Priscilla Mazenotti
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Mar del Plata (Argentina) - Representatives of feminists, indigenous peoples, environmentalists, human rights activists, handicapped people, and the unemployed met yesterday (3) with foreign ministers from countries that are participating in the 4th Summit of the Americas. They debated items that will be included in the Mar del Plata Declaration, to be issued at the conclusion of the encounter.

The representative of the Center of Human Rights and Environment of Argentina, Ángeles Pereira, regretted that the Kyoto Protocol will not be mentioned in the declaration. Nevertheless, she commemorated the fact that, for the first time, a Summit of the Americas is open to the participation of social movements.

The civil society representatives also took a stand against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and against the presence of US president George W. Bush at the Summit. The final declaration will be signed by the 34 heads of State who are participating in the meeting.

The most controversial item in the report is the inclusion of the FTAA. Mexico is in favor a ministerial meeting in the first half of next year to revive negotiations on the economic bloc. The negotiations have been stalled since last year.

The Mercosur countries, for their part, want to promote greater economic and trade integration before establishing a date for the resumption of negotiations. Their idea is that it is not productive to return to negotiations without defining positions in advance.

On the first day of discussions, the Summit participants did not reach an agreement on this matter. It is possible that the decision on whether or not to include the FTAA in the declaration will be made by the presidents themselves.

Translation: David Silberstein