SHARON Hay Webster, government backbencher in the House of Representatives, has been elected co-rapporteur on trade in the Standing Committee on Economy, Finance & Trade of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) of the ACP and EU.

ACP (African) Caribbean and Pacific states are linked by a common colonial history to the EU (European Union) countries.

Hay Webster, People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament for South Central St Catherine, was elected to the position at the 5th meeting of the JPA, held in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, March 31-April 3.

Her candidacy was supported by the delegates from Samoa, Mauritius, and Ghana, and was reportedly welcomed by both the ACP and EU.

“Both sides felt that it was good that Jamaica was appointed, because the country has a good network of foreign missions to track developments and co-ordinate activities. We (members of the Committee) will be looking primarily at trade issues, especially in respect of Cotonou and the WTO negotiations which are incomplete”, she told the Observer.”

Of primary interest among ACP states she said were coffee, sugar and rice.

In that regard, she said Jamaica, Ethiopia and Cote d’Ivoire had moved a resolution on Coffee, calling for more support “for certain varieties of coffee, which if not protected, will cause them, and Ethiopia, in particular, to lose market positions. So we are looking for support to safeguard specific varieties of coffee.”

During the committee meeting, there were also lengthy discussions on safeguarding rural economies and support for agrarian reform, she said.

The meeting looked at preserving as many of the preferences as possible from the previous Lome Agreements

Delegates also established an agenda for the Committee to be proactive in anticipating political, economic and social issues as they emerge from the negotiations, according to Hay-Webster.

“Our role is really one of monitoring; we will have to review the positions of the parties involved and ensure that structures are in place for the negotiations; look at the outcomes of the various negotiating sessions”, she explained.

The main issues for ACP states, she said, were “market access, supply constraints and the fiscal implications of the Cape Town declaration — which looked at issues of sustainable development”.

The Brazzaville meeting of the JPA also passed a resolution on the war in Iraq, expressing concern over “the many casualties and the massive destruction it has caused”, while hoping for a rapid end to hostilities.

The next meeting of the JPA is scheduled for Rome in October, while the Standing Committee on Economy, Finance & Trade will meet in Brussels in July.

Members of the Assembly were hoping that the next meeting after Rome will be in the Caribbean, she said, with Jamaica being a distinct possibility. Given the nature of communications now, it is much easier to collaborate and communicate.