1. The seventeenth meeting of the Negotiating Group on Dispute Settlement (NGDS) was held in Panama from July 15-16, 2002. Representatives from twenty (20) countries of the Hemisphere were in attendance: Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts & Nevis, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

2. The adopted agenda for the meeting is attached as annex.

3. All the items on the agenda were considered. The NGDS agreed to forward its preliminary views on the institutions that will need to be established to adequately implement the dispute settlement mechanisms established in the FTAA pursuant to instructions from Ministers (Buenos Aires Ministerial Declaration, Annex I, section H). The NGDS finalized its report to the Trade Negotiations Committee, describing the Group’s activities since the Buenos Aires Ministerial and including a second version of the draft chapter on dispute settlement.

4. Information provided by twenty (20) countries on their respective national laws on arbitration and/or institutions, is posted on the FTAA web page on private commercial arbitration at http://www.ftaa-alca.org/busfac/canale.asp

5. The Group discussed contributions received from civil society in response to the open invitations to civil society.

6. The date of the next meeting of the NGDS will be scheduled by the TNC.
 

FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

1. Approval of the agenda

2. Finalization of submission to the Technical Committee on Institutional Issues

3. Finalization of second draft consolidated text

4. Relationship with other FTAA entities

    - Consultative Group on Smaller Economies

5. Contributions from Civil Society

6. Finalization of the report of the NGDS to the Trade Negotiations Committee