Pascal Lamy, head of the World Trade Organisation, speaks to business leaders at a hotel in Manila, the Philippines, February 23. Lamy will be visiting Jamaica this week. - REUTERS

Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

Pascal Lamy, director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), will be arriving in the island tomorrow to meet with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) trade ministers.

The Gleaner also learnt that the WTO director general, who will be in the island for a two-day meeting, will also meet with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

Trade expert, Dr. Richard Bernal, director general of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, said Mr. Lamy's attendance at the meeting was to address issues arising from the Doha Round of talks which broke down last year.

The Doha Round, which aims to lower trade barriers around the world, was suspended over a divide over farm trade between the developed nations, led by the European Union, the United States and Japan, and the major developing countries, which is represented by the G20 developing nations.

Dr. Bernal told The Gleaner that Mr. Lamy was visiting the region to both hear the concerns, suggestions and proposals and to give an update on how he sees the process, where it is now and what accounts for the lack of progress to date.

"(There) is no doubt that hewill outline how he sees the issues being resolved and what is a realistic timetable in getting some kind of agreement," he added.

Ambassador Bernal, however, noted that the Caribbean trade ministers were also prepared to reiterate their concerns through seven points.

"The concerns to date are the development issues," he said. "The issues of concern to developing countries have not been adequately addressed up to this point in the negotiations for the Doha Development Agenda."

He said, for example, small vulnerable developing countries such as those in the Caribbean should be given special and deferential treatment and that development issues are at the centre of the negotiations.

"Thirdly, we want to ensure that the tariff negotiation is such that it takes account of our circumstances, including the importance of tariff revenues to our fiscal revenues particularly in the smaller countries," he pointed out.

Dr. Bernal said the liberalisation of tariffs for Caribbean countries should be conducted at a pace that the region could cope with in terms of adjustments to their international competitiveness and tariff revenues.

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