f
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~ Declaration of Nuevo Leon
Preamble
We, the democratically elected Heads of State and Government of the Americas,
who include fourteen new leaders who have taken office since the Third Summit of
the Americas, in Quebec City, Canada, have gathered together for a Special
Summit in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Le6n, Mexico. Our purpose is to advance
implementation of measures to combat poverty, to promote social development, to
achieve economic growth with equity, and to strengthen governance in our
democracies. With a renewed and strengthened vision of cooperation, solidarity,
and integration, we will confront the continuing and growing challenges in the
Hemisphere.
Guided by the need to work together to stimulate prosperity, promote social
inclusion and a more equitable distribution of economic growth, eliminate hunger,
raise living standards, generate new employment and investment opportunities, and
promote decent work as well as confront the new threats to security, such as
terrorism, organized crime, and illicit trafficking in arms, we reaffirm our commitment
to the Inter-American Democratic Charter and we reiterate our firm intention to
continue implementing the mandates of the Summits of the Americas, as well as the
commitments made at the Millennium Summit, the International Conference on
Financing for Development (the Monterrey Consensus) and the World Summit on
Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg.
We affirm that the well-being of our people requires the achievement of three closely
linked and interdependent objectives: economic growth with equity to reduce
poverty, social development, and democratic governance.
We therefore declare:
Economic Growth with Equity to Reduce Poverty
In the search for sustained and equitable economic growth that contributes to longterm
development, reduces poverty, eliminates hunger, and raises the standard of
living of the population, with special attention to the most vulnerable sectors and
social groups, we commit to continue implementing sound macroeconomic policies,
prudent fiscal and monetary policies, appropriate exchange rate regimes, prudent
and appropriate public debt management, diversification of the a:onomy, and the
improvement of competitiveness. We also commit to the qualitative transformation of
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public administration through its modernization, simplification, decentralization, and
transparency. Furthermore, we will redouble our efforts to improve the investment
climate in our countries and promote corporate social responsibility.
We reaffirm our commitment to the Monterrey Consensus, adopted at the
International Conference on Financing for Development in 2002, that each country
has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development through
sound policies, good governance, and the rule of law. Fulfillment of this
responsibility enables effective use of domestic and international resources for
development, economic growth, and poverty reduction. In this context, we reaffirm
the imperative for the international community to support national development
efforts. In accordance with the recommendations of the Monterrey Consensus, we
will seek to coordinate international efforts with a view to mobilizing resources for
sustainable economic development and for combating poverty and hunger in all
countries of the Hemisphere. In particular, we will continue our efforts with a view to
identifying secure sources of financing to meet the needs of developing countries,
and to opening markets for their products.
We will continue to implement public policies that stimulate greater domestic
savings, meet the need for the creation of productive jobs, and contribute to greater
social inclusion.
We emphasize the importance of the participation of the private sector in achieving
our objectives. We recognize that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises
constitute a fundamental component for economic growth, employment creation,
and poverty reduction in our countries. We will support micro, small, and mediumsized
enterprises through policies and programs that facilitate their consolidation
and incorporation into the formal sector, allow their effective access to markets and
to government procurement, and, inter alia, promote investment in and training of
human resources, and facilitate access to credit, business development services,
and new technologies in order to reduce administrative costs. Additionally, we will
promote greater international cooperation in order to foster the sharing of best
practices for the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
We will take all necessary and feasible legal, regulatory, and institutional measures,
by the next Summit of the Americas to be held in 2005, to simplify the procedures
and significantly reduce the time and cost of establishing businesses in each country
of the region.
We support the work of the Inter-American Development Bank, so that through its
mechanisms and programs for private sector development, it triples, by the year
2007, its lending through the banking system to micro, small, and medium- sized
enteprises, striving to benefit all of the countries that participate in the Summits of
the Americas process.
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We recognize the important role that trade plays in promoting sustained growth and
economic development. We affirm our commitment to advance the Doha Agenda in
order to benefit all our economies, particularly developing economies, by promoting,
among other measures, better access to markets and by eliminating export
subsidies and by substantially reducing trade-distorting domestic support.
We recognize that liberalization of trade of agricultural products constitutes, inter
alia, an essential element for the development of agriculture in the countries of the
Hemisphere. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to trade negotiations to promote
effective access to markets.
We welcome the progress achieved to date toward the establishment of a Free
Trade Area of the Americas (FT AA) and take note with satisfaction of the balanced
results of the VIII Ministerial Meeting of the FTAA held in Miami in November 2003.
We support the agreement of ministers on the framework and calendar adopted for
concluding the negotiations for the FT AA in the established timetable, which will
most effectively foster economic growth, the reduction of poverty, development, and
integration through trade liberalization, contributing to the achievement of the broad
Summit objectives.*
We will continue working to reform the international financial architecture with the
following objectives, among others: to contribute to the prevention and rapid
resolution of financial crises, which particularly harm developing countries in the
region; to enhance financing for development; to combat poverty; and to strengthen
democratic governance. We support the efforts of borrowing countries to work with
the private sector to explore new approaches to reduce the burden of debt service
during periods of economic downturns. We applaud the leadership of countries in
the region in including collective action clauses in their international bond issues.
We call upon the international and regional financial institutions to enhance
coordination of their activities so that they can respond more effectively to the longterm
development needs of the countries of the region to achieve measurable
results in their efforts to eradicate poverty through more effective use of all available
development financing sources.
We maintain that sustainable economic growth is the most important factor for the
management and servicing of public debt.
We recognize that sound macroeconomic policies and prudent fiscal management
are also central to achieving long-term fiscal sustainability.
We also consider it relevant to take into account, when appropriate, the external
debt relief measures set forth in paragraph 48 of the Monterrey Consensus.
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Moreover, we recognize the responsibility of each country for its own economic
development, but also that there is a link of interdependence between domestic
economies and the international economic system.
In the context of the Enhanced Heavily-Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, we call
upon all creditors to participate in debt relief to benefit eligible countries in the
Hemisphere in support of economic reforms and poverty reduction.
We recognize that legally secure property rights are one of the essential elements
for economic growth, since proof of ownership helps people to obtain loans and start
businesses.
Therefore, we commit, where necessary and appropriate, to: strengthen property
rights and expand the use of property as collateral, ensuring enforceable, efficient,
transparent, comprehensive, and equitable rules governing property contracts; and
improve or promote the related measures governing the transfer of property,
property registries, the use of property as collateral, and the rights and
responsibilities of debtors and creditors.
With regard to these measures, we commit to undertake concrete actions prior to
the next Summit of the Americas to be held in Argentina in 2005, and to report at
that time on progress achieved. We will seek to ensure that property rights benefit
all people without discrimination.
We recognize that remittances are an important source of capital in many countries
of the Hemisphere. We commit to take concrete actions to promote the
establishment, as soon as possible, of necessary conditions, in order to achieve the
goal of reducing by at least half the regional average cost of these transfers no later
than 2008 and report on progress achieved at the next Summit of the Americas in
Argentina in 2005. We will adopt, as needed or appropriate, measures such as: the
promotion of competition between the providers of these services, the elimination of
regulatory obstacles and other restrictive measures that affect the cost of these
transfers, as well as the use of new technologies, while maintaining effective
financial oversight.
We will promote consumer protection, fair competition, and the improved functioning
of markets through clear, effective, and transparent regulatory frameworks.
Social development
We recognize that overcoming poverty, hunger, and social inequality are major
challenges facing many countries of the Hemisphere in the twenty-first century. We
are convinced that coordinated and integrated economic and social policies are a
prerequisite for success in combating inequality of opportunity and marginalization
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and such policies are fundamental pillars for constructing a more just society. We
underscore that work, employment, and income are essential for an inclusive social
policy.
We reiterate that the empowerment of women, their full and equal participation in
the development of our societies, and their equal opportunities to exercise
leadership are fundamental for the reduction of poverty, the promotion of economic
and social prosperity, and for people-centered sustainable development. We
reiterate our commitment to continue promoting gender equality and equity and the
mandates of the Summits of the Americas on this matter.
We recognize the urgency of strengthening the mecharisms of the Organization of
American States for fighting poverty, such as the Inter-American Council for Integral
Development, the Inter-American Committee on Social Development, and the InterAmerican
Program to Combat Poverty and Discrimination. We also recognize the
importance of the promotion and observance of economic, social, and cultural rights.
We urge the Organization of American States to carefully consider the
recommendations approved at the High-Level Meeting on Poverty, Equity, and
Social Inclusion, held on Isla de Margarita, Venezuela, to strengthen the
hemispheric social agenda.
We will foster policies that strengthen the social security systems in our countries.
We will also implement, within our capacities and financial means, social safety
nets, or other appropriate modalities, to address the needs of the most vulnerable
segments of our societies. We encourage the countries of the Hemisphere that have
not yet established these nets to explore the possibility of doing so as soon as
possible.
We recognize the efforts made by countries in the Hemisphere to address the social
problems caused by unemployment, such as the adoption of unemployment
insurance systems and subsistence income programs.
We reaffirm that the diversity of cultures that characterizes our Hemisphere greatly
enriches our societies, and that the cultural development and social cohesion of our
countries is enhanced through respect and appreciation for our cultural diversity.
With respect to the rights of indigenous peoples, we recognize the substantive
progress achieved in the negotiations launched in the framework of the Organization
of American States on the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, with effective participation of representatives of these indigenous peoples.
We reiterate our political will and support for the successful conclusion of the
negotiations and prompt approval of the Declaration, whose objective is to promote
and protect their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
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We underscore the importance of cooperation between countries of origin, transit,
and destination, to ensure the full protection of human rights of all migrants,
including migratory workers and their families, and the observance of labor laws
applicable to them, in accordance with the commitments agreed to in the Santiago
and Quebec City Summits. We support the adoption of programs for orderly
migration as a factor of economic and social development; and we will cooperate in
the fight against trafficking in persons, which especially affects women and children.
We are committed to the principles of decent work proclaimed by the International
Labour Organization, and we will promote the implementation of the Declaration on
the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in he conviction that respect for
workers' rights and dignity is an essential element to achieving poverty reduction
and sustainable social and economic development for our peoples. Additionally, we
agree to take measures to fight the worst forms of child labor. We recognize and
support the important work of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor
toward achieving these vital objectives.
Education is a decisive factor for human development, because of its impact on the
political, social, cultural, economic, and democratic life of our societies. The
increasing rates of illiteracy in many of the states of our Hemisphere are a matter
which demands our immediate action. We commit to continue promoting access to
quality basic education for all, based on the principles of participation, equity,
relevance, and efficiency that generate the necessary capabilities and skills to foster
the development process of our peoples without discrimination or exclusion of any
kind and thereby respond to the challenges of the twenty-first century.
We commit to increase access to and dissemination of information concerning our
educational systems with the objective of improving their performance. In this
regard, we reiterate our commitment to continue implementation of he Regional
Education Indicators Project, endorsed during the Third Inter-American Meeting of
Ministers of Education, held in Mexico City. In particular, each country that has not
yet done so will develop and publicly disseminate by the next Summit a report based
on the education goals of the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas,
with the objective of fostering its use as a decisiorrmaking tool to evaluate and
improve results.
We agree that scientific and technological research and development plays an
important role in creating and sustaining productive economies. We will continue to
formulate policies and guidelines that support public and private research
associations and promote their interaction with the productive sectors, taking into
account the requirements and objectives of our countries. We will continue to
enhance investments in the area of science and technology, with the participation of
the private sector and the support of multilateral organizations. Accordingly, we will
strive to improve effective and equitable access to, and transfer of, technology. We
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will also redouble our efforts to encourage our universities and higher institutions of
science and technology to multiply and strengthen the links among them, and
deepen basic and applied research. In all of these undertakings, we commit to the
protection of intellectual property in accordance with both national laws and
international agreements.
We are aware that the information revolution brings new opportunities for increasing
access to knowledge for development, and for enhancing equitable citizen
participation in the sustainable development of our societies, particularly in rural,
remote, and marginalized areas. In an endeavor to close the digital divide, both
within and between our countries, we are committed to the Declaration of Principles
of the World Summit on the Information Society, and the continued implementation
of the Agenda for Connectivity in the Americas and Plan of Action of Quito. We
therefore reaffirm our commitment to build a people-centered, inclusive, and
development-oriented information society, inspired by objectives of social inclusion,
poverty reduction, and progress in the framework of balanced economic and social
development.
We will seek, within the framework of our national legislation and authority, to
promote affordable access to information and communications technology for all,
and encourage the full and active participation of civil society, including the private
sector, in meeting this goal.
We emphasize that one of the pillars of human development and national progress
is social protection for health and, accordingly, we will continue to broaden our
prevention, care, and promotion strategies as well as investment in this field in an
effort to provide quality health care for all and to improve, to the extent possible,
social protection for all people, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable
segments of society.
We are particularly concerned with the toll that HIV/AIDS is taking on our respective
societies, the proliferation of the disease, and the threat that it poses to the security
of our peoples. We recognize that in order to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic we
must intensify our prevention, care, and treatment efforts within the Hemisphere.
Our political leadership is essential to confront the stigma, discrimination, and fear,
which deter people from being tested and from accessing treatment and care. We
recognize that to confront the challenge posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, it is
necessary to continue increasing global cooperation efforts.
Pursuant to the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and its specialized
agencies, the relevant decisions of the World Trade Organization and the World
Health Organization's 3x5 Initiative, v-e commit to facilitate affordable treatment for
HIV/AIDS, with the goal of providing antiretroviral therapy to all who need it as soon
as possible and to at least 600,000 individuals needing treatment by the year 2005.
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We also urge the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to identify
criteria to enable the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to have greater
access to its resources.
We are also concerned about emerging diseases and reemerging diseases, such as
malaria, dengue, yellow fever, tuberculosis, leprosy, Chagas, and others, bearing in
mind the current economic, social, and environmental health contexts, the impact of
recurrent natural disasters, and health problems associated with the unplanned
growth of densely populated areas.
We are therefore committed to reinforcing promotion, prevention, control, and
treatment programs, continuing to develop and strengthen technical cooperation
strategies among the countries of the region, and to deepening technical
cooperation with Pan-American Health Organization, the Inter-American
Developmert Bank, and other inter-American agencies and key actors, with a view
to implementing integral public health activities for the control and eradication of
these diseases.
We commit to maintain a sustained effort to improve living conditions for inhabitants
of rural areas, by promoting investment and creating a favorable environment to
achieve sustainable improvements in agriculture that will contribute to social
development, rural prosperity, and food security. In this context, we support the
implementation of the AGRO 2003-2015 Plan of Action for Agriculture and Rural Life
of the Americas, adopted at the Second Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Rural
Life, held in Panama in November 2003, and we trust that the Global Forum on
Biotechnology, which will take place in Chile in March 2004, will contribute to fighting
hunger in the region.
We commit to increase cooperation and strengthen the institutions responsible for
coordinating and implementing measures to reduce the impact of natural disasters
on people and their effect on national development plans, with emphasis on
prevention, mitigation, emergency measures, and risk management at all levels.
We believe that ensuring environmental health for our people is an investment for
long-term well-being and prosperity. We are encouraged by the new alliance
between our Ministers of Health and Environment in the Americas and we instruct
them to develop a cooperation agenda to prevent and minimize the negative
impacts to the environment and human health.
Democratic governance
We express our support for the Declaration of Santiago on Democracy and Public
Trust to define an agenda for good governance in the Hemisphere that enables us
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to address political, economic, and social challenges in order to foster credibility and
public trust in democratic institutions.
We reiterate our commitment to the full application of the Inter-American Democratic
Charter, which constitutes an element of regional identity, and, projected
internationally, is a hemispheric contribution to the community of nations. We
reaffirm our decision to coordinate immediate action whenever democracy is
threatened in any of our countries. In addition, we wi II continue our efforts to
strengthen mechanisms for the defense of democracy and to develop and promote
a culture and education for democracy.
We recognize the participation of many countries of the Hemisphere in the
Community of Democracies and call upon the Third Ministerial Conference to
continue supporting the strengthening of democratic institutions, particularly political
parties.
The strengthening of and respect for the rule of law, the defense of human rights
and fundamental freedoms, economic progress, well-being and social justice,
transparency and accountability in public affairs, the promotion of diverse forms of
participation by our citizens, and the development of opportunities for all are
fundamental to promote and consolidate representative democracy.
Democratic governance is strengthened through dialogue among all sectors of
society. We will continue to foster a culture of democracy and development based
on pluralism and the acceptance of social and cultural diversity.
We recognize that corruption and impunity weaken public and private institutions,
erode social values, undermine the rule of law, and distort economies and the
allocation of resources for development. Therefore, we pledge to intensify our efforts
to combat corruption and other unethical practices in the public and/or private
sectors, strengthening a culture of transparency and ensuring more efficient public
management.
We express our concern regarding corrupt, illegal, and fraudulent practices in the
management of some national and transnational enterprises, that may have a
negative impact on economies, in particular those of developing countries and on
their producers and consumers.
The Inter-American Democratic Charter states that the peoples of the Americas
have the right to democracy and that their governments have the obligation to
promote and defend it, and it establishes that transparency in government activities,
probity, and responsibility in public management are key components of the
exercise of democracy. We will therefore increase our cooperation within the
framework of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, particularly by
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strengthening its follow-up mechanism. We charge the upcoming meeting of the
Conference of States Parties to the follow-up mechanism of the Convention with
proposing specific measures to strengthen this mechanism. These
recommendations will be evaluated at a meeting of the States Parties to the
Convention, to be held in Managua, Nicaragua in mid-2004. That meeting will also
consider additional concrete measures to increase transparency and combat
corruption. We instruct our foreign ministers to report on the progress achieved to
the Fourth Summit of the Americas.
We agree to hold consultations in the event that adherence to our shared
transparency and anticorruption objectives, as articulated in the Inter-American
Convention against Corruption, is compromised to a serious degree in any of our
countries.
We undertake to promote transparency in political processes, in public financial
management, and in government transactions, procurement processes, and
contracts, in accordance with domestic legislation, in order to, inter alia, prevent
abuse and maintain public confidence.
In the framework of applicable national and international law, we commit to deny
safe haven to corrupt officials, to those who corrupt them, and their assets; and to
cooperate in their extradition as well as in the recovery and return of the proceeds of
corruption to their legitimate owners. We also commit to enhance regional
mechanisms for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and their
implementation.
The United Nations Convention against Corruption is a valuable instrument to
confront this scourge, and therefore we commit to consider signing ard promoting
its ratification.
We further commit to increase transparency in the international organizations of
which we are members by strengthening their accountability mechanisms.
We recognize that political pluralism and sound political parties are essential
elements of democracy. We underscore the importance of rules to ensure the
transparency of party finances, to prevent corruption and the risk of undue influence,
and to encourage a high level of electoral participation. Therefore, we will promote
the conditions that enable political parties to thrive, autonomous of government
control. We will encourage political training and leadership development, including
for women, youth, indigenous people, members of ethnic groups, and marginalized
segments of the population. We acknowledge the important work of the InterAmerican
Forum on Political Parties in enabling political parties to share best
practices and strengthen themselves, as well as promoting reforms of political party
systems.
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We agree that, through citizen participation, civil society organizations should
contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policies adopted
by different orders or levels of government. We recognize the role of civil society
and its contribution to sound public administration and we reaffirm the importance of
continuing to forge new partnerships that will enable constructive ties to be built
between governments, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations,
and the diverse sectors of civil society to work in favor of development and
democracy.
We encourage the participation of civil society in the Summits of the Americas
process and we undertake to institutionalize meetings with civil society and with the
academic and private sectors.
We will encourage the modernization of the State as an important element for
strengthening democratic and good governance, combining effectiveness and
efficiency with greater access to services, transparency, and responsibility in
management and the consoidation and professionalization of the civil service. We
undertake to promote the use of new information and communication technologies
in public administration and to adopt strategies for the development of electronic
government.
Access to information t-eld by the State, subject to constitutional and legal norms,
including those on privacy and confidentiality, is an indispensable condition for
citizen participation and promotes effective respect for human rights. We are
committed to providing the legal ard regulatory framework and the structures and
conditions required to guarantee the right of access to information to our citizens.
We take note with satisfaction that governments in the Hemisphere are
implementing the Monterrey Consensus by exploring innovative ways to mobilize
financing for private and public investment and to strengthen debt management, by
considering financial instruments, such as growth-indexed bonds and others, to
promote macroeconomic stability and reduce financial vulnerability. The
implementation of such measures would be aimed at accelerating growth, reducing
poverty, and strengthening democratic governance. We also note the efforts of
governments in the region to promote discussion in this area.
We emphasize the role of the existing multilateral agencies in providing
humanitarian assistance. We also take note of discussions and initiatives oriented
on improving the effectiveness of providing humanitarian assistance and alleviating
poverty, such as the proposal to create a 'IIOluntary International Humanitarian Fund.
Social justice and the reduction of poverty contribute to the stability, democracy, and
security of our States and the region. We reiterate that among the principal causes
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of instability in the region are poverty, nequality, and social exclusion, which we
must confront comprehensively and urgently.
The progress made in economic and social development and in attaining a higher
standard of equity through good governance will contribute to the advancement of
stability in the Hemisphere and deepen the human dimension of security.
We reiterate our commitment to the objectives and purposes contained in the
Declaration on Security in the Americas, approved at the Special Conference on
Security, held in Mexico City in October 2003, based on, inter a/ia, the
multidimensional concept of security as well as the principle that the basis and
purpose of security is the protection of human beings.
This is our first meeting since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. We reiterate
that terrorism, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, constitute
grave threats to international security, to the intitutions and the democratic values of
States, and to the well-being of our peoples. We resolve to intensify our efforts and
strengthen cooperation in confronting these threats.
We will take all necessary steps to prevent and counter terrorism and its financing in
full compliance with our obligations under international law, including international
human rights, refugee, and humanitarian law. Similarly, we commit to fight all forms
of transnational crime, including illicit trafficking in drugs, arms, and persons,
particularly when they generate funds used in support of terrorist organizations. We
also commit to adhere to global anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing
standards.
We call upon all countries that have not yet done so to ratify the Inter-American
Convention against Terrorism, the twelve United Nations conventions and protocols
on terrorism, as well as other relaed instruments. We further call upon all countries
to urgently consider signing and ratifying the Inter-American Convention on Mutual
Assistance in Criminal Matters and to participate actively in the Network on Mutual
Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
We call upon the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development
Bank, the Pan American Health Organization, the United Nations Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the World Bank, the InterAmerican
Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, the Andean Development
Corporation, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, and the
Caribbean Development Bank to strengthen their coordination, and to continue
deepening their support, through their respective activities and programs, and
committing appropriate resources to implement and conduct follow-up on the Plans
of Action of the Summits of the Americas, and this Declaration, and to assist in
preparations for the Fourth Summit of the Americas in 2005.
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We thank the Organization of American States and its General Secretariat, in
particular the Secretariat of the Summits of the Americas Process, and the Joint
Summit Working Group for their work in Summits follow-up and in the preparatory
work for this Special Summit.
We express our appreciation to the people and Government of Mexico for hosting
this Special Summit, and to the Government of Argentina for confirming its offer to
host the Fourth Summit of the Americas in 2005.
We, the Heads of State and Government of the Americas, agree that this document
shall be known as the "Declaration of Nuevo Leon" and we hereby approve it on this
thirteenth day of January, in the year two thousand and four.
* "Venezuela enters a reservation with respect to the paragraph on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FT AA) because of
questions of principle and profound differences regarding the concept and philosophy of the proposed model and because of the manner in
which specific aspects and established timeframes are addressed. We ratify our commitment to the consolidation of a regional fair trade
bloc as a basis for strengthening levels of integration. This process must consider each country's particular cultural, social, and political
characteristics; sovereignty and constitutionality; and the level and size of its economy, in order to guarantee fair treatment."
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