The Tribune

Two Bahamian officials have attended the 25th Geneva Week, where they participated in consultations that will help this nation in its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Phylicia Woods, financial and trade officer in the Ministry of Financial Services, and Donyelle Ward, third secretary at the Bahamas High Commission in London, took part in talks on issues such as Duty Free and Quota Free Market Access; Preferential Rules of Origin, Intellectual Property; Agriculture and recent developments in WTO jurisprudence.

The Bahamian representatives pressed the need for technical assistance to develop and establish necessary trade infrastructure in this country, such as Sanitary and Phytosantiary laboratories and a Standards Bureau.

Attendance at the 25th Geneva Week allowed the Bahamas to further build the technical capacity required to meet the WTO’s accession standards. The Bahamas was also able to update the WTO on the steps taken to move closer to accession.

The Bahamian representatives were able to attend the last WTO General Council sitting for the year, which included representatives from the 157 member countries as well as observer nations.

At the General Council meeting, the Bahamian representatives were able to learn first hand about the challenges in trade facilitation, and opportunities that existed.