Western Hemisphere Transportation Ministerial
Memorandum of Consultations on Disaster Response Cooperation in Central America and the Caribbean

Recognizing the significant damage to the economies and transportation systems of a number of countries in Central America and the Caribbean as a result of Hurricanes Georges and Mitch, we the Ministers responsible for Transportation in the Western Hemisphere express our firm intention to cooperate to support, to the extent and capacity of each nation, those countries in rebuilding essential transportation infrastructure.

Meeting for the first time as an integral part of the Summit of the Americas process, we acknowledge the importance of cooperation in dealing with the range of critical transportation challenges in the hemisphere. In that regard, this Memorandum of Consultations is an important statement of intent to address the particular challenge faced at this time by Central America and the Caribbean regarding their transportation infrastructure. We recognize that the rebuilding of such infrastructure is critical to post-disaster relief efforts in and the economic recovery of those Central American and Caribbean countries impacted by Hurricanes Georges and Mitch.

Building on the efforts of multilateral institutions and donors, we intend to provide individually and jointly, to the extent and capacity of each nation, technical and other assistance to repair and rebuild as quickly and efficiently as possible their roads, railroads, bridges, and other vital transportation-related infrastructure, taking into account the damage incurred and the impact of the disaster on each nation’s economy.

Done at New Orleans, Louisiana on Tuesday, 15 December 1998.

Signed:

Rodney E. Slater
Secretary of Transportation
United States of America

Starret D. Greene
Senior Economic and Commercial Advisor
Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

Armando Canosa
Secretary of Transportation
Argentine Republic

James Knowles
Minister of Transport
Commonwealth of Bahamas

Ronald Toppin
Minister of State
Barbados

George W. Payne
Minister of Public Works, Transport and Housing
Barbados

Maxwell Samuels
Minister of Public Utilities, Transport
and Communications
Belize

Jorge Pacheco
Minister of Economic Development
Republic of Bolivia

Carlos Alberto W. Nobrega
Director-President, Transportation Planning Agency
Federative Republic of Brazil

Margaret Bloodworth
Vice Minister of Transport
Canada

Claudio Hohmann
Minister of Transport and Telecommunications
Republic of Chile

Mauricio Cardenas
Minister of Transportation
Republic of Colombia

Rodolfo Mendez Mata
Minister of Public Works and Transportation
Republic of Costa Rica

Lionel A. Simon
Chief Technical Officer,
Ministry of Communications and Works
Commonwealth of Dominica

Hamlet Harmann
Secretary of State
Dominican Republic

Raul Samaniego
Minister of Public Works and Communications
Republic of Ecuador

Roberto Bara Osegueda
Minister of Public Works
Republic of El Salvador

Denis Antoine
Ambassador to the United States
Grenada

Jorge Franco
Vice-Minister of Communications, Transport
and Public Works
Republic of Guatemala

Odeen Ishmael
Ambassador to the United States
Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Jacques Dorcean
Minister of Public Works, Transport
and Communications
Republic of Haiti

Sergio Canales
Vice-Minister of Public Works, Transportation
and Housing
Republic of Honduras

Peter D. Phillips
Minister of Transportation and Works
Jamaica

Carlos Ruiz Sacristan
Secretary of Communications and Transport
United Mexican States

Alejandro fiallos Navarro
Vice-Minister of Transportation
and Infrastructure
Republic of Nicaragua

Ruben Reyna
Administrator, Panama Maritime Authority
Republic of Panama

Victor A. Segovia Rios
Minister of Public Works
and Communications
Republic of Paraguay

Antonio Paucar
Minister of Transport
Republic of Peru

Cederic Liburd
Minister of Communications, Works
and Public Utilities
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Calixte George
Minister of Communications, Works,
Public Utilities and Ports
St. Lucia

Arnold Halfhide
Ambassador to the United States
Suriname

Sadiq Baksh
Minister of Works and Transportation
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Luic Caceres
Minister of Transportation and Public Works
Oriental Republic of Uruguay

Pedro Brice�o Quivara
Vice Minister of Transport and Communications
Republic of Venezuela