and the "friends of the chair" system, which implies that only friends of the host country can be appointed to lead critical discussions. The private sector representatives expressed to the Minister that the non-transparent and undemocratic process of decision making within the WTO has eroded the sector's confidence in the WTO system.
The sector was further isolated when on arrival at the Plenary session yesterday the group was confronted with a process of exclusion. The private sector representatives and NGOs were not given sufficient passes to enter the conference room, as only six members from each delegation were admitted. Incidentally, on arrival at the session, the Jamaican delegates were told that their passes were already collected and, therefore, no Jamaican delegate could enter the room. This was subsequently resolved.
PLAYED MUSICAL CHAIRS
Earl Jarrett represented the private sector in the plenary and played musical chairs with other private sector delegates who had not received passes. The NGO representatives played the same game.
Mr. Jarrett warned that "This is testament that the green room process still seeks to limit participation of developing countries". Mrs. Gordon-Rowe, executive director of the JMA, remarked that "The time has come for the WTO to recognise the private sector within the conference deliberations since it is firms that trade and not governments."
Ryan Peralto, Jnr., of Dairy Industries, endorsed those sentiments, stating that "The participation of the private sector in all its forms NGOs, business and other interests is critical to ensure transparency of the multilateral process, and the current situation brings that transparency into question."
Mr. Gray of the PSOJ noted that this was an unsavoury beginning to the proceedings, and hoped that decision making through the green room process would not be the modus operandi of this conference.
