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