Costa Rica launches charm offensive in Jamaica - Seeks support for WTO candidacy
Published:Friday | March 15, 2013 | 12:00 AM
McPherse Thompson, Assistant Editor - Business
The Costa Rican nominee for director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is seeking the votes of Jamaica and other governments of CARICOM, saying that the Central American nation is as vulnerable in many ways as other small island developing nations.
Minister of Trade Anabel Gonzalez is seeking the support, cognisant of the view in some circles that Costa Rica tends to oppose special treatment for small, vulnerable developing countries.
However, in an interview with the Financial Gleaner in Kingston last week, Gonzalez explained that that was one of the very issues she wished to address and on which she wished to clear the air.
First, she said, Costa Rica, which has an area of 51,100 square kilometres, is a small country with a population of 4.5 million. "This is a small country and relates very well to other small countries," Gonzalez emphasised.
very vulnerable
Second, she said, Costa Rica is as vulnerable in many ways as countries in the Caribbean region: "Vulnerable to natural disasters, vulnerable to the effects of climate change and we see this every year. We also have similar challenges, challenges like increases in unemployment, eradicating poverty. So from that perspective, I have to say we are very much in the same place."
The Costa Rican government has had sometimes different views as to how to approach those challenges. "But this is not to say that the country does not recognise that there are challenges, does not understand these challenges and is not looking very actively to try to address these challenges in the same way as Jamaica and other countries in the region are doing," the trade minister said.
Gonzalez explained that Costa Rica was trying to diversify the economy to continue growing and to open up new opportunities for its people, "But this does not mean that we have forgotten our neighbourhood. We very well understand where we have come from and we would like to move to a better position alongside with all the countries in the region."
Last week, she also met with Jamaica's Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister A.J. Nicholson, to discuss her candidacy and, according to her, "I would say that if there is one candidate in this process that is close to this realm is the candidate from Costa Rica."
However, she pointed out that when a candidate assumes the position of director general, it will be to represent the interest of all members and not the interest of his or her own country.
"But, of course, smaller countries will obviously be close to my heart because I come from a small country myself," Gonzalez said.
"I certainly will hope to get the support from Jamaica and from other CARICOM countries," she said, adding that "I would be very honoured if that were to be the case."
Nine candidates are vying for the post of director general, to be appointed by the general council comprising all WTO members on May 31. The current director general, Pascal Lamy of France, demits office on August 31.
the power of trade
Gonzalez is no stranger to the WTO, having worked on a case when Costa Rica took the United States to the world body when it was established in the mid-1990s.
"So that experience sort of focused my attention on strengthening the dispute-settlement mechanism so that it is effective for large as well as small countries," she said.
"One of the reasons I'm running for this position is that I strongly believe in the power of trade as an instrument for growth and development," Gonzalez explained.
"I think that developing countries today account for about half of world trade and that is very important. But still there are a number of countries which have small participation, or no participation, in global trade. And I believe that the WTO has an important role to play in this regard," she added.
"If I have the privilege of being selected for the role of director general, I would work very strongly to strengthen the aid for trade initiative in close collaboration with donors and regional development banks," she explained.
"I have had the experience myself of working for a regional development bank on aid for trade projects, including here in Jamaica in the past. That is another area that will be high in my agenda," Gonzalez said.
The WTO-led aid-for-trade initiative encourages developing country governments and donors to recognise the role that trade can play in development. In particular, it seeks to mobilise resources to address trade-related constraints identified by developing and least-developed countries.