RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/L/143
3May1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1718)
Original: Spanish/English
SUMMIT OFTHE AMERICAS
Second Ministerial Trade Meeting
Communication from Colombia
Thefollowing communication, dated 11April 1996, hasbeenreceived from thePermanent
Mission ofColombia.
_______________
Ihavegreat pleasure insending youherewith theJointDeclaration oftheSecond Ministerial
Trade Meeting, heldinCartagena, Colombia, attheendofMarch. TheMeeting wasattended by
theMinisters responsible forforeign trade policy ofthe34countries thattookpartintheSummit of
theAmericas.
Ishould beobliged ifthisdocument could becirculated toWTO Members asaninformation
document.WT/L/143
Page2
SUMMIT OFTHE AMERICAS
Second Ministerial Trade Meeting
Cartagena, Colombia
21March 1996
Joint Declaration
Introduction
1. We,theMinisters responsible fortrade, representing the34nations thatparticipated inthe
Summit oftheAmericas, metinCartagena fortheSecond Trade Ministerial Meeting, according to
themandate issued byourHeads ofStateandGovernment during theSummit oftheAmericas, held
inMiami. Wecontinued thework programme, towhich weunanimously agreed attheFirstTrade
Ministerial Meeting inDenver, toprepare forinitiation ofnegotiations ontheFreeTrade Areaofthe
Americas (FTAA). Westrengthened ourcommitment toconclude negotiations nolaterthan2005,
andtomake concrete progress towards theattainment ofthisobjective bytheendofthiscentury.
2. Theprinciples previously adopted forconstructing theFTAA include: maximizing market
openness through highlevels ofdiscipline aswebuild upon existing agreements intheHemisphere;
fullconsistency withtheprovisions oftheWorld Trade Organization (WTO); bebalanced and
comprehensive inscope, covering among others, allareas included intheSummit oftheAmericas
PlanofAction; notraisebarriers toother countries andrepresent asingle undertaking comprising
mutual rights andobligations.
3. Weexamined approaches forconstructing theFTAA which willbuild onexisting subregional
andbilateral arrangements inorder tobroaden anddeepen Hemispheric economic integration andto
bring theagreements together. Theapproaches arevaried andcomplex andmustinclude consistency
withArticle XXIV ofGATT 1994anditsUruguay Round Understanding andArticle VoftheGATS.
Weinstruct ourVice-Ministers todiscuss suchapproaches andtomake specific recommendations,
before the1997 Trade Ministerial Meeting.
4. Wealsoconsidered thetiming andmeans oflaunching negotiations toestablish theFTAA.
Weagreed thatsubstantial andadditional preparatory work isnecessary forproductive negotiations.
Wealsoagreed thatconcrete progress mustbeachieved bytheendofthecentury. Taking thisinto
account aswellastheprogress achieved intheworking groups, wedirect ourVice-Ministers tomake
anassessment ofwhen andhowtolaunch theFTAA negotiations andtomake recommendations to
usonthese issues before the1997 Trade Ministerial Meeting.
5. Wereiterate ourcommitment toactively continue seeking ways toprovide opportunities to
facilitate integration ofthesmaller economies andincrease theirlevels ofdevelopment. Wecallupon
allworking groups intheirdeliberations totakeintoaccount thiscommitment aswellasspecific
suggestions oftheWorking Group onSmaller Economies. Acknowledging thedifferences inlevels
ofeconomic development among countries intheHemisphere, werecognize theneedfortechnical
assistance inorder tofacilitate thefullparticipation ofthesmaller economies intheentire process leading
totheFTAA.
Working groups
6. Inlightofthedecisions taken attheMiami Summit andattheDenver Trade Ministerial Meeting
andintheprocess ofcontinuing preparations fornegotiations, wereceived thereports from the
chairpersons oftheseven working groups established inDenver aswellastheworking groups ’specificWT/L/143
Page3
recommendations forsubsequent action. Onthebasis ofeachgroup ’sreport, weareconvinced that
substantial progress onpreparing fornegotiations hasbeenachieved andthattheinitial workprogramme
iswellunder way.
Wetakenoteofthework programmes proposed bytheseven existing working groups and
direct themtocarry outthetasksidentified, withaviewtopresenting conclusions andrecommendations
forourconsideration in1997. Tofacilitate achieving thisobjective, weaskthatchairpersons ofall
working groups, inconsultation withallparticipating countries, arrange tomeettocoordinate thework
soasto:avoid duplication ofeffort, while atthesame timeensuring thatthere arenogapsintheir
preparatory work, aswellastoensure themosteffective useofavailable resources, including those
oftheTripartite Committee. Inorder topromote theparticipation ofallcountries inallaspects of
thepreparatory work, chairpersons ofworking groups should endeavour tocoordinate thescheduling
andvenues ofthemeeting oftheworking groups, ensuring thatbestefforts bemade tolimit the
dispersion ofvenues oftheworking groups.
7. Wedirect Vice-Ministers todirect, evaluate andcoordinate thework ofallworking groups,
soastoensure significant progress inadvance ofour1997meeting. Tothisend,Vice-Ministers should
meetonatleastthree occasions inadvance ofournextmeeting. Weaskthehostofthe1997 Trade
Ministerial Meeting tochair these meetings.
8. Wethank thechairpersons forthework theyhavedoneduring theirtenure between theDenver
Trade Ministerial andtheCartagena Trade Ministerial Meetings. Wealsothank thecountries fortheir
collaboration ingathering information andtheirproposals forfuture work.
9. Tocomply withthecommitments thatweacquired inDenver, weareestablishing additional
working groups inthefollowing areas: Government Procurement, Intellectual Property Rights, Services
andCompetition Policy. Weareproviding overall guidance, including individual terms ofreference
foreachofthese newgroups (Annex I).Atthesame time, weagreed toestablish aWorking Group
andtheterms ofreference fordispute settlement procedures attheThird Trade Ministerial Meeting.
Werequest theOAStostartcompiling information onthedispute settlement mechanisms being used
inbilateral andsubregional trade agreements intheHemisphere.
10. Weapprovedthelistofcountriesthatwerenominatedtochairthe11workinggroups(AnnexII).
These countries areresponsible, untilthenextTrade Ministerial Meeting, forcoordinating theschedule
ofmeetings, inconsultation withrepresentatives ofmember countries, andforensuring thatallterms
ofreference areachieved.
11. Eachworking group should identify andexamine trade-related measures initsrespective area,
inorder todetermine possible approaches tonegotiations. Wedirect eachoftheworking groups to
submit toVice-Ministers, fortheirapproval, concrete proposals onareas forimmediate attention in
advance ofthe1997 Trade Ministerial Meeting, within theagreed mandate. AttheThird Trade
Ministerial Meeting, wewillreceive reports anddecide onsubsequent steps tobetaken ineacharea.
Today weagree ontheimmediate actions intheareas listed inAnnex III.
12. Werecognize andappreciate theimportant analytical andtechnical work donebytheTripartite
Committee insupport ofexisting working groups aswellasthecontributions fromother specialized
regional, subregional andmultilateral organizations. WeaskthattheTripartite Committee continue
toprovide suchanalytical support, technical assistance andrelevant studies, asmayberequested by
theworking groups. Insupport ofthiswork, weencourage further contributions, within theirareas
ofexpertise, fromrelevant regional andsubregional institutions asmayberequested bytheworking
groups.WT/L/143
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Other reports andcontributions toeconomic integration
13. Inaccordance withtheSummit oftheAmericas ’PlanofAction, wenoted thesignificant
developments thathavebeentaking place inthevarious tradeandinvestment foraintheHemisphere.
14. TheChairman oftheSpecial Committee onTrade (SCT) oftheOASreported ontheprogress
achieved onthetasks assigned totheSCTbyLeaders attheMiami Summit. Wethanked theSCT
foritspreliminary version oftheAnalytical Compendium ofTrade andIntegration Accords inthe
Hemisphere. ThisCompendium willberegularly updated inorder toensure thatitremains complete,
accurateandup-to-date.WeagreethattheCompendiumisanimportantinstrumentfortheunderstanding
andcomparison ofregional tradeagreements andtherefore urged theOAStopublish theCompendium
oncethefinalversion hasbeenapproved. Wealsothanked theIDBforitsreport totheSCTon"Rules
ofOrigin inPreferential Trade Agreements intheAmericas", which hasbeenforwarded totheFTAA
Working Group onCustoms Procedures andRules ofOrigin fortheirconsideration.
15. Wereceivedwithgreatinteresttheconclusionsthebusinesssectorreachedregardingthe13topics
developed attheAmericas Business Forum. Werecognize theimportance oftheroleoftheprivate
sectoranditsparticipationintheFTAAprocess.WehavealsoagreedontheimportanceofGovernments
consulting theirprivate sectors inpreparation fortheTrade Ministerial Meeting tobeheldin1997.
Wereaffirm ourcommitment totransparency intheFTAA process. Wedirect ourVice-Ministers
toconsider appropriate processes toaddress theprotection oftheenvironment. After having received
thereport oftheCommittee thatwillbepresented attheWTO Ministerial Meeting inSingapore, we
willconsider creating astudy group onthisissuebased uponrecommendations fromourVice-Ministers.
Tothisend,weandourVice-Ministers willconsider howtoproceed intheconstruction oftheFTAA
inthisarea. Wereceived withappreciation theDeclaration oftheTenth Inter-American Conference
ofMinisters ofLabour. Werecognize theimportance ofthefurther observance andpromotion of
worker rights andtheneed toconsider appropriate processes inthisarea, through ourrespective
governments. Wewillkeepthismatter under consideration andhaveasked ourVice-Ministers tokeep
usinformed.
Other matters
Future ministerial meetings
16. Inview ofthemandate ofourHeads ofState andGovernment, andinaccordance withthe
decisions adopted attheDenver Meeting, weagree toholdtheThird Ministerial andtheBusiness Forum
Meetings inthesecond quarter of1997. Weaccept, withappreciation, theinvitation oftheGovernment
ofBrazil tohostthese meetings. TheFourth Trade Ministerial andBusiness Forum Meetings areto
beheldin1998 inCosta Rica.WT/L/143
Page5
ANNEX I
Action planfornewworking groups
I. TheWorking Group onGovernment Procurement will:
1. Collect, systematize andcreate aninventory ofthelegislation, regulations andprocedures in
thecountries oftheHemisphere regarding government procurement, starting atthecentral government
level, including, among others, State-owned enterprises. Onthebasis ofthatinventory, undertake
astudy ofbarriers toaccess toprocurement bythepublic sector.
2. Create aninventory andanalysis ofregulations ongovernment procurement included in
integration schemes andotherexisting agreements towhich countries intheHemisphere aresignatories.
3. Compile available dataonpurchases ofgoods andservices bycentral governments, including,
among others, State-owned enterprises, intheHemisphere.
4. Identify areas ofcommonality anddivergence among government procurement systems in
countries oftheHemisphere.
5. Recommend methods topromote understanding oftheWTO Government Procurement
Agreement.
6. Recommend methods topromote transparency ingovernment procurement.
7. Make specific recommendations onhowtoproceed intheconstruction oftheFTAA inthis
area.
II. TheWorking Group onIntellectual Property Rights will:
1. Create aninventory oftheintellectual property agreements, treaties andarrangements thatexist
intheHemisphere, including allinternational conventions towhich countries areparties.
2. Compile, inthemostefficient manner, aninventory ofintellectual property protection laws,
regulations andenforcement measures intheHemisphere and,onthebasisofthisinformation, identify
areas ofcommonality anddivergence.
3. Recommend methods topromote theunderstanding andeffective implementation oftheWTO
Agreement onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
4. Identify possible areas fortechnical assistance, which countries mayrequest, involving both
theadministration andenforcement ofintellectual property rights.
5. Analyse theimplications ofemerging technologies forintellectual property rights protection
intheFTAA.
6. Make specific recommendations onhowtoproceed intheconstruction oftheFTAA inthis
area.WT/L/143
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III. TheWorking Group onTrade onServices will:
1. Undertake conceptual background work onthenature oftrade inservices, including the
relationship toother working groups, including Investment.
2. Compile acomprehensive inventory ofagreements, accords andother arrangements covering
trade inservices intheHemisphere anddetermine areas ofcommonality anddivergence.
3. Create acomprehensive inventory ofmeasures affecting tradeinservices within theHemisphere
andidentify steps toenhance transparency andfacilitate trade.
4. Create astatistical database oftrade flows inservices intheHemisphere.
5. RecommendmethodstopromoteunderstandingandeffectiveimplementationoftheWTOGeneral
Agreement onTrade inServices (GATS), including technical assistance.
6. Make specific recommendations onhowtoproceed intheconstruction oftheFTAA inthis
area.
IV. TheWorking Group onCompetition Policy will:
1. Promote understanding oftheobjectives andoperation ofcompetition policy.
2. Compile aninventory ofdomestic lawsandregulations thatexistintheHemisphere thatdeal
withanti-competition conduct and,onthebasisofthatinformation, identify areas ofcommonality and
divergence.
3. Create aninventory ofthecompetition policy agreements, treaties andarrangements existing
intheHemisphere.
4. Identify cooperation mechanisms among governments intheHemisphere aiming atensuring
theeffective implementation ofcompetition policy laws.
5. Recommend waystoassist members toestablish orimprove theirdomestic competition policy
regimes, astheymayrequest.
6. Exchange views ontheapplication andoperation ofcompetition policy regimes inthecountries
oftheHemisphere andtheirrelationship totrade inafree-trade area.
7. Make specific recommendations onhowtoproceed intheconstruction oftheFTAA inthis
area.WT/L/143
Page7
ANNEX II
Chairs oftheWorking Groups
Wehaveagreed thatthefollowing countries willassume thechairs ofeachoftherespective
working groups untilthenextTrade Ministerial Meeting.
Working Group Country
Market Access ElSalvador
Customs Procedures andRules ofOrigin Bolivia
Investment Costa Rica
Standards andTechnical Barriers toTrade Canada
Sanitary andPhytosanitary Measures Mexico
Subsidies, “Anti-Dumping ”andCountervailing Duties Argentina
Smaller Economies Jamaica
Government Procurement United States
Intellectual Property Rights Honduras
Services Chile
Competition Policy PeruWT/L/143
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ANNEX III
Progress Reports fromtheWorking Groups Created inDenver andRecommendations forFuture Work
Inaddition totheguidance provided elsewhere inthisdocument, werequest thattherelevant
working groups implement thefollowing areas forimmediate action:
Market Access
- Keep databases current; make them public, once their contents have been approved by
governments.
Customs Procedures andRules ofOrigin
- Develop andimprove thecomplete inventory ofcustoms procedures intheHemisphere and
publish theCustoms Procedures Manual foritsusebytheprivate sector;
- Make recommendations onpromoting electronic filing ofcustoms documentation.
Investment
- Publish aguidebook oninvestment regimes intheHemisphere;
- Promote accession toexisting arbitral conventions;
- Publish theinventory ofinvestment agreement andtreaties intheregion.
Standards andTechnical Barriers toTrade
- Prepare aninventory ofstandards andrelated measures;
- Develop proposals onmutual accreditation oftesting facilities.
Sanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
- Develop proposals onwaystopromote therecognition ofsanitary andphytosanitary certificates
among countries intheHemisphere.
Subsidies, Anti-Dumping andCountervailing Duties
- Release thecompendium oftheHemispheric trade lawsandprocedures being compiled by
theOAS.
Smaller Economies
- Make recommendations onmeasures, including technical assistance, tofacilitate theintegration
ofsmaller economies intotheFTAA.WT/L/143
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Expansion ofTerms ofReference
Working Group onSubsidies, Anti-Dumping andCountervailing Duties
- Wetakenoteofthe“Report andRecommendations oftheWorking Group onSubsidies,
Anti-dumping, andCountervailing Duties ”,andurgetheWorking Group toidentify other
practices thatcanbeshown tohavetrade-distorting effects onagricultural tradeinorwiththe
hemisphere, withanaimtomake specific recommendations onthesubject.