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Regional News>Richard Bernal: Doyen of commercial diplomacy - 'I speak loudly and I speak often.' |
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Tall and solidly built with a clear, ringing voice, it is not easy to miss Richard Bernal. Neither in a casual social setting nor at the trade negotiating table.
"I speak loudly and I speak often," he quipped.
Bernal was referring to his efforts over the years to build awareness among Caribbean business leaders about the region's various trade negotiations, including the recently-concluded Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU). Bernal is head of the Caribbean Regional Negotiation Machinery (CRNM), which conducts trade negotiations for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as well as in the case of the EPA, the Dominican Republic (DR).
Bernal's self-characterisation, those who know him say, is the essence of Richard Bernal.
"If Richard says that about himself, I wouldn't argue," says a Caribbean colleague. "He does speak often and he does speak loudly. And he makes sense and has had good results."
Indeed, Bernal, an economist by training who served for a decade as Jamaica's ambassador in Washington, coaxed, cajoled and harangued sometimes fractious member states in holding together for the EPA negotiations. (See that story on Page 4).
And he often employed brinksmanship in the talks with the Europeans to squeeze gains for the Caribbean.
In the end, the Cariforum group (CARICOM and the DR) was the only region, of the six with which the EU was negotiating, able to sign an agreement before the year-end deadline. The EPAs are replace the trade element of the Cotonou Agreement that EU had with the more than 70-member African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries.
"Part of the reason why the Caribbean was able to complete an EPA," explained a regional source, "is that having covered almost all of the hard areas, Bernal was aware that it would not be easy for the Europeans to walk away from the table with nothing to show for four years of negotiations. No one else had an agreement and the Caribbean was close to one. Richard was able to exploit that."
Bernal, who has taught economics and the University of the West Indies, had a stint as CEO of the now defunct Workers Bank and served as many public bodies, is veteran of the trade wars.
He arrived in Washington in early 1991 as the first President Bush's ultimately moribund concept for Western Hemisphere free trade scheme was getting off the ground, through its reformulation as the Free Trade Areas of the Americas (FTAA) by then United States President Bill Clinton and its ultimate, if formally undeclared death under the second President Bush.
Bernal was also at Seattle in 2002 when developing countries revolted at the attempt by the developed world to block them from effective participation in decision-making at WTO global trade talks. And he has continued to make the argument that no deal is better than a bad deal in current Doha Round of the WTO negotiations.
"In trade negotiations, you have to make compromises, but you also have to protect your own interest," says Bernal who has been head of the CRNM since November 2001.
Bernal, who has spearheaded other CARICOM trade negotiations is now preparing for the region's talks with Canada for an arrangement to replace the current Caribcan accord.
For his performance in guiding the successful completion of the EPA deal, Richard Bernal is the Financial Gleaner's Personality of the Year.
business@gleanerjm.com