Public
FTAA.ngds/com/05
August 20, 1999
Original: Spanish
FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT
FIFTH MEETING
Miami, 18 – 20 August 1999
PRESS COMMUNIQUE
The fifth meeting of the FTAA
Negotiating Group on Dispute Settlement (NGDS) was held in Miami from 18 to 20
August 1999. A list of the participating countries is attached to this press
release. Some of the delegations represented their respective sub-regional
groups. The NGDS deliberations followed the items of the agenda, also attached.
The fifth NGDS meeting focused mainly on the drafting and approval of the report
to the Trade Negotiations Committee on all the elements of the Work Program
agreed upon in Buenos Aires in June 1998. This report also includes an annotated
outline of the status of the progress in the Group’s work in establishing a
fair, transparent, and effective mechanism to settle disputes among FTAA
countries.
Also at this meeting, the Group approved the Inventory on dispute settlement
systems within the Hemisphere and agreed to request the TNC to post said
document on the FTAA web page. The NGDS acknowledged the excellent work of the
Tripartite Committee (OAS) in completing this document.
With regard to arbitration and other alternative dispute settlement mechanisms,
the Group decided to postpone consideration of these matters for the next stage
of negotiations.
While no specific date was adopted for the next NGDS meeting, the delegations
felt that the Group could meet again sometime between 15 February and 10 March
2000.
FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON DISPUTE SETTLEMENT
Fifth Meeting
18 – 20 August 1999
Inter-Continental
Hotel, Miami
AGENDA1. Adoption of the Agenda.
2. Chair’s Report on the TNC Meeting in Cochabamba.
3. Analysis and discussion of document “Draft NGDS Report to the TNC".
4. Consideration of draft letter in reply to the Chair of the Consultative
Group on Smaller Economies.
5. Presentation and comments on the status of the Inventory of Dispute
Settlement Mechanisms, Procedures and Legal Texts.
6. Press Release.
7. Other business.
-Arbitration
Submission by Mexico
Approval of document
- Schedule of future meetings
List of Participating Countries
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Argentina
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Honduras
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Bahamas
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Jamaica
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Bolivia
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Mexico
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Brazil
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Nicaragua
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Canada
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Panama
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Chile
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Paraguay
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Colombia
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Peru
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Costa Rica
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Trinidad & Tobago
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Dominican Republic
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United States of America
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Ecuador
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Uruguay
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Guatemala
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Venezuela
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