Summit of the Americas III, Quebec City, Canada, April 20-22, 2001: Background, Objectives, and Results
Congressional research reportMay 10, 2001
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Summit of the Americas III,
Quebec City, Canada, April 20-22, 2001:
Background, Objectives, and Results
Updated May 10, 2001
-name redacted- and -name redactedAnalysts in Latin American Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
Summit of the Americas III,
Quebec City, Canada, April 20-22, 2001:
Background, Objectives, and Results
Summary
Summit of the Americas III was held in Quebec City, Canada, on April 20-22,
2001, and was attended by 34 democratically elected Presidents and Prime Ministers
from the Western Hemisphere, including President George W. Bush. It was President
Bush’s first international summit, and his first major opportunity to reemphasize the
priority his administration places on the Western Hemisphere, given that he visited
Mexico in mid-February, spoke at the Organization of American States (OAS) in midApril, and met with seven hemispheric leaders before he attended the Summit in
Canada.
The Quebec City Summit was a follow up to the presidential-level Summit of the
Americas I (Miami, Florida, December 1994) and Summit of the Americas II
(Santiago, Chile, April 1998), as well as the ministerial Summit for Sustainable
Development (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, December 1996).
Most analysts agree that the hemispheric countries and organizations have made
progress on the broad mandates established in 1994, 1996, and 1998, namely to
preserve and strengthen democracy, promote prosperity through freer trade, eradicate
poverty and discrimination, and guarantee sustainable development and environmental
conservation. However, some argue that progress has been disappointing in
education, sustainable development, and in promotion of civil society participation.
Others argue that democracy remains fragile in the hemisphere and that poverty,
discrimination, and injustice are still pervasive.
The Quebec Summit had a high degree of consensus among the 34 heads of
state, although there are still considerable differences regarding the final form of the
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The hemispheric leaders dealt with three
major themes: (1) Strengthening Democracy, where they agreed to a democracy
clause that specified that democratic government was an essential condition for
participation in the summit process; (2) Creating Prosperity, where they agreed to
advance toward the conclusion of the agreement on the FTAA by January 2005; and
(3) Realizing Human Potential, where they agreed to initiatives to promote education,
health, and greater equity for women, youth, and indigenous peoples. Considerable
press coverage focused on the protesters who argue that free trade agreements benefit
business groups and the wealthy while resulting in the degradation of labor and
environmental standards.
Congress may be particularly interested in plans to advance FTAA negotiations,
in efforts to implement the democracy clause for the hemisphere, in future
assessments under the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) of hemispheric
counter-narcotics efforts, and in plans for bilateral and multilateral cooperation to
promote hemispheric socioeconomic reforms.
Contents
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Major Actions on Summit Initiatives Since 1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
I. Preserving and Strengthening Democracies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Strengthening Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Promoting Human Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Invigorating Civil Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Combating Corruption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Combating Illegal Drugs and Related Crimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Eliminating the Threat of Terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Building Confidence and Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Strengthening Local Government and Judicial Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
II. Promoting Prosperity Through Economic Integration and Free Trade . . 4
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Strengthening Financial Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Strengthening Hemispheric Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Cooperation in Science and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
III. Eradicating Poverty and Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Universal Access to Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Equitable Access to Basic Health Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Strengthening the Role of Women in Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Encouraging Microenterprises and Small Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Strengthening the Rights of Workers and Migrant Workers . . . . . . . . 5
Advancing the Rights of Indigenous Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
IV. Guaranteeing Sustainable Development and Conserving the
Natural Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Promoting Sustainable Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Conserving Water Resources and Coastal Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Promoting Regional Energy Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Agenda for the Quebec Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1. Strengthening Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2. Creating Prosperity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Realizing Human Potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Civil Society Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Congressional Interest in the Quebec Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Results of the Quebec Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1. Strengthening Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Making Democracy Work Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Justice, Rule of Law, and Security of the Individual . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Hemispheric Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Civil Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2. Creating Prosperity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Trade, Investment, and Financial Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Infrastructure and Regulatory Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Disaster Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Environmental Foundation for Sustainable Development . . . . . . . . . 13
Agriculture Management and Rural Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Labor and Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Growth with Equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3. Realizing Human Potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Gender Equality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Indigenous Peoples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Cultural Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Children and Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Summit of the Americas III,
Quebec City, Canada, April 20-22, 2001:
Background, Objectives, and Results
Background
Summit of the Americas III was held in Quebec City, Canada, on April 20-22,
2001, and was attended by 34 democratically elected Presidents and Prime Ministers
from the Western Hemisphere, including President George W. Bush. Non-democratic
Cuba was the only country in the Western Hemisphere that was not represented.
The Quebec Summit was a follow up to the presidential-level Summit of the
Americas I (Miami, Florida, December 1994) and Summit of the Americas II
(Santiago, Chile, April 1998), as well as the ministerial Summit for Sustainable
Development (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, December 1996).1 These summits
were the result of a growing sense of shared values among the countries of the
hemisphere and the determination to join together to consolidate and strengthen the
commitments to advance democracy, free trade, and sustainable development. The
first of these summits was conceived shortly after legislative approval of the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, Canada, and the United
States, and the countries were particularly interested in seizing upon U.S. initiatives
to advance free trade in the hemisphere, which had included former President Bush’s
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative and former President Clinton’s similar trade
liberalization initiatives.
At the 1994 Miami Summit hemispheric leaders signed a broad and
comprehensive Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action with 23 separate
initiatives under four major themes: (1) Preserving and Strengthening Democracies,
(2) Promoting Prosperity through Economic Integration and Free Trade, (3)
Eradicating Poverty and Discrimination, and (4) Guaranteeing Sustainable
Development and Conserving the Natural Environment. On the central issue of
promotion of free trade, the leaders agreed to complete negotiations for a Free Trade
Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) by the year 2005.2
1
For information and linkages to complete information on the summits, see the web site
maintained by Florida International University’s Summit of the Americas Center (SOAC)
[http://www.americasnet.net/SOAC_Home/summits/content.htm] and the Summit of the
Americas Information Network web site maintained by the Organization of American States’
Office of Summit Followup [http://www.summit-americas.org/].
2
For background on the Miami Summit, see CRS Report 94-911, Summit of the Americas,
December 9-11, 1994: Background, Plans, and Hemispheric Expectations, by K. Larry
(continued...)
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At the 1996 Santa Cruz Summit on Sustainable Development, as is indicated by
the title, the focus was on environmental issues, with a Plan of Action that went
beyond and elaborated the tasks of the Miami Summit to include 65 action items on
such issues as sustainable agriculture, forests and cities, as well as water resources,
coastal areas, energy and minerals.
At the Santiago Summit in 1998, the leaders agreed on a Declaration and a Plan
of Action with 27 initiatives grouped under four major areas: (1) Education, (2)
Preserving and Strengthening Democracy, Justice and Human Rights, (3) Economic
Integration and Free Trade, and (4) Eradication of Poverty and Discrimination.3 While
education was perhaps the centerpiece of the Santiago Summit, hemispheric leaders
also launched negotiations for the FTAA, created Special Rapporteurs for Freedom
of Expression and for Migrant Workers, agreed to establish a hemispheric Justice
Studies Center, and advanced the process for the development of a multilateral
evaluation mechanism to judge the effectiveness of the counter-narcotics efforts of all
countries in the region.
The leaders also institutionalized the summit process by formalizing the Summit
Implementation Review Group (SIRG) as the mechanism for input from the countries’
foreign ministries into the summit process, and by assigning responsibility for many
of the tasks to the Organization of American States (OAS), with the OAS Special
Committee on Inter-American Summits (CEGCI ) and the OAS Office of Summit
Followup responsible for overseeing followup and implementation.4 In many ways
the business of the summits became the business of the OAS, with hemispheric leaders
meeting every three or four years to give impetus to the hemispheric agenda and to
make necessary high level political decisions. In several areas, including trade,
technical support was provided by the Tripartite Committee composed of the OAS,
the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the U.N. Economic Commission
on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
2
(...continued)
Storrs. For more complete information on the 1994 Summit and the events leading up to it,
see Summitry in the Americas: A Progress Report (Washington, D.C. Institute for
International Economics, 1997), by Richard Feinberg.
3
For background on the Santiago Summit, see CRS Report 98-330, Summit of the Americas
II, April 18-19, 1998: Background, Objectives, and Expectations, by (n ame redacted). For
full information on accomplishments since 1994, see Words into Deeds–Progress Since the
Miami Summit: Report on Implementation of the Decisions Reached at the 1994 Miami
Summit of the Americas (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State, April
1998–Publication 10536). For another evaluation of the progress to 1998, see The
Leadership Council for Inter-American Summitry, From Talk to Action: How Summits Can
Help Forge a Western Hemisphere Community of Prosperous Democracies ( Coral Gables,
Florida: North-South Center, 1998).
4
See “The Summit Process,” on the OAS’ Summit of the Americas Information Network
[http://www.summit-americas.org/eng/summitprocess.htm].
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Major Actions on Summit Initiatives
Since 1994
Since 1994, the participating countries, with assistance from designated
responsible countries and organizations, particularly the OAS, have been advancing
the initiatives in a variety of ways, with the following major actions listed under the
broad headings of the 1994 Miami Summit.5
I. Preserving and Strengthening Democracies
Strengthening Democracy. The OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy
has provided extensive training and support for electoral processes and legislative
institutions, and OAS General Assemblies in 1999 and 2000 adopted resolutions
affirming the hemispheric commitment to representative democracy.
Promoting Human Rights. The Inter-American Human Rights Commission,
and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights continued to promote human rights,
and the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression created in 1998 has made
reports and visited several countries to advance his mandate.
Invigorating Civil Society. In 1999, the OAS General Assembly created the
Committee on Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities, which has encouraged
citizen input in many areas, particularly summit activities, sustainable development,
and the FTAA.
Combating Corruption. Under the auspices of the OAS, countries
negotiated the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption in 1996, which entered
into force in 1997, with 18 of the 23 signatories having ratified it, including the United
States.
Combating Illegal Drugs and Related Crimes. Working through the
OAS’ Inter-American Commission on Drug Abuse Control (CICAD) countries
approved the “Anti-Drug Strategy in the Hemisphere in December 1996, the InterAmerican Convention Against Illicit Arms Trafficking” in November 1997, and the
“Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism” (MEM) to assess countries’ counter-narcotics
efforts in 1999, which was implemented in 2000.
Eliminating the Threat of Terrorism. In 1999, the OAS General Assembly
created the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE), which has met
and made recommendations for action in its Annual Report.
Building Confidence and Security. Building upon earlier confidencebuilding measures, including advance notice of military exercises and exchanges of
5
See Index by Issues of Summit Initiatives on the OAS’ Summit of the Americas Information
Network [http://www.summit-americas.org/eng/issues.htm], and the Third Summit of the
Americas Fact Sheets on the Department of State's web site at
[http://uninfo.state.gov/regional/ar/summit/fact.htm].
CRS-4
defense information, Defense Ministers of the Americas have met annually in the last
four years, and an OAS Committee on Hemispheric Security was created to advance
security, while the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy has supported various
demining activities.
Strengthening Local Government and Judicial Systems. The OAS
Unit for the Promotion of Democracy has promoted decentralization and more
effective local government, while the OAS Secretariat of Legal Affairs and the
ministerial meetings of Ministers of Justice and of Attorney Generals have created a
hemispheric Justice Studies Center.
II. Promoting Prosperity Through Economic Integration and
Free Trade
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Hemispheric Trade Ministers,
acting through six almost yearly trade ministerials, reaffirmed the 1994 commitment
to achieve a FTAA by the year 2005, with the most recent ministerial in early April
2001 specifying that all elements of the FTAA negotiations should be concluded no
later than January 2005, and that the agreement should enter into force no later than
December 2005.
Strengthening Financial Markets. Through meetings of Ministers of
Finance, countries created the Committee on Hemispheric Financial Issues that
developed a survey of national financial systems and plans for combating financial
crimes and for training banking and securities regulators.
Strengthening Hemispheric Infrastructure. Governments and multilateral
development banks have encouraged infrastructure development, particularly
telecommunications and transportation infrastructure, with support from the OAS’
Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL) and Western Hemisphere
Transportation Ministerials.
Cooperation in Science and Technology. Acting through the InterAmerican Conference of Science and Technology, the countries have created an InterAmerican Program of Science and Technology and the Hemisphere-wide Science and
Technology Project.
Tourism. Drawing on earlier cooperative efforts on tourism, the countries
established an Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development of Tourism in
1997.
III. Eradicating Poverty and Discrimination
Universal Access to Education. Governments have been taking steps to
meet the 1994 goals, namely 100% primary school enrollment and 75% secondary
school enrollment by the year 2010, with assistance from the IDB and World Bank
and the OAS Unit for Social Development and Education (USDE).
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Equitable Access to Basic Health Services. The Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) is implementing a regional plan, with emphasis on control of
disease (measles, malaria, HIV/AIDS) and reduction of mortality rates to meet the
1994 goal to reduce child mortality by one-third and maternal mortality by one-half
by the year 2000.
Strengthening the Role of Women in Society. With assistance from the
Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) governments and organizations have
worked to advance women’s rights, and hemispheric representatives held the First
Hemispheric Ministerial Meeting on Gender Equity in April 2000.
Encouraging Microenterprises and Small Businesses. With assistance
from the IDB and USAID, countries have promoted microenterprises and small
businesses.
Strengthening the Rights of Workers and Migrant Workers. Acting
primarily through the OAS’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and InterAmerican Conferences of Ministers of Labor, the rights of workers have been
promoted, and the Special Rapporteur for Migrant Workers appointed in 1998 has
made visits and reports.
Advancing the Rights of Indigenous Populations. Through the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights, steps have been taken to conclude an
American Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Indigenous
Peoples’ Summit of the Americas was held in Canada in late March 2001.
IV. Guaranteeing Sustainable Development and Conserving
the Natural Environment
Promoting Sustainable Development. Working primarily through the
OAS’ Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment, the countries have
established the Inter-American Forum [of experts] on Environmental Law. Countries
have supported a number of conservation measures, including initiatives on
sustainable agriculture and forestry, biodiversity conservation, sustainable
communities, and pollution prevention. The Meeting of Environment Ministers of the
Americas was held in Canada in late March 2001. The Government of Bolivia has
offered to host a “Santa Cruz + 5 Meeting” in 2001 to give renewed focus to
sustainable development issues.
Conserving Water Resources and Coastal Areas. Under prodding from
multilateral organizations, a number of countries have been working to enhance
integrated water resource management with better waste water treatment to protect
potable water and coastal and marine resources.
Promoting Regional Energy Cooperation. Acting primarily through the
Hemispheric Energy Steering Committee and Meetings of Ministers of Energy, the
countries agreed to a Joint Statement on Clean Development and Use of Energy and
to the Renewable Energy in the Americas (REIA) Initiative, and are working on
Global Climate Change initiatives.
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Although progress has been made in nearly all areas of a massive plan of action,
the amount of progress has varied considerably, depending upon the priority of the
issue and the resources committed to the task. The Leadership Council for InterAmerican Summitry, a group of 24 businessmen, academics, and former policymakers, found in March 2001, that the hemispheric summits have contributed to the
legitimacy of collective action to deter threats to democracy, have advanced economic
integration, have reshaped the inter-American system with many functional
ministerials, and have reinvigorated the OAS by giving it a contemporary agenda.
The Council highlighted progress in anti-corruption and counter-narcotics areas, as
well as advancement of the rights of workers, women and the press.
“Notwithstanding these partial advances, the gap between Summit promises and
accomplishments is so wide as to have created a public crisis of confidence in
summitry,” according to the Council’s report, and it found “significant
disappointments in various areas, including education (the centerpiece of the Santiago
Summit), sustainable development, and in promotion of civil society participation.”6
The Agenda for the Quebec Summit
In preparation for the Quebec Summit, hemispheric Foreign Ministers agreed
upon an Agenda that included a framework of three themes: Strengthening
Democracy, Creating Prosperity, and Realizing Human Potential. 7 Another objective
of the Quebec Summit was to discuss “connectivity” initiatives for obtaining more
equitable access to and distribution of information and communications technology
within the Western Hemisphere. In the process of attaining these goals, the
governments had expressed a commitment to expand relationships and cooperation
among governments, private citizens, corporations, non-governmental organizations
and regional institutions in order to enhance the role of civil society.
The Quebec Summit continued discussions on the past themes of strengthening
democracy and economic integration within the region, and also emphasized social
issues under the third theme of realizing human potential within the region. The
participating governments went into the third summit viewing it as an implementation
summit to take the issues from the previous summits, build on them, and develop a
plan of action that was results-oriented and aimed at improving people’s lives.
1. Strengthening Democracy
The first theme, strengthening democracy, was a central theme for the Summit.
Participants sought to ensure that conditions for democracy were improved in the
hemisphere by planning initiatives to strengthen democratic government; furthering
cooperation to make institutions more transparent; and promoting engagement with
6
The Leadership Council for Inter-American Summitry, Advancing Toward Quebec City and
Beyond: Policy Report III, March 2001 ( Coral Gables, Florida: The Dante B. Fascell NorthSouth Center, 2001), p. 2. This report and other Summit-related papers are available on the
North-South Center web site [http://www.miami.edu/nsc/pages/pubwhite.html].
7
See Summit of the Americas Information Network [http://www.summit-americas.org].
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civil society for informed debate and development of understanding. In the area of
human rights, participants planned to place emphasis on continuing and increasing
cooperation within the region; implementing commitments to equality between men
and women and recognition of the rights of children; and promoting civil, cultural,
economic, political and social rights of indigenous people. The final component of
this theme related to upholding the rule of law by promoting universal access to
impartial, independent judicial systems as a means for resolving conflict; continuing
and increasing the commitment to human rights and the rule of law; increasing
cooperation on transnational criminal activity, particularly illicit drug trade; and
furthering cooperation between judicial authorities and police forces. Press reports
prior to the summit stated that a democracy clause would likely be approved
committing the countries to representative democracy, and requiring hemispheric
action when democracy is endangered.
2. Creating Prosperity
The second theme, creating prosperity, stressed that a fundamental component
of promoting economic growth and prosperity through the Summit of the Americas
process was economic integration and promoting free trade through the Free Trade
Area of the Americas (FTAA).8 The FTAA was the main focus of this theme, but
participants had also recognized the need to promote corporate social responsibility,
cooperate on improving environmental conditions and labor standards, develop
initiatives in the area of financial regulation, and develop methods of alleviating
poverty. Planned topics of discussion include: cooperative strategies for improving
hemispheric transportation systems; the promotion of sustainable development;
common approaches to energy issues; information and communications technology
capacity; empowerment of marginalized groups of people by expanding their
participation in the economy; and engagement of the private sector, international
lending institutions, and civil society in dialogues to support principles of good
corporate governance and social responsibility.
3. Realizing Human Potential
The third theme in the agenda, realizing human potential, addressed social issues
with a commitment to inclusion and greater equity. Participants stated that, in
addition to the themes of democracy and prosperity, the Summit was important to
include discussions on ways to improve people’s quality of life by addressing issues
such as poverty, education, health, and gender equality. Summit participants planned
to focus on the most pressing priorities and produce plans of action to meet real needs
of the people. Planned topics of discussion included the following: using information
technology to extend quality education into all parts of society; expanding access to
and enhancing the quality of education; identifying methods of generating resources
necessary to invest in education; developing hemispheric initiatives for quality
healthcare particularly in the areas of disease prevention and support programs for the
health of women and children; expanding opportunities and a commitment to equity
in all areas of mainstream society for women, youth, and indigenous people; and
8
See CRS Report RS20864, A Free Trade Area of the Americas: Status of Negotiations and
Major Policy Issues, by (name redacted).
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cooperative action to protect and enhance cultural diversity by expanding
opportunities for sharing cultural, racial, and linguistic heritages and perspectives.
Connectivity
Summit participants identified connectivity of communities as a cross-cutting
theme and a key tool in achieving the goals stated in all three themes. It is argued that
the use of new technologies will spread the benefits of information technologies and
expand the opportunities to participate in knowledge-based economies. Summit
participants believe that the use and spread of information technology could lead to
opportunities for political, economic, and social development in the Americas, and
sought to ensure that the potential benefits of information technology are maximized
and shared to avoid a looming digital divide.
Civil Society Participation
The role of civil society, consisting mostly of non-government organizations
(NGO’s) such as businesses and non-profit groups, has increased considerably since
the 1994 Miami Summit. Governments and regional organizations put forth much
effort in engaging civil society in the Summit process. Using funds from a U.S. grant,
three groups, Participa, the Esquel Foundation, and the Canadian Foundation for the
Americas (FOCAL), conducted a series of consultations throughout the hemisphere
to obtain input from civil society in the context of the third Summit of the Americas.
The project resulted in consultation processes with 896 organizations in 18 countries
to formulate 243 proposals for consideration by the Summit participants in their plan
of action. The Final Document listing recommendations by civil society was produced
after the hemispheric meeting in Miami on January 18-20, 2001. The proposals were
organized by theme and included specific recommendations for Summit participants
in developing plans of action at the Quebec Summit.9
Congressional Interest in the Quebec Summit
Congress may be particularly interested in plans to advance FTAA negotiations,
in future assessments of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) to evaluate
hemispheric counter-narcotics efforts, and in plans for bilateral and multilateral
cooperation to promote hemispheric socioeconomic reforms at the Quebec City
Summit.
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Despite the Clinton
Administration’s inability to obtain fast track or trade promotion authority from
Congress to negotiate free trade agreements under special, expedited procedures, the
hemispheric Trade Ministers launched FTAA negotiations at the Santiago Summit,
with the understanding that negotiations would not be completed until the U.S.
9
See Summit of the Americas Information Network [http://www.summit-americas.org].
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executive obtained fast track authorization.10 Negotiations have proceeded and the
nine negotiation groups have produced a draft agreement with bracketed text showing
disagreements in many areas.
The most recent meeting of hemispheric trade ministers, the Sixth Ministerial
Meeting of the FTAA, was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 6-7, 2001. The
trade ministers reviewed the preliminary draft FTAA agreement, and set tasks and
timetables for the future that will be presented to hemispheric leaders at the Quebec
City Summit. The leaders accepted the recommendations of the ministerial meeting
and directed the negotiators and trade ministers to reduce disagreements and to
adhere to the established deadlines to produce a balanced and comprehensive
agreement. The ministers specified that all elements of the FTAA negotiations should
be concluded no later than January 2005, and that the agreement should enter into
force no later than December 2005.
President Bush expressed strong support for the Summit of the Americas process
and for building closer economic ties to Latin America through the FTAA. He will
likely use the Quebec City Summit to increase political support and momentum for
the FTAA process. He has told OAS representatives that his Administration would
intensify efforts to obtain trade promotion authority after the Quebec City Summit.11
Congress may be interested in the potential economic effects of the FTAA.
Supporters believe that free trade results in net economic gains for all trading
partners. Most economists agree that free trade results in a more efficient allocation
of resources, and an increase in output, income, and consumption among free trade
countries. However, there are also adjustment costs associated with free trade as
countries change their production and trading patterns. While aggregate gains usually
offset the losses, usually the loss of jobs, the losses tend to be more concentrated in
certain economic sectors. Protesters at the Quebec Summit argue that free trade
agreements benefit the wealthy while resulting in degradation of labor and
environmental standards.
Civil society organizations have made a number of proposals to address concerns
about possible costs associated with the FTAA. The report on civil society
recommendations for the Quebec City Summit suggests proposals on the following:
including civil society involvement throughout the FTAA process; determining the
impact of the FTAA on small economies and establishing a fund to assist the more
vulnerable countries; including principles of sustainable development; establishing or
reinforcing commitments and dialogues on environmental issues; and promoting
efforts to share opportunities for prosperity among all segments of society, especially
vulnerable groups.12
10
See Trade and the Americas, CRS Issue Brief IB95017, by (name redacted).
11
See U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs, Washington File,.
Condoleezza Rice Outlines Bush Approach to Summit of the Americas (April 12, 2001), and
Bush Outlines Goals of Quebec Summit of the Americas (April 17, 2001).
12
Summit of the Americas Information Network. Final Document, Recommendations by
(continued...)
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Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) on Counter-Narcotics Efforts.
Congress may be interested in future assessments of the application of the MEM on
hemispheric countries’ counter-narcotics efforts, particularly when bills have been
introduced. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has reported out a substitute
measure (S. 219), to suspend the U.S. drug certification requirements, and to develop
more multilateral approaches.13 Following up on the Hemispheric Anti-Drug Strategy
of 1996 and the Plan of Action of the 1998 Santiago Summit, the OAS’ InterAmerican Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) agreed upon the MEM in 1999.
A CICAD working group subsequently developed a questionnaire with 61 indicators
to which governments responded for the first time in 2000. A Governmental Experts
Group, made up of one representative from each country, assessed achievements in
1999-2000 for all countries except their own country. The resulting overview
Hemispheric Report and the individual National Reports made assessments and
recommendations for future action. Critics argue that the reports are preliminary,
bland, and without any sanctions. Proponents argue that the reports make important
recommendations, that the MEM process will advance beyond this first effort, and
that countries care about their performance under the agreed upon criteria.14
Multilateral Cooperation. Congress may be interested in any agreements on
multilateral cooperation to promote a wide variety of socioeconomic reforms to the
extent that U.S. resources are committed or required for bilateral or multilateral
programs established by hemispheric leaders in the Quebec City Summit.
Results of the Quebec Summit
On April 20 - 22, 2001, Summit of the Americas III was held in Quebec City,
Canada, with 34 democratically-elected Presidents and Prime Ministers from the
Western Hemisphere in attendance, including George W. Bush from the United
States. The summit had a high degree of consensus among the 34 heads of state,
although there are still considerable differences regarding the final form of the FTAA.
The hemispheric leaders dealt with three major themes: (1) Strengthening Democracy,
where they agreed to a democracy clause that specified that democratic government
was an essential condition for participation in the summit process; (2) Creating
Prosperity, where they agreed to advance toward the conclusion of the agreement on
12
(...continued)
Civil Society Organizations for the 2001 Quebec City Summit. January 2001.
13
For details, see CRS Report RL30892, Drug Certification Requirements and Proposed
Congressional Modifications in 2001, and CRS Report 98-174, Mexican Drug Certification
Issues: U.S. Congressional Action, 1986-2001, by (name redacted).
14
For more detail on the CICAD and the MEM, see CICAD’s internet site at
[http://www.cicad.oas.org/en/mem/Main.htm]. For an assessment of the MEM process, see
Can Anti-Narcotics Effort Be Multilateralized? Inter-American Dialogue Policy Brief, April
2001.
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the FTAA15 by January 2005; and (3) Realizing Human Potential, where they agreed
to initiatives to promote education, health, and greater equity for women, youth, and
indigenous peoples.16 Considerable press coverage focused on the protesters who
argue that free trade agreements benefit business groups and the wealthy while
resulting in the degradation of labor and environmental standards.
1. Strengthening Democracy
Making Democracy Work Better. Initiatives to improve electoral processes
and procedures to make democracy work better include the following: promote
transparency and good governance; enhance the important role of media and
communications in promoting a democratic culture; support the fight against
corruption by considering signing and ratifying the Inter-American Convention
Against Corruption, establishing a follow-up mechanism, and continuing other anticorruption policies, processes, and mechanisms; and empower local governments by
facilitating citizen participation, promoting autonomy and institutional strengthening,
and supporting the OAS Program of Cooperation and Decentralization in Local
Government.
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Initiatives to promote and
protect human rights and fundamental freedoms include the following: implement
international obligations and respect for international standards on human rights issues
through human rights instruments or other measures; strengthen and improve the
inter-American human rights system, in particular the Inter-American Court of Human
Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR); strengthen
institutional capacity of governments mandated with the promotion and protection of
human rights; protect the human rights of migrant workers and their families through
cooperative measures among countries, or a possible OAS program to promote and
protect migrant rights; promote and protect the rights of women, particularly through
specialized organs such as the Inter-American Commission on Women (CIM);
promote and protect the rights of children and adolescents, particularly through the
Inter-American Children’s Institute (IACI) and other international instruments on
children’s rights; and support freedom of opinion and expression through the interAmerican human rights system and the equitable application of national laws on
freedom of expression.
Justice, Rule of Law, and Security of the Individual. Initiatives to
promote equal access to independent, impartial, and timely justice include the
following: increase access to justice through programs and initiatives such as legal
rights education and information exchange on dispute resolution mechanisms;
strengthen the independence of the judiciary by implementing transparency and
accountability measures; support hemispheric meetings of justice ministers and
exchange of best practices and recommendations; combat the drug problem as
15
16
Venezuela reserved its position on the FTAA.
For more detail on the Quebec City Summit Declaration and Plan of Action, see the
Summit of the Americas Information Network web site maintained by the OAS Office of
Summit Followup [http://www.summit-americas.org/] and the U.S. State Department
International Information Programs web site [http://www.usinfo.state.gov].
CRS-12
established in the Hemispheric Anti-Drug Strategy, and strengthen the efforts of the
CICAD and the MEM; consider ratifying or acceding to the United Nations’
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and implementing collective
strategies to combat transnational organized crime; develop an integral approach
toward the prevention of violence in the home or against vulnerable groups of people
through law enforcement programs that are community-based or established through
national institutions or multilateral organizations.
Hemispheric Security. Initiatives to promote hemispheric security for
strengthening democracy include the following: strengthen mutual confidence by
supporting on-going efforts such as the Special Conference on Security planned for
2004, continuing with prior activities on conflict prevention and peaceful dispute
resolution, and increasing transparency and accountability of defense and security
institutions; and support the fight against terrorism by supporting the work of the
Inter-American Committee on Terrorism (CICTE) established within the OAS and
ratifying or acceding to international agreements related to anti-terrorism.
Civil Society. The plan of action states that civil society has an important role
in the consolidation of democracy, and it includes an initiative to strengthen civil
society participation in hemispheric and national processes through a number of
mechanisms such as funding strategies and educational programs to build
organizational capacity for civil society groups.
2. Creating Prosperity
Trade, Investment, and Financial Stability. The main focus of the
initiative for trade, investment, and financial stability is the FTAA process. The Plan
of Action places a deadline of January 2005 for concluding negotiations of the FTAA
and of December 2005 for the agreement’s entry into force. Other goals include
ensuring transparency of the process by providing the public with the preliminary draft
of the FTAA Agreement in the four official languages as soon as possible; fostering
mechanisms for civil society participation in the FTAA negotiating process; ensuring
full participation of all countries and creating opportunities for full participation by the
smaller economies; improving more equitable access to goods, services, capital, and
technology; supporting the efforts of Finance Ministers to address challenges
associated with globalization; and incorporating corporate social responsibility by
including private sector participation in the FTAA process and raising awareness of
corporate responsibility through dialogues with the OAS and other multilateral
organizations.
Infrastructure and Regulatory Environment. Initiatives to encourage the
development of infrastructure and the regulatory environment include the following:
encourage the modernization and expansion of telecommunications sectors through
regulatory frameworks, human resources development programs, adequate standards,
and the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure; increase the integration of
transportation systems and practices through increased country cooperation, human
resources development programs, encouragement of compliance with international
standards, and the modernization of air services; and pursue regional integration of
energy markets.
CRS-13
Disaster Management. Initiatives to implement and sustain shared
comprehensive disaster management strategies include the following: develop the
capacity to assess potential impacts of natural and man-made hazards; establish or
strengthen partnerships among private sector, professional associations, civil society,
and other organizations in the development of disaster management policies and
programs; promote information exchange on inappropriate practices that increase
vulnerability to natural disasters; establish information networks to exchange scientific
knowledge; request the IDB, the OAS, the World Bank, and other inter-American
organizations to conduct a study on methods of reducing premiums on catastrophic
insurance and facilitating reconstruction financing.
Environmental Foundation for Sustainable Development. Initiatives
on the protection of the environment and sustainable development include the
following: implement Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs); support the
2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development; request that the OAS organize a
ministerial level meeting in Bolivia before the end of 2001(Bolivia+5) to present
contributions to the Rio+10 Summit in 2002; pursue the objectives of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; promote and enforce national
legislation on environmental protection; coordinate to ensure that regional economic,
social, and environmental policies are in accordance with principles of sustainable
development; promote and support initiatives such as the Hemispheric Round-table
for Cleaner Production, the Bahia Declaration on Chemical Safety, Convention on
Biological Diversity, and the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification; and
promote improved environmental management at the municipal level.
Agriculture Management and Rural Development. Initiatives on the
role of agriculture in creating prosperity include the following: promote dialogues
involving government officials and civil society to develop strategies in sustainable
improvement in agriculture and rural life; support national efforts to strengthen smalland medium-sized rural enterprises; encourage the development of markets for goods
obtained through the sustainable use of natural resources and from the substitution of
illicit crops; encourage cooperation among all entities involved in the agriculture
sector to work towards the improvement of agricultural and rural life.
Labor and Employment. Initiatives on labor matters and employment issues
include the following: reaffirm the importance of the Inter-American Conference of
Ministers of Labor and previous regional efforts to address the social dimensions of
globalization; respect the International Labor Organization Declaration on the
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-Up; consult and
coordinate on raising the living standards and improving the working conditions of
all people in the hemisphere; develop technical assistance programs to increase
institutional capacity of the smaller economies on enforcing labor laws and fostering
equal opportunity; continue the work on eliminating child labor and promote
ratification of the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Worst Forms of Child
Labor Convention, 1999; and promote and protect the rights of all workers,
particularly women.
Growth with Equity. Initiatives to achieve sustained economic growth and
provide equitable access to opportunities include the following: acknowledge the need
for development financing from international lending institutions and bilateral donors;
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continue the work on enabling the economic environment that was begun after the
1998 Santiago Summit, such as fostering development of community finance
institutions, improving access to information systems, or increasing access to
opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship; address issues related to migration as
factors contributing to economic growth and development; and enhance social
stability and mobility by improving property registration and recognizing the
economic contributions made by unpaid work and women’s activities in the informal
sectors.
3. Realizing Human Potential
Education. Initiatives to improve access to quality education by all groups of
people include the following: entrust the OAS to organize a meeting of Education
Ministers before the end of 2001 to ensure implementation of education initiatives,
establish time lines and benchmarks for follow-up, encourage government
partnerships to support sustained investment in education, and strengthen the dialogue
with civil society organizations; implement policies to resolve social inequalities and
promote access to quality basic education for all; strengthen education systems by
encouraging civil society participation to obtain consensus on viable policies; enhance
the performance of teachers by improving working conditions and raising the profile
of the profession; ensure that secondary education is more responsive to evolving
labor market requirements; support the mobility between countries of students,
teachers, and administrators; promote access to new information technologies by
teachers, students, and administrators; and support the advancement of science and
technology within the region.
Health. Initiatives to improve health conditions and equitable access to quality
health services include the following: support health actions in the hemisphere that
are consistent with the Shared Agenda for Health in the Americas signed by the Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO), the IDB, and the World Bank; reaffirm a
commitment to an equity-oriented health sector reform process; commit at the highest
level to combat HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases and their consequences;
implement community-based healthcare programs to reduce non-communicable
diseases; and utilize connectivity to provide sound, scientific, and technical
information to health workers and the public.
Gender Equality. Initiatives for promoting gender equality and women’s
human rights in the Americas include the following: endorse the Inter-American
Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and
Equality, the Regional Programme of Action for the Women in Latin America and
the Caribbean 1995-2000 and other international programs to promote gender
equality; strengthen government bodies responsible for the advancement of women;
strengthen and foster women’s participation in political life; reinforce the role of the
Inter-American Commission on Women (CIM) as the technical advisor on all aspects
of gender equity and equality; promote the use of information technologies to address
inequalities between men and women and ensure women’s equality of access to these
new technologies; and strengthen systems for collecting and processing statistical data
on gender indicators.
CRS-15
Indigenous Peoples. Initiatives for assisting indigenous peoples of the
Americas in reaching their full human potential include the following: support
hemispheric and national conferences to exchange information on experiences and
activities related to the cultural, economic, and social development of indigenous
peoples; develop strategies to consider and respect indigenous peoples’ cultural
practices and protect their traditional knowledge in accordance with the Convention
on Biological Diversity; increase the availability and accessibility of educational
services in consultation with indigenous peoples; promote the cultural, linguistic, and
developmental needs of indigenous peoples; support the Health of Indigenous Peoples
Initiative, promoted by PAHO to assist states, in consultation with indigenous
peoples, to form public health policies and health systems; reduce the communications
and information gaps between the national average and indigenous communities;
promote collection and publication of national statistics on the composition and
socioeconomic characteristics of indigenous populations; and support the reform
process of the Inter-American Indian Institute.
Cultural Diversity. Initiatives to recognize the value of cultural diversity to
social and economic dynamism include the following: enhance partnerships and
exchange of information on the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity of the
hemisphere; encourage ministerial meetings to discuss cultural diversity and deepen
hemispheric cooperation on this issue; foster awareness and understanding of cultural
diversity through communications technologies, media projects, and preservation and
restoration of cultural property; promote social cohesion by encouraging physical
education and sports; and promote cooperation among diverse national and
international institutions and civil society.
Children and Youth. Initiatives to promote the rights of children and their
development include the following: implement and support the Agenda for WarAffected Children agreed to by 132 states at the International Conference on WarAffected Children held in Canada in September 2000; promote policies to ensure
children’s and adolescent’s rights, well-being, and development; ensure that every
child in conflict with the law is treated in a manner consistent with his/her best
interests and in accordance with relevant international human rights instruments;
promote best practices and approaches to support families in meeting the needs of
children and adolescents at risk; endorse and seek cooperative means to advance the
Kingston Consensus of the Fifth Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy
held in Jamaica in October 2000; promote cooperation to reduce cases of international
abduction of children by one of their parents; encourage participation by young people
in matters affecting them; provide access to reliable information and opportunities for
their contribution to discussions in local, national, and international fora; and reinforce
the roles of PAHO, the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IACI), and the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on all aspects of children’s issues.
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