Antigua PM to miss special summit of the Americas

Sunday, January 11, 2004

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Prime Minister Lester Bird will not be attending the Special Summit of the Americas which runs from January 12 - 13 in Monterrey, Mexico, according to the Prime Minister's Press Attaché, Norman 'Gus' Thomas.

Thomas pointed out that Mr. Bird is fully engaged in a number of important national matters including preparations for General Elections constitutionally due in March of this year. 

It was announced at Summit 24 in Jamaica last July that, Mr. Bird would assume the Chairmanship of CARICOM as of January 1st, 2004.

However, the Antigua and Barbuda leader has written the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Mr. Edwin Carrington, informing him of arrangements made between himself and the current Chairman, Prime Minister P. J. Patterson of Jamaica, which will see the latter continuing as Chairman until after the Antigua and Barbuda General Elections, when Antigua and Barbuda will take up the office of Chairman.

According to Thomas, it is almost three years since the Presidents and Prime Ministers of the hemisphere's 34 democracies last met to map out goals, strategies and priorities for the Americas.

"Since that meeting in Quebec City, Canada, 13 of the countries have changed leaders - and developments in the region have produced new challenges. Slow economic growth, persistent poverty and rising demands for increased citizen participation in the democratic process in some countries are key factors that have led the heads of states and governments to re-convene sooner than expected.

This Special Summit of the Americas will focus on three central topics: growth with equity, social development and democratic governance. Irene Klinger, Executive Secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS) Summits of the Americas Secretariat, said the region's leaders did not want to wait until the next regular Summit-scheduled to take place in Argentina in 2005-to tackle these pressing issues.

It was very important for them to come together again to discuss their priorities and reaffirm a shared vision of how the hemisphere can advance into the future," Thomas said.

The Press Attaché pointed out that the Monterrey meeting is not expected to produce a new Plan of Action - the countries are still working to carry out the detailed mandates of the Quebec Summit - but will adopt a political declaration that provides general direction on the three identified topics, as well as specific initiatives to address them.

Poverty is widely seen as one of the most urgent concerns. According to recent studies by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), some 220 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean - 44% of the population - do not have enough money to cover their basic needs. The World Bank reports that the richest 10% of the population makes 48% of the income in Latin America and the Caribbean, while the poorest 10% takes in just 1.6% of the income.

Mr. Thomas said trade is not on the agenda for the Special Summit, as negotiations to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) are proceeding on a parallel track. At their most recent meeting, held in Miami in November last year, the region's Trade Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to live up to their Summit commitment to finalize negotiations for the FTAA agreement by January 2005, before the Summit of the Americas in Argentina. 

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