Fixing the world’s broken economy is still a major issue for the several Heads of Government who attended this weekend’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Prime Minister Patrick Manning gave the assurance at a press conference at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Port of Spain, at the conclusion of the CHOGM.

Manning, who was also chair of the CHOGM, said although there was much focus on the upcoming Copenhagen Summit and the issue of climate change, the issue of the world’s faltering economy and the World Trade Organisation’s Ministerial conference, which kicks off today in Geneva, Switzerland, had not been put on the back burner by global leaders.

When asked whether the issues of protectionism and other detrimental trade practices, which have been re-emerging globally in light of the recent economic crisis, were given any specific attention at the CHOGM, Manning said despite all the focus placed on climate change at CHOGM, ’everyone wants a successful WTO (meeting), don’t think that has changed’.

He said both climate change and the global economic crisis were important issues.

This year’s WTO meeting comes at the tail end of a global economic downturn which has seen a surge in the individual pressures which each country has to face to keep their citizens employed and manufacturers alive.

However, at the same press conference, New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key said while protectionist measures in developed countries have increased, their existence should not be exaggerated or ’taken out of perspective’.

He also said that the issue of agriculture and food security should be high on the agenda at the WTO, and some headway in relation to completing the now stalled DOHA round of global trade negotiations should be sought after.

This country’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Mariano Browne, left here late Friday night for Switzerland to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the international trade round table.

Manning said while Caricom’s (Caribbean Community) position on international trade is more or less in sync, Browne is there on our behalf as other Caricom states have their ministers in Geneva to represent their interests.