U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
95/06/04 Remarks: Review Meeting of Summit of the Americas, Haiti
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN




                         U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
                          Office of the Spokesman 
 
                             (Montrouis, Haiti) 
__________________________________________________________________ 
For Immediate Release                                 June 4, 1995 
 
 
                                REMARKS 
                                  BY 
                  SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER 
                         AT A REVIEW MEETING OF  
                       THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS 
 
                          OAS General Assembly 
                            Montrouis, Haiti 
 
                             June 4, 1995 
 
 

Good afternoon.  It gives me great pleasure to join you on the eve of 
this year's General Assembly of the Organization of American States 
(OAS) in Port-au-Prince.  And I am especially honored to host this 
review meeting.  Led by President Clinton, 34 democratically elected 
leaders met last December in Miami to launch a vital new process of 
economic and political cooperation.  When historians look back on the 
events of that weekend, I believe they will consider them to be a 
turning point in the integration of a prosperous, stable, and democratic 
Western Hemisphere. The Summit's far-reaching Declaration of Principles 
and Plan of Action are a concrete expression of our commitment to 
democratic governments and open markets. 

Here in Haiti our nations forcefully demonstrated our commitment to 
uphold these principles.  Through the leadership of President Aristide, 
the determination of the Haitian people, and the combined strength of 
our nations, the thugs who stole power are gone and democracy has been 
restored. 

The 23 Summit initiatives that we pledged to implement in Miami will 
provide a strong basis for continuing cooperation to fulfill our shared 
hemispheric vision. The report we issue today will describe the 
impressive actions that our nations have taken so far to turn the 
Summit's words into deeds, and its hopes into reality.  Allow me to 
highlight some of these actions. 

First, to fulfill the commitment our leaders made to negotiate a Free 
Trade Area of the Americas by 2005, our trade ministers will meet twice 
in the next 10 months.  These ministerials will translate our consensus 
on open markets into concrete action through working groups in such 
areas as market access, customs procedures, and technical barriers to 
trade.  The first ministerial will take place less than a month from now 
in Denver; it will be followed immediately by a Trade and Commerce Forum 
also in Denver to forge new economic ties in this hemispheric market of 
750 million consumers.  The OAS and the Inter-American Development Bank 
are working vigorously to support these efforts. 

Second, we have taken significant steps since the Summit to preserve and 
strengthen our community of democracies. Under the leadership of 
Secretary General Gaviria, a stronger and expanded Unit for the 
Promotion of Democracy will improve the OAS's ability to monitor 
elections, support human rights organizations, and train parliamentary 
staff.  The United States has made a $1 million contribution to this OAS 
effort. 

Third, our nations agreed at the Summit not just to advance the cause of 
democracy, but to attack the threats it faces from corruption, drug 
trafficking, and terrorism.  Our collective experience shows that 
government cannot be held accountable if its power can be bought. 
Authority will not be respected if the rule of law can be defied with 
impunity. 

To hit narco-traffickers where it hurts most, we have targeted their 
bank accounts.  Our experts met in April to devise a common strategy on 
money laundering that will be unveiled at a ministerial meeting this 
fall.  Support is building for a hemisphere-wide Counter Narcotics 
Strategy called for at the Summit.  The United States will increase its 
own drug control budget to almost $15 billion.  More than a third of 
that money will be devoted to demand reduction efforts. 

To crack down on corruption throughout the hemisphere, the OAS is now 
examining the draft Inter-American Convention against Corruption that 
Venezuela proposed immediately after the Summit.  For the first time, 
the OAS and the OECD are coordinating their attempts to combat 
corruption and eliminate bribery in international business transactions. 

Finally, our initiatives to eradicate poverty and foster sustainable 
development are making encouraging progress.  Under the able leadership 
of Enrique Iglesias, the Inter-American Development Bank has committed 
several billion dollars for projects in education and health.  With the 
encouragement of our First Ladies, the Pan American Health Organization 
has launched a new program to eradicate measles throughout the 
hemisphere. Several environmental initiatives have also been undertaken 
by our nations since the summit. 

Representatives from your countries offered thoughtful and constructive 
comments on improving the implementation process during the May 26 
meeting in Washington.  I look forward to today's discussion in that 
area.  The idea of inter-American institutions or individual countries 
acting as "responsible coordinators" for action items has great merit.  
It would ensure meaningful participation by more countries and improve 
coordination.  Finally, we should remember the Miami Summit's mandate 
for us to recommend by this time next year if, when and where there 
should be another summit. 

While there remains much more to be done, our nations can find 
encouragement in what we have achieved thus far.  So, too, can the OAS 
and the IDB, which will play important roles in implementing many of the 
initiatives we agreed to in Miami.  Allow me to congratulate Secretary 
General Gaviria and President Iglesias for signing their cooperation 
agreement, which will strengthen their ability to fulfill their 
respective mandates under the Action Plan. 

We will continue to face great challenges and constraints as we seek to 
implement our Action Plan.  But for the sake of our hemisphere and each 
of our nations, we must see to it that the process of implementation 
continues and intensifies. 

Thank you very much.