Public
FTAA.tci/com/12
July 3, 2003
Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat
FTAA - TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON INSTITUTIONAL
ISSUES
Twelfth Meeting
Puebla, Mexico, 23 and 24 June 2003
PRESS COMMUNIQUE
1. The Twelfth Meeting of the Technical Committee on
Institutional Issues (TCI) was held in Puebla, Mexico, on 23 and 24 June 2003,
under the chairmanship of Mr. Mario Matus, of Chile. In attendance were
representatives from the following 16 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United
States.
2. The approved agenda for the discussions is
attached hereto as an annex.
3. All the items on the agenda were covered. The TCI focused its work on
reviewing the documents referring to the design of the preliminary general
structure of the FTAA Agreement and of the template for the individual chapters,
in fulfillment of the mandate handed down to the TCI by the Trade Negotiations
Committee following its meeting in Puebla from 8 to 10 April 2003, classified as
document http://www.ftaa-alca.org/tn22s.doc
The TCI also prepared a document summarizing the institutional issues whose
inclusion in the Agreement has been agreed to by the Committee. Furthermore, the
TCI discussed the draft consolidated text to be submitted at the next TNC
meeting, to be held in San Salvador, El Salvador. In response to the request
made by the TCI at its most recent (Eleventh) meeting, the Tripartite Committee
presented a document with a series of tables summarizing the relationships
between possible funding criteria for the FTAA Secretariat and four budget
scenarios identified previously by the TCI. The TCI discussed the proposals
presented by some of the delegations. Finally, the TCI commented on each of the
several civil society contributions received by the Committee. After an
interesting discussion and, having verified the need to boost the profile of the
FTAA in the Hemisphere, the TCI resolved to urge governments to improve the
dissemination of information on the FTAA process in every participating country,
at all levels of society, and in all spheres of public opinion.
4. The next meeting of the TCI will be held in Puebla, Mexico, on 28, 29, and 30
July 2003.
FTAA - TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
Twelfth Meeting
Puebla, 23 and 24 June 2003
AGENDA
1. Approval of the agenda
2. Report on the informal meeting of ministers in Maryland and the meeting of
Chairs with the Co-Chairs
3. Architecture and structure of the Agreement
4. Discussion of new contributions on the following topics: Preamble, Articles
1 to 28, and Annexes.
5. Contribution of ideas for the Chair’s report to TNC-El Salvador
6. Relations with other FTAA entities and civil society contributions
7. Other business
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