From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa

Abstract In Miami in December 1994 the heads of State of 34 countries of the hemisphere decided to construct a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by the year 2005. The initiative was backed by an ambitious Plan of Action which gained further definition in declarations of the hemisphere’s trade m...

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Main Authors: ROBERT DEVLIN, LUIS JORGE GARAY
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Editora 34 2022-06-01
Series:Brazilian Journal of Political Economy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-31571998000400515&lng=en&tlng=en
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author ROBERT DEVLIN
LUIS JORGE GARAY
author_facet ROBERT DEVLIN
LUIS JORGE GARAY
author_sort ROBERT DEVLIN
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description Abstract In Miami in December 1994 the heads of State of 34 countries of the hemisphere decided to construct a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by the year 2005. The initiative was backed by an ambitious Plan of Action which gained further definition in declarations of the hemisphere’s trade ministers in follow up meetings held in Denver and Cartagena. In effect, the preparatory process for the FTAA is now in gear with eleven intergovernmental working groups developing data bases, comparative studies, and recommendations for negotiations in the traditional areas of market access (tariffs and non-tariff barriers) as well as the so-called “new” issues like services, intellectual property, government procurement etc. Drawing on several objetive considerations and putting the FTAA project in perspective, the study concludes that while it is still in its initial stages of preparation for negotiations and not free of problems, the FTAA process has been successful to date and indeed describes a number of constructive lessons that can be drawn from the process concerning how to launch integration initiatives. As this process deepens and passes into the negotiation and implementation stages, serious challenges will emerge. The study identifies nine challenges that range from definition of the precise objectives of the governments regarding the basic shape of the FTAA to specification of institutional issues and the groundwork for public acceptance through the dissemination of adequate information to the public in general.
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spelling doaj.art-95976ad75bbf4ea6837e245c6cdb0cb82022-12-22T00:40:38ZengEditora 34Brazilian Journal of Political Economy1809-45382022-06-0118451553210.1590/0101-31571998-1273From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaaROBERT DEVLINLUIS JORGE GARAYAbstract In Miami in December 1994 the heads of State of 34 countries of the hemisphere decided to construct a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by the year 2005. The initiative was backed by an ambitious Plan of Action which gained further definition in declarations of the hemisphere’s trade ministers in follow up meetings held in Denver and Cartagena. In effect, the preparatory process for the FTAA is now in gear with eleven intergovernmental working groups developing data bases, comparative studies, and recommendations for negotiations in the traditional areas of market access (tariffs and non-tariff barriers) as well as the so-called “new” issues like services, intellectual property, government procurement etc. Drawing on several objetive considerations and putting the FTAA project in perspective, the study concludes that while it is still in its initial stages of preparation for negotiations and not free of problems, the FTAA process has been successful to date and indeed describes a number of constructive lessons that can be drawn from the process concerning how to launch integration initiatives. As this process deepens and passes into the negotiation and implementation stages, serious challenges will emerge. The study identifies nine challenges that range from definition of the precise objectives of the governments regarding the basic shape of the FTAA to specification of institutional issues and the groundwork for public acceptance through the dissemination of adequate information to the public in general.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-31571998000400515&lng=en&tlng=enFTAAtrade openness economic integration
spellingShingle ROBERT DEVLIN
LUIS JORGE GARAY
From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa
Brazilian Journal of Political Economy
FTAA
trade openness economic integration
title From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa
title_full From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa
title_fullStr From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa
title_full_unstemmed From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa
title_short From Miami to Cartagena: nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa
title_sort from miami to cartagena nine lessons and nine challenges of the ftaa
topic FTAA
trade openness economic integration
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-31571998000400515&lng=en&tlng=en
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