Public
FTAA.tci/com/09
February 12, 2003
Original: English
FTAA - TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON INSTITUTIONAL
ISSUES Ninth Meeting
Panama, February 5-7, 2003
PRESS COMMUNIQUE
1. The ninth meeting of the Technical Committee on
Institutional Issues (TCI) was held in Panama from February 5-7, 2003 in Panama.
Mr. Federico Gajardo presided as acting Chair. In attendance were
representatives from the following 18 countries: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia,
Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States, and
Uruguay.
2. The Agenda approved by the TCI is attached as
annex.
3. All the items on the agenda were considered. The TCI focused its work at this
meeting on draft provisions relating to transparency and to the treatment of the
differences in the level of development and size of economies. The Committee
also exchanged on the architecture and structure of the FTAA Agreement,
including the relationship of general and institutional provisions with
provisions in other draft chapters being negotiated.
4. The TCI took note that there had been no contributions submitted by civil
society since its last meeting.
5. The next meeting of the TCI will be held in the city of Puebla, Mexico on
April 30 – May 2, 2003.
FTAA - TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
Ninth Meeting
Panama, February 5-7, 2003
AGENDA
1. Approval of agenda
2. Discussion of the draft text on general and institutional issues of the FTAA
TRANSPARENCY
• Article 6: Information Centers/ Contact Points
• Article 7: Publication/ Publication and Application of Trade Regulations
• Article 8: Notification and Provision of Information
• Article 9: Guarantees for Hearings, Legality, and Due Process
• Article 10: Administration of Measures/ Administrative Procedures
• Article 11: Review and Appeal
• Article 12: Definitions
TREATMENT OF THE DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SIZE OF
ECONOMIES
• Article 13: Treatment of Differences in the Levels of Development and Size of
the Economies
3. Discussion of new contributions, including:
PREAMBLE TO THE FTAA AGREEMENT
GENERAL ARTICLES OF THE FTAA AGREEMENT
• Article 1: Purpose
• Article 2: Objectives
• Article 3: Principles
• Article 4: Application and Scope of Coverage/ of Obligations
4. Architecture and structure of the agreement
5. Relation to other FTAA entities and contributions from Civil Society
6. Other business
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