Recent Summit of the Americas a Success, U.S. Official Says (taxpayers will be stuck money)

U.S. State Department ^ | 16 Nov 2005 | USINFO

[hedgetrimmer]

The fourth Summit of the Americas was a success because the democratic leaders of the Western Hemisphere reaffirmed the importance of strong democratic institutions and sound macro-economic policies, says John Maisto, U.S. national coordinator for the Summit of the Americas.

The summit was held November 4-5 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. In November 16 remarks at George Washington University in Washington, Maisto outlined the results of that summit as well as the challenges ahead in the Western Hemisphere.

He said that going into the summit, the United States wanted to reaffirm the importance of strong democratic institutions, to emphasize the important connection between sound economic policies, growth, job creation and poverty reduction, and to build on the accomplishments of past summits.

Reviewing the results of the summit, Maisto pointed out that all but one country reaffirmed that representative democracy is indispensable for peace, development and stability in the region. He added that the region's leaders are committed to more than democratic elections and will work to ensure that leaders govern democratically.

"The hemisphere's leaders committed explicitly to the full and effective application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter," Maisto said. The Inter-American Democratic Charter, adopted in 2001, states that "the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it."

Hemispheric leaders, Maisto said, also issued communiqués to address threats to democracy and security in Nicaragua, Bolivia, Haiti and Colombia, and he indicated that the United States looks forward to working with the Organization of American States (OAS) to strengthen democratic governance in the region.

As to the United States' second priority at the summit, Maisto said that the region's leaders "left no questions about the important relationship between sound macro-economic policies, growth, job creation and poverty reduction."

He observed that the declaration issued at the conclusion of the summit outlines the importance of the business community in creating jobs while also emphasizing the role of micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses.

Maisto said that the hemisphere's leaders also clearly came out in favor of trade liberalization and sent a strong message on the importance of reducing agriculture subsidies during the next round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks in December in Hong Kong. As for the creation of a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), he indicated that 29 nations, representing 90 percent of the region's gross domestic product, reaffirmed their commitment to a prompt conclusion of the FTAA talks. The four countries of the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR) that currently believe the conditions are not right for the FTAA, he said, agreed to re-examine their stance following the December WTO talks.

Maisto said that the United States will continue to stress the importance of the FTAA, and he concluded that the fourth Summit of the Americas "was a successful contribution to the summit process."

As hemispheric leaders work to implement the summit's Plan of Action, Maisto said many U.S. proposals were incorporated into the plan, including the creation of an Infrastructure Facility of the Americas, the creation of five Opportunity Zones to encourage new businesses and the effective implementation of the Declaration of Florida, which enhances the ability of the OAS to address threats to democracy in the region.

Moving forward from Mar del Plata, Maisto said that hemispheric leaders must exercise the leadership and political will to make difficult choices and implement needed reforms. He added that the help of the region's private sector and civil society will continue to be invaluable in this process.

For more information, see Summit of the Americas.

Following is a transcript of Maisto's remarks:

"Mar del Plata: Moving Beyond the Headlines"

Remarks by Ambassador John F. Maisto, U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS and U.S. National Coordinator for the Summit of the Americas, at The George Washington University panel: "The Mar del Plata Summit: Results and Challenges Ahead"

If you believe that summits are events where, periodically, the hemisphere's democratic leaders meet to discuss and yes, debate, issues of importance to their people, Mar del Plata was a timely and much-needed summit.

This summit was lively, and it was controversial, as reported in the media, and as those of us who were there can attest. President Lagos said it the best: "Fue un debate como pocas veces se ha visto."

But at the end of the day, the leaders issued a 76-paragraph declaration which showed unity and consensus on a wide range of issues, including a reaffirmation of representative democracy, the need for sound economic policies, the need to deal with poverty and how; eradicating the worst forms of child labor; and fighting terrorism and narcotics. And it issued an action plan, and five declarations about specific issues.

So the United States judges Mar del Plata to be a success. Here's why:

Our Objectives

Going into the summit, the United States had three primary objectives:

First, we wanted to reaffirm the importance of strong democratic institutions, which deliver opportunities, both social and economic, for people to improve their lives. That covers the gamut of poverty and job creation. The Summits of the Americas is a gathering of leaders who are committed to the full and effective exercise of representative democracy, as expressed in the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and was reaffirmed. Representative democracy is the one indispensable requirement for countries' participation in the summit process. However, several countries which did join us at the Summit are currently experiencing challenges to their fragile democratic institutions. The assembled leaders sought to call attention to how the international community, and especially the OAS -- by means of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and under our new Secretary General, who is here today, could support those democracies.

Second, we wanted to emphasize the important connection between sound economic policies, growth, job creation, and poverty reduction. This is what we have heard today by all of our other presenters. This involves a vibrant private sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as the motor of job creation. We sought to reaffirm our commitment to the Monterrey Consensus, which states that developing countries have primary responsibility for their own development, and the international community will support those countries that have sound policies, good governance, and the rule of law. And finally, we view trade liberalization, bilaterally, regionally, and globally, as one of the best ways to attract investment, create opportunities, and lift millions out of poverty.

Third, the United States wanted to contribute to a successful summit process, building on the accomplishments at the 2001 Quebec summit and last year's Special Summit in Nuevo Leon (2004). These past summits made significant contributions to our hemispheric dialogue. In Quebec, the heads of state asked foreign ministers to draft the Inter-American Democratic Charter. In Nuevo Leon, leaders agreed to concentrate on measurable, time-bound initiatives to promote sound economic policies that have a direct impact on people's lives, such as halving the cost of sending remittances by 2008, or tripling IDB lending to SMEs by 2007. At Mar del Plata, we hoped to build upon these efforts of past summits, by having our democratic leaders commit to initiatives that create jobs, foster upward mobility, and strengthen democratic governance.

The Results

So what were the results of Mar del Plata? If you look only at the headlines, you might think the summit ended in complete disarray, without agreement on a mutually beneficial hemispheric agenda. However, if you read a little more -- or the Argentine press on Sunday, November 6, the day after the summit, and I commend the Argentine press for their work -- you will discover there was a lot more to this summit.

First, all but one country reaffirmed that representative democracy, as enshrined in the OAS Charter, is an indispensable condition for the peace, development, and stability of the region. As the first line of the Declaration of Mar del Plata demonstrates, we are committed to more than just democratic elections in this hemisphere. Democratically elected leaders must also govern democratically, according to the principles of the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The hemisphere's leaders committed explicitly to the full and effective application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which states that "the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it." To address special areas of concern in our hemisphere, the leaders issued communiqués to deal with threats to democracy and security in Haiti, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Colombia. We all look forward to working with the Secretary General to continue and build upon the good work that the OAS is doing to strengthen democratic governance in our hemisphere.

To keep our societies free and create an environment where all our citizens can prosper, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment, strongly, against corruption, terrorism, and narco-trafficking. To focus on the poorest and most vulnerable of our citizens, the leaders also stressed the importance of fighting discrimination, providing better opportunities for women and vulnerable groups, and promoting social inclusion.

Our second priority at this summit was also accomplished: we left no questions about the important relationship between sound macro-economic policies, growth, job creation, and poverty reduction. It is all up there at the front of the Declaration. The leaders stress the important role of the business sector as the engine for job creation, and devote an entire chapter of the Declaration to the role of micro, small and medium-size enterprises. The Monterrey Consensus is reaffirmed as the fundamental basis for our partnership for development.

This hemisphere also clearly came out in favor of trade liberalization as a path to prosperity. The leaders discussed an ambitious agenda for the Doha Round in the political Declaration, including the issue of special and differential treatment related to small economies. We agree with the hemisphere that the agricultural negotiations will unlock the full potential of the Doha Round. That is why the hemisphere's leaders sent a strong, direct, focused message to the Doha round in Hong Kong to substantially reduce agricultural tariffs and trade-distorting subsidies. This is a message President Bush highlighted at the U.N. High Level Event on September 14, emphasized again with President Lula just after the Summit, and that he reiterated just this week on his route to Asia to attend the APEC summit.

Furthermore, 33 countries reaffirmed the importance of moving forward with trade liberalization in this Hemisphere. Twenty-nine countries, which represent over 90 percent of the GDP of this hemisphere, reaffirmed their commitment to a prompt conclusion to the FTAA negotiations. The four Mercosur countries believed that the conditions are not ripe right now for the FTAA, but agreed to re-examine the situation after the Hong Kong trade meetings. There was debate and no consensus about the next steps forward -- but 33 countries firmly supported trade liberalization as a path to better lives for our citizens. We will continue to emphasize the importance of the FTAA. However, if you look beyond the headlines, the FTAA was only one paragraph of 76 in the Declaration. Our leaders were not at the Summit of the Americas to negotiate trade.

For all these reasons, we do view Mar del Plata as a successful contribution to the summit process. There was a healthy debate among our leaders about the theme of this summit, "Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance." This theme of employment is of utmost importance, confirmed in poll after poll, to all of our hemisphere's citizens.

The Plan of Action did not have quite as many concrete time-bound initiatives as we would have liked. However, the hemisphere welcomed many of our concrete proposals, including:

1) An Infrastructure Facility of the Americas, a new institution to assess the feasibility of infrastructure project proposals from private and public sponsors.

2) The creation of five Opportunity Zones, which will encourage new business opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged citizens.

3) A $16 million contribution to continue and expand our fight against the worst forms of child labor.

4) The development of more efficient energy sources and cleaner technologies.

5) Strengthening the Global Fund to expand our fight against HIV/AIDS in the hemisphere, and to keep ahead of the curve.

6) Effective implementation of the Declaration of Florida on "Delivering the Benefits of Democracy" which enhances the ability of Secretary General Insulza to address threats to democracy in the region, specifically strengthening the application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

The Journey Forward

So how do we move forward after Mar del Plata? We don't need to invent anything new or magical in the summit process. There are no panaceas or huge new pots of money. If we want to create jobs, the elements are all there. The hemisphere's presidents and prime ministers must exercise the leadership and the political will needed to make the hard choices and the necessary structural adjustments and institutional reforms. We need good economic and labor policies, and clear, transparent, rules of the game to attract investment. (And in that the aspect, I'd like to point out that the U.S. and Uruguay signed a bilateral investment treaty at the summit.)

The private sector served notice in their pre-Mar del Plata meeting of how it is anxious to play its role in job creation. In the coming years, we will need to continue to engage with our hemispheric partners to reinforce the elements necessary for creating jobs, fighting poverty, and bolstering democratic governance.

We will need to continue to follow up on previous summit mandates from Nuevo Leon and Quebec, as well as the initiatives from the Mar del Plata summit. We welcome the work of the OAS Summits Secretariat, and especially their recent reports on commitments made at previous summits. The help of civil society and the private sector in monitoring implementation of summit mandates has been and will continue to be invaluable over the next few years, to hold our leaders accountable to their words.

And we look forward to the long journey from Mar del Plata to Trinidad and Tobago or Colombia, where the fifth Summit of the Americas will be held.

Over the next years, the Summit of the Americas process will probably receive very few headlines. But our elected governments, working with civil society and the private sector, will continue to toil daily to deliver the lesser-known benefits of the Mar del Plata summit to all our hemisphere's citizens.

Now, just how the Mar del Plata summit will be judged is yet to be determined. But what the elected governments do to carry out their commitments, and their challenge, beyond the headlines, will continue to be -- as it has been since summits began -- as expressed in what our friends from Nike sum up so well: JUST DO IT.

[hedgetrimmer]

Attention taxpayers and US citizens! New global institutions to be funded from your paychecks.

[hedgetrimmer]

The Plan of Action did not have quite as many concrete time-bound initiatives as we would have liked. However, the hemisphere welcomed many of our concrete proposals, including:

1) An Infrastructure Facility of the Americas, a new institution to assess the feasibility of infrastructure project proposals from private and public sponsors.

2) The creation of five Opportunity Zones, which will encourage new business opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged citizens.

***

To further the doctrine of hemispheric integration, the Bush White House proposes expanding the federal government and federal largesse into the hemisphere with these programs.

Opportunity Zone sounds like orwellian newspeak, doesn't it.

[B4Ranch]

The guy is a damn globalist from the soles of his feet to the tips of the hair on his head. He should be impeached for refusing to honor his Oath of Office!

[hedgetrimmer]

"Opportunity Zones" started as a Bush White House domestic program.

President Bush Proposes New "Opportunity Zones"

President Bush believes that America's the Americas economic prosperity should extend to every corner of our country hemisphere. To help reach that goal, he has proposed a new "Opportunity Zone" initiative to assist America'sthe Americas transitioning neighborhoods member states.

[hedgetrimmer]

I have tried to find information on the infrastructure program, but its not on any government pages yet. One can imagine that it will be the worse for our freedoms as American citizens when we discover how the program will be implemented.

[Willie Green]

He added that the region's leaders are committed to more than democratic elections and will work to ensure that leaders govern democratically.

Translation: instead of representing the interests of their own citizenry, they've agreed to cooperate with the lobbyists of the transnational corporations who want to locate there. Crony "capitalism" strikes again.

[Willie Green]

"Opportunity Zones" started as a Bush White House domestic program.

Didn't the Confederacy call those "plantations"???

[hedgetrimmer]

As hemispheric leaders work to implement the summit's Plan of Action, Maisto said many U.S. proposals were incorporated into the plan, including the creation of an Infrastructure Facility of the Americas, the creation of five Opportunity Zones to encourage new businesses and the effective implementation of the Declaration of Florida, which enhances the ability of the OAS to address threats to democracy in the region.

Declaration of Florida
REAFFIRMING the commitment of the member states to uphold the principles, duties, and rights of the OAS Charter, in particular those set out in its Articles 1, 3, 10, 11, 12, and 33, and to act in accordance therewith in their inter-American relations;

DETERMINED to promote and defend democracy on the basis of the commitments arising from the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter

DETERMINED to adopt and implement those actions required to generate productive employment, reduce poverty, and especially eradicate extreme poverty, while taking into account the different economic realities and conditions of the countries of the Hemisphere, and that the elimination of extreme poverty is essential to the promotion and consolidation of democracy and constitutes a common and shared responsibility of the American States;
the marxist rhetoric of "free trade"

ADDITIONALLY RECOGNIZING the legitimate aspirations of all the peoples of the Americas to live in democracy and enjoy the rights and benefits enumerated in the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter
What, no Bill of Rights or US Constitution?

REAFFIRMING that, as the premier multilateral forum of the Hemisphere, the OAS has a unique role in strengthening democratic institutions and consolidating representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention; Yeah, right....

COGNIZANT ALSO of the commitment made to active solidarity in the fight against poverty, illiteracy, low levels of human development, social and political instability, environmental degradation, and the spread of lethal infectious diseases;
Bird flu perhaps?

RECOGNIZING that the Declaration of Margarita, on poverty, equity, and social inclusion, affirms our determination and commitment to urgently combat the serious problems of poverty, social exclusion, and inequity, which affect, in varying degrees, the countries of the Hemisphere; and to face the causes that generate them and their consequences and create favorable conditions for socioeconomic development with equity to promote more just societies;
Pure Marxism

[Toddsterpatriot]

Yawn. Get back to me when the OAS imposes this plan on the US without a vote of Congress.

[hedgetrimmer]

Get back to me when the OAS imposes this plan on the US without a vote of Congress.

The USTR has already committed us. Congress was not consulted.

[Toddsterpatriot]

The USTR has already committed us. Congress was not consulted.

So, this is now the law of the land? What does it force us to do? What does it force us to spend? Prove it.

[hedgetrimmer]

Yawn

Creating huge new hemispheric bureacracies at US taxpayer expense is no big deal to the "free traders" among us.

Maybe you can tell us all about how the "Infrastructure Facility of the Americas" protects individual American citizen rights, which is the duty of our government under the US Constitution. Perhaps we have elected officials and unelected "permanent" bureacrats like John Maisto that have forgotten our Constitution in favor of OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter?

[hedgetrimmer]

"The hemisphere's leaders committed explicitly to the full and effective application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter," Maisto said. The Inter-American Democratic Charter,

Why would "permanent minister" John Maisto go to south America and say this? Is he a rogue bureaucrat or does he think the white house is backing him up on it?

As hemispheric leaders work to implement the summit's Plan of Action, Maisto said many U.S. proposals were incorporated into the plan, including the creation of an Infrastructure Facility of the Americas, the creation of five Opportunity Zones to encourage new businesses and the effective implementation of the Declaration of Florida, which enhances the ability of the OAS to address threats to democracy in the region.

Did the white house tell "permanent minister" John Maisto to incorporate "infrastructure facility of the Americas, five opportunity zones and the implementation of the declaration of Florida" into the the very communist "plan of action" or did he just come up with the ideas himself?

[hedgetrimmer]

To achieve the investment of infrastructure necessary to lift the 1.1 billion extremely poor people in the world to a level of sustenance, Dr. Sachs estimates that the rich nations of the world need to contribute between $135 billion and $195 billion per year for the next decade. That amounts to between 0.44 percent and 0.54 percent of the gross national income of the rich nations. Considering that these countries (including the United States) reaffirmed a pledge in the 2002 Monterrey Consensus to “make concrete efforts toward the goal of 0.7 percent of gross national income as official development assistance,” Dr. Sachs’ agenda doesn’t seem so grandiose. (By the way, in 2004, U.S. foreign assistance amounted to 0.16 percent of gross national income).

So the "Infrastructure Facility of the Americas" is part of the action plan from the "Monterrey Consensus" where unelected "permanent ministers" and bureaucrats pledged 0.7 percent of gross national income as official development assistance. We have gone from Congress making decisions about foreign aid, to global socialist bureaucrats making the decision for them. One wonders why the "free traders" in this country don't object to billions of dollars being spent by "rich countries" to build their infrastructure? These are nothing but massive subsidies to transnational corporations, so they can outsource and offshore in every corrupt little country that allows slave labor. And one wonders why a percentage was pledged instead of a dollar amount? It has all the appearances of a Marxist progressive tax on the American citizen to fund the global socialists and transnational corporations.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Why would "permanent minister" John Maisto go to south America and say this? Is he a rogue bureaucrat or does he think the white house is backing him up on it?

Bla bla bla. So, couldn't find any proof this forces us to do or spend anything? Typical.

[Toddsterpatriot]

So the "Infrastructure Facility of the Americas" is part of the action plan from the "Monterrey Consensus" where unelected "permanent ministers" and bureaucrats pledged 0.7 percent of gross national income as official development assistance.

Until Congress authorizes spending, this means nothing. Just like hedgetrimmer hot air.

[Amish with an attitude]

http://www.stoptheftaa.org/default.html

[A. Pole]

Reviewing the results of the summit, Maisto pointed out that all but one country reaffirmed that representative democracy is indispensable for peace, development and stability in the region. He added that the region's leaders are committed to more than democratic elections and will work to ensure that leaders govern democratically.

Democracy is very good on condition that the elected leaders do not pander to the wishes of population and stick to the free trade/free market agenda.

[hedgetrimmer]

Until Congress authorizes spending, this means nothing

The USTR, the Treasury Department and USAID disburse funds in South America without any congressional oversight.

[Toddsterpatriot]

The USTR, the Treasury Department and USAID disburse funds in South America without any congressional oversight.

Until Congress authorizes spending, this means nothing

Is Congressional oversight the same thing as Congressional authorization? I didn't think so.