BASSETERRE – The intellectual capacity of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) has been furthered strengthened as the Caribbean Community prepares for new negotiations with the World Trade Organisation and the European Union.

Director General of the CRNM, ambassador Richard Bernal, who is attending the current Caricom Summit in St Kitts and Nevis, yesterday announced four new appointments. The appointees are:

. Dr Norman Girvan of the Institute of International Relations of the UWI, and former Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS);

. Dr Robert Devlin, an expert on trade, integration and external debt;

. Dr Anthony Clayton, Alcan Professor of Caribbean Sustainable Development (UWI); and

. Professor Andrew Downes of the UWI.

Together, according to Bernal, they would “supplement the capacity of the CRNM for the next phase of external trade negotiations in which the region is involved”.

Bernal explained that in his efforts to “harness valuable expertise” to strengthen the negotiating capacity of the CRNM, he had earlier invited distinguished regional intellectuals like Sir Alister McIntyre, ambassador Havelock Brewster and Professor Bishnodat Persaud to “enhance the pool of expertise associated with the CRNM”.

The skills of the non-staff experts invited to assist the CRNM are provided on a voluntary basis and at no cost to the Machinery, which is an institution of Caricom.