The document summarizes regional preparations for negotiations between CARICOM and Canada on a Trade and Development Agreement. Key steps in preparations include exploratory discussions between officials to identify negotiation topics, completion of CARICOM's negotiating brief incorporating stakeholder input, and approval of the brief by CARICOM Heads of Government. Negotiations are expected to cover 5 groups: market access, trade in services, investment, institutional issues, and trade-related topics. A College of Lead Negotiators with expertise in relevant areas was established to coordinate CARICOM's negotiation positions.

1. OTN BARBADOS OFFICE
1st Floor, Speedbird House, Bridgetown BB11121,
Ref: 31000.3/1-2010-07-28 BARBADOS
Tel: (246) 430‐1670 Fax: (246) 228‐9528
Email: barbados.office@crnm.org
OTN JAMAICA OFFICE
2ND Floor, PCJ Building, Kingston 5,
JAMAICA
Tel: (876) 908‐4242 Fax: (876) 754‐2998
Email: jamaica.office@crnm.org
Trade Brief
The Region’s Preparations for the Negotiation
of a CARICOM-Canada Trade & Development
Agreement
Regional preparations for the Commencement of the Negotiations
Regional preparations for the commencement of negotiations for a Trade and Development Agreement between CARICOM and
Canada are at an advanced stage. At this juncture the following preparatory steps have been undertaken:
1. Senior CARICOM and Canadian Trade Officials have engaged in further exploratory technical discussions to identify the
broad subject scope and structure of the negotiations in keeping with the mandates of the 19th Inter- Sessional Meeting of the
Conference of Heads of Government held in March 2008.
2. The Draft CARICOM Negotiating Brief, which has been influenced by (i) the inputs of decisions taken at two Meetings of the
Technical Working Group (TWG) on CARICOM-Canada negotiations; and (ii) recommendations of an OECS study to inform
the sub-Region’s strategy and approach to the negotiations with Canada, has been completed.
3. National consultations on the draft Negotiating Brief in order to generate comments from stakeholders on the
recommendations contained therein have been implemented.
4. The Draft Negotiating Brief has been approved by the Heads of Government during the 20th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the
Conference of Heads of Government which was held 12-13 March 2009 in Belize.
5. In accordance with the mandate set by the 31st Special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development
(COTED) on External Trade Negotiations, a Paper was prepared which expressed the objectives and guiding principles
which should inform the treatment of development in the negotiations. The recommendations of the paper have been
appended to the Draft Negotiating brief.
CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement

2. Page 2 www.crnm.org
The Scope of the Negotiations
While the approach to the negotiations adopted by Canada is likely to place emphasis on negotiating an ambitious and
comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), CARICOM Member will maintain a stance which argues for the negotiation of an
agreement which emphasizes the application of the Principle of Asymmetry. Therefore CARICOM expectations will include the
negotiation of terms which accommodate the differences in development between CARICOM Member States and Canada on one
hand, as well as the divergences in development amongst CARICOM countries. Furthermore, CARICOM will seek to secure an
agreement which in its formal expression of scope and content prominently reflects a focus on development.
Exploratory discussions held between CARICOM and Canadian officials in June 2008 in principle have resulted in an agreement
that the negotiations will encompass five (5) negotiating Groups. These are as follows: Market Access/Trade in Goods, Trade in
Services, Investment, Institutional and Dispute Settlement, Trade-related Issues. The Canadians also propose negotiations on
Labour and Environment. The two sides have also agreed to exchange proposals before or during the negotiations.
The proposed subject scope and potential negotiating groups are set out below:
I: Goods/ Market Access
-National Treatment and Market Access (including Agriculture)
-Technical Barriers to Trade
-Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
-Emergency Action/Trade Defense Measures
-Rules of Origin
-Trade Facilitation
-Customs Procedures
II: Trade in Services
-Cross-Border Trade in Services
-Financial Services
-Temporary entry of Business Persons
-Telecommunications
-Tourism
-Cultural Co-operation
III: Investment
IV: Institutional and Dispute Settlement
-Institutional & General Provisions
-Dispute Settlement
V: Trade Related Issues
-Transparency in Government Procurement
-Competition Policy, Monopolies & State Enterprises
-E-Commerce
-Intellectual Property/Trade and Innovation
-Trade-Related Cooperation/ Development
VI: Labour (Side Agreement)
VII: Environment (Side Agreement)
CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement

3. Page 3 www.crnm.org
Final approval of the Parties on the scope of negotiations was achieved through the convening of a Meeting of the CARICOM
Ministers of Foreign Trade and the Canadian Minister of International Trade which was held September 11th, 2009 – signaling the
end of the exploratory phase of the negotiations
The Structure of the Negotiations
Negotiating Rounds will alternate between Canada and CARICOM, on the basis of two meetings in the Caribbean alternating with
one in Canada. Regarding the timeframe for negotiations, both Sides agreed on the need for flexibility in the negotiating schedule,
recognising the capacity constraints in CARICOM Member States and the need to take into consideration the nature of decision-
making in CARICOM. It was agreed that to the extent possible, use would be made of video conferencing facilities.
Technical negotiations will be conducted on two levels, between subject-specific lead negotiators from CARICOM and Canada
and between Chief Negotiators of both Sides. Unlike in the EPA where separate meetings of the Principal Negotiators were
convened, the Chief Negotiators will attend the Technical Negotiating Rounds and would have the opportunity to meet as
necessary during, and at the end of each Negotiating Round to unblock issues in the negotiations.
It was agreed during the September Ministerial that Ministerial oversight of the negotiations will be facilitated without establishing a
Ministerial negotiating level. The process of Ministerial engagement will remain flexible and responsive to the negotiating process.
Source: OTN
CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement

4. Page 4 www.crnm.org
The College of Lead and Alternate Lead Negotiators
The simultaneous negotiation of several trade issues as part of one international trade agreement, such as
the CARICOM‐Canada Trade and Development Agreement (TADA), is a complex process. Successful
conclusion of the exercise requires not only administrative coordination but technocratic/thematic
synchronization to ensure that per issue, the terms negotiated are complementary and are consistent with
the overall negotiation mandate. Such undertakings are facilitated through a College of Negotiators.
A College may be required for each negotiating arena. For the TADA negotiations, a College of Lead and
Alternate Lead Negotiators was established and comprised of individuals with expertise in the various
negotiating subjects and trade‐related disciplines. Led by the Dean of the College, who is the CARICOM Chief
Negotiator, Ambassador Gail Mathurin, the College is directed by mandates approved by the CARICOM
Heads of Government, and was supervised by trade ministers. The execution of the College’s technical
responsibilities was informed by technical advice from the OTN.
CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement

5. Page 5 www.crnm.org
College of Negotiators for the CARICOM‐Canada Trade
and Development Agreement
CHIEF NEGOTIATOR
Ambassador Gail Mathurin
Director General, OTN
FTA CO‐ORDINATOR
Michele Lowe
Senior Co‐ordinator, Hemispheric and Bilateral Negotiations, OTN
MARKET ACCESS (GOODS)
Lead Negotiator Alternate (Agriculture)
Branford Isaacs Carl Greenidge
Consultant OTN Deputy Senior Director
CARIFORUM Lead Negotiator on Market Access (EPA); Former Director, ACP‐EU Technical Centre for Agricultural
CARICOM Lead Negotiator on Market Access (FTAA), and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Netherlands
(CARICOM‐Cuba) etc.
Alternate (Rules of Origin and Customs Alternate (TBT )
Procedures)
Norris Breedy Dr. Allyson Plummer
Deputy Programme Manager, CARICOM Single Market &
Economy CARIFORUM Alternate Negotiator on Market
Access (EPA, FTAA)
Alternate (Trade Defence Measures) Alternate (SPS)
Audel Cunningham Malcolm Spence
OTN Legal Counsel OTN Senior Co‐ordinator – Intellectual Property, Science and
CARIFORUM technical expert on TDM (EPA negotiations) Technology CARIFORUM Alternate Negotiator on TBT & SPS
(EPA) and CARICOM Alternate Negotiator on IPR (FTAA)
TRADE IN SERVICES
Lead Negotiator Alternate
Sonja Allyson Francis Timothy Odle
Programme Officer, Sir Shridath Ramphal Centre, UWI Deputy Programme Manager, Services
Cave Hill OTN/Commonwealth Consultant for CARICOM Secretariat
preparation of CARIFORUM EPA Services Offer
Lawrence Placide
Consultant, Adviser to the Government of Trinidad and
Tobago, Services, CARIFORUM Alternate Negotiator (FTAA
and EPA negotiations)
Natallie Rochester‐King
OTN Services Analyst
CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement

6. Page 6 www.crnm.org
INVESTMENT
Lead Negotiator Alternate
Francoise Hendy Lincoln Price
Director of International Business, OTN Private Sector Liaison
Ministry of Economic Affairs & Development (Barbados) Former Manager of Corporate Affairs, JAMPRO (Investment
Barbados Lead Negotiator for Bilateral Investment Promotion) Member of Jamaican negotiating team for
Treaties various Bilateral Investment Treaties
TRADE‐RELATED ISSUES
Lead Negotiator Alternate (Trade and Innovation)
Patrice Pratt Malcolm Spence
OTN Technical Advisor on Trade Related Issues OTN Senior Co‐ordinator – Intellectual Property, Science and
(Government Procurement) Technology
CARIFORUM Lead Negotiator on TRI (EPA) CARIFORUM Alternate Negotiator on TRI (EPA) and
CARICOM Lead Negotiator on Government Procurement CARICOM Alternate Negotiator on IPR (FTAA)
(FTAA)
Alternate (Competition Policy)
Audel Cunningham
OTN Legal Counsel
CARIFORUM technical expert on Competition Policy (EPA
negotiations)
LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
Lead Negotiator Alternate
Dr. Kusha Haraksingh Audel Cunningham
Senior Lecturer, UWI St. Augustine OTN Legal Counsel
Co‐ordinator – CARICOM Competition Commission
CARIFORUM Lead Negotiator on Legal and Institutional Alternate (Institutional Issues)
Issues (EPA)
David Hales
Programme Manager – External Economic and Trade
Relations, CARICOM Secretariat;
ACP Group, CARICOM‐DR FTA, CARICOM‐Costa Rica FTA,
CARICOM‐Cuba FTA etc.
CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement

7. Page 7 www.crnm.org
CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement