Bulletin on the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean

Transcription

1 Bulletin on the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean N 185 April 2013 Contents Permanent Secretary of SELA participated in V Summit of ACS (1-2) Declaration of Pétion Ville (2-3) Paraguay willing to return to MERCOSUR and UNASUR (3) Venezuela supports links between Eco-ALBA and MERCOSUR (3-4) Andean Business Meeting was successful (4) Bolivia begins process of accession to MERCOSUR (4-5) Panama to preside over Council of Ministers of COMIECO (5-6) Central American intra-regional trade is positive for Honduras (6) Chambers of Commerce in Central America and Mexico to promote integration (6-7) Japan-Colombia Agreement augurs well for project within the Pacific Alliance (7) Secretary-General hails acceleration of CARICOM- Chile relations (8) Implementing the OECS Common Tourism Policy (8-9) Briefs (9-10) -ACE between Ecuador and Guatemala -Guatemala supports Dominican Republic s admission into SICA -CARICOM calls for more support for technology and research Meetings on integration in May (10) Permanent Secretary of SELA participated in V Summit of ACS Permanent Secretariat of SELA Caracas, 30 April The Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Ambassador Roberto Guarnieri, participated in the V Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), which took place in Pétion Ville, Haiti, from 23 to 26 April. With the central topic for debates being Revitalizing the Vision of the Association of Caribbean States for a Stronger and More United Greater Caribbean, the Heads of State and Government of the Member States, Associate Members and Observers approved the Declaration of Pétion Ville, which will provide the guidelines for the institutional transformation of the ACS with a view to consolidating and promoting it and boosting its relevance as a regional forum. They also adopted a Plan of Action that sets forth the priority tasks to be conducted by the ACS during the next two years. The V Summit which was preceded by the summit held by the ACS General Secretariat in 2005 provided an opportunity to deal with the issue of regional integration, particularly with the members of the Bureau of the Latin American Council, the highest organ of SELA, which is chaired by the Foreign Minister of Belize, his Excellency Wilfred Elrington, and with the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the representatives of the The Latin American and Caribbean Integration Bulletin is a publication of the Permanent Secretariat of SELA which was generated within the framework of the UNESCO-SELA Convention Communications for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean of the UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communications (IPDC). Legal deposit: pp CS183 - ISSN: Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) - Permanent Secretariat, Apartado Postal 17035, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela - Visit SELA's Web site in Internet: - Send your comments or suggestions to SELA to: difusion@sela.org

2 Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Central American Integration System (SICA). Gathered with the representatives of the Member States of SELA and the regional and subregional integration organizations, Ambassador Guarnieri dealt with the projects contained in the Work Programme of the Permanent Secretariat for the year 2013, particularly the activities to be conducted in the Caribbean subregion. Ambassador Guarnieri emphasized that the Permanent Secretariat of SELA, in compliance with the mandate of the Latin American Council to support CELAC, contributes through its Work Programme to strengthen coordination, cooperation and complementarity among integration mechanisms in the Greater Caribbean, such as the ACS and CARICOM. In addition, he said that SELA has had a high-level rapprochement with the countries that make up the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in order to facilitate their accession to the Panama Convention, so as to ensure the broadest possible membership as an inter-governmental Latin American and Caribbean organization. Finally, he added that in the area of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), the SELA-SMEs Programme is being conducted with the purpose of contributing to the development of public and private enterprises in the Member States. This year, the Permanent Secretariat plans to conduct activities in the Caribbean to strengthen the institutional capacities of the governmental and entrepreneurial focal points, as well as other entities interested in promoting and implementing programmes to support SMEs in Suriname, Dominican Republic, Belize, Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti. Declaration of Pétion Ville Taken from the ACS Web site Pétion Ville, Haiti, 26 April.- The Heads of State and/or Government of the States, Countries and Territories of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), meeting in Pétion Ville, Haiti, on 26 April 2013, issued the Declaration of Pétion Ville. In terms of efforts to boost Caribbean integration, they declared that they: 1. Have met with the objective of ratifying the founding vision of the Association, and commit once again to consolidating and promoting it so that their efforts may lead to the development of successful co-operation policies, programmes and projects aimed at creating a stronger and more united Greater Caribbean. 2. Are resolute with regard to the need to maintain the relevance of their Association as a body for consultation, concerted action, co-operation while stressing the relevance of its work in the domains of trade, sustainable tourism, transport, disaster risk reduction, in order to realize its space on the current multilateral and regional global sphere. 15. Recognize the integration efforts advanced in the region such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Central American Integration System (SICA), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA)-Exchange Treaty of the People (ALBA-ETP), PETROCARIBE, MesoAmerica Integration and Development Project, the Pacific Alliance, and Union of South American Nations (UNASUR),as integration schemes with high social content, based on the principles of social justice, complementarity and co-operation. 32. In view of the ACS mandate as it relates to the thematic area of Trade and the intent of Caribbean Leaders to create a consolidated economic space in the region; and taking into account the present state of the World Trading System, they support the efforts of this organization, in order to increase trade and investment in the Greater Caribbean Region. To this end, they encourage the spirit of continued collaboration and consultation between ACS members and the founding observers related to economic development, such as the Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) among others. In this regard, they recognize the need to facilitate the increased movement of people among and within the Members States of the ACS. 33. Point out the importance of promoting co-operation in order to stimulate trade in services among the Member States as an important contributor to the creation of a consolidated economic space. To this end, possibilities of supply and demand will have to be identified within the region and promotion of actions fostering increased opportunities and the diversification of trade exchanges within the Association. 2/

3 34. Acknowledge the initiative of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to promote economic advancement in the region through the creation of a structured Convergence Process with the objectives being a greater facilitation of the movement of capital and services, to promote the establishment of mechanisms to protect investments within the region, the integration of capital markets, the development of infrastructure to improve logistics and explore with international financial institutions the reorientation of their policies in order to support the less developed countries with regard to the shifts in the international economy and maintain macroeconomic stability. 35. Recognize the importance of SMEs, as one of the factors that can contribute to the process of economic recovery in the region by their ability to promote employment and market opportunities. Consequently, mechanisms of dialogue should be promoted among agencies specializing in this field, in order to benefit from the sharing of those experiences and good practices which have been successful in the region, so that they can be shared where necessary. Paraguay willing to return to MERCOSUR and UNASUR Published by the news agency Telesur, Venezuela Asunción, 22 April.- President-elect of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes, showed his willingness to return to the regional mechanisms Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), which suspended his country following Fernando Lugo s dismissal as President. We feel an extraordinary climate. Conditions are ripe for us to make efforts towards strengthening our relations with the Common Market of the South, said Cartes at a press conference. The Paraguayan Head of State reiterated that there are moments that should be left behind. Therefore, all countries in the region should support Paraguay in its efforts to rejoin the major Latin American blocs. We understand very well that borders have disappeared, and today we need to be as connected as possible, said the Paraguayan President, who undertook to work very hard to improve the quality of life of inhabitants in his country. He added that one of the goals for the year 2018 is to overcome poverty, which currently stands at 40%. He thanked the countries that have raised their voice to recognize his victory in Paraguay s presidential elections and ratified his commitment to strengthen relations with Brazil and Argentina. He reiterated that, under his management, the main task of the State will be to create the environment for the private sector to work in peace. Cartes said that he will struggle for meritocracy to regain its former importance for public employees. He acknowledged that some positions require people to serve as political operators, while others require them to have academic background. Decent work is the best social programme of a country, he told international media. Venezuela supports links between Eco-ALBA and MERCOSUR Taken from the ALBA Web site Guayaquil, 23 April.- The Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Elías Jaua, proposed to create links between the Economic Space of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ECO) and the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR), during an economic advisory council of representatives of the countries making up the Alliance. In Guayaquil, Ecuador, Jaua said that we will further advance the discussion of the document presented by Eco-ALBA (...). We are the first country of ALBA to become a full member of MERCOSUR. This will enable us to embark on a process that will link Eco-ALBA and MERCOSUR when Venezuela assumes the Pro Tempore Presidency. It is important to know what each country produces to complement each other. The idea is not to produce the same, but to compensate for, he explained. We are excited about the idea to move forward, he expressed, while thanking the Minister for Economic Policy Coordination of Ecuador, Yaneth Sánchez, for receiving us in Guayaquil. The Council of Economic Complementation is part of ALBA and is composed of ministers designated by each member country. It is a space for coordination of strategies, policies and projects aimed at the productive, agro-food, tourism, industry, energy, commercial, financial and technological complementation, with the purpose of structuring an Economic Zone of Shared Development of the Alliance. 3/

4 Countries that are part of this initiative are Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Ecuador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela. Andean Business Meeting was successful Taken from the Andean Community Web site Bogotá, 25 April.- The II Andean Business Meeting, which brought together more than 700 entrepreneurs from the four Andean countries and Brazil as the guest of honour country in Bogotá, resulted in sale commitments for US$ 92.5 million, a 43.6% increase compared to the results achieved in These figures show the potential for productive complementarity of the region, especially in the manufacturing area, said export promotion agencies PROMUEVE BOLIVIA, PROEXPORT COLOMBIA, PRO ECUADOR and PROMPERU in a joint communiqué. These institutions organized the event together with the General Secretariat of the Andean Community. After expressing satisfaction at the fact that exports among Andean countries in 2012 exceeded US$ 10 billion, with 73% of them coming from manufactured goods, agencies recognized that this business meeting has become the space that effectively contributes to the strengthening of intra-regional trade and the internationalization of Andean SMEs. Finally, they reported that, after the success achieved in this business meeting, they are now prepared to move on and take the next step, which is their joint participation in the Fine Food of Australia and Food & Hotel China fairs, in order to deepen the trade growth of our countries. They also announced that the III Andean Business Meeting will take place next year in Lima and the guest of honour country will be Chile. At a press conference at the end of the business meeting, representatives of export promotion agencies highlighted the success of this event. The representative of PRO ECUADOR, Manuel Echeverría, emphasized the effective contribution of this business meeting to the strengthening of intra-regional trade and the internationalization of SMEs. For his part, the representative of PROEXPORT expressed his confidence that this macro business conference will decidedly increase business in the Andean Community. Iván Cahuaya, representing PROMUEVE BOLIVIA, expressed his assurance that business intentions would rapidly be translated into action. At the same time, Luis Torres of PROMPERU welcomed the fact that the Andean Business Meeting is becoming an effective platform to promote small businesses and said that it will be synonymous with internationalization, joint ventures and alliances among Andean businessmen. In addition, he appreciated that Peru has been elected as the venue for the next macro business conference. Bolivia begins process of accession to MERCOSUR Taken from the Web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia Montevideo, 29 April.- The Meeting of National Coordinators of MERCOSUR, held on 29 April in Montevideo, outlined modalities and timetables of the events of the Working Group created by Bolivia s Protocol of Accession to MERCOSUR, signed by President Evo Morales during a Summit in Brazil at the end of last year. On that occasion, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade and Integration, Pablo Guzmán Laugier, and the Director-General for Trade Agreements and Investment, Benjamín Blanco, submitted the properly initialized annexes to the Protocol of Accession, thus paving the way for this international instrument to be ratified by parliaments of the Member States of MERCOSUR and for Bolivia to become a full member of this subregional integration scheme. The aforementioned Protocol instructs the Working Group to undertake three major tasks that are expected to be completed within 180 days: a) Establish the schedule for the gradual adoption of the existing legislation of MERCOSUR; b) Set the timetable for the adoption of the Common External Tariff (CET), considering the exceptions and the Regime of Origin of MERCOSUR; and c) Define the conditions to be negotiated with third countries or groups of countries for the accession of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to international instruments and agreements concluded by other States parties within the framework of the Treaty of Asuncion. 4/

5 As a result, National Coordinators gathering at the 29 April meeting agreed to create four working subgroups: a) A commercial subgroup responsible for issues of origin, MERCOSUR Common Nomenclature (MCN), Common External Tariff (CET), special arrangements and exceptions; b) A subgroup in charge of extra-regional relations between MERCOSUR and blocs from other regions; c) A subgroup for the incorporation of rules; and d) A subgroup in charge of institutional aspects in the areas of operation, structure and contributions of MERCOSUR institutions. These subgroups are scheduled to hold their first meeting from 3 to 7 June in the city of Montevideo. In addition, Bolivian authorities took advantage of their visit to Montevideo to meet with the High Representative of MERCOSUR, Ivan Ramalho, to whom they officially extended an invitation to visit their country and meet with representatives of the executive body, productive sector and entrepreneurs. In a meeting with the Secretary-General of ALADI, Carlos Álvarez, Bolivian authorities were assured that this organization remains committed to cooperate and provide advice to Bolivia in this process. From this date, Bolivia will participate in all meetings of MERCOSUR and the next Summit of Presidents of MERCOSUR, to be held on 28 June in Montevideo. On that occasion, Venezuela will assume the Pro Tempore Presidency of this integration group. In parallel to this Summit, the II Enterprise Forum of MERCOSUR will take place at the premises of the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay and be supported by the Chamber of Industries of Uruguay. Invitations were extended to Bolivian producers and entrepreneurs, who are expected to gain more knowledge about this process. A large Bolivian delegation will participate in the forum. Panama to preside over Council of Ministers of COMIECO Taken from the SICA Web site Panama City, 25 April.- Once the Panamanian Congress ratified Panama s accession to SICA, a decision was made to grant the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Central American Economic Integration (COMIECO) to this country, which will take over the post as of July. María Luisa Flores, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade of Guatemala, said that Panama s accession is a requirement to sign the Partnership Agreement with the European Union. Within a month, Panamanian authorities should send the required paperwork to formalize the incorporation of the country into the Central American Economic Integration System, she added. Ministries of Economy of the Isthmus shall develop a schedule to monitor the payment of tariffs on Central American products entering Panama and allow certain products to enter free of duties. The executive director of the Business Commission for International Trade Negotiations (CENCIT), César Zamora, said that Panama earned the right to hold for the first time the Pro Tempore Presidency, since it met all the requirements before the first half of the year. Vice-Minister Flores added that other advances during the second round of negotiations of the Central American Customs Union is the completion of four regulations, which are expected to make up a regional harmonised legislation, with the same standards, requirements and qualities. Among regulations is the labelling of footwear, which is expected to lead to similar trade standards in Central American markets. The second regulation is about natural pharmaceuticals and establishes guidelines and procedures to guarantee quality. The third regulation is about the recognition of animal feed; and the last one is the technical agreement on petroleum products, aimed at controlling the amount of sulphur in the air to care for the environment. The objective is not only to facilitate trade in the region, but also to improve the quality of consumer products, stressed Vice-Minister Flores. Another point under discussion was export quotas in the implementation of the Partnership Agreement with Europe. Thus, the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) will maintain information on export allocations, she added. 5/

6 Guatemala will be the leading exporter of sugar to Europe, because it will have the opportunity to send 65 thousand tonnes, followed by El Salvador, which will sell 24 thousand metric tons. As for beef sales, all countries will have the same share of 1,583 metric tons. Central American intra-regional trade is positive for Honduras Taken from the SIECA Web site The trade deficit of Honduras was one of the lowest in the Central American region in 2012, according to statistics from the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA). The Central American trade balance was in deficit at US$ 27,341.5 million, up 4.8% with respect to 2011, when US$ 26,086 million were recorded. Guatemala tops the list of highest trade deficits, with US$ 7,726.8 million, which is equivalent to 28.3% of the total reported by Central America. It is followed by Costa Rica, which reached a deficit of US$ 5,868.1 million, 21.5% of the regional balance. The third place belongs to El Salvador, with US$ 5,319.3 million, which is equivalent to 19.5% of the total. Honduras and Nicaragua are the countries with the lowest deficits, with US$ 5,083.6 million and US$ 3,339.3 million, respectively, representing 18.6% and 12.1% of the regional total. In 2012, Central American countries exported US$ 29,635.9 million, 7% more than in 2011, and imported goods worth US$ 56,977.4 million, up 5.9%. With respect to intra-regional trade, exports to the Central American Common Market (CACM) totalled US$ 7,473.7 million. Guatemala maintained its position as the largest exporter in the region, with sales in the amount of US$ 2,659.4 million. It was followed by El Salvador, with US$ 1,987.2 million. As for imports, El Salvador was the main buyer within the region. Intra-regional imports amounted to US$ 7,312.6 million, of which US$ 1,853.7 million correspond to Salvadoran purchases. According to data released by the SIECA and the Central Bank of Honduras, 34.1% of the total exported during 2012 (US$ 4,420.6 million) was destined for the United States, placing this country as the main destination for Honduran exports, including banana, coffee and gold accessories. The European market follows it in importance with a stake of 29.9% (US$ 1,322.4 million) of total exports, standing out sales of coffee to Belgium and Germany, cultivated shrimp to the United Kingdom and crude palm oil to Holland. Sales to Central America generated US$ million, standing out exports of crude palm oil to El Salvador, and soaps, iron and manufactured goods to Guatemala. Asian countries have increased their share by acquiring 4.3% of the total exported by Honduras. Major buyers included mainland China with US$ million and the republics of North Korea and South Korea, which together purchased US$ 70.8 million. Imports rose 5.4% to US$ 9,504.2 million, up US$ 488 million compared to 2011 (US$ 9,016.2 million). From that amount, 42.3% corresponded to fuel, 37.5% to consumer goods and 21.1% to raw materials. Chambers of Commerce in Central America and Mexico to promote integration ElFinancieroCR.com, Costa Rica San José, 29 April.- The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Central America and Mexico established the Union of Central American Bi-National Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Mexican Investment (Ucabicimex). With ambassadors of Central American countries and Mexico present in Costa Rica, accompanied by national government representatives, this new organization was officially created to promote and strengthen regional relations in the commercial 6/

7 and industrial areas and to take advantage of the Free Trade Agreement benefiting all countries of the Isthmus and the Aztec nation. Sixteen 16 years ago, the Costa Rican-Mexican Chamber of Industry and Commerce was established with the aim to promote trade relations between Costa Rican and Mexican businessmen. This entity is made up of representatives of the commercial, industrial and services sectors. They teamed up to promote the economic development of both countries, which maintain commercial ties since This Chamber promotes a series of activities, including fairs, trade missions, and bi-national, sectoral and regional meetings. It has created work committees, a platform for statistical data on Mexican trade, market profiles and job offers, among other benefits. The creation of the new bi-national and regional entity is aimed at replicating efforts made by Costa Rica and Mexico in all Central American countries, which have also maintained trade links with Mexico for 17 years. Japan-Colombia Agreement augurs well for project within the Pacific Alliance Taken from the news agency EFE, via Google Noticias Bogotá, 30 April.- During an official visit to Colombia, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Toshimitsu Motegi, expressed his willingness to promote the trade agreement with the South American country and launch an infrastructure project within the framework of the Pacific Alliance. These were the main points discussed by Motegi and Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, at a private meeting at the House of Nariño, seat of the Presidency, and spread through a statement by Colombian Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Sergio Díaz-Granados. This negotiation, which started in December last year, received a new impetus by the Japanese Government, said Díaz- Granados in reference to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that both countries began negotiating in December The second round of negotiations will be held in May in the Colombian city of Cali. On 22 and 23 May, the capital of the Valle del Cauca Department will host the Summit of Foreign Ministers and Presidents of the economic integration mechanism Pacific Alliance, made up of Colombia, Chile, Peru and Mexico and aimed at strengthening ties with Asia-Pacific. This meeting will also be attended by officials from Governments of observer countries, including Japan. Motegi also confirmed the intention of Japan to start a long-term project within the framework of the Pacific Alliance to build infrastructure on the Pacific coast, said Díaz-Granados without specifying what kind of works will be made by the Asian country. The Japanese Minister of Economy leads a mission of 50 businessmen attending a seminar on investment opportunities in Colombia. Díaz-Granados stressed the importance for Colombia to extend the commercial portfolio with the Asian country, because it imports close to US$ 7 billion a year in food. Therefore, we believe that Colombia has a great opportunity to increase its exports of food through the trade agreement. The sectors that will be most attractive to Japanese investors can be, according to the Minister, goods and services from the oil and mining industry, automotive industry, agro-industry, renewable energy and biofuels, software and metalworking. In the last decade, bilateral trade grew 2.4%, from US$ 845 million in 2002 to US$ 2,014 billion in /

8 Secretary-General hails acceleration of CARICOM-Chile relations Taken from CARICOM Web site Georgetown, 3 April.- Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, acknowledged the acceleration of CARICOM-Chile relations which he said had been deepened and strengthened under the auspices of President of Chile H.E. Sebastián Piñera. In accepting the letters of credence of the Ambassador of Chile to CARICOM, H.E. Luis Fernando Ayala, Secretary-General LaRocque said it was akin to inviting a close friend and neighbour to partake in good conversation, and added that the Community was appreciative of Chile s vigorous pursuit of good relations with CARICOM. A significant outcome of this friendship, Ambassador LaRocque said, was Chile s willingness to share its expertise on economic growth which the Latin American country had achieved for three consecutive years. This is indeed one of Chile s many accomplishments and speaks to its penchant for adopting policies that foster economic growth, and which enables it to quickly recover from internal and external shocks such as the global financial and economic crisis. Chile s ability to maintain continued economic growth, in addition to its policies that promote democracy and freedom, respect for the rule of law, human rights and international law, among others, has allowed your country to also become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as well as a provider of development aid, Ambassador LaRocque told the Chilean Ambassador. The Secretary-General noted that Chile had made South-South Cooperation a practical experience for CARICOM that extended beyond technical cooperation in areas such as agriculture, language training, diplomatic courses, trade negotiation, and natural disaster management. Technical cooperation had converged with cooperation at a multilateral level, which saw reciprocal endorsements by CARICOM and Chile of several international candidacies, including Chile s bid for UN Security Council, , and CARICOM s successful bid for the post of Director-General of the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), The strength of CARICOM-Chile relations was felt, Secretary-General LaRocque said, during the Chile Presidency Pro Tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) that culminated with the CELAC Summit in January, and which had, as its outcome, the Declaration of Santiago, the Santiago Plan of Action as well as several special Communiqués and Resolutions of importance to the grouping. In this context, he expressed confidence that the implementation of the Santiago Plan of Action will advance the Latin American and Caribbean integration process. As CARICOM and Chile looked forward to continued good relations, Ambassador LaRocque extended an invitation to Mr Ayala for his country to participate in the celebration of CARIFESTA XI. Given Mr Ayala s background in Culture and Trade Promotion, Secretary-General LaRocque said: I have no doubt that your expertise in these areas will come in handy as CARICOM celebrates CARIFESTA XI, scheduled for August of this year in Suriname. We hope that you will encourage your Government to participate in this important Festival. It will provide an opportunity to showcase the rich Chilean culture as well as to experience the Caribbean s culture at its best. Implementing the OECS Common Tourism Policy Taken from the OECS Web site Castries, 26 April.- High level officials from across the OECS converged on Anguilla on 25 April 2013 for the 11th Meeting of the OECS Council of Tourism Ministers. The meeting was convened under the theme: OECS Economic Union: Implementing the Common Tourism Policy. Programme Officer at the OECS Secretariat Dr. Lorraine Nicholas says the Secretariat, with technical assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat, developed a Common Tourism Policy for the OECS, which was endorsed by OECS Ministers for Tourism in This was in fulfilment of the obligations articulated in the Revised Treaty of Basseterre Establishing the OECS Economic Union, which mandates OECS Member States to work towards the progressive harmonisation of Tourism policies; and to ultimately develop a Common Policy for Tourism. 8/

9 The OECS Secretariat is currently actively engaged in assisting OECS Member States in implementing the Common Policy with funding support from the European Commission via its 10th EDF programme. Some of the priority issues being addressed are intra-regional travel facilitation, joint product development and marketing, training and human resource development, research and statistics, and inter-sectoral linkages. Nicholas adds that this meeting focused primarily on updating the ministers on the work being undertaken by the Secretariat: At the Tourism Ministers meeting convened in Anguilla, the OECS Secretariat s Tourism Desk apprised Tourism Ministers of work undertaken and planned in areas including: facilitation of ease of travel within the OECS region; unlocking the untapped potential of the yachting sector to expand economic benefits from Tourism; and mainstreaming sustainable tourism practices in the OECS. The OECS Council of Tourism Ministers expressed keen support and appreciation for the work undertaken by the Secretariat and agreed to the following: - Establish a ministerial sub-committee comprising Antigua, St. Kitts and Grenada, to examine and advise on approaches to negotiations with airlines; - Harmonise Customs and Immigration procedures to facilitate ease of travel; - Harmonise visa policies and develop a more liberal approach to granting of tourist visas to stimulate growth in the tourism sector; and - Joint development and promotion of yachting in the OECS as a key product niche. The 11th Meeting of the OECS Council of Tourism Ministers was held at the Paradise Cove Hotel in Anguilla. The Council of Tourism Ministers meets face-to-face once every year, with additional meetings held via video conference when the need arises. Dominica has agreed to host the next meeting of the OECS Council of Tourism Ministers in April, Briefs ACE between Ecuador and Guatemala Montevideo, 17 April (ALADI.org).- Ecuador and Guatemala registered, under the aegis of ALADI, the Partial Scope Economic Complementation Agreement (ACE) signed by the two Governments on 15 April The agreement aims to expand and diversify trade flows through the granting of tariff preferences, elimination of non-tariff barriers, customs facilitation, development of investment and promotion of a bilateral exchange of value-added products, ensuring the natural heritage and the use of clean technologies. This is the first agreement that Ecuador, Member State of ALADI and the Andean Community, signs with a country of SICA. At the registration ceremony, the Acting Secretary-General of ALADI, Cesar Llona, conveyed the greetings of the Secretary- General of the Association, Carlos Álvarez, and expressed his satisfaction at confirming once again that the Treaty of Montevideo 1980 (TM80) is important for the Latin American integration and convergence process. In this connection, he highlighted this ceremony as a breakthrough in the integration efforts made within the framework of CELAC and reflects the interest of this Association and its member countries in further expanding its commercial ties with the rest of Latin America. Finally, Llona hoped that the registration of this agreement will become the prelude to Guatemala s admission into ALADI. The agreement signed by the two countries is part of the provisions of Article 25 of the TM80, since it allows Member States of ALADI to sign agreements with other countries and economic integration areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. Guatemala supports Dominican Republic s admission into SICA Santo Domingo, 24 April (PrensaLibre.com, Guatemala).- A statement released by the Dominican Presidency highlighted the remarks made by Guatemalan Foreign Minister, Luis Fernando Carrera, about his country s intention of proposing Dominican Republic as a full member of SICA during the forthcoming Summit of the organization, to take place in June in Costa Rica. Dominican Republic must be a transcendent part of our geopolitical area, said the Guatemalan Foreign Minister after a meeting with the Dominican President, Danilo Medina. According to the Central American Foreign Minister s remarks, both countries consider that the time has come to make this happen, and it will happen in the short term. In his visit to Medina, Guatemalan Foreign Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Dominican Republic, Carlos Morales Troncoso, and Guatemalan Deputy Foreign Minister, Carlos Raúl Morales. 9/

10 CARICOM calls for more support for technology and research Georgetown, 28 April (Prensa-Latina.cu, Cuba).- Incorporating scientific research and technological innovation in various sectors of the economy can ensure sustainable development within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the officer-incharge of the organization, Myrna Bernard. That is why Government support and staff training are so necessary, said the Director of Human and Social Development of this regional organization. According to recent reports of the United Nations, investing in property and services related to information technology would stimulate the economic growth of the area, but so far it is a potential without being explored. Government actions and public procurement would help boost the sector, according to the study, which criticizes the persistent lack of trust in these investments. CARICOM is developing a programme with the European Union to promote initiatives in the technology area and boost a strategy to that end in the region, caribbeannewsnow.com reports. Meetings on integration in May VII Meeting of the COSIPLAN Coordinating Committee Lima, Peru (12) UNASUR VII Presidential Summit Cali, Colombia (23) Pacific Alliance Meeting of International Cooperation Directors for Latin America and the Caribbean San Salvador, El Salvador (30 and 31) SELA 10/