Prime Minister Stephenson King Addresses Graduates of Cave Hill - University of the West Indies
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Monday, October 29, 2007 - “Trade in services accounts for over 60% of total exports in CARICOM, and nearly 80% of exports in the O.E.C.S. Therefore, it presents the best prospects for diversification of the economies and repositioning of Caribbean countries.”
That was the message from Prime Minister, the Honourable Stephenson King, to the graduating class of 2007, of the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services, of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, held in Barbados on Saturday, 27th October, 2007.
The Prime Minister noted that the shift to knowledge-based services is critical for the advancement of Caribbean Societies, as it will increase access to education and afford our people a better understanding and awareness of the pertinent issues for development of the region.
He urged the new graduates to continue the discourse on how best our region can construct an internationally competitive Services Sector, on entering the world of work.
Prime Minister King saw a link between this new training of qualified professionals in the field of International Trade Law, Policy and Services, as directly associated with advancements in the traditional service sectors such as Tourism, Finance, Banking and Insurance. It will also provide the expertise from within the region to deal with major trade issues now under negotiation with the European Union, such as an Economic Partnership Agreement and the DOHA round of negotiations.
These negotiations deal with disagreement between the Americans and Europeans, over the traditional preferences that the European countries have extended to Caribbean nations.
Prime Minister King however warned the new graduates that although they represent a special group in society who have attained a post-graduate degree, they must never allow such academic achievements to separate them from the less fortunate in society.
This was the third graduating class in the Masters in Trade Policy of the Shridath Ramphal Centre based at Cave Hill in Barbados, which was established in 2004.
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