At the closing session of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Public Forum on Friday, September 13, Barbados took center stage, emphasizing its status as the birthplace of rum and showcasing the spirit’s deep economic and cultural significance for the island nation.
The Public Forum, held in Geneva, Switzerland, coincided with the WTO’s 30th anniversary. With the theme “Re-globalisation: Better Trade for a Better World,” the annual event drew diverse participants from government, international organizations, business, academia, and civil society.
A key feature of the forum was the session titled “Rethinking Rum: Building Sustainable Futures for the Global Industry,” where Barbados’ permanent representative to the United Nations, WTO, and other international organizations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, participated.
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Ambassador Wilson underscored Barbados as the birthplace of rum and acknowledged its complex history. He stated, “We can’t ignore that rum, like sugar, is tied to a difficult past of enslavement, colonialism, and exploitation. But what is remarkable is how we, as descendants of the enslaved, have transformed this commodity into something uniquely ours. Resilience, after all, runs deep in the Caribbean and among people of African and indigenous descent.”
Wilson highlighted the connection between sugar, rum, and culture, noting that this connection is a key driver behind efforts to include “Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum” on UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage List.
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Another standout moment of the forum was the rum tasting event, co-hosted by the Barbados and Guatemala Embassies alongside the WTO. The event featured rums and cultural displays from Caribbean, Latin American, and Indian Ocean countries. Barbados’ stall, featuring rum cocktails prepared by renowned Bajan mixologist David Barker, was a top attraction. Barker’s presence was made possible by the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s European branch, with rum supplied by the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association and traditional delicacies provided by Export Barbados.
Over 300 guests, including WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, attended the event. Ambassador Wilson remarked, “Rum is more than just a beverage in Barbados and the Caribbean. Each sip represents history, culture, trade potential, and the resilience of our people.”
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Rums from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mauritius, and Venezuela were recognized in various categories during the amateur rum competition.
The WTO Public Forum, featuring hundreds of panels and interactive sessions, offers a unique platform for participants to engage in global trade discussions and explore ways to enhance the multilateral trading system to ensure that trade benefits more people globally.
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