During the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Public Forum closing session last Friday, September 13, Barbados took the opportunity to highlight the island as the birthplace of rum and how it is an economic and cultural product for the country.
The Public Forum, which coincided with the WTO’s 30th anniversary was held in Geneva, Switzerland, under the theme “Re-globalisation: Better Trade for a Better World”.
The annual event deemed one of the WTO’s largest outreach forums attracted a diverse set of stakeholders, including government policymakers, international organisations, the business community, academia, parliamentary representatives, and civil society.
One of the highlights of the Forum was the closing session focused on “Rethinking Rum: Building Sustainable Futures for the Global Industry”, in which Barbados’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, WTO and other International Organizations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, participated.
Ambassador Wilson shared that Barbados is the birthplace of rum, and noted that like sugar, rum had a difficult history. He continued: “We can’t ignore that. It is wrapped up in a history of enslavement, colonialism, and exploitation. But the beautiful thing is how we, as a previously enslaved people, have taken this commodity and this industry and made it our own. Resilience is, after all, not a recent attribute for people from the Caribbean and people of African descent and indigenous communities. It is in our blood.”
The Ambassador also spoke of the intrinsic link between sugar, rum, and culture, which is one of the main motivators for the work that has been developed to have “Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum” included in the tentative list of proposals put forward for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Another highlight of the Public Forum was the closing rum tasting event, which was organised by the Barbados and Guatemala Embassies and the WTO. Several countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Indian Ocean showcased their rums, culture, and products.
Barbados had one of the “most in-demand stalls” at the event primarily because of the rum cocktails and showmanship of Bajan mixologist David Barker, whose participation was made possible by the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s Europe branch. The West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association provided the rum to the Embassy, while various ‘Bajan’ delicacies were supplied by Export Barbados.
At the event, attended by over 300 people, including the WTO Director, General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Ambassador Wilson said: “Rum is not just a drink for us in Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean. Remember that you are not just drinking a liquid. You are drinking history, culture, trade potential, and resilience.”
Rums from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mauritius, and Venezuela won in various categories in the amateur rum competition.
The WTO Public Forum, with hundreds of panels and engagement sessions, provides a unique platform for interaction among participants from around the world. Those persons get the opportunity to engage and discuss the latest developments in global trade and propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system, to make trade more inclusive and ensure that it benefits more people.
