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Second Executive Committee Meeting
DECISION RECORD The Executive Committee of the Western Hemisphere
Transport Initiative (WHTI) met in Punta del Este on March 16, 2001.
Participants in this meeting included representatives of
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Jamaica, Paraguay,
Uruguay, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC),
and the Organization of American States (OAS); while the Asociación
Latinoamericana de Integración Económica (ALADI), Comisión
Andina de Fomento (CAF), Comunidad
Andina Secretariat (CAN), the Institute of the Americas (IOA), and
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) participated as
observers. The sole purpose of this meeting was to consider
follow-up by the WHTI Executive Committee to the main conclusions
reached during the Western Hemisphere Transport Ministers’ Meeting,
which had taken place at the same location on March 15 and 16, 2001. The
following Decision Record should be read in conjunction with the Joint
Statement from the Ministerial Meeting, which is also attached. 1. Institutional
Cooperation and the Establishment of a Knowledge Network: a.
Institutional Cooperation Ministers directed the
Executive Committee to establish a mechanism for facilitating
increased cooperation, convergence and information-sharing among the
sub-regional groups and multilateral organizations of the region.
Accordingly, the Executive Committee considered the proposal put
forward by ECLAC in its Plan of
Action for the Integration of Transportation in the Americas document,
which called for the establishment of a
working group comprised of experts from throughout the Americas
that would focus on areas of convergence in such areas as the
harmonization of transportation standards, regulation and practices, as
well as the development of human and institutional capacity. The Executive Committee
noting some reservations with respect to the establishment of a group of
experts agrees that ECLAC will be the Implementation Agency of the
Ministerial direction with respect to Institutional Cooperation, under
the guidance and directives of the Executive Committee. As a first step
Member-Countries are invited to present suggestions as to areas of
interest on which ECLAC should focus its effort. Time Frame:
All WHTI members,
as well as relevant regional organizations, are asked to submit their
comments to the WHTI Executive Committee Chair by May 1, 2001. b.
Trade Interchange Routes The Executive Committee
agreed
that, as outlined in their Plan of
Action document, ECLAC
undertake case studies of the services and infrastructure that play a
key role in trade between sub-regional blocks in the Americas, with
the goal of identifying best practices for ensuring the efficient flow
of goods and people. Time Frame:
ECLAC is asked to provide the Chair of the Executive Committee
with a brief synopsis of the time frame within which these studies will
be carried out. c.
Knowledge Network The Executive Committee agreed
that
ECLAC, working with the Institute of the Americas and in consultation
with regional organizations such as the Organization of American States,
further refine its proposal for the development of a “Transportation
Knowledge Network”, including the identification of possible funding sources, and bring the finalized proposal back to the
Executive Committee for consideration. Time Frame: ECLAC is
asked to provide the Chair of the Executive Committee with a brief
synopsis of the time frame within which this proposal will be further
developed. d.
Human Capacity Building In keeping with Ministers’
instructions with respect to the promotion of capacity building
exchanges and activities, the Executive Committee encouraged
all WHTI members to: ·
welcome
and actively participate in exchanges of personnel, with the goal of
developing skilled human resources and institutional capacity in the
region; and, ·
submit
to the Chair information regarding capacity building activities in their
own countries or organizations, such as training, so that this might be
placed on the WHTI web site. Time Frame:
Work in this area
will be carried out on an ongoing
basis. 2.
Enhancing Safety in the Region: In the Joint Statement
from the Ministerial meeting, Ministers indicated that safety in all
modes of transportation will be an essential element of the WHTI work
program and, in particular, called for the promotion of greater
awareness within the hemisphere of the priority that should be placed on
aviation safety. Ministers
directed the Executive Committee to propose, as soon as possible and
working with ICAO and ICAO-recognized regional and international
aviation safety organizations, such as the CARICOM Regional Oversight
Mechanism, the Association of Caribbean States’ Aviation Group, the
Central American Aviation Safety Agency, the Latin American Civil
Aviation Commission (CLAC) and the North American Aviation Trilateral,
an action plan that will allow for an improvement of aviation safety
conditions in the region, including the identification of programs and
sources of funding. The
Executive Committee agreed that , as a first step in this process,
the
Chair of the WHTI Executive Committee
write to the aforementioned organizations, sending them a copy of
the Joint Statement, and requesting their participation in the
development of the action plan. Time
Frame:
The Chair of the Executive Committee will write to the relevant
aviation organizations by May 1, 2001. 3.
The Environment and Transportation in the Americas: Ministers requested that
the WHTI develop an appropriate mechanism,
comprising the necessary technical resources, to promote the objectives
of safety, environmental protection and sustainable development in the
maritime context. The
Executive Committee noted
with appreciation
Jamaica’s offer to lead an experts’ group in this area and
encourages all WHTI member countries and organizations to put forward
the name of a main contact person. Time
Frame:
All WHTI members are asked to forward the name of their
representative contact person for work in this area, to Jamaica, by
May 1, 2001. 4. Natural Disaster Response and
Infrastructure Vulnerability Reduction: During the ministerial meeting, the OAS tabled the
working document entitled “Assistance
Mechanisms for Damages and the Reduction of the Vulnerability of
Transportation Infrastructure to Natural Disasters in Central America”.
In their Joint Statement, Ministers commended the work done in
this area by the OAS, and asked that lessons learned from this work be
discussed and shared, and that the work be expanded as appropriate. The Executive Committee agreed that: 1. the
OAS forward its “Assistance Mechanisms for Damages and the Reduction
of the Vulnerability of Transportation Infrastructure to Natural
Disasters in Central America” working document to various relevant
Central American states and organizations in order for them to review it
and take action as they see fit; the General Secretary of the OAS assist
these states and organizations to the extent possible in this review and
consideration of action; and the countries and organizations in receipt
of this working document be invited to report back regarding the
implementation of its recommendations. 2. the
OAS be requested to continue its important work in this area through the
preparation of a working document for the small island developing states
of the Caribbean, similar to that created for Central America. 3. all
WHTI members and regional organizations be requested to participate
actively in this priority action area, and put forward the names of
specific contact points for coordination with regard to the reduction of
the vulnerability of infrastructure
to natural disasters. 4. the
OAS be requested to provide a list of organizations that might be able
to participate in the execution of possible
specific vulnerability studies that could be carried out, by mode of
transport, for the various different sub-regions. 5.
as
part of the Summit of the Americas follow-up process, and keeping in
mind the report of the Inter-American Committee for Natural Disasters
Reduction (IACNDR) now under consideration by its Permanent Council,
the
OAS be requested to collaborate with the Executive Committee in the
preparation of an annual report on the status and achievements of the
transportation sector with regard to the reduction of the vulnerability
of infrastructure to natural disasters. Time Frame:
The time frame for work in this area will be established by the
Organization of American States. Ottawa, Canada, March 26, 2001 ©
2000 Executive Committee of the Western Hemisphere Transport Initiative,
and, Office of Summit Follow-Up, Organization of American States.
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