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APPENDIX 3
SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES1
Partnership for Development and Prosperity:
Democracy, Free Trade and Sustainable Development in the Americas
The elected Heads of State and Government of the Americas are committed
to advance the prosperity, democratic values and institutions, and security
of our hemisphere. For the first time in history, the Americas are a community
of democratic societies. Although faced with differing development challenges,
the Americas are united in pursuing prosperity through open markets, hemispheric
integration, and sustainable development. We are determined to consolidate
and advance closer bonds of cooperation and to transform our aspirations
into concrete realities.
We reiterate our firm adherence to the principles of international law
and the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter
and in the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), including
the principles of the sovereign equality of states, non-intervention, self-determination,
and the peaceful resolution of disputes. We recognize the heterogeneity
and diversity of our resources and cultures, just as we are convinced that
we can advance our shared interests and values by building strong partnerships.
To Preserve and Strengthen the Community of Democracies of the Americas
The Charter of the OAS establishes that representative democracy is
indispensable for the stability, peace and development of the region. It
is the sole political system which guarantees respect for human rights
and the rule of law; it safeguards cultural diversity, pluralism, respect
for the rights of minorities, and peace within and among nations. Democracy
is based, among other fundamentals, on free and transparent elections and
includes the right of all citizens to participate in government. Democracy
and development reinforce one another.
We reaffirm our commitment to preserve and strengthen our democratic
systems for the benefit of all people of the hemisphere. We will work through
the appropriate bodies of the OAS to strengthen democratic institutions
and promote and defend constitutional democratic rule, in accordance with
the OAS Charter. We endorse OAS efforts to enhance peace and the democratic,
social, and economic stability of the region.
We recognize that our people earnestly seek greater responsiveness and
efficiency from our respective governments. Democracy is strengthened by
the modernization of the state, including reforms that streamline operations,
reduce and simplify government rules and procedures, and make democratic
institutions more transparent and accountable. Deeming it essential that
justice should be accessible in an efficient and expeditious way to all
sectors of society, we affirm that an independent judiciary is a critical
element of an effective legal system and lasting democracy. Our ultimate
goal is to better meet the needs of the population, especially the needs
of women and the most vulnerable groups, including indigenous people, the
disabled, children, the aged, and minorities.
Effective democracy requires a comprehensive attack on corruption as
a factor of social disintegration and distortion of the economic system
that undermines the legitimacy of political institutions.
Recognizing the pernicious effects of organized crime and illegal narcotics
on our economies, ethical values, public health, and the social fabric,
we will join the battle against the consumption, production, trafficking
and distribution of illegal drugs, as well as against money laundering
and the illicit trafficking in arms and chemical precursors. We will also
cooperate to create viable alternative development strategies in those
countries in which illicit crops are grown. Cooperation should be extended
to international and national programs aimed at curbing the production,
use and trafficking of illicit drugs and the rehabilitation of addicts.
We condemn terrorism in all its forms, and we will, using all legal
means, combat terrorist acts anywhere in the Americas with unity and vigor.
Recognizing the important contribution of individuals and associations
in effective democratic government and in the enhancement of cooperation
among the people of the hemisphere, we will facilitate fuller participation
of our people in political, economic and social activity, in accordance
with national legislation.
To Promote Prosperity Through Economic Integration and Free Trade
Our continued economic progress depends on sound economic policies,
sustainable development, and dynamic private sectors. A key to prosperity
is trade without barriers, without subsidies, without unfair practices,
and with an increasing stream of productive investments. Eliminating impediments
to market access for goods and services among our countries will foster
our economic growth. A growing world economy will also enhance our domestic
prosperity. Free trade and increased economic integration are key factors
for raising standards of living, improving the working conditions of people
in the Americas and better protecting the environment.
We, therefore, resolve to begin immediately to construct the "Free
Trade Area of the Americas" (FTAA), in which barriers to trade and
investment will be progressively eliminated. We further resolve to conclude
the negotiation of the "Free Trade Area of the Americas" no later
than 2005, and agree that concrete progress toward the attainment of this
objective will be made by the end of this century. We recognize the progress
that already has been realized through the unilateral undertakings of each
of our nations and the subregional trade arrangements in our hemisphere.
We will build on existing subregional and bilateral arrangements in order
to broaden and deepen hemispheric economic integration and to bring the
agreements together.
Aware that investment is the main engine for growth in the hemisphere,
we will encourage such investment by cooperating to build more open, transparent
and integrated markets. In this regard, we are committed to create strengthened
mechanisms that promote and protect the flow of productive investment in
the hemisphere, and to promote the development and progressive integration
of capital markets.
To advance economic integration and free trade, we will work, with cooperation
and financing from the private sector and international financial institutions,
to create a hemispheric infrastructure. This process requires a cooperative
effort in fields such as telecommunications, energy and transportation,
which will permit the efficient movement of the goods, services, capital,
information and technology that are the foundations of prosperity.
We recognize that despite the substantial progress in dealing with debt
problems in the hemisphere, high foreign debt burdens still hinder the
development of some of our countries.
We recognize that economic integration and the creation of a free trade
area will be complex endeavors, particularly in view of the wide differences
in the levels of development and size of economies existing in our hemisphere.
We will remain cognizant of these differences as we work toward economic
integration in the hemisphere. We look to our own resources, ingenuity,
and individual capacities as well as to the international community to
help us achieve our goals.
To Eradicate Poverty And Discrimination In Our Hemisphere
It is politically intolerable and morally unacceptable that some segments
of our populations are marginalized and do not share fully in the benefits
of growth. With an aim of attaining greater social justice for all our
people, we pledge to work individually and collectively to improve access
to quality education and primary health care and to eradicate extreme poverty
and illiteracy. The fruits of democratic stability and economic growth
must be accessible to all, without discrimination by race, gender, national
origin or religious affiliation.
In observance of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous
People, we will focus our energies on improving the exercise of democratic
rights and the access to social services by indigenous people and their
communities.
Aware that widely shared prosperity contributes to hemispheric stability,
lasting peace and democracy, we acknowledge our common interest in creating
employment opportunities that improve the incomes, wages and working conditions
of all our people. We will invest in people so that individuals throughout
the hemisphere have the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Strengthening the role of women in all aspects of political, social
and economic life in our countries is essential to reduce poverty and social
inequalities and to enhance democracy and sustainable development.
To Guarantee Sustainable Development and Conserve Our Natural Environment
for Future Generations
Social progress and economic prosperity can be sustained only if our
people live in a healthy environment and our ecosystems and natural resources
are managed carefully and responsibly. To advance and implement the commitments
made at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,
held in Rio de Janeiro, and the 1994 Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States, held in Barbados, we will
create cooperative partnerships to strengthen our capacity to prevent and
control pollution, to protect ecosystems and use our biological resources
on a sustainable basis, and to encourage clean, efficient and sustainable
energy production and use. To benefit future generations through environmental
conservation, including the rational use of our ecosystems, natural resources
and biological heritage, we will continue to pursue technological, financial
and other forms of cooperation.
We will advance our social well-being and economic prosperity in ways
that are fully cognizant of our impact on the environment. We agree to
support the Central American Alliance for Sustainable Development, which
seeks to strengthen those democracies by promoting regional economic and
social prosperity and sound environmental management. In this context,
we support the convening of other regional meetings on sustainable development.
Our Declaration constitutes a comprehensive and mutually reinforcing
set of commitments for concrete results. In accord with the appended Plan
of Action2,
and recognizing our different national capabilities and our different legal
systems, we pledge to implement them without delay.
We call upon the OAS and the Inter-American Development Bank to assist
countries in implementing our pledges, drawing significantly upon the Pan
American Health Organization and the United Nations Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean as well as sub-regional organizations
for integration.
To give continuity to efforts fostering national political involvement,
we will convene specific high-level meetings to address, among others,
topics such as trade and commerce, capital markets, labor, energy, education,
transportation, telecommunications, counter-narcotics and other anti-crime
initiatives, sustainable development, health, and science and technology.
To assure public engagement and commitment, we invite the cooperation
and participation of the private sector, labor, political parties, academic
institutions and other non-governmental actors and organizations in both
our national and regional efforts, thus strengthening the partnership between
governments and society.
Our thirty-four nations share a fervent commitment to democratic practices,
economic integration, and social justice. Our people are better able than
ever to express their aspirations and to learn from one another. The conditions
for hemispheric cooperation are propitious. Therefore, on behalf of all
our people, in whose name we affix our signatures to this Declaration,
we seize this historic opportunity to create a Partnership for Development
and Prosperity in the Americas.
1 This
appendix is extracted from the Free Trade Area of the Americas Website
at www.ftaa-alca.org.
2 The
Plan of Action can be found at the Free Trade Area of the Americas Website
at www.ftaa-alca.org