Trade issues, Carib Court dominate Expo 2000 opening

WESTERN BUREAU:

Trade issues and the proposed Caribbean Court of Justice shared the spotlight Thursday at the official opening of Expo 2000, Montego Bay's premier trade show now on at the Montego Freeport Cruise Ship Terminal.

Foreign Trade Minister Anthony Hylton reiterated the rationale for the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice, saying it is a necessary complement to the creation of CARICOM as a single market and economy.

But regional trade expert and executive director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, Earl Baccus, says a more appropriate intermediary would be the Caricom Secretariat.

Baccus said: "All we need is a dispute settlement mechanism, full stop. Let the CARICOM Secretariat pull together the individuals who have the expertise, and let them sit and adjudicate or arbitrate, whatever the case might be."

Minister Hylton says for the Caricom Single Market and Economy to work, "some legislative and judicial powers must be transferred from member states to regional institutions like the CCJ to ensure implementation of Treaty provisions."

The CEDA executive suggested that the Caribbean Court of Justice need not be a physical entity with attendant expenses, but could be set up as a "virtual institution" drawing on the "learned" within the region.

It would be the Caricom Secretariat's job, he reasoned, to pull together a cadre of technocrats schooled in trade negotiations and other related disciplines, and backed by legal experts, who would convene when required to deal with disputes.

Mr. Hylton immediately dismissed the suggestion on the basis that the CARICOM Secretariat was political in scope and as such "wholly inappropriate" a body to do the job.

Single market

"The single market is like nothing we have ever created. Here we have critical and far-reaching obligations and rights that are being created," said the Minister.

The Jamaican business community, though accepting the need for a regional tribunal to mediate on trade and economic issues under the CSME, has mooted for a regional commercial court as a first step and retention of the Privy Council for other legal matters, for now.

CEDA, with head office in Barbados, was established in January 1996 by governments within CARIFORUM - comprising CARICOM members and Dominican Republic and Haiti - to provide marketing and consulting services to regional and international companies.

Mr. Baccus is guest of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, host of Expo 2000, a four-day event, featuring 103 exhibitions including

African and Caribbean companies.

The CEDA executive was keynote speaker at the official opening, and presenter at an Expo seminar dealing with Caricom trade.

Expo 2000, formerly Western Expo, is in its seventh staging (having broken for a year in 1999). Buzzing with activity, the show appeared to be off to a good start, with members of the diplomatic corps, politicians, and business leaders including Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President, Anthony Chang, in attendance.

Tropicair Jalousies, a Kingston company, won the trophy for 'Best Booth' while winner in the craft category was 'Big Daddy Craft and Leather Supplies' from Flankers, Montego Bay.

Chief judge, Winston Dear, said his team was impressed with widespread use of computers to boost presentations at the booths.

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