The Hon. Leslie O. Miller, Minister of Trade and Industry, will lead a delegation to the Fifth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting, which will be held in Cancun, Mexico, Sept. 10-14. Minister Miller will be accompanied by Mrs. Helen Ebong, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry; Mrs. Wendy Craigg, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank; Mr. William Poitier, Assistant Comptroller, Bahamas Customs; Mrs. Bernadette Butler, Senior Counsel, Department of Legal Affairs; and Mr. Hank Ferguson, an economist in the ministry. The WTO Ministerial Conference is held every two years, and will be attended by 154 trade ministers, 146 of whom represent member-states of the WTO.  These countries represent 97 per cent of the world’s population. The conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO, and directs the work of the General Council.  Decisions at this level, the ministry said Thursday, are taken by explicit consensus. It is expected that during the Ministerial Meeting, discussions will continue on the implementation of the “Doha Development Agenda,” which places developmental issues and the interests of poorer member-states as priority in the multi-lateral trading system. The Bahamas obtained observer status in the WTO in July, 2000, and submitted its application for full membership in July, 2001.  The Bahamas is one of 39 countries with observer status in the organization. The ministry said the government is now finalizing the Memorandum of Trade Regime, which is a descriptive document of the legal, economic and trade regime of The Bahamas.  The submission of the document to the WTO will commence The Bahamas’ first substantive step towards membership, the ministry said. The Bahamas’ delegation will use the Mexico meeting to engage in a dialogue with selected members of the WTO, particularly those who have expressed an interest in serving on the membership of the Working Party, the ministry said. “The delegation,” it added, “will also conduct bilateral discussions with member-countries as well as representatives of other international organizations present at the meeting to discuss ways and means to access new sources of technical assistance, training and co-operation for The Bahamas as it seeks to build capacity and become more fully integrated into the global economy.” 
30 September 04, 2003