|
At the invitation of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater, the Ministers Responsible for Transportation from Summit of the Americas countries or their representatives participated in a roundtable discussion at the headquarters of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, D.C., on Friday, October 13, 2000. IDB President Enrique V. Iglesias welcomed the Roundtable participants, which included the ministers of: Barbados, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, United States, and Uruguay. In addition, the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela were represented by their vice ministers, ambassadors, or other senior officials. A number of observers, including the minister of transport from Aruba, and representatives from the transportation industry, governmental authorities, and international organizations, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, were also in attendance. Taking into account the disparities in size and stage of economic development among the countries in the region, participants recognized the vital importance of improvements in transportation infrastructure to the sustainable development of the countries of the Hemisphere, especially small developing states. They reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to ensure full participation in the efforts to achieve the goals of the priority action areas identified in the Western Hemisphere Transportation Ministerial held in New Orleans in 1998. Participants noted with satisfaction the substantial progress being made in moving forward on the eight priority action areas. Participants were particularly pleased to note that the Terms of Reference for the WHTI Executive Committee had been recently endorsed by Ministers from across the region, including the selection of Canada to serve as Chair and Jamaica, Bolivia, and Peru to serve as Co-chairs for the first two-year term. The Executive Committee, comprised of officials from member countries as well as the Organization of American States, Inter-American Development Bank, and the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, will support the Ministers’ work on an ongoing basis. Participants witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the IDB to promote sustainable improvements in transportation in the Western Hemisphere. In his remarks, Mr. Iglesias addressed the role of the IDB in the region and emphasized the importance of aviation safety and security to increased tourism and trade, foreign investment, and long-term economic development. Recognizing the importance of safe and efficient air service to the continued economic growth of individual countries, the Ministers present and other heads of delegation received with satisfaction the U.S. proposal to establish a Partnership for Safer Skies in the Western Hemisphere, and directed the WHTI Executive Committee to further develop this concept in time for consideration at the next Western Hemisphere Transportation Ministerial meeting. According to the proposal, the Partnership takes into account the role of the International Civil Aviation Organization and builds upon the work of existing national, regional, and sub-regional aviation institutions in order to: (1) promote and reinforce sustainable improvements in aviation safety and security; (2) improve the conditions for enhancement of the region’s civil aviation systems; and (3) foster the growth of international aviation services in the Western Hemisphere. It was widely acknowledged that close cooperation among countries is fundamental for the development and enhancement of national and regional aviation systems that are safe, secure, efficient, and sustainable. The participants also favored:
The United States pledged to work with other Western Hemisphere nations in achieving the objectives of the Partnership, including helping to identify sources of revenue to support the initiative. The Partnership is to be carried out through the WHTI’s Executive Committee which, as directed by the Ministers, may develop guidelines for implementation as well as a work plan that encourages all countries to take on leadership roles in spearheading activities that support their national and regional aviation safety goals. Lucio Cáceres Behrens, Minister of Transport and Public Works of Uruguay, announced his intention to host the next full meeting of Ministers Responsible for Transportation from the Western Hemisphere in Punta del Este on March 15 and 16, 2001. Ministers directed the WHTI Executive Committee to work closely with Uruguay to plan the next Ministerial meeting and to develop, for their consideration, proposals for possible new priority action areas. ©
2000 Executive Committee of the Western Hemisphere Transport Initiative,
and, Office of Summit Follow-Up, Organization of American States.
|