The Executive Committee of the Western Hemispheric Transport Initiative (WHTI) met in the offices of the Mexican Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) in Mexico City, on June 20, 2000 (See Appendix I, Participants List). The meeting was chaired by Canada, the Chair pro tempore of the WHTI Executive Committee.

The meeting’s host, Mexico, began by offering a few words of introduction.

The Chair pro tempore of the WHTI Executive Committee, also provided a short introduction, during which he thanked Mexico for its hospitality, thanked Chile for its previous work as Chair pro tempore, and gave an overview of the main issues to be discussed during the meeting. He also reminded the meeting of the important role that the WHTI can play in facilitating greater communication and cooperation in the area of transportation among the countries and organizations active in the Summit of the Americas process.

Agenda Item 2: Approval of Agenda

The Chair pro tempore suggested that a discussion of the issue of the Chairmanship of the WHTI Executive Committee should be added to the agenda under Item 7, Other Business. This motion was approved.

• The Agenda was approved with the aforementioned modification (See Appendix II, Agenda).

The Chair pro tempore provided a brief introduction to this issue, reminding the meeting that, at their meeting in New Orleans, USA, in December 1998, the Ministers Responsible for Transportation from the countries of the Summit of the Americas identified eight Priority Action Areas for execution by the WHTI. He thanked those countries and organizations that had submitted reports on the Priority Action Areas that they are leading. He also reminded the meeting that the purpose of the ensuing discussion would be to assess the degree of follow-up to date on each of the Priority Action Areas, keeping in mind the possibility of a future Ministerial meeting and the need to report to Ministers on progress to date under each Priority Action Area.

Discussion regarding each Priority Action Area was led by countries or organizations responsible for them.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) addressed this issue. ECLAC informed the meeting that it had prepared an initial draft proposal for the development of an Action Plan for Integration, and introduced some of the main ideas in the proposal.

Following extensive discussion of the ideas presented by ECLAC, it was decided that, because the participants had not had the opportunity to read the draft proposal, the document should be circulated to all WHTI members to allow them to provide comments and suggestions at a later date.

• The Chair pro tempore will circulate ECLAC’s draft proposal along with the Minutes from the present meeting, requesting comments and suggestions by September 1, 2000;
• Canada will provide a working translation of the initial draft in Spanish and Portuguese.
• any comments and suggestions submitted to the Chair pro tempore should also be circulated to all WHTI members for their information; and
• having received comments and suggestions, ECLAC will seek to develop a further draft of the proposal by September 15, 2000.

A representative from Canada provided a presentation on the Western Hemisphere Transport Data System (WHTDS) project. He reminded the meeting that Canada has created a web site for the project, which can be found at http://www.whtds-sdtho.org, and that Canada is also in the process of completing a survey on the availability of transportation statistics in the countries of the Summit of the Americas. Canada thanked all countries that have already submitted survey questionnaires, and asked that any countries still planning to submit questionnaires do so as soon as possible.

A representative from Mexico pointed out that Mexico, the USA and Canada have collaborated extensively in the comparison of statistics under the North American Statistics Interchange project, and that the North American experience could serve as an important example for future work under the WHTDS. Canada confirmed that the experience of participating in the North American Statistics Interchange has played an important role in the development of the WHTDS project, and that the WHTDS seeks to incorporate other work being done on statistics in the Americas, such as the North American Statistics Interchange and the Sistema de Estadísticas de Transporte de América del Sur project currently being carried out by the Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración and ECLAC.

• Countries still planning to submit questionnaires for the survey on the availability of transportation statistics are requested to do so as soon as possible.

The representative of the Organization of American States (OAS) provided a presentation on this theme, focusing mainly on the documentation provided prior to the meeting.

The Chair pro tempore recognized that, based on the information submitted to the meeting by Honduras, the OAS and the United States of America (USA), it is clear that much work is being done in the Western Hemisphere with respect to disaster response planning. He then suggested that it might be valuable for the WHTI to take stock of all the work that is being done, and by whom.

The OAS representative stated that she would consult with the Unit for Sustainable Development at OAS Headquarters to see if the OAS would be prepared to put together a document assessing what work is being done and by whom in the Western Hemisphere with respect to disaster response related to the transportation sector.

Referring to reports submitted to the meeting, the USA also reported on work that it is doing with respect to this theme. The USA then stated that they would report to Ministers on this theme at any forthcoming WHTI Ministerial meeting.

• The OAS office in Mexico will consult with the Unit for Sustainable Development at OAS Headquarters concerning the possibility of developing an overview inventory of what work is being done and by whom in the Western Hemisphere with respect to disaster response planning related to the transportation sector.

The representative from the USA provided a presentation, referring to the report that had been submitted prior to the meeting. She stated that this report would benefit from input from other WHTI countries and organizations, as well as from the various sub-regional groups within the Summit of the Americas, and asked for comments and suggestions. She also said that the USA would explore the possibility of having the document translated into other WHTI languages.

• All WHTI member countries and organizations are requested to provide comments and suggestions to the USA on the document entitled "Item 4: Compendium of Safety and Incident Response Best Practices"; and
• the USA will explore the possibility of providing translations of this document into other WHTI languages and inform the Chair pro tempore.

The representative from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) provided a presentation, focusing largely on the report submitted prior to the meeting.

The representative from the USA referred to the Declaration from the December 1998 WHTI Ministerial Meeting, which called for a report to be prepared on "best practices and innovative mechanisms for financing the development, enhancement and maintenance of transportation infrastructure, etc.," and asked if such a report would be prepared for presentation to the WHTI Ministers. The IDB representative responded that he would consult with IDB Headquarters on this matter. The Chair pro tempore added that the extensive material contained on the IDB web site, together with the report submitted to the present meeting, might form the basis of a report to be presented to Ministers on progress to date under this Priority Action Area.

The representative from Brazil pointed out that the 1998 Ministerial Declaration called for the aforementioned report to be "jointly prepared by the IDB and World Bank", and asked if there would be any World Bank input into the final report prepared on this issue. The IDB representative replied that he would confer with IDB Headquarters on this issue.

Mexico and Chile both offered to share with any other WHTI members their own experiences with respect to transportation infrastructure financing, and Chile suggested that such information sharing could be facilitated by a central web site with links to the various WHTI members’ web sites.

• The IDB representative office in Mexico will confer with IDB Headquarters regarding the preparation of a final report to Ministers on Priority Action Area 5; and regarding whether there will be World Bank input into this report.

While speaking on Priority Action Area 3, the OAS representative had already provided some comments on the issue of Capacity-Building Seminars, referring principally to the report submitted prior to the meeting. The USA also provided reports regarding its capacity building activities in the Western Hemisphere.

The Chair pro tempore suggested that it would be useful to create a document providing an inventory of transportation-related capacity building seminars in the Americas, which could be placed on the Internet along with links to those countries or organizations providing the seminars.

The ECLAC representative suggested that there could be a link between this idea and the proposed Plan of Action for Integration. He also voiced support for the idea put forward by the USA in a document submitted to the previous WHTI Executive Committee Meeting, in April 1999, that a list of different countries’ and organizations’ capacity building activities be placed on the Internet.

Given the focus on the Internet as a mechanism for sharing information on this issue, the Chair pro tempore suggested that this discussion related closely to Agenda Item 7.1, the creation of a web site for the WHTI.

• There was general consensus that information regarding capacity-building seminars could be included on an eventual WHTI web site.

The representative from the USA provided a presentation, referring to the report distributed prior to the meeting. She suggested that the Internet should be a mechanism for the exchange of information on transportation technologies among WHTI members. She also invited all WHTI members to provide input into the report in order to ensure that it is more reflective of the interests of the Western Hemisphere as a whole.

• All WHTI member countries and organizations are invited to provide input into the US paper entitled "Item 7: Information Exchange on Transportation Technology"; and
• the USA will look into the possibility of translating this document into other WHTI languages, and inform the Chair pro tempore.

The Chair pro tempore began discussion on this issue by congratulating Mexico on the successful conclusion of work on this Priority Action Area, by way of the conference held in Cancún on May 13 and 14, 1999.

Mexico spoke briefly on the conference, thanking those that had participated, and offering to provide a brief report to Ministers on this Priority Action Area.

• Mexico will provide a brief report to the WHTI Ministers on Priority Action Area 8, which is now concluded.

The Chair pro tempore began discussion by informing the meeting that, on June 19, 2000, the Terms of Reference drafting committee, comprised of Brazil, Canada and Chile, had met and finalized a draft Terms of Reference document. This document was provided to all participants at the present Executive Committee meeting.

Following extensive discussion, the draft Terms of Reference document was approved with the following amendments:

1. Under "Purpose", some reference will be made to the fact that the WHTI Executive Committee’s work should be related to the concept of a "forward plan";
2. under "Chairmanship", it will be stated that the co-Chairs should be from countries within sub-regional groups other than that of the Chair and of each other; and
3. under "Chairmanship", it will be stated that the Chair will begin consultations regarding interest in the positions of Chair and co-Chair six months before the end of its term.

The meeting then agreed on the following process for the final approval of the Terms of Reference:

1. The Chair pro tempore will incorporate any changes suggested at the June 20, 2000 Executive Committee meeting into the final draft version of the Terms of Reference;
2. this final draft document will be circulated to all WHTI members along with the Minutes of the meeting; and
3. the agreed final draft document will then be circulated by the Canadian Minister of Transport to his counterparts in the Summit of the Americas countries, seeking their endorsement within a specific time frame, with a lack of response being assumed to signify approval.

Appendix III contains the final draft of the Terms of Reference as endorsed by the June 20, 2000 meeting of the WHTI Executive Committee, including changes agreed to during that meeting.

• The final draft Terms of Reference were approved along with the aforementioned amendments;
• a copy of the final draft Terms of Reference will be circulated to all WHTI members by the Chair pro tempore, for review and comment, if any, by August 31, 2000; and
• Ministerial approval of this document will then be sought according to the process outlined above.

The Chair pro tempore informed the meeting that the next Summit of the Americas will occur in Quebec City, Canada, on April 20 to 22, 2001. Resulting from this Summit will be both a Leaders’ Declaration and an Action Plan for the Summit of the Americas process, which could influence the future activities of the WHTI.

Under Agenda Item 6 there was an extensive discussion of the Summit of the Americas’ implications for a future WHTI Ministerial.

The Chair pro tempore provided a brief introduction to the issue, saying that a future Ministerial meeting would be important in order to report on action to date on the WHTI’s existing Priority Action Areas, and explore possible new Priority Action Areas.

The representative from the USA reported that the US Department of Transportation plans to host an informal meeting of Transport Ministers from the Western Hemisphere in Washington, DC, on the morning of October 9, 2000. This meeting would occur on the margins of the International Transportation Symposium to be held in Washington, DC, from October 9 to 11, 2000.

The representative from the USA pointed out that it is not the intention of the USA to host a full Ministerial meeting at this point. Rather, the October 9 meeting would be held to take advantage of the fact that many WHTI Ministers may be attending the International Transportation Symposium, in order to have a brief discussion of WHTI issues. This informal Ministerial meeting would not take the place of a full Ministerial meeting, such as those held previously in New Orleans and Santiago.

The main issues covered at this meeting would include:

1. A review of follow-up to date on the 8 Priority Action Areas identified by Ministers at their meeting in December 1998; and
2. a discussion of the possibility of holding a further full WHTI Ministerial meeting in the near future.

The representative from the USA also stated that, by holding the meeting prior to the next Summit of the Americas, this would assist the Transport Ministers in developing material to report to the Leaders for their meeting in Quebec in April 2001.

The representative from Uruguay expressed his general agreement with the points put forward by the USA. He stressed the importance of a Ministerial meeting before the Summit of the Americas in order to ensure that the issue of transportation is included in the Leaders’ Declaration and Action Plan resulting from the Quebec Summit. He also indicated a preference for South America hosting the next full Ministerial meeting.

The representative from the USA asked the meeting if all participants had already been informed of the October International Transportation Symposium, to which many responded negatively. Therefore, she committed to ensuring the circulation of relevant documentation to all WHTI members.

The Chair pro tempore stated that, as of the June 20, 2000 Executive Committee meeting, WHTI members have been advised of the possibility of an informal Ministerial meeting in Washington, DC, on October 9, 2000, and that the issue of a possible future full Ministerial meeting would be discussed there. As a result, any country wishing to host a full Ministerial Meeting in the near future could now consider this prospect with a view to possibly announcing it in time for consideration at the October 9 meeting.

Conclusions:

• All WHTI members are advised of the possibility of an informal Western Hemisphere Ministerial Meeting, of approximately two hours, on the morning of October 9, 2000, in Washington, DC, on the margins of the International Transportation Symposium scheduled for October 9-11, 2000 in the same city;
• the USA will ensure that documentation regarding the International Transportation Symposium is circulated to all WHTI members as soon as possible; and
• any country considering hosting a full meeting of Ministers Responsible for Transportation from the Summit of the Americas countries is asked to consider the possibility of announcing this intention in time for discussion at the informal Ministerial meeting on October 9, 2000.

The Chair pro tempore began the discussion by stating that the WHTI should make the most of all available electronic means of communication to ensure that cooperation under the Initiative is as efficient as possible. Furthermore, as earlier discussion had indicated, many of the WHTI’s Priority Action Areas would benefit from the existence of a WHTI web site.

He added that Canada is willing to establish a WHTI web site, and manage it for a period of approximately two years. After that time, Canada would prefer to transfer the responsibility for management of the site to some other WHTI member country or organization.

• Canada will develop a draft WHTI web site, and submit it to the rest of the WHTI’s members for comments and suggestions, before finalizing its content and layout.

The Chair pro tempore began discussion by suggesting that, given the possibility of an informal Ministerial meeting in October 2000 and of a full Ministerial meeting in early 2001, it is important that the Executive Committee give some consideration to possible new Priority Action Areas that might be discussed by Ministers.

Extensive discussion ensued, during which the areas of safety, electronic commerce, trade facilitation, and the harmonization of standards were all put forward as possible areas which might be explored as potential themes for the future Priority Action Areas. The representative from the USA made the comment that any new future work should lead to substantive outcomes beyond the production of reports. The representative from Uruguay stated that the areas suggested at the present meeting should not be considered as final and accepted future Priority Action Areas.

It was decided that the Chair would request that all members consider, in consultation with their Ministers, the possibility of proposing new Priority Action Areas at the limited Ministerial meeting on October 9, 2000. Also, countries or organizations proposing new Priority Action Areas should be prepared to lead work in them.

• All WHTI member countries and organizations should consider, in consultation with their Ministers where relevant, proposing new Priority Action Areas for work under the WHTI;
• they should consider putting forward these proposals in time for discussion at the informal Ministerial meeting in Washington, DC, on October 9, 2000; and
• if they put forward a new Priority Action Area, they should be willing to lead work under it.

The Chair pro tempore began discussion with a short description of the process by which Canada had succeeded Chile in this position. He then went on to say that, with the final approval of the Terms of Reference for the WHTI Executive Committee, this body would no longer be provisional, and therefore would require a Chair as opposed to a Chair pro tempore. He further pointed out that, upon approving the Terms of Reference, the WHTI Ministers’ would also have to choose an initial Chair of the Executive Committee.

The Chair pro tempore went on to say that, while Canada would be willing to play the role of Chair for the first two-year term following the approval by Ministers of the Executive Committee’s Terms of Reference, he felt that this opportunity should be offered to all member countries.

Discussion ensued in which there was general endorsement of Canada’s offer to act as Chair for the first two-year period following the approval of the Terms of Reference, and agreement that the opportunity to occupy this position should also be offered to all members.

With respect to the position of co-Chair, Jamaica reconfirmed its interest in the position, Peru stated that it will confirm at a later point if it remains interested in the position, and Bolivia stated that it is interested in the position. It was further acknowledged that, as stated in Agenda Item 4, the co-Chairs should be selected in such a way as to ensure regional balance.

• The meeting recognized Canada’s willingness to continue on as Chair of the WHTI Executive Committee for the first two-year period following the approval of the Terms of Reference by Ministers;
• Bolivia and Jamaica confirmed their interest in the position of co-Chair;
• Peru will confirm at a later date its interest in the position of co-Chair;
• any other member countries wishing to express their interest in occupying the positions of Chair and co-Chairs of the WHTI’s Executive Committee for the first two-year period following the approval of the Terms of Reference should do so in writing, to the Chair pro tempore, by August 31, 2000; and
• the Canadian Minister of Transport will seek his counterparts’ approval of the Chair and co-Chairs at the same time as he seeks their approval of the Terms of Reference.

No other issues were raised.

Agenda Item 8: Concluding Remarks

The Chair pro tempore thanked all of those who had participated and, in particular, Mexico for having hosted the meeting.

The representative from Uruguay also expressed appreciation for the work done by Canada and Chile as Chairs pro tempore.