Ambassador in Geneva, Switzerland, engaged in interactive discussions surrounding global issues at a meeting last Thursday with the Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group in Geneva, and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
As coordinator of the Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group in Geneva, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, hosted the Secretary General of UNCTAD, Rebeca Grynspan, at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva.
In his opening comments, Ambassador Wilson highlighted the need to “deepen the partnership between ACP and UNCTAD in helping to navigate the current trade uncertainties”, including the tariff wars and their escalation and the threat to non-reciprocal economic arrangements; and “how to better anchor WTO negotiating positions in the analysis and research UNCTAD does on debt, critical minerals, digital trade, investment and more”.
Secretary General Grynspan, in her remarks, spoke to the influence the ACP group has on its members, which “span three continents”. She noted that they were some of “the most affected by the climate crisis and the current global instability”.
Grynspan stressed that “geopolitical multipolarity is manifesting itself in trade, with trade activity being more decentralised and hence creating opportunities for more actors to benefit, but only if done in a multilateral framework”.
The need to protect the multilateral trading system and, for small states in particular, to continue to highlight multilateralism as the best route to address global challenges was the main takeaway of the discourse.
In examining the current tariff war, the Secretary General was clear in her
assessment that “the most damaging element is the uncertainty and the impact this will have on investment opportunities in the ACP”.
Ambassador Wilson, who also chairs the WTO MSME Working Group, said: “In the ACP, our business ecosystems are 90 per cent micro, small and medium-sized enterprises who will be particularly affected by these uncertainties and lack of predictability caused by tariff threats.”
In addressing the vulnerability of ACP states to debt issues, the climate crisis, food insecurity and commodification, Secretary General Grynspan praised the resilience of many of the countries but stressed that “resilience is not growth”.
“There is a need for universal safety nets, a reformed global financial architecture, and greater investment in South-South trade, including by reinvigorating the UNCTAD administered Global System of Trade Preferences Among Developing Countries,” she stated.
Grynspan also invited all ACP members to UNCTAD 16, which will take place in Vietnam in October 2025. Ambassador Wilson pledged to maintain an open-door policy between the ACP and UNCTAD.
(BGIS)
