Common Frontiers, a multi-sectoral working group of union, human rights, environmental, faith-based, student, development and economic and social justice organization, has written Prime Minister Paul Martin regarding the Canadian Government Approach to the Fourth Summit of the Americas.

Despite the growing consensus on the need for fresh alternatives to policies of economic liberalization, Common Frontiers believes that Canada has missed the chance to make a positive contribution to the debate, and to establish positive alliances with other governments seeking alternatives.

Read the full letter below:

November 15, 2005

The Right Honorable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Re: Canadian Government Approach to Fourth Summit of the Americas

Dear Prime Minister:

Common Frontiers is a multi-sectoral working group of unions, human rights, environmental, faith-based, student, development and economic and social justice organizations which carries out a program of research, analysis and action on the social and economic effects of economic integration in the Americas. We brought Canadians to Mar del Plata to participate in the People’s Summit of the Americas with counterparts from all over the hemisphere just as we have to earlier Summits in Santiago and Quebec City.

Recognizing the obstacles in achieving consensus among all 34 participating nations in the hemisphere, and with the way forward from Mar del Plata in mind, we are forwarding our overall concerns as well as specific comments on the process which led up to the Fourth Summit of the Americas as well as its stunted outcomes. Given the lack of consensus achieved at the official summit we urge you to review the declaration from the People’s Summit for inspiration.

Overall, we believe that the theme of the 4th Summit, Creating Jobs to Confront Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance could have been an important starting point for a new approach to combating hemispheric inequalities. We had hoped the Canadian government would embrace this opportunity enthusiastically. This, however, has not been the case. Despite growing consensus on the need for fresh alternatives to policies of economic liberalization, Canada, it seems, has missed the chance to make a positive contribution to this debate, and to establish positive alliances with other governments seeking alternatives. As a result, official Summit documents prompt several concerns regarding both process and substance, as well as to the effectiveness of these agreements in attaining the thematic objectives of the Summit.

Common Frontiers, our member organizations and allies throughout the hemisphere have engaged for almost ten years in developing and presenting “Alternatives for the Americas” , outlining policies dedicated to equitable and just outcomes. The focus on jobs, on decent work, is a key starting place. But it cannot be assumed that current policies emphasizing growth and Free Trade Agreements based on private and foreign investment, alone, will yield adequate employment. Despite your vocal support for liberalized trade in Mar del Plata, the link between “free” trade and employment has not been demonstrated, for example, in the NAFTA. Public investment and attention to the domestic market and the generation of domestic revenues for domestic use are also essential. If poverty is to be overcome, decent employment, respect for human rights, democracy and social justice must take centre stage
and not be subsidiary to market liberalization as has been the case in recent years.

With regard to process, we recognize the efforts made by the government of Canada since the first Summit of the Americas in 1994 in appearing to promote transparency and open consultation but note the need to further advance these models. Consultations in the current round of negotiations of draft texts were infrequent and ill-timed with relation to the SIRG meetings. It is difficult to track results of civil society inputs or the fate of specific contributions to the consultation process.

With regard to substance:

1) The draft Declaration and Plan of Action did not demonstrate approaches adequate to meet the challenges of inequality and poverty: inequalities within and between nations, regions and sub-regions must be taken into account. The recognition of the importance of access to resources, rights to property and inheritance, etc., summarized in the recent final outcome of the UN Millennium +5 Summit provide some useful principles, and the recognition of the Millennium Development Goals in the draft Summit Declaration was useful. Canada has a history of social policy based on principles like universal access to services, although the Federal Government has itself retreated from Federal guarantees to adequacy in social assistance. Thus, Canada, like the other nations in the Hemisphere could find common interest in policies which combat inequality and its roots, rather than an ineffective and marginalizing “targeting” of the most poor. Access to decent work in a framework of recognized and respected labour rights can be one of the chief components of this approach. More attention, than was evident in the draft documents, must be paid to rebuilding the capacity of governments to play a pro-active role in ensuring the accessibility and re-distributive functions of these instruments. This capacity, in Latin America, has been undermined by decades of structural adjustments. Canada could have helped steer a useful discussion on strengthening the revenue generation of governments in the hemisphere by dealing, among other things, with harmful tax practices such as tax havens, capital flight, and tax competition.

2) The draft Declaration and Plan of Action embodied too narrow an approach to economic objectives. Beyond the progressive theme of the Fourth Summit, it appears clear that the main objective of some of the negotiating governments was to reaffirm the continent’s commitment to economic policies aimed at trade liberalization, guarantees for investment and holders of intellectual property. These policies, as practiced in recent decades have not demonstrated the capacity to deal with the fundamental inequities and continuing poverty which plague almost all nations in the hemisphere. In the efforts to promote decent work, eliminate poverty and strengthen democratic governance, this economic orientation is, in our view, insufficient at best, if not completely detrimental. Not only has Canada avoided mitigating the effects of such approaches, it has taken a leading role in trying to incorporate their continuation through the revival of FTAA talks as a Summit commitment.

A number of Latin American governments signaled a desire for a different approach, which takes much greater notice of their specific national priorities and provides policy space for government action. Canada, has not, to date, demonstrated modification of its approach in light of these new developments in Latin America.

As indicated above, Common Frontiers and allied groups have developed alternative policy proposals. It is time that we collectively take a second look at alternatives. We regret that neither domestic nor hemispheric formats for consultation, to date, have proved at all adequate for serious and substantive consideration of these alternatives.

3) The draft Declaration and Plan of Action lacked a human rights perspective: Decent work, elimination of poverty and democratic governance all call for a clear commitment to human rights: “work”, in the first place, should be viewed as a series of codified human rights which are indivisible from other human rights. Poverty is a violation of human rights and calls for strong social policies. Democratic governance, needless to say, is only attainable with the full realization of all human rights. We are disappointed that there are no indications that the Summit will be a significant step in this direction. We recognize that Canada has played a proactive role in the incorporation of some human rights provisions in the Summit documents. It is our view, however, that those references are insufficient.

Canada has not yet ratified overall Hemispheric as well as economic, social and cultural rights instruments, which weakens our position on human rights, as well as the defense of the rights themselves. Considerations of ratification by Canada of the OAS human rights instruments should be accompanied by a strong commitment by Canada to fulfill all of its current human rights obligations under the United Nations and under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Specifically, it is indispensable to many Canadian organizations, particularly human rights and women’s groups, that Canada only ratifies the American Convention on Human Rights if this ratification allows for the protection of reproductive rights of women in Canada, and supports the struggle for reproductive rights for women throughout the Americas.

4) The draft Declaration and Plan of Action lacked a satisfactory gender perspective. Gender must be a cross-cutting theme permeating various dimensions of the documents. The preliminary versions of the Summit documents showed that gender gap deficiencies are approached from a ‘productive’ perspective, to the exclusion of ‘reproductive’ work. However, as historical research shows, women’s increased labour participation does not equate to gender equality. Rather, the tendency is for women workers to become a cheap reserve army of labour, disempowered by underlying social inequalities and thus vulnerable to exploitation. We believe that the feminization of the labour market is not a positive development when it only works to maintain employment inequities. As noted in Labour’s Platform for the Americas,: “to adopt a gender perspective implies not only delivering programs for women, but creating programs that transform the system of gender relations, encouraging men and women to make positive changes that place women and men in a position of equality.” Although Canada has proven to be a clear ally of women’s rights defenders throughout the negotiations, it has failed in promoting a gender perspective that goes beyond the strict limits of the workplace.

5) The draft Declaration and Plan of Action reflect unacceptable security objectives. While an adequate concept of human security includes many social dimensions, there is a concurrent danger in treating such challenges as poverty, social conflict and crime as if they were threats justifying military responses. The pressure from the United States to consider many challenges through a counter-terrorism lens reinforces this danger. Canada has advocated a more positive view of human security and it is important that we reinforce those tendencies in the hemisphere which have sought to keep large regions nuclear-free, which have worked to reduce regional conflict and levels of armed force and military expenditure and which have trained policy and security forces in knowledge and respect for human rights and monitored the effectiveness of human rights policies on behavior.

With regard to their effectiveness:

6) The draft Declaration and Program of Action lacked guarantees and specific processes for implementation. Neither the Declaration nor the Plan of Action spoke concretely as to how proposed objectives will be realized. The absence of any serious initiative to attach accountability measures to both documents is a deficiency that will severely weaken the few commitments, if any, that civil societies of the continent will consider satisfactory.

In conclusion, we re-iterate our conviction that an alternative approach to the Hemisphere is required of Canada. There are openings among governments, regional organizations dedicated to economic cooperation and human rights as well as among civil society organizations. However, Canada must establish that it offers credible interest and commitment to a new approach. The Summit was an opportunity missed, but we remain committed to pursuing dialogue on alternatives for the future.

Sincerely,

Ken Traynor on behalf of
Common Frontiers Members

cc: Mr. Peter Boehm, Special Representative to the Prime Minister for the Fourth Summit of the Americas.
The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Amb. Paul Durand, Permanent Mission of Canada to the Organization of American States

Attachment

Final Declaration of the III People’s of the Americas Summit in Mar del Plata - November 2005

Delegates of social organizations from all regions of the continent - from Canada to Patagonia; workers, farmers, indigenous, young and old, of all races, women and men with dignity, have come together in Mar del Plata, Argentina, to demand that the powerful, who normally ignore us, listen to the voice of all of the peoples of our America. As we have done previously, in Santiago de Chile and in Quebec, we have come together at this Summit of the Americas, which brings together the presidents of the entire continent with the exception of Cuba, because despite the official discourse which continues to be full of words about democracy and the fight against poverty, the people continue to be excluded from the decisions that are made about our futures. We are also here in the III People’s Summit, to deepen our resistance to the neoliberal calamities orchestrated by the imperial power from the north and to continue in the construction of alternatives. We are demonstrating that it is possible to change the course of history and we commit ourselves to continue on this path.

In the year 2001, at the official Summit in Quebec when the vast majority of the governments were blindly inclined towards neo-liberal orthodoxy and the dictates of Washington, with the honorable exception of Venezuela, the US managed to establish January of 2005 as the fatal date on which their new project of domination called the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) would enter into effect. The Fourth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Argentina, was programmed to be the event at which the negotiations for this perverse project would be signed. However, on the first of January, 2005 we woke up without the FTAA and this official Summit has occurred with negotiations irreversibly stalled. We are here today to celebrate this!

However, the US has not changed its strategy of consolidating hegemony in the continent through bilateral and regional Free Trade Agreements such as CAFTA, which was ratified by a very close margin, and AFTA which they now seek to force on the Andean countries. In addition Washington is advancing with an “Agreement for Security and Prosperity in North America” (ASPNA). Despite irrefutable evidence of the disastrous consequences of more than 10 years of NAFTA, now the FTA-plus has the objective of imposing US ‘security’ policy on the entire region.

The US is not content to simply advance with the placement of pieces in their puzzle of domination in the continent. They insist on placing the pieces into a hegemonic framework without renouncing the FTAA. Now, together with their ally governments they come to Mar del Plata with the pretension of breathing new life into the cadaver of the FTAA, when the people have clearly expressed their rejection to an integration subordinated to the US.

The US strategy to favor North American corporations has been accompanied by an increase in US military bases and militarization of the continent. Now, to finish off the genocide, George W. Bush has come to the Summit in Mar del Plata with the intention of elevating his ‘security’ policy in the continent under the pretext of combating terrorism, when the best way of achieving that goal is to end his policies of colonial intervention.

In the final declaration which is being discussed by our governments, a real threat exists that, although nuanced, the worst intentions of the US could come to pass. The declaration is full of empty words and demagogic proposals to combat poverty and generate decent employment. The reality is that these offers only serve to perpetuate a model which as deepened the misery and injustice of our continent which possesses the worst distribution of wealth in the world.

This is a model that favors a select few, deteriorates labor conditions, accelerates migration, the destruction of indigenous communities, the deterioration of the environment, the privatization of social security and education, the implementation of laws which protect corporations rather than citizens, as in the case of intellectual property.

In addition to the FTAA, they insist on moving forward with the Doha Agenda in order to assign more power to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to impose unequal economic rules on the least developed countries and further promote the corporate agenda. Our natural resources and energy reserves continue to be exposed to plunder. The distribution and commercialization of potable water is privatized. The appropriation and privatization of our aquifers and hydro reserves is promoted, converting access to water as a human right into merchandise for transnational corporations.

In order to impose these policies, the empire and its accomplices rely on external debt as blackmail, impeding the development of our people in violation of all of our human rights. The declaration of the Presidents offers no concrete solutions such as; the cancellation of payments on this illegitimate debt, restitution of the excess which has been charged and repayment of the historical social and ecological debts to the peoples of our America.

The delegates of the different peoples of America are here not only to Denounce. We are here because we have been resisting the policies of the empire and its allies. At the same time, we are constructing popular alternatives through the solidarity and unity of our people, constructing a social fabric from below, from the autonomy and diversity of our movements with the intention of attaining a society which is inclusive, just and has dignity.

From this III People’s Summit of the America’s we declare:

1) Negotiations for the creation of a Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) should be SUSPENDED IMMEDIATELY AND DEFINITELY, as well as all bilateral and regional FTAs. We join in the resistance of the peoples of the Andean Region and of Costa Rica against the FTAs and with the peoples of the Caribbean so that the EPAS will not come to signify a new era of disguised colonialism and with the struggles of the people of North America, Chile and Central America to repeal the treaties which weigh so heavy on them.

2) All agreements between countries should be based on principals of respect for human rights, the social dimension, respect for sovereignty, complementarity, cooperation, solidarity, and the consideration of economic asymmetries so that the least developed countries are favored.

3) We pledge to support and promote alternative projects for regional integration such as the Boliviarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA).

4) We affirm the conclusions and actions which have emerged from the forums, workshops and encounters of this Summit and we commit to deepen our process of constructing alternatives.

5) All of the illegitimate, un-payable and unjust external debt of the South should be cancelled immediately and without conditions. We assume our position as creditors to collect the social, ecological and historical debt with our peoples.

6) We support the struggle of our peoples for an equitable distribution of wealth, dignified work and social justice in order to eradicate poverty, unemployment and social exclusion.

7) We agree to promote the diversification of production, the protection of native seeds which are patrimony of humanity, food sovereignty of the peoples, sustainable agriculture and an integral agrarian reform.

8) We vigorously reject the militarization of the continent which is promoted by the empire from the North. We denounce the so-called doctrine of ‘cooperation for hemispheric security’ as a mechanism for the repression of popular struggles. We reject the presence of US troops on our continent; we do not want military bases or conclaves. We condemn the state terrorism of the Bush Administration which intends to bloody the legitimate rebellions of our people. We commit to the defense of our sovereignty in the Triple Border, heart of the Guarani fresh water reserve. We demand US troops out of Paraguay.

9) We condemn the immorality of the government of the United States, that talks about a struggle against terrorism while it protects theterrorist Posada Carriles and continues to detain five Cuban patriots in jail. We demand their immediate release!

10) We repudiate the presence of George W. Bush in our dignified lands of Latin America - he is the principal promoter of war in the world and heads the neoliberal creed which even impacts the interests of his own people. We send a message of solidarity to the dignified women and men of the United States, who are ashamed at having a government which has been condemned by the humanity of the world, and who resist with all their strength.

After Quebec, we constructed a huge campaign and held continent wide popular consultations against the FTAA. We managed to stop it. Today, in response to attempts to revive the negotiations and to attach the US military objectives - in this III People’s Summit, we commitment to doubling our resistance, strengthen our unity in diversity and to convene a new and even larger continental mobilization to bury the FTAA forever and at the same time to build a new alternative America that is just, free and rooted in solidarity.

Mar del Plata, Argentina, November 4, 2005