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Capítulos

Special Edition 1996

Activities of the Permanent Secretariat of SELA 1996

Meetings at SELA headquarters

  • The Latin American Consultation and Coordination Meeting was held from 16 to 18 January 1996 prior to the IX UNCTAD Conference, which was held in April in South Africa. The regional meeting was attended by high level officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the SELA member states, the ambassadors of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) in Geneva, and representatives from Rumania and South Africa. The delegates dealt with an agenda similar to the one for the IX UNCTAD focused on the «promotion of the growth and sustained development of a world economy in a process of globalization and liberalization». During the debates, a call was made to the international community to strengthen the UNCTAD so that it may play a relevant role in an increasingly complex and interdependent economy.
  • The ALADI/SELA/ECLAC Meeting of Government Officials responsible for Trade Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean was held on 8 February, convened by the three organizations to consider the evolution of intraregional trade and investment, the perspectives of convergence and the articulation of regional integration, the negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the America (FTAA), and aspects related to the situation of the countries in the region in the area of international trade.
  • «The Socio-political Agenda of the Integration Process in the Wider Caribbean» was the title of the Seminar held on 12 and 13 February, sponsored by the Venezuelan Institute of Social and Political Studies (INVESP). Its basic objectives were to identify the new socio-political issues emerging in the regionalization process in the Wider Caribbean and characterize the principal institutional and social actors and their role in the regional integration process.
  • The Workshop on the Perspectives for Strengthening the European Union-Latin American Association was held on 29 February in Caracas, organized by the Permanent Secretariat of SELA and the Institute of European-Latin American Relations (IRELA), which was attended by representatives of both institutions, European Community officials and Latin American experts. During the workshop, officials from the European Communities Commission explained the new strategy for relations with Latin America until the year 2000.
  • An international symposium was held from 13 to 15 May to analyze the TRIPS (Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement, organized by the World Intellectual Propert Organization (WIPO), in collaboration with the Government of Venezuela and the Permanent Secretariat of SELA. The meeting was attended by government officials from Latin America and the Caribbean responsible for this issue in their respective countries, experts, representatives of international organizations, businessmen, associations and labour unions, researchers, academics and parliamentarians interested in the field of intellectual property.
  • The Workshop of Experts on Productive Modernization, Formation of Human Resources and Labour Relations, was held on 2 and 3 September at SELA headquarters, organized jointly with CINTEFOR-ILO and the ILDIS, which was attended by representatives of the government, business, labour union and academic sectors.
  • Convened by SELA, the Workshop of Experts on Industrial Policy met at the organization's headquarters on 16 and 17 September, and was attended by government officials, businessmen, representatives of international organizations and specialists to debate the definition, implementation and types of industrial policy, the role of the different actors in the industrialization processes, and the technological opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • The Regional Meeting on Privatization and Decentralization was held on 8 October, organized by SELA and the World Bank in the framework of the activities of the Latin American and Caribbean Network on Privatization, with the object of exchanging impressions about the privatizing experiences in progress at a local level in Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela and to analyze the state of the progress being made in the Technical Cooperation Programme that the World Bank is promoting in this area, with a view to extending it to other interested countries.
  • The Seminar of the G-3 and its relations with the Caribbean was held on 31 October and 1 November, organized by SELA and the Government of Venezuela, in its capacity as the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the group. Representatives of the principal regional and multilateral organizations participated in the meeting with the objective of analyzing the process of cooperation with the Caribbean countries.
  • Convened by the Government of Jamaica, the Hemispheric Working Group on the Smaller Economies was held from 13 to 15 November, as a result of the President's decision to ask the Permanent Secretariat of SELA for technical support for the Group's activities.
  • The Permanent Secretariat organized the Workshop to design a cooperation programme for the SMEs, which was held on 28 and 29 November.
  • The II Meeting on Competition Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean was held on 26 and 27 November, organized by SELA, PROCOMPETENCIA of Venezuela and the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation (AECI). In the framework of this meeting, an international workshop on «How to guarantee competition in an open economy?» was held, in which experts from Europe and Latin America participated.

Other meetings

  • On 21 April, the «Regional Consultation Meeting on the Reform of the Multilateral Development Banks» was held at the World Bank in Washington, convened by the Permanent Secretariat of SELA in collaboration with the Offices of the Latin American Executive Directors of the World Bank. The object of the meeting was to analyze, from a regional perspective, the report of the Experts Commission set up by the World Bank's Development Committee and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the functioning of the multilateral development banks to adapt them to the changes in the world economic system.
  • The «Latin American and Caribbean Privatization Conference» was held in Lima on 22 and 23 January 1996, organized by the Peruvian Private Investment Promotion Commission (COPRI), the World Bank and SELA. The meeting covered the principal issues on the world privatizing agenda such as the definition of the regulatory frameworks to safeguard the interests of the State, investors and consumers; the privatization of the infrastructure and the social services; labour and citizen participation and the use of the resources produced by the sales. Likewise, the Latin American and Caibbean Privatization Network was created and will be used to systematize information and exchange experiences.
  • The Deputy Permanent Secretary of SELA, Luis Alberto Rodriguez, attended the first regional workshop on «Political actors and integration in the Wider Caribbean», as a follow-up to the SELA-INVESP project «The Socio-political Agenda for Integration». This meeting, held in Guatemala on 2 and 3 May, had the collaboration of the Latin American Council of Research for Peace (CLAIP) and the Institute of International Relations and Research for Peace (IRIPAZ) and its basic objective was to analyze the situation of the political and social actors in the integration processes.
  • From 20 to 24 May, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA held a Workshop in Mexico on the Application of the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement, aimed at training public officials in the Latin American and Caribbean countries. The meeting formed part of the Training Programme on Multilateral Trade Negotiations which SELA is promoting in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Ministry of Trade of Mexico (SECOFI).
  • From 27 to 29 May, representatives of the Permanent Secretariat attended the II Technical Meeting of the Association of Caribbean States, held in Mexico. The main objectives of the meeting were the consideration of the ACS reports on its first year of activities, the legal aspects related to the institution, the application for admission by new observers, the cooperation agreements signed by the General Secretariat, and the setting up of special committees which will develop mutual cooperation in areas such as trade, external economic relations, the environment, science and technology, among others.
  • In June, the Permanent Secretary of SELA, Ambassador Carlos Moneta, held consultations with the authorities of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union commissioners to examine the progress of the existing cooperation agreements and to study new possibilities for agreements between SELA and those institutions. Meetings were also held with the ambassadors of the Latin American and Caribbean Groups in Geneva and Brussels, respectively, to discuss the Permanent Secretariat's work plan and exchange ideas about the programmes being implemented by the organization, especially in the area of trade.
  • Ambassador Carlos Moneta, Permanent Secretary of SELA, attended the XVII Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), held in Bridgetown (Barbados) from 3 to 6 July.
  • The «Course on Multilateral Trade Negotiations and the WTO» was held in Mexico from 26 August to 6 September, organized by SELA, the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development of Mexico (SECOFI) and the IDB, which was attended by more than 50 high level officials from 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • At the express request of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, International Trade and Cults of the Republic of Argentina, the Secretariat of SELA organized together with the International Relations Advisory Council (CARI) and the Foreign Service Institute of that country the «Seminar on Relations and Perceptions between the English-speaking Caribbean and South America», held in Buenos Aires on 5 and 6 September.
  • The Meeting of the Heads of the Secretariats of the Regional Cooperation and Integration Organizations was held on 20 October in Montevideo, Uruguay, convened by SELA with the object of coordinating the work done by each Secretariat in the area of regional cooperation and integration to support the Latin American and Caribbean countries in their efforts to achieve the convergence and articulation of the integration agreements.
  • The III Meeting of Government Officials Responsible for Trade Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean was held on 21 October in Montevideo, convened by SELA, ECLAC and ALADI, to analyze and discuss the articulation of the trade policy egulations and instruments produced by the regional, hemispheric and multilateral negotiations in which the Latin American and Caribbean countries participate.
  • The XXII Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council of SELA, highest decision-making body of this regional institution, convened from 22 to 24 October in Montevideo, Uruguay.
    The Latin American Council reached a number of conclusions and approved several decisions, including one opposing the Helms Burton Act (see this same issue of Capítulos), in addition to those concerning the guidelines for SELA's restructuring and modernization, the 1997 Work Programme and guidelines for action corresponding to the 1997-1999 period, the mandate conferred to the Permanent Secretariat to initiate dialogue on the incorporation of independent Caribbean states into SELA, and a number of actions relating to International Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC), among many other aspects of interest to the region.
    Furthermore, a Panel on «The Multilateral Agenda and Latin America and the Caribbean», was also held in the framework of the Council Meeting, attracting distinguished personalities of international organizations and the President of the Republic of Uruguay, Julio María Sanguinetti.
  • The Workshop on «Small and medium-size enterprises: The challenge of globalization. The private sector and international cooperation: A strategic dialogue for competitive integration» was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 28 to 31 October, organized by SELA and co-sponsored by the Brazilian Cooperation Association (ABC), the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises (SEBRAE) and the UNDP's Special Technical Cooperation Unit.
  • The I Meeting of Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology was held in Havana, Cuba, on 6 and 7 November, organized by the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, with the support of SELA, ALADI and the Technological and Trade Information Promotion System.
  • The Deputy Permanent Secretary attended the «Conference on the Caribbean and Latin America», which was held in Miami, Florida, from 8 to 11 December, aimed at analyzing the requirements to achieve greater competitiveness, progress made by the working groups set up at the Miami Summit on investment, intellectual property, customs and new trends in business leadership in the hemisphere. Afterwards, on 12 and 13 December, Dr. Rodriguez participated in the II Regular Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States, in Havana, Cuba.

Agreements

  • On 29 February 1996, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA and the European Communities Commission agreed to develop a two-year training programme for government officials and businessmen in the Latin American region on the main issues of the international economic agenda, including relations between the European Union and Latin America.
  • The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Permanent Secretariat of SELA signed a Non-reimbursable Regional Technical Cooperation Agreement, to train more than 170 officials from Latin America and the Caribbean in the new rules of the game for world trade, which emerged from the Uruguay Round. The agreement establishes the holding of technical seminars for 133 high level officials involved in the formulation and implementation of trade policies and intensive training courses for trade negotiators, for 38 participants from the region. The agreement was signed on 7 March in Washington by the President of the IDB, Enrique Iglesias, and the Permanent Secretary of SELA, Carlos Juan Moneta.
  • On 27 March, the Secretary General of the Organization of merican States (OAS), Cesar Gaviria, visited SELA headquarters in Caracas and signed with the Permanent Secretary, Carlos Moneta, a memorandum of understanding between both institutions to collaborate in matters of common interest in the respective work programmes. The memorandum includes inter-institutional cooperation, attendance of meetings, and the systematic exchange of information and documentation.
  • On 3 June, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Santa Fé de BogotÁ between the Permanent Secretariat of SELA and the General Secretariat for Latin America of the Club of Rome. The agreement includes mutual collaboration in the development of common tasks, the identification of specific actions and projects and the modalities to put them into practice.
  • The Permanent Secretary of SELA, Carlos Moneta, and the President of the Latin American Parliament, Juan Singer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 3 September in Bolivia to develop an information and updating programme of the Latin American legislative agenda and the new world and regional context.
  • The two-year programme will enter into force on 1 January 1997, and will be implemented through the different complementary modalities of general and specific seminars and workshops for parliamentarians in the region.
  • It is also proposed to «contribute to the creation of a specialized information network linking the regional organizations, the Latin American, Amazon, Andean, Central American, Indigenous Parliament, the Joint Parliamentary Commission of MERCOSUR and the national congresses.»
  • A memorandum of understanding was signed on 5 September in Buenos Aires between the Permanent Secretariat of SELA, the Federal Investments Council of the Argentine Republic, and the General Secretariat for Latin America of the Club of Rome, with the object of identifying specific actions and projects of inter-institutional cooperation, exchanging information and documentation, and joint publications.
  • On 23 October in Montevideo, Uruguay, the Permanent Secretary of SELA, Ambassador Carlos Moneta, and the Secretary General of ALADI, Ambassador Antonio Antunes, signed a cooperation agreement with the objective of promoting a greater trade link between the member countries of both institutions, attending to the new dimensions and importance of the regional integration process and its hemispheric projection.

Documents and publications of the Permanent Secretariat of SELA

    1. TRADE
  • Globalization and Liberalization (SP/RCC-IX UNCTAD/DT No. 2) 5-18 January 1996, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Final Report of the Consultation and Coordination Meeting prior to UNCTAD IX (RCC-IX UNCTAD/DF No. 1) 18 January 1996, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • International Trade: The Post Uruguay Round Scenario (ALADI/ECLAC/SELA/II/RGPC/DT No. 3) 8 and 9 February 1996, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Final Report of ALADI/ECLAC/SELA Meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Government Officials Responsible for Trade Policy (ALADI/ECLAC/SELA/II/RGPC/DF) 8 February 1996, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • The implementation of the Uruguay Round and the functioning of the WTO. III Meeting of Latin American and the Caribbean Government Officials Responsible for Trade Policy (ALADI/ECLAC/SELA/III/RGPC/DT No. 2) 21 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • Trade in Services in a Post-Uruguay Setting. III Meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Government Officials Responsible for Trade Policy (ALADI/ECLAC/SELA/III/RGPC/DTNo. 3) 21 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • The Regional Convergence Process and the Establishment of the FTAA. III Meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Government Officials Responsible for Trade Policy (ALADI/ECLAC/SELA/III/RGPC/DT No. 4) 21 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • Impact of the Helms-Burton Law from the Perspective of the Member States of SELA. (SP/CL/XXII.O/DT No. 9) 22-25 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • Change and continuity in the Process of International Globalization: End-of-Century Scenarios. (SP/ CL/ XXII.O/D No. 4) 22-25 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
    2. DEVELOPMENT FINANCING
  • Meeting for Regional Consultation on the Reform of Multilateral Development Banks. Summary of the Debate (RCR/RBMD/DF No. 1) 21 April 1996. Washington D.C.
  • Financing, Intraregional Capital Flows and External Debt of Latin America and the Caribbean. (SP/CL/XXII. O/ Di No. 1). 22-25 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
    3. ECONOMIC POLICY
  • Latin America-Caribbean Privatization Network. Latin America-Caribbean Privatization Conference, World Bank/SELA/COPRI (CALCP/DT No. 2) 22 and 23 January 1996, Lima, Peru.
  • Workshop on Investment Policies in Latin America and Multilateral Rules on Investment «Latin America and the Caribbean in the Context of an Eventual Multilateral Negotiation on Investment». (SP/DS/DT No. 7-96) 16-18 July 1996, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (available only in English).
    4. EXTRAREGIONAL RELATIONS
  • Trade and Financial relations of Japan with Latin America and the Caribbean (SP/DS/DT No. 3) XV Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Rio Group. 27-28 May 1996. Cochabamba, Bolivia.
  • The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN): Situation and prospects for the development of the economic relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and South East Asia (SP/DS/DT No. 4-96) 23 September 1996, New York, United States of America.
  • Elements for Institutional Dialogues between the Rio Group and the People's Republic of China (SP/DS/DT No. 5-96) 4 October 1996, New York, United States of America.
  • U.S. Presidential Elections 1996: Implications for Trade Relations (SP/DRE/Di No. 11-96) October 1996.
    5. PRODUCTIVE SECTORS AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
  • Productive Flexibility and New Enterprise Models. Workshop of Experts on Productive Modernization, Formation of Human Resources and Labour Relations (SP/TEMP/DT No. 2) 2-3 September 1996, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Toward a Better Entrepreneurial Performance in Latin America. Workshop of Experts on Industrial Policy (SP/TEPI/Di No. 1) 16-17 September 1996, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Technology-based Enterprises. Proposed Options for the Region. Workshop of Experts on Industrial Policy (SP/TEPI/Di No. 2) 16-17 September 1996, Caracas, Venezuela.
    6. INTEGRATION AND REGIONAL COOPERATION
  • The Latin American and Caribbean Integration Process: Recent Advances. (SP/CL/XXII.O/Di No. 3) 22-25 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
    7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
  • The TRIP's Agreement and International Trade: Impact on Latin America and the Caribbean (SELA/BID/TRIPs/DT No. 2) 20-24 May 1996, Mexico City.
  • The TRIP's Agreement and International Trade: Impact on Latin America and the Caribbean. III Meeting of Latin America and Caribbean Government Officials Responsible for Trade Policy (ALADI/ECLAC/SELA/III/RGPC/DT No. 5) 21 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
    8. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (TCDC)
  • The New Criteria of Official Development Assistance: More efficiency or more conditions? (SP/DRE/Di No. 1-96) April 1996.
  • Advance report on the Activities carried out during the Programming and Negotiation Exercise in Support of Haiti (SP/RDCTI 96/Di No. 3) 20-22 May 1996, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico.
  • Final Report. Experts' Workshop on Innovative Experiences for the Mobilization of TCDC Resources (SP/RDCTI 96/Di No. 2) 20-22 May 1996, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico.
  • Technical and Economic Cooperation: Indispensable Link for the Development and Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (SP/RDCTI 96/DT No. 3) 20-22 May 1996, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico.
  • XI Meeting of Directors of International Technical Cooperation. Rapporteur's Report (SP/CL/XXII.O/DT No. 11) 22-25 October 1996, Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • Report on the TCDC Programming and Negotiation Exercise in Support of Haiti (SP/CL/XXII.O/Di No. 2) 22-25 October 1996, Montevideo Uruguay.
    9. INSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTS
  • Notes on the informal reflection meeting on Latin America and the Caribbean and the future of SELA (SP/DS/Di No. 7-96) 21-22 July 1996. Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Annotated Agenda of the II Regional Meeting on the Restructuring and Modernization of SELA (II/RRRMS/DT No.1) 19-20 September 1966, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Report of the II Regional Meeting on the Restructuring and Modernization of SELA (II/RRRMS/DF No.1/Rev.1) 19-20 September 1966, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • List of Agreements, Conventions and other cooperation instruments signed by the SELA Permanent Secretariat (updated in October 1996) (SP/CD/Di No. 1-96/Rev.1).
  • Twentieth Annual Report of the Permanent Secretariat (SP/CL/XXII.O/DT No. 3) 22-25 October 1966. Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • Guidelines for the 1997-1999 Triennium and Activity Programme for 1997 (SP/CL/XXII.O/DT No. 7) 22-25 October 1966. Montevideo, Uruguay.
  • Cooperation Agreements signed by the Permanent Secretariat (October 1995 to September 1996) (SP/CL/XXII.O/DT No. 8) 22-25 October 1966. Montevideo, Uruguay.
    10. PUBLICATIONS

    Strategic Issues

    No. 19 - January 1996
         		The Wave of Privatization
    No. 20 - March 1996
         		X-Raying Latin American and Caribbean Trade Policy
    No. 21 - April 1996
         		European Union-Latin America: Towards closer association
    No. 22 - May 1996
         		Development of the Asia Pacific Basin
    No. 23 - June 1996
         		The route from Marrakesh to Singapore: New course for trade relations
    No. 24 - July 1996
         		Foreign investment treatment: Internationalization of rules?
    No. 25 - August 1996
         		Chile-Mercosur: The path to regional convergence
    No. 26 - September 1996
         		The quest for a new Industrial Policy
    No. 27 - October 1996
         		The discreet charm of competition

CONTENT

 

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