An Introduction to the FTAA

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An Introduction to the FTAA
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Outline

• Background and history
• Sectors of agreement
• How are negotiations set up?
• Expansion of corporate rights
• U.S. position in negotiations, CAFTA
• FTAA and agriculture
• Current Update/Miami Summit

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Background and History

• 1989- U.S./Canada bilateral agreement
• 1994- NAFTA
• 2003- CAFTA?
• December 2005- FTAA?
• Countries involved

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Sectors of the Agreement

• Nine negotiating groups, based closely on NAFTA
  Investment, Government Procurement, Market
  Access, Agriculture, Intellectual Property
  Rights, Subsidies, Anti-Dumping, Competition
  Policy, Dispute Settlement
• What agreement does not include

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How are negotiations set up?

• Trade Representatives from each participating
  country
• Some NGOs have access to negotiations
• Conducted without citizen input
• Drafts have recently become publicly available

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Expansion of Corporate Rights

• Trade Advisory Committee System
• NAFTA Chapter 11- Investor-to-State Lawsuits

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Privatization of Public Services

• Public services represent huge potential
  markets
• Water- 1 trillion, Education- 2 trillion,
  Health Care- 3.5 trillion
• U.S. role in privatization

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U.S. Position in Negotiations

• Free Trade strengthens democracy and promotes
  economic prosperity for citizens of all
  participating countries
• Our purpose is to strengthen the economic ties
  we already have with these nations to reinforce
  their progress toward economic, political, and
  social reform President George W. Bush,
  January 2002

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FTAA and Agriculture-- Concerns

• Dumping
• Increased poverty/loss of food security
• Corporate control of seeds
• Loss of land and increase in migration
• Spread of genetically modified organisms
• Environmental Degradation
• Increased food prices

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Current Updates/Miami Summit
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(No Transcript)
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Useful Resources

• Official FTAA website www.ftaa-alca.org
• Global Exchange www.globalexchange.org
• Independent Media Center www.indymedia.org
• Institute for Food and Development Policy
  www.foodfirst.org
• U.S. Trade Representative website www.ustr.gov