BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC—Barbados says it will use the first Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF), to be held here in May, as an avenue for discussions involving Small Islands Development States (SIDS) on possible solutions to global trade.
“Global supply chains are fundamental to the smooth operation of international trade and commerce. Air and maritime transportation, port management, logistics, courier services, and warehousing all form part of global supply chains, and a breakdown or disruption to any link or node can affect all others on the chain,” said the Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Donna Forde,
“Small Island Developing States depend on international trade for economic and sustainable development given their limited resource endowments. SIDS heavily relies on supply chains to ensure businesses and citizens have access to their required goods and services,” she added.
The May 21-24 conference, which will be held in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretariat, will focus on “Transport, Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Trade-driven Development.”
Speaking at the hybrid press launch for the event, Forde said that some of the main objectives of the GSCF are to raise awareness surrounding the global supply chain crisis and its impact on SIDS and discuss possible solutions and the way forward for trade.
She said that the conference’s hosting is timely, as many SIDS seek to rebound from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and build resilience from the climate crisis but are being impeded by disruptions in the global supply chain.
Such challenges include:
- Rising shipping costs.
- The Red Sea crisis.
- The war in Ukraine and disruptions to crucial trade corridors – the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal.
The Director General said that the populations of SIDS depend on supply chains for almost every facet of their daily lives, and “therefore, if not managed properly, this confluence of disruptions could directly influence our ability to sustain economic growth, maintain our standards of living and achieve our sustainable development goals.”
The National Coordinator for the GSCF, Carlos Wharton, said that the Forum is essential, especially for SIDS, because it highlights the plight faced by disruptions in the supply chain.
He said “everything” in Barbados revolves around trade, from importing food and petroleum products to pharmaceuticals, as well as the raw materials and equipment used to produce our local products.
“The solutions aren’t easily obtainable. We have to take a long slog, one step at a time, to achieve any success in the trading development space,” he said in response to the possible outcome of the Forum.
“The major milestone is that UNCTAD is taking the time and attention to focus on global supply chains. UNCTAD is a dedicated UN body responsible for trade and development, and it’s critical that the United Nations has a say on how global supply chains are to operate at the core of the system. So, from my perspective, the success of this Forum is the fact that it is being held.”
Wharton said that more than 300 people have registered as participants, and 96 have registered as speakers.
He said the figure does not include the heads of government, ministers of trade, or heads of international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), or The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
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