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CANADA AND OAS SIGN AGREEEMENT TO ENHANCE
TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Canadian government today committed another US$2 million to an ongoing Organization of American States (OAS) program on trade capacity-building in the hemisphere, particularly for Caribbean countries. Signed today at OAS headquarters, the agreement is part of an overall package of trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives valued at $24 million, tailored to address specific sub-regional and national needs. Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) nations have been major beneficiaries of this funding.

Canada’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, Ambassador Paul Durand, signed the cooperation agreement along with OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza. Among other provisions, today’s agreement will further Canada’s support to OAS trade capacity-building efforts. The $2 million assistance is being made through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to the OAS’ Office of Trade, Growth and Competitiveness.

“We believe in free trade, we believe in its benefits and we want to ensure that our partners in the Americas enjoy these benefits, too,” remarked Durand, adding that the Canadian government views trade as “a very effective development tool and one of the essential parts of our prosperity agenda.” The Ambassador recalled Canada’s longstanding support for other OAS member states’ trade enhancement efforts, as well as its commitment to working through hemispheric institutions.

For his part, Secretary General Insulza thanked the Canadian government for helping the OAS nations develop their trade-related expertise. “Training is completely necessary, to enhance trade negotiating skills and know-how,” said Insulza, noting the assistance that Caribbean and Central American member states will receive to boost their trade development initiatives. He said, "Agreements are bridges. They have to be crossed.... Everybody has to learn to handle the tools of the trade," and lauded the assistance as especially significant for small countries, and reiterated the importance of free trade.

Building on previous support from Canada through the OAS, this project—which will be carried out through March 2007—will support trade-related capacity building initiatives in the region such as improving the availability and quality of service statistics for the OECS countries, the completion of “one-stop shops” for investment facilitation for the OECS countries, regulatory reform in services for the Andean Community as well as activities designed to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized economies in Central America and Panama.

Reference: E-107/05