The fifth meeting of the FTAA Negotiating Group on Dispute Settlement (NGDS) was held in Miami from 18 to 20 August 1999. A list of the participating countries is attached to this press release. Some of the delegations represented their respective sub-regional groups. The NGDS deliberations followed the items of the agenda, also attached.


The fifth NGDS meeting focused mainly on the drafting and approval of the report to the Trade Negotiations Committee on all the elements of the Work Program agreed upon in Buenos Aires in June 1998. This report also includes an annotated outline of the status of the progress in the Group’s work in establishing a fair, transparent, and effective mechanism to settle disputes among FTAA countries.

Also at this meeting, the Group approved the Inventory on dispute settlement systems within the Hemisphere and agreed to request the TNC to post said document on the FTAA web page. The NGDS acknowledged the excellent work of the Tripartite Committee (OAS) in completing this document.

With regard to arbitration and other alternative dispute settlement mechanisms, the Group decided to postpone consideration of these matters for the next stage of negotiations.

While no specific date was adopted for the next NGDS meeting, the delegations felt that the Group could meet again sometime between 15 February and 10 March 2000.

FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

Fifth Meeting

18 – 20 August 1999
Inter-Continental Hotel, Miami

AGENDA

1. Adoption of the Agenda.

2.  Chair’s Report on the TNC Meeting in Cochabamba.

3. Analysis and discussion of document “Draft NGDS Report to the TNC".

4. Consideration of draft letter in reply to the Chair of the Consultative Group on Smaller Economies.

5. Presentation and comments on the status of the Inventory of Dispute Settlement Mechanisms, Procedures and Legal Texts.

6. Press Release.

7.  Other business.

-Arbitration
 Submission by Mexico
 Approval of document

- Schedule of future meetings