The
OAS plays an important role in advancing the goals for
increased trade and economic integration shared by the
countries of the Americas. One of its key responsibilities
is to help smaller countries develop the capacity they need
to negotiate, implement and administer trade agreements and
to take advantage of the benefits offered by freer trade.
For the
past several years, the OAS has worked alongside the
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the
United Nations
Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to
support the creation of the
Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA). The
Third Summit of the Americas in 2001 set a
target date of January 2005 for completing FTAA
negotiations, but these negotiations have not yet
concluded.
OAS
member states nonetheless remain committed to the
idea of economic integration and the benefits it can bring
to their countries. At the
Special Summit of the Americas,
held in January 2004, the hemisphere’s leaders recognized
"the important role that trade plays in promoting sustained
growth and economic development" and reaffirmed the
importance of promoting better access to markets to benefit
all economies, part of the Doha Development Agenda.
The OAS
provides various types of support to small countries,
including training programs to help officials engage more
effectively in trade negotiations. The OAS also assists
countries in preparing to implement their obligations under
negotiated trade agreements. The type of assistance varies
depending on the needs of each country, but may include
holding workshops for customs officials, helping the
government gather better trade data or analyzing
trade-related laws in effect. The OAS also helps member
states adjust to the challenges of economic integration and
find ways to better reap the benefits of free trade.
Under the
Hemispheric Cooperation Program adopted as part of the FTAA
process, OAS member states have developed national trade
capacity-building strategies to identify their needs and
priorities in the trade area. These comprehensive studies
involved consultation with government officials, business
leaders, civil society representatives and other
stakeholders in the process. Based on the needs identified,
the countries may ask the OAS and other international and
regional organizations as well as national governments for
assistance. Besides providing direct capacity-building
assistance, the OAS coordinates with other donors to respond
to countries’ requests.
As part
of the Hemispheric Cooperation Program, the OAS is working
with the government and private sector of several Eastern
Caribbean countries on approaches to streamline the
investment process and create a “one-stop-shop” that will
attract outside investors. In another major project, the OAS
is setting up Trade Reference Centers in eleven countries of
the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and has produced
customized trade databases for thirteen CARICOM countries,
designed to facilitate access to trade-related information
and to increase public awareness on trade issues. The OAS
has also carried out a Legal Modernization Project to
provide easy access to trade-related legislation of the
Eastern Caribbean countries.
In
response to requests from member states, the
OAS Office of
Trade, Growth and Competitiveness has provided technical
support to a number of countries negotiating bilateral or
multilateral trade agreements. For example, it provided
training and capacity-building activities related to the
Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement
(DR-CAFTA), negotiated between the United States and Costa
Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras and Nicaragua. Similar support for trade-related
capacity building is being provided to the Andean–United
States free trade agreement negotiations.
Another
area of focus is to improve the competitive capacity of
micro, small and medium-sized businesses in order to reap
the benefits of trade liberalization and more open markets.
These “constitute
a fundamental component for economic growth, employment
creation, and poverty reduction in our countries,”
the Special Summit of the Americas affirmed.
This
demand-driven approach has led the OAS Office of Trade,
Growth and Competitiveness to tailor projects to meet many
specific needs. It has held workshops for journalists who
write about trade and for parliamentarians who enact laws.
For example, in Colombia, a project with the OAS Trust for
the Americas is bringing government, private sector and
civil society representatives together to develop a
comprehensive plan for improving productivity and
competitiveness.
The OAS
also centralizes timely information about trade and
trade-related issues in the region, including the texts of
trade agreements, information on trade disciplines, data and
national legislation through the
Foreign Trade Information
System, or SICE (www.sice.oas.org).
In partnership with the IDB and ECLAC, SICE also helps to
maintain the official FTAA Web site (www.ftaa-alca.org,
www.alca-ftaa.org or
www.zlea.org).
Last updated: May 2005