When: May 6-8, 2009
Where: The Ritz Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica
The Inter-American Development Bank, the World Trade Organization and other members of the international community are working on a package of aid for trade, which serves to assist poorer countries to grow their export sectors and economies. An event themed “Mobilizing the Private Sector on Aid for Trade” will take place on May 6, 2009 in Montego Bay, serving to facilitate discussion among private sector entities on the ongoing aid for trade debate.
The results of these private sector discussions will be fed into the main event, the Second Regional Aid-for-Trade (AfT) Review for Latin America and the Caribbean, which takes place at the same venue from May 7-8. The Second Regional Review will build on OECD/WTO self-assessments submitted by countries of the region to develop actionable plans, monitor progress, and encourage mutual accountability.
The Second Regional Review is guided by the following objectives:
- To monitor progress in the implementation of the Aid for Trade initiative and encourage "peer" review and incentives to advance the implementation of concrete national and regional strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean;
- To continue supporting and enhancing mainstreaming trade into national and regional development agendas;
- To foster regional approaches and private sector strategies as part of the implementation process of the Aid for Trade initiative;
- To promote coordination among donors in the region.
The ITC has been working with Jamaica, as well as five other countries in the Caribbean, to develop national export strategies and make the most of new trade agreements, including the Economic Partnership Agreement.
