Minister_SincklerThe Honourable Christopher Peter Sinckler, M.P., was appointed Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs on September 30, 2010. Previously, he held the post of Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment, Urban and Rural Development. Today, he still holds the portfolio of Finance and Economic Affairs following his re-appointment on February 28, 2013.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Sinckler worked in the public, private, and civil society sectors in the Caribbean, on policy issues relating to macro-economic reform, trade liberalisation, poverty reduction and social development. He has worked covering institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, World Trade Organisation, African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Union among others.

In this regard, he has been a strong advocate for developing processes that engender the region’s external trade competitiveness in a sustainable manner and has been a leader in regional and global civil society for the past ten (10) years.

Personal/Professional:

The Honourable Christopher Peter Sinckler
was born in Barbados on October 1st, 1967. In 1990, he graduated from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus with a Bachelor of Arts, Upper Second Class Honours and in 2005 was awarded a Masters of Science degree in International Trade Policy.

From 1999 until his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business, Mr. Sinckler served as the Executive Coordinator of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CDPC) – a coalition of Caribbean, non-governmental organisations that has lobbied regional and international governments on behalf of the sections of the Caribbean populations on international trade and development issues and their implications for the region. Prior to assuming this position, he was the CDPC’s Senior Programme Officer-Structural Adjustment and Economic Liberalisation from 1994 to 1998.

Between 1987 and 1989, he was a Research Assistant at the Learning Centre and served as the Personal Aide to the former Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Barbados, Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, during the period 1990 to 1994. He was a tutor at the University of the West Indies in Government and Political Science from 1990 to 1994 and from 2000 to 2003, he held the position of Director, Global Secretariat, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Working Group on the World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Additionally, from 2006, he lectured at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Regional Economic Integration and Development and on Small Economies and Contemporary International Trade Policy issues in 1997 in the Masters in International Trade Policy.

Special Appointments:
From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Sinckler held the position of Chairman of the Non-Governmental Organisations Working Group on the World Bank, Global Steering Committee and served as the Joint Chair, World Bank Civil Society Committee, Washington DC for the same period. From 1999 until 2003 he was the Principal Liaison for global NGOs to the Executive Board of the World Bank and Coordinator of the Caribbean (NGOs) Reference Group on Trade from 1997 to 2004.

Special Committee Service:
Mr. Sinckler has served as policy advisor on regional integration and external trade negotiations issues to a number of committees, including the Regional (CARIFORUM) Preparatory Task Force on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) Negotiations between the European Union (EU) and CARIFORUM; the Regional Negotiating Machinery Working Group on Market Access, EPA negotiations; the CARIFORUM Regional Advisory Committee on the Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (CRIP); the Prime Minister’s Regional Stakeholders Advisory Committee on CARICOM Single Market and Economy Implementation; the CARICOM Task Force on the CARICOM Single Economy and the Caribbean Development Bank Poverty Reduction Review Committee.

Other committees which he has served on are the Joint Consultative Council of the Social Partners and CARICOM Heads of Government from 1997 to 2003 and the Off-Campus Advisory Board of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Research (SALISES) from 2000 to 2001.

Research/Advocacy Papers:
Mr. Sinckler has written a several articles as part of his research and advocacy on WTO, FTAA, EPA, and CSME matters for Caribbean NGOs and his work with key regional and international organisations. They include:-

  • Caribbean Studies Thesis: “Democratic Socialism or State Capitalism – The Role Of National Government in Post Independence Barbados 1966-76”;
  • “Death, Taxes of Structural Adjustment: Analysing the Economic Reform Effort in Barbados 1991-93”;
  •  “Unequal Treatment for Unequal Partners: Protecting the Interest of Small and Vulnerable States in the Multilateral Trading System”;
  • “Promoting Regional Hemispheric Integration in the Fight to Reduce Poverty in the Americas”;
  •  “Repas or Rip offs: Assessing the Challenges facing the Caribbean in the Move Towards Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU”;
  • “Assessing some key Implications Arising from the Mode IV Provisions in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas: Searching for a way Forward”;
  •  “Assessing the Relative Trade Advantage Merchandise Exports of Barbados in the CARICOM Market”;
  • “Analysing the Cost of Protection in the Meat Sector in Barbados: The case of the Poultry Industry”.

Family/Recreation:
Mr. Sinckler is married to Arlyn G. Sinckler and is the father of Tatyana, Che and Niccolo. His recreational activities are reading, cycling and tennis. He is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of St. Michael North West.

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