Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, is leading the country’s delegation at the 2023 Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting (CTMM) taking place at Marlborough House in London. The two-day meeting, held on June 5-6, brings together trade ministers from Commonwealth countries to discuss and address key issues related to trade and investment.
Expressing her commitment on Twitter, Johnson Smith stated, “Always seeking to ensure the perspectives of developing countries including SIDS (Small Island Developing States) are considered in discussions on global policies that impact our development prospects.”
The CTMM is a significant gathering as it marks the first in-person meeting since 2019, providing an excellent opportunity for Jamaica and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to leverage Commonwealth relationships in enhancing trade and investment within a complex global environment.
This year’s CTMM revolves around the theme “Delivering a Common Future: Cooperation for Resilient, Inclusive, Green and Digital Economies.” It offers a platform for ministers to review the progress made since the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and explore avenues for mutual cooperation to increase intra-Commonwealth trade. The outcomes and guidance from this meeting will shape the agenda for the upcoming 2024 CHOGM.
Dr Jean Chrysostome Ngabitsinze, Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, who chairs this year’s CTMM, emphasized the need for practical and action-oriented commitments. He highlighted the importance of Commonwealth principles and values in driving discussions and commitments, urging bold and ambitious steps to address the mandates set by the heads of government.
During the meeting, ministers will assess the state of the multilateral trading system in preparation for the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference scheduled for February 2024 in Abu Dhabi. Discussions will cover various themes, including trade policy solutions to tackle the climate crisis, promoting digital trade, supporting the multilateral trading system, and strengthening trade and investment across the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland welcomed the trade ministers and underscored the significance of their gathering. She highlighted the shared vision of achieving $2 trillion in intra-Commonwealth trade by 2030 and emphasized the interconnected nature of the challenges faced by member countries, such as the consequences of COVID-19, mounting debt, inflation, food and energy costs, instability, conflict, and the impacts of climate change. Scotland expressed confidence in the readiness of the participants to engage in productive discussions, building upon the groundwork laid by senior trade officials, ambassadors to the World Trade Organization, and the Commonwealth’s dedicated Trade Team.
