WILLEMSTAD – On Friday, May 29, 2026, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organizations in Geneva, Mr. Matthew Wilson, paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Curaçao, His Excellency Mauritsz de Kort.
Mr. Wilson also serves as Chairman of the WTO Working Party on the Accession of Curaçao, the body responsible for overseeing and guiding Curaçao’s application to join the World Trade Organization.
During the visit, Mr. Wilson was accompanied by Mr. Dimitar Bratanov of the WTO, Mr. Caryl Monte, Chief Negotiator for Curaçao’s WTO accession process, Ms. Vanessa Toré, Director of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Sector at the Ministry of Finance, and Ms. Soraya Pols-Strick, Acting Head of Curaçao Customs.
The WTO delegation visited Curaçao as part of a series of discussions regarding the progress of the island’s accession process to the World Trade Organization. During the meeting, Governor De Kort was briefed on the current status of the process and the steps that have already been taken toward achieving WTO membership.
The discussions also highlighted cooperation among the various organizations involved and the ongoing efforts to further integrate Curaçao into the international trading system. Particular attention was given to recent initiatives undertaken by Curaçao Customs and the Ministry of Finance to strengthen institutional knowledge of WTO regulations and international trade rules.
Photo: The WTO delegation with the Governor of Curaçao, H.E. Mauritsz de Kort.