Public
FTAA.soc/w/172/Add.1
October 24, 2000
Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat
FTAA -
COMMITTEE OF GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES ON THE PARTICIPATION OF
CIVIL SOCIETY
CONTRIBUTION IN RESPONSE TO THE OPEN INVITATION
Name |
Eber Eli Guierrez Londoņo |
Organization |
UNIVERSIDAD DE MEDELLIN |
Country |
Colombia |
SUMMARY OF FTAA ISSUES
UNIVERSITY OF MEDELLIN
The University of Medellin joins the effort
to promote the participation of civil society in decisions surrounding the
deliberations on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), a matter of
considerable importance for fostering democratic decision making in the
political and economic realms.
The political and economic developments associated with globalization
require a reorganization of the strategies undertaken by the nations and a
change in the philosophy of their institutions as they seek to tap the
opportunities afforded by these changes, such as the democratization of
decision making and the development of market economies with a view to
increasing efficiency and the well-being of the inhabitants of the
hemisphere.
In this context, the measures that promote economic well-being on the
basis of consumption are of vital importance because of the differences in
the development not only of production but also of consumer habits of the
different nations of the Americas, and even among sectors of a given
region.
Consequently, we consider that any set of measures adopted for integrating
markets should be applied selectively. This does not mean privileging the
inefficiency of those that, not being submitted to the same competitive
pressures, seek additional benefits, nor losing sight of the objective of
a market based on the principles of transparency resulting from free
competition and democratic decision making.
Globalization has wrought very profound changes throughout the hemisphere,
including trade liberalization, modernization of the economies and
institutional reforms within the framework of market economies and
democracy. This has facilitated the countries participation on a more
global plane in accordance with the needs of the region.
The development of subregional agreements has stimulated competition that,
in turn has contributed to upgrading competitiveness because of the
diversity of production and better prices and quality, although this is
still in the early stages. For this reason, competition measures should be
selective and take into account the degree of development of the countries
making up the free trade area. It should begin with the established
groups, and advance on a solid basis that makes it possible to identify
regions that are similar from the social and economic points of view.
Thus, it is proposed that a selective general framework be used where
integration begins between economic regions, with a regulatory and
practical plan for competition in place and well developed within each,
before the countries, especially the less developed countries, are exposed
to a pressure characterized by glaring technological, production,
purchasing power and, of course, competition differences. This could
result in disadvantages that could threaten the stability of each of the
nations and the evolution of integration in the Americas.
Accordingly, the following submission contains thoughts on the topics of
competition policy, and subsidies, antidumping and countervailing duties,
and represents the position of the School of Industrial Economy at the
University of Medellin. |