September 29,2000

Chair, Committee of Government Representatives of Civil Society
c/o Tripartite Committee (Ref. Civil Society) Econolnic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
1825 K Street NW, Suite 1120
Washington, D.C. 20006 -

Re: Executive Summary:
Open Invitation to the Civil Society in FT AA Participating Countries

Dear Chair:

I am writing to you on behalf of the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) in response to the "Open Invitation to the Civil Society in Ff AA Participatin 9 Countries."
GMA fully supports the Free Trade of Area of the Americas (Ff AA) negotiations and has actively participated in the process through the Americas Business Forum and continued dialogue with our government representatives.

GMA is the world's largest association of food, beverage and consumer product companies. With U.S. sales of more than $463 billion, GMA members employ more than 2.5 million workers in all 50 states. The organization applies legal, scientific and political expertise from its member companies to vital food, nutrition and public policy issues
affecting the industry. Led by a board of 42 Chief Executive Officers, GMA speaks for food and consumer product manufacturer~ at the state, federal and international levels on legislative and regulatory issues. The association also leads efforts to increase productivity, efficiency and growth in the food, beverage and consumer products industry.

The Committee on Civil Society is anew initiative within the trade -negotiating framework. The stated objective of the committee is to "obtain input from Civil Society on trade matters relevant to the FT AA". GMA supports this overall objective, but suggests that there is a more effective means to obtain meaningful input from relevant stakeholders. GMA believes that national consultations are the best means to incorporate private sector concerns into trade negotiations. GMA encourages all FT AA participating countries to undertake national measures to solicit comment from all stakeholders while developing country objectives and priorities for FT,L\A negotiating groups. In this manner, the negotiations will proceed in a manner that balances national positions representative of all local constituencies.

GMA firmly believes that the FrAA negotiations should be conducted as a government- to- government process. Observer status should not be conveyed to any business, labor, environmental human rights, or consumer groups during the negotiations. Furthermore, no such group should have a "seat" at the negotiating table. The intergovernmental status of trade negotiations must be preserved.

Attached, as an Annex, are GMA recommendations for the Fr AA agricultural negotiations. GMA appreciates this opportunity to provide comments on the Committee on Civil Society and the agricultural negotiations. We look forward to providing additional, more detailed comments as the negotiations proceed. In the meantime, please consider GMA a resource as you continue to develop Rositions for the FT AA.

Sincerely,

~..,C.~.V~

Mary C. Sophos
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs