Saint Lucia Nominated For World Trade Promotion Organization (WTPO) Award

(Geneva) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) today announced that 18 national trade promotion organizations have been shortlisted for the 2020 World Trade Promotion Organization (WTPO) Excellence in Export Initiatives Awards, with Saint Lucia being the only island in the Caribbean Region selected.

The WTPO Awards 2020 received 60 applications, the highest number since the awards were created in 2004. The shortlisted organizations are competing in three categories:

  • Best use of a partnership – Colombia, Egypt, Sweden, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Netherlands, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe;
  • Best use of information technology – Brazil, China, Georgia, Malaysia, Portugal, United Arab Emirates;
  • Best initiative to ensure that trade is inclusive and sustainable – Austria, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Saint Lucia, Spain.

Elated upon hearing this, Minister of Commerce, Industry, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs, Hon. Bradley Felix said, “The fact that we were selected as a finalist, regardless of the outcome, shows how far our products have been recognized and reached. We must appreciate the quality of what we have. If it can be recognized internationally, what’s preventing us from equally enjoying and indulging in the best of our own? Congratulations to Export Saint Lucia!”

Export Saint Lucia’s CEO, equally jubilant said, “Even getting to that stage among all countries of the world is a tremendous achievement. We look forward to the announcement of the overall winner. Being shortlisted for such a prestigious award is rewarding and fulfilling. It is quite a complement for us to be listed among Agencies that are astronomically bigger than ours, because of the quality of our work and the impact of our initiatives. Export Saint Lucia continues to strive for operational excellence, which translates into excellence for our clients and by extension their clients. It is a winning attitude”

The TPO Network World Conference is a biennial event, first held in 1996 in Cartagena, Colombia. The 13th conference, themed ‘Bold solutions for resilience and recovery’ will bring together more than 200 TPO representatives, policymakers and business leaders from over 70 economies.

The winners will be announced at the 13th WTPO Conference in Accra, Ghana, on 14 October.