Directorate for Trade Transport and Sustainable Development

The Directorate for Transport, Trade, and Sustainable Development within the Association of Caribbean States is dedicated to advancing economic integration, connectivity, and sustainable growth across the countries of the Greater Caribbean. This pivotal Directorate plays a critical role in shaping regional policies and initiatives that promote inclusive development, enhance trade facilitation, and foster resilience in the face of global challenges. The achievement of 

The primary mandate of this Directorate is  promote and coordinate initiatives that strengthen transport infrastructure and facilitate trade within the Greater Caribbean region so as to enhance participation in the global economy. Key areas of focus include: 


1.Transport Infrastructure Development: Spearheading efforts to develop and modernize transportation infrastructure, with a focus on ports, airports, and maritime facilities, to improve connectivity, logistics efficiency and accessibility within the region. 

2.Trade Facilitation: Implementing measures to streamline customs procedures, reduce trade barriers, and harmonize regulations to facilitate smoother and more efficient cross-border trade flows.
 
3.Policy Formulation: Developing and advocating for policies and strategies that promote sustainable transport and trade practices, resilience to climate change impacts, and inclusive economic growth across Member States and Associate Members. 

4.Capacity Building and Technical Assistance: Providing technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and knowledge-sharing platforms to strengthen national and regional capabilities in transport management and trade facilitation. 

The Air Transport Agreement among the Member States confers airlines with the authority to operate freely across their respective territories, thereby providing passengers with a wider range of travel options and enhancing the overall travel experience. Airlines from ACS member states are empowered to operate with unparalleled ease, creating a competitive aviation market.
Safety and security hold utmost importance, and strict adherence to international norms ensures that your journey is not only enjoyable but also secure. Furthermore, the Agreement supports airlines in establishing offices, maintaining essential staff, and accessing ground services, thereby streamlining operations across borders.
 

The Business Forum of the Greater Caribbean serves as a dynamic platform for fostering entrepreneurial relations, promoting trade and investment, and facilitating knowledge exchange within the regional business community. This event is crucial in connecting business support organisations, trade officials, and stakeholders to create dialogue and develop partnerships, ultimately enhancing regional trade and global competitiveness.
Since its creation in 2000, the Business Forum has had a profound impact on the region by fostering increased productivity, innovation, and competitiveness. It has been instrumental in building a robust regional business environment that enhances sustainability and resilience. By facilitating the sharing of best practices and encouraging digital and technological transformation, the Forum helps businesses navigate the unique regional challenges and strengthens their ability to participate in global value chains.
The Forum aims to create spaces for stakeholders to share ideas, boost MSME development, and enhance public-private dialogue to contribute to a conducive business environment.
 

The Directorate for Transport and Trade undertakes a range of functions to fulfill its mandate, including:

This initiative, supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) since 2011, aimed to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2016 and the evolving dynamics of global trade.
The key objectives of the study include assessing container traffic, forecasting future trends, evaluating existing port facilities, reviewing investment projects, and conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis. These efforts are designed to optimize transportation costs, enhance port efficiency, and boost economic activities tied to maritime transport.
 

The Directorate collaborates closely with national governments, regional institutions, international organizations, and development agencies to align strategies, mobilize resources, and implement joint initiatives that promote sustainable transport and facilitate trade in the Greater Caribbean. These partnerships are essential for addressing common challenges, leveraging expertise, and maximizing the impact of regional initiatives.

The Directorate is responsible for the following Focal Areas

Although the ACS does not aim for economic integration, it does try to facilitate trade and coordinate economic external relations amongst its stakeholders. Currently, this takes a new form; that of improving and integrating processes and promoting digital transformation in the region.  Trade facilitation has many challenges because of different legal and regulatory frameworks, so the ACS has included in its Action Plan several strategic objectives to simplify processes amongst its membership. The ACS provides a space for the dialogue and cooperation necessary to further advance economic integration and intra-regional trade and investment, thereby improving the economic competitiveness of the Greater Caribbean region.

In a region so geographically dispersed as is the Greater Caribbean, connectivity is fundamental and critical for not only economic development but also socio- cultural cross-fertilisation.  The ACS coordinates efforts to improve all modes of transport, their respective infrastructure, and processes so that the movement of cargo and people can be carried out in the most seamless and economic manner.  The proper functioning of efficient and viable intraregional air and maritime routes not only facilitates closer intraregional relations but represents a fundamental base in the achievement of cooperation in the aforementioned areas.

The principal objective of this project is to create and foster an enabling environment where MSMEs in lucrative regional sectors can develop and thrive through enhanced business competitiveness. The proposal envisages the creation of a confluence of regional business development tools and services capacity development that would support MSME development in the region.

This project dates back to the Third Special Transportation Committee (STC) meeting of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) held in 1999 when, consequent upon the proposal of  Mr. Pedro Suárez Reyes a member of the Cuban Delegation, to endorse a resolution approved during the ACS Ministerial Meeting to “Unite the Caribbean Region by Air and Sea”.
After multiple presentations and formulations of its technical profile, the Greater Caribbean Project was approved in the XIV STC Meeting, held in Havana, Cuba in September 2006. It is worth highlighting that the representatives established a multinational team to carry out the project based on horizontal technical cooperation, which, in turn, resulted in savings on expensive consultancy fees. The agencies designated by the STC were the Central American Commission of Maritime Transport (COCATRAM), Cuba Ministry of Transport (MITRANS) and the Panama Maritime Authority. (AMP).
Maritime Routes Maps of the Greater Caribbean website: https://www.cocatram.org.ni/