AG/RES. 1430 (XXVI-O/96)

TRADE AND INTEGRATION IN THE AMERICAS

(Resolution adopted at the eighth plenary session, held on June 7, 1996)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

RECALLING resolution AG/RES. 1220 (XXIII-O/93), "Establishment of the Special Committee on Trade (CEC)," in which member states noted that the Organization of American States (OAS) is an appropriate hemispheric forum for dialogue on trade matters;

BEARING IN MIND the Declaration of Montrouis [AG/DEC. 8 (XXV-O/95)], in which the General Assembly noted the member states' efforts in the areas of economic integration and promotion of free trade in the region, in keeping with the objective of concluding negotiations no later than 2005 for establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, as agreed to at the Summit of the Americas;

TAKING NOTE with satisfaction of the Joint Declarations of the Trade Ministers in Denver and Cartagena, in particular the importance given by the ministers responsible for international trade to the substantive contribution made by the OAS Special Committee on Trade and the Tripartite Committee of the OAS, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; and

REAFFIRMING the commitment of the OAS to support the process of free trade and economic integration in the Hemisphere through the technical support of the OAS Trade Unit,

RESOLVES:

1. To support the work program of the Special Committee on Trade (CEC) of the Organization of American States (OAS) and its Advisory Group, in particular the production of an annual report on developments in trade and integration arrangements in the Hemisphere, and to look forward to receiving CEC's conclusions in due course.

2. To instruct the General Secretariat to continue, through the Trade Unit, to offer technical and analytical support as may be requested by the working groups established under the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process, taking into account available resources, and to report, on an ongoing basis, to CEC on its activities in this area.

3. To instruct the General Secretariat as well to submit its annual work plan through the Trade Unit to CEC for its consideration.

4. To invite the General Secretariat to provide the Permanent Council and the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) with quarterly progress reports in writing on the activities of the Trade Unit, including information on the level of budget execution.

5. To note with satisfaction the decision taken by CEC in support of the measures taken to modernize the technological foundation of the OAS Foreign Trade Information System (SICE) to broaden its trade and trade-related information and its client base.

6. To support the collaborative activities on trade and integration of the Tripartite Committee (OAS, Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), the contributions of other specialized regional, subregional, and multilateral organizations, and regional and subregional groups and institutions, in accordance with the mandates of CEC and as requested by the FTAA working groups.

7. To request the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI to evaluate the implementation of this resolution and to present a joint report to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh regular session.