OEA/Ser.G CE/GCI-115/97
29 October 1997
Original: bilingual

THE PARTICIPATION OF THE OAS IN THE PROCESS OF
THE FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA)
(Document presented by the Trade Unit)

Trade Unit, GSB 100-F, 1889 F Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel: (202) 458-3181 / Fax: (202) 458-3561
SG-TU-GEN-00204
October 27, 1997

Sir:

I have the honor to present my compliments to Your Excellency and to transmit herewith, in accordance with your request, the summary of activities following up on the Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action issued by the Summit of the Americas, held in Miami, United States of America, December 1994.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration and personal esteem.

Miguel Rodr�guez Mendoza
Special Advisor for Trade Matters

His Excellency
Mr. Carlos Portales Cifuentes
Ambassador, Permanent Representative
of Chile to the Organization of
of American States
Washington, D.C.

PARTICIPATION OF THE OAS IN THE FTAA PROCESS

Since the decision issued by the first Summit of the Americas to immediately initiate establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the OAS has played an important role in providing technical support for the preparatory process, in particular by providing assistance to various working groups established for this purpose. Once the negotiations begin, the OAS is prepared to continue providing logistical and substantive support, as well as technical assistance. Although the modalities of this participation are still to be defined by the ministers of trade, and possibly the heads of state, it appears advisable to maintain active OAS participation in this initiative, of such fundamental importance to the Hemisphere. The OAS would thus be providing material and professional resources, as well as its presence, to a hemispheric project of momentous change for international economic relations.

The preparatory phase for FTAA

Establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas constitutes the central element of the economic pillar of the Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action issued by the first Summit of the Americas, held in Miami in December 1994.^/ At that time, the heads of state and government of the 34 participating countries agreed to initiate establishment of the FTAA immediately, progressively eliminating barriers to trade and investment between countries in the Hemisphere. They also undertook to conclude the related negotiations no later than 2005 and to make significant progress toward that objective by the end of this century.

At the Summit, the OAS was assigned "a lead role in following up on the various decisions of (...) the Summit" and responsibility for "extensive support with regard to (...) free trade in the Americas."

When these commitments were undertaken, the OAS had made institutional changes enabling it to more effectively meet the challenges posed by increasing hemispheric interest in regional trade. In particular, the Special Committee on Trade had recently been established as a regional forum on trade issues and the new realities of open market policies and regional integration. The General Secretariat's Trade Unit had also been established to support the Special Committee on Trade and hemispheric efforts in this area.

The Trade Unit, staffed with a small number of professionals highly qualified in the field of trade, has performed a very important technical support function for this process. In coordination with the other institutions on the Tripartite Committee - the IDB and ECLAC - it has provided assistance to 8 of the 12 working groups established to do the preparatory work for the negotiations. The OAS has been mainly responsible for supporting the following working groups: competition policy; intellectual property; investment; services; the smaller economies; standards and technical barriers to trade; subsidies, anti-dumping, and countervailing duties; and dispute settlement.

The assistance provided by the Trade Unit has consisted mainly of the following activities:

• Preparing inventories of and comparative studies on national legislation and sub-regional, regional, and international agreements signed by countries of the Hemisphere, which has provided a basis for identifying common ground and discrepancies between the various current regimes.

• Analyzing issues under discussion, such as mechanisms to facilitate the participation of smaller economies in the FTAA.

• Providing logistical support for meetings of the working groups held at OAS headquarters.

Several points connected with this two-year preparatory effort are particularly noteworthy:

First, there is a consensus among the analysts that the technical work performed thus far in preparing for the FTAA negotiations is solid and compares favorably with that performed when the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations was launched. This has provided a firm foundation for the decisions being taken to launch negotiations by the countries today.

Second, cooperation among the institutions forming the Tripartite Committee has been extraordinary. It has permitted the efficient use of available resources and avoided duplication of effort, thus benefitting all member countries. In the Ministerial Declaration of Belo Horizonte, the ministers of trade of the Hemisphere recognized and commended the technical and logistical support given by the Tripartite Committee to the Working Groups and requested it to "continue providing analytical support, technical assistance, and relevant studies as required by the Working Groups."

Finally, the importance of technical assistance for many countries in the region has been underscored, particularly as regards the smallest economies, which require assistance not only to participate effectively in the negotiations, but also to strengthen their ability to implement the results. This has coincided with new approaches to the work of the OAS, and in particular, within the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI).^/ In recent times, priority is being given to technical assistance projects in the areas of trade and integration. The Trade Unit has been working with CIDI on several projects, including in particular a training program on multilateral and regional trade policy for government officials, particularly from the smallest economies in the region, who will participate directly in the FTAA negotiations. This is a joint project of the OAS, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Georgetown University. Each year it includes two three-week training courses and seminars on specific subjects, including the FTAA process.

The FTAA negotiation process: prospects

The trade ministers who met in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in May 1997, agreed that the FTAA negotiations should be initiated at the second Summit of the Americas, to be held in Santiago de Chile in April 1998, and they agreed to recommend that their heads of state and government take the related decisions at that time.

There is a consensus that the negotiations will be very complex, not only because of the number of participants, but also because of differences in the size and development of their economies. This will require the design of mechanisms permitting the various interests to be taken into account, so that the countries feel comfortable with the results of the negotiations. Moreover, the issues to be addressed are broad, and some have still not been the subject of international agreements, as in the case of competition policy, and to a certain extent, investment.

The negotiations will therefore require the mobilization of substantial human and material resources from the countries. Judging from experience during the preparatory process, the negotiations could entail up to 30 meetings per year, which will be very demanding, even from the logistical point of view.

In addressing these complexities, the ministers of trade have agreed on the need to establish an independent secretariat to provide support for the process. At the request of the ministers, the Tripartite Committee prepared a feasibility study in this regard, analyzing the various options for establishment of such a secretariat, and their budgetary and legal implications. The options range from signature of an international treaty for the establishment of an independent legal entity, to the establishment of a secretariat with the resources of several existing institutions, like those forming the Tripartite Committee.

The role to be played by the OAS in this secretariat has not been precisely defined. However, the OAS is in a position to provide logistical and substantive support to the member countries with the negotiations and to provide technical assistance to those requiring it. The OAS has the advantage that its membership coincides with that of the FTAA process. It has also developed technical capacity in these areas which would be beneficial. Lastly, the OAS is beginning to develop technical assistance programs in the area of trade which would enable it to contribute to the process in this field. 

APPENDIX

COMPILATION OF DOCUMENTS PREPARED BY
THE OAS TRADE UNIT FOR THE
FTAA WORKING GROUPS

Working Groups Established at Denver

1. Working Group on Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing Duties (chair: Argentina)

a. Summary Description of Provisions in Trade Agreements Concerning Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing Duties.

b. Resumen Descriptivo de las Disposiciones en los Acuerdos Comerciales Relativos a Subsidios, Antidumping y Derechos Compensatorios.

SG/TU/WG.SACD/DOC.1/96. February 8, 1996. Original: English

The paper contains summary descriptions of provisions related to unfair trade practices, including, in some cases, a summary of dispute settlement procedures.

a. Review of Uruguay Round Proposals Concerning Trade in Agricultural Products.

b. Examen de las Propuestas de la Ronda Uruguay referentes al Comercio de Productos Agr�colas.

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/002. Revised 13 May 1996. Original: English

Reviews the negotiating proposals put forward by various governments during the course of the Uruguay Round negotiations, with a view to proving FTAA members information on approaches that may not have been successful at the multilateral level but which may have applicability at the sub-regional level.

a. Inventory of Agricultural Export Subsidies and other Measures of Similar Commercial Effect.

b. Inventario de Subsidios a la Exportaci�n Agr�cola y Otras Medidas con un Efecto Comercial Similar.

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/003/Rev.1. 27 February 1996. Original: English & Spanish

Based upon national notifications to the World Trade Organization, this document provides a complete hemispheric inventory of existing agricultural Export Subsidies and measures of similar commercial effect. Information is also provided on the annual export subsidy reduction commitments as agreed in the WTO.

a. Inventory of Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duty Measures in Force in the Western Hemisphere.

b. Inventario de Medidas Vigentes sobre Antidumping y Derechos Compensatorios en el Hemisferio Occidental.

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/001/Rev. 4. 26 June 1997. Original: English
(previously OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/004)

Also based on national notifications to the WTO, this inventory covers all antidumping and countervailing duty measures invoked or in effect for the last three years. The inventory has been completed in a fully searchable electronic format and copies given to all FTAA participants. It is to be updated on a periodic basis.

Pub. a. Compendium of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws in the Western Hemisphere.

b. Compendio de Leyes sobre Medidas Antidumping y Derechos Compensatorios en el Hemisferio Occidental.

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/004/Rev.4. 11 February 1997. Original: English
(previously OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD-/005)

Currently in excess of 300 pages, the Compendium provides a detailed framework for the comparative examination of national legislative and regulatory instruments and practices in the area of antidumping and countervailing duties. It covers the legal status of the WTO agreements, the authority responsible for conducting investigations, methodologies, definitions, steps of investigations, reviews of determinations, procedures for due process and the application and collection of duties.

European Subsidized Agricultural Exports to the Americas: Some Preliminary Findings.

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/006. 1 March 1996. Original: English

The report examines European exports of agricultural products to the Americas (detailed annexes contain statistics broken down by individual country and by product) with a view toward providing an estimate of the value of European subsidies.

a. Subsidy disciplines in Multilateral and Sub-Regional Agreements.

b. Normativa sobre Subsidios en Acuerdos Multilaterales y Subregionales

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/007. 28 June 1996. Original: English

Comparative analysis of subsidy and subsidy related disciplines in the Uruguay Round Agreements and in relevant sub-regional trade and integration arrangements. This 80 page report also provides comparisons of various approaches to the definition of a subsidy and/or and export subsidy.

a. Information on the State-of-play of WTO Disputes Involving Issues Related to the FTAA Working Group on Subsidies, Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duties.

b. Informaci�n sobre la Situaci�n Actual de las Controversias Planteadas ante la OMC sobre Cuestiones Vinculadas con el Grupo de Trabajo del ALCA sobre Subsidios, Antidumping y Derechos Compensatorios.

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/008. 22 October 1996. Original: English

Based on information made public by the WTO Secretariat, the information note provides a summary of eight (8) dispute settlement cases that involve issues related to subsidies, anti-dumping and countervailing duties. In one case a panel report has been issued, while in six cases a panel has been requested. One case has been settled or is currently inactive.

Compilation of Subsidies Notifications in the Western Hemisphere.

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/009. 18 November 1996.

This compilation lists all of the agricultural and other subsidy practices of the countries of the Western Hemisphere according to the procedures and definitions agreed to in the World Trade Organization.

Inventory of Notifications of Other Practices

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/010. 18 November 1996.

This inventory lists "other practices" that can have a distortive effect on trade in agricultural products similar to the effect caused by agricultural export subsidies.

Matrix of Negotiating Proposals

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/97/011. 30 September 1997

This matrix was developed at the request of the Chairman of the Working Group and summarizes the negotiating proposals put forward by the following countries, or groups of countries: Canada, United States, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Mercosur as well as the proposal put forward by the Chairman.

List of Agricultural Products Traded With and Within the Hemisphere Which Do Not Benefit From Export Subsidies

OAS/TU/S-AD-CVD/97/012. 30 September 1997

An electronic data base that lists (harmonized system) all agricultural products and all agricultural export subsidies by product and by country providing the subsidy. The data base includes subsidized agricultural products from Europe and Asia.

2. Working Group on Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade (chair: Canada)

a. Analytical Framework for Consideration of Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade within the Western Hemispheric Integration Process.

b. Marco Anal�tico para el Estudio de las Normas y las Barreras T�cnicas al Comercio dentro del Proceso de Integraci�n en el Hemisferio Occidental.

SG/TU/WG.STBT/Doc.1/95. 10 November 1995. Original: English

The paper examines WTO disciplines with a view towards providing a conceptual framework to guide the activities of the working group.

a. Technical Barriers to Trade: The Uruguay Round Agreement.

b. Barreras T�cnicas al Comercio: El Acuerdo de la Ronda Uruguay.

SG/TU/WG.STBT/Doc.2/95. 15 November 1995. Original: English

This paper summarizes and explains the fine points of the Agreement on Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade of the WTO.

Pub. a. National Practices on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment in the Western Hemispheric.

b. Pr�cticas Nacionales sobre Normas, Reglamentaciones T�cnicas y Evaluaci�n de la Conformidad en el Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG.STBT/Doc.3/Rev.4. 27 March 1997. Original: English

This 70 page paper collects information on the national practices of 26 countries regarding their establishment of standards and technical regulations and their conformity assessment procedures. The paper is to be updated every 2 years.

a. An Overview of Mutual Recognition and Its Relevance for the Western Hemisphere

b. Panorama General del Reconocimiento Mutuo y su Pertinencia para el Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG.STBT/Doc.4/96/Rev.1, August 1997. Original: English

This paper examines ways in which to facilitate trade and to expand disciplines in the area of standards, particularly through an examination of the possibility of negotiating Mutual Recognition Arrangements within the Hemisphere

a. Review of Activity of the World Trade Organization, Technical Barriers to Trade Committee during 1995 and 1996.

b. Rese�a de las Actividades de la Comisi�n de la OMC sobre Barreras T�cnicas al Comercio en 1995 y 1996.

SG/TU/WG/STBT/DOC.5/96. 20 November 1996. Original: English

This study summarizes the main areas of discussion of the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade during the first two years of its existence.

a. Provisions on Standards and Conformity Assessment in Trade and Integration Agreements of the Western Hemisphere

b. Disposiciones sobre Normas y los Procedimientos de Evaluaci�n de la Conformidad en los Acuerdos de Comercio e Integraci�n del Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG/STBT/DOC.6/96/Rev.1 - 14 February 1997. Original: English

The study provides a summary of the legal provisions on standards and conformity assessment contained in the trade and integration arrangements of the Western Hemisphere (6 in total) as well as a summary of the recent activities relating to standards and conformity assessment which are being carried forward in the context of these arrangements. The study is in the form of a compendium and is 80 pages long.

Standards, Conformity Assessment and Developing Countries.

Sherry M. Stephenson. The views expressed are those of the author alone.

This 82 page study addresses the problem of standards and technical regulations in developing countries and the policy options which such countries have to ensure that standards and conformity assessment procedures both facilitate economic development and do not act as technical barriers to trade. The focus of the study is exclusively on the development of standards for products and on technical barriers to trade in goods.

3. Working Group on Smaller Economies (chair: Jamaica)

a. Special and Differential Treatment in International Trade

b. Trato Especial y Diferenciado en el Comercio Internacional

SG/TU/WG.SME/Doc.1/Rev. 1. 5 February 1996. Original: English

The paper examines the methods by which international trading agreements and arrangements have sought to assist the participation of less developed countries in their activities. The paper covers the GATT, the WTO and a number of Western Hemisphere regional and sub-regional arrangements such as ALADI, Mercosur, NAFTA, Caricom, the Central American Common Market and the Andean Pact.

a. Observations on Small Economies and Western Hemisphere Economic Integration

b. Observaciones sobre las Econom�as Peque�as y la Integraci�n Econ�mica del Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG.SME/Doc.2/95. 27 November 1995. Original: English

The paper sets out indicators of size in terms of population, land area and/or national income and examines these indicators for the countries of the Hemisphere.

a. Mechanisms and Measures to Facilitate the Participation of Smaller Economies in the Free Trade Area of the Americas

b. Mecanismos y Medidas para Facilitar la Participaci�n de las Econom�as M�s Peque�as en el Area de Libre Comercio de las Am�ricas

SG/TU/WG.SME/Doc.4/96/Rev. 2 - September 1997. Original: English

The paper presents a detailed analysis of trade policy options available to would facilitate the participation of smaller economies in the FTAA process. The paper examines a wide range of trade policy areas, such as: tariff elimination, standards and technical barriers to trade, intellectual property etc.

Note: Doc. 3/96 -

Pub. a. Small and Relatively Less Developed Economies and the Western Hemisphere Integration

b. Econom�as Peque�as y Relativamente Menos Desarrolladas e Integraci�n del Hemisferio Occidental

CIDI/CEC/GA/doc.30/96/Rev. 2 - 12 September 1996. Original: English

(Prepared for the OAS Special Committee on Trade)

The paper examines criteria for classification of Western Hemisphere countries in terms of economic indicators and level of development. It also examines the macroeconomic performance of countries in the Western Hemisphere and analyses the adjustment challenges that smaller economies are likely to face in the context of an FTAA.

4. Working Group on Investment (chair: Costa Rica)

a. Compendium of Bilateral Investment Treaties in the Western Hemisphere

b. Compendio de Acuerdos Bilaterales de Inversi�n del Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG.INV/Doc.1/96/Rev.3. 16 September 1996. Original: English

This paper examines the key provisions in 32 Bilateral Investment Treaties signed between countries of the Western Hemisphere and is divided into sections covering: scope of application; admission; treatment; transfers; expropriation and dispute settlement.

a. Foreign Investment Provisions in the Western Hemisphere Trade and Integration Arrangements (Preliminary Version).

b. Normas sobre Inversiones Extranjeras en los Acuerdos Comerciales y de Integraci�n del Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG.INV/Doc.2/96/Rev.2. 7 March 1997. Original: English

This paper provides and analysis of the foreign investment provisions of such trade and integration arrangements as the NAFTA, Mercosur, the Group of Three, Caricom and the Andean Pact and a number of bilateral free trade agreements reached between Bolivia-Mexico, Costa Rica-Mexico, Chile-Venezuela etc.

a. Basic Definitions and Scope of Application: The Experience of Bilateral and Other Investment Treaties

b. Definiciones b�sicas y �mbito de aplicaci�n: La experiencia de los tratados bilaterales y otros acuerdos de inversi�n

SG/TU/WG.INV.DOC.3/96. 9 August 1996, Original: English

This paper examines the definitions of "investment" and "investor" in various bilateral and other treaties. Such definitions are critical for determining the scope and application of any investment agreement, including the protection and promotion of foreign investment. As reference, basic information is provided on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) that is being negotiated at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

a. Treatment of Investors and Investments: The Experience of Bilateral and Other Investment Treaties.

b. Tratamiento de inversionistas e inversiones: La experiencia de los tratados bilaterales y otros acuerdos de inversi�n

SG/TU/WG.INV/Doc.4/96. 9 August 1996. Original: English

This paper examines the legal regimes applied to investors and investments by a host state. The minimum standard of customary international law prohibits discriminatory but not differential treatment between nationals and foreigners. To complement international law, countries have incorporated five common treatment standards in their bilateral investment treaties and investment chapters of their trade agreements: fair and equitable treatment; full protection and security; non-discrimination; national treatment; and, most-favoured nation treatment (MFN).

Pub. a. Investment Agreements in the Western Hemisphere: A Compendium

b. Acuerdos de Inversi�n en el Hemisferio Occidental: Un Compendio

SG/TU/WG.INV/Doc. 10, 3 April 1997. Original: English

This publication was prepared by the OAS Trade Unit for the FTAA Working Group on Investment. It covers the key provisions of 35 bilateral investment agreements signed between countries of the region, in addition to the investment provisions included in Western Hemisphere multilateral trade and integration arrangements (NAFTA, Group of Three, Mercosur, Andean Pact and Caricom) and in three bilateral free trade agreements (Bolivia-Mexico, Costa Rico-Mexico and Canada-Chile). This publication examines seven elements: scope of application, admission, treatment, transfers, expropriation, settlement of disputes between contracting parties, and settlement of disputes between a contracting party and an investor.

Working Groups Established at Cartagena

5. Working Group on Competition Policy (chair: Peru)

a. Inventory of Domestic Laws and Regulations Relating to Competition Policy in the Western Hemisphere (Final Version).

b. Inventario de Leyes y Normas Nacionales Referidas a las Pr�cticas de Pol�ticas de Competencia en el Hemisferio Occidental (Informe Final).

SG/TU/WG.COMPOL/DOC.1/96/Rev.5/Corr.1. 30 August 1997. Original: Spanish

This 90 page preliminary report examines the institutions and competition policies pursued by the countries in the Western Hemisphere. The study finds that almost all countries seek to protect competition at the constitutional and legal level. The study also finds that 13 countries in the Hemisphere have modern regulatory and institutional structures which are responsible for ensuring compliance.

a. Inventory on the Means and Technical Cooperation Resources for Promoting the Objectives and Mechanisms of Competition Policy (Preliminary Report).

b. Inventario de Medios y Recursos de Cooperaci�n T�cnica para Promover los Objetivos y Mecanismos de las Pol�ticas de Competencia (Informe Preliminar).

SG/TU/WG.COMPOL/DOC.2.96/Rev.1. 9 September 1996. Original: English

This inventory gathers information related to the activities and technical cooperation and assistance programs for implementing and promotion competition policies underway by the European Union, the OECD, UNCTAD, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice of the United States and the Bureau of Competition Policy of Canada.

a. Inventory of the Competition Policy Agreements, Treaties and other Arrangements in Existing in the Western Hemisphere (Preliminary Report).

b. Inventario de los Acuerdos, Tratados y Otros Arreglos sobre Pol�ticas de Competencia Existentes en el Hemisferio Occidental (Informe Preliminar).

SG/TU/WG.COMPOL/DOC.3/96/Rev.4. 30 agosto 1997. Original: Spanish

This inventory examines the provisions and disciplines related to competition policy that are contained in various trade and integration agreements in force in the Western Hemisphere. The study concludes that only the NAFTA, the Group of Three Agreement, the Mercosur and Andean Pact agreements contain such provisions.

a. Report on Developments and Enforcement of Competition Policy and Laws in the Western Hemisphere (Preliminary Report).

b. Informe sobre Desarrollos y Aplicaci�n de las Pol�ticas y Leyes de Competencia en el Hemisferio Occidental (Informe Preliminar)

SG/TU/WG.COMPOL/97/DOC.4/Rev.1. 2 September 1997. Original: English

This document contains publicly available information, which was submitted by the competition agencies of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, the United States and Venezuela and aims at contributing to a better understanding of the development and enforcement of competition policy in the Hemisphere.

6. Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights (chair: Honduras)

a. Inventory of International Conventions and Intellectual Property Agreements, Treaties and Arrangements in the Western Hemisphere.

b. Inventario de Acuerdos y Convenios Internacionales en Materia de Propiedad Intelectual en el Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG.IPR/DOC.1/96/Rev.5. 30 September 1997. Original: English

This paper lists all IPR agreements entered into by all the countries of the Hemisphere, including the dates of entry into force and any pending ratification procedures. The paper is alphabetical by country.

a. Inventory of Intellectual Property Protection Laws and Enforcement Measures in the Western Hemisphere (Preliminary Version)

b. Inventario de Normas sobre Propiedad Intelectual en el Hemisferio Occidental y de las Medidas para Hacerlas Cumplir (Informe Preliminar)

SG/TU/WG.IPR/DOC.2/96/Rev. 3. 1 October 1997. Original: English

28 October 1996. Original: English and Spanish

This inventory examines the provisions related to copyrights and related rights, trademarks, geographical indications, patents, industrial models and designs, plant varieties, integrated circuits and trade secrets that are contained in the intellectual property laws of the countries of the Western Hemisphere. It is divided into sections covering: scope of protection; rights conferred; registration, transfer and termination of rights; and enforcement measures.

a. Intellectual Property Provisions in the Trade and Integration Arrangements in the Western Hemisphere (Preliminary Version)

b. Normas sobre Propiedad Intelectual en los Acuerdos Comerciales y de Integraci�n del Hemisferio Occidental (Versi�n Preliminar)

SG/TU/WG.IPR/97/DOC.3/Rev.2. 1 October 1997. Original: English

7. Working Group on Trade in Services (chair: Chile)

Pub. a. Provisions on Trade in Services in Trade and Integration Agreements of the Western Hemisphere

b. Disposiciones sobre el Comercio en Servicios que constan en los Acuerdos de Comercio e Integraci�n del Hemisferio Occidental

SG/TU/WG.SERV/DOC.1/96/Rev.2. 7 April 1997. Original: English

The study provides a summary of the legal provisions on services contained in the plurilateral and bilateral trade and integration arrangements of the Western Hemisphere (14 in total) as well as a summary of the reference to services contained in 12 partial scope agreements negotiated under ALADI. The study is in the form of a compendium and is 75 pages long.

Sectoral Agreements on Services in the Western Hemisphere

SG/TU/WG.SERV/97/DOC.2/Rev.1. September 1997. Original: English

The study will contain a summary of the legal provisions on services contained in the regional and bilateral sectorial agreements in the Western Hemisphere. It will examine the relationship of such agreements to the multilateral system and to the broader existing trade and integration arrangements.

Evaluation of Uruguay Round Service Commitments under GATS for Countries of the Western Hemisphere.

SG/TU/WG.SERV/DOC.3/97. 4 March 1997. Original: English

a. Convergence and Divergence in Approaches Towards Liberalization of Trade in Services in the Western Hemisphere

b. Convergencias y Divergencias de Enfoques para la Liberalizaci�n del Comercio de Servicios en el Hemisferio Occidental. S�lo "Resumen Ejecutivo" en espa�ol.

SG/TU/WG.SERV/DOC.4/97. 10 March 1997. Original: English

Working Groups Established at Belo Horizonte

8. Working Group on Dispute Settlements

a. Dispute Settlement Mechanisms in Regional and Sub-regional Trade and Integration Arrangements.

b. Mecanismos de Soluci�n de Controversias en los Acuerdos Regionales y Subregionales de Comercio e Integraci�n

SG/TU/WG.DISP/97/DOC.1/Rev.1. 7 July 1997. Original: English