Miami Summit of the Americas
Encyclopedia
The First Summit of the Americas was convened in Miami, Florida
in December 1994.
This summit
and was the first of a series of events for leaders from countries of the Americas
.
From across North and South America thirty-four nations met in Miami and agreed to create Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA). All countries were welcome to participate except for Cuba. Cuba was the only country not invited to participate in Miami.
The Summit of the Americas accepted a Declaration of Principles to aid in the process of discussing a continent wide trade bloc. The declaration principles included: Partnership for Development and Prosperity which meant that the heads of all the states in the Americas were committed to promote democracy, its values, and various institutions. Another aspect of the agreement was that all of the Americas were to be joined together in pursuing prosperity for every nation through open markets.
The summit adopted a procedure to preserve and strengthen the community of democracies of the Americas. It was agreed upon that all nations would promote democracy and that citizens have the right to participate in government. The thirty-four nations that met in Miami understood that democracy requires an attack on all corruption which is what the agreement stated. There was also a call to cooperation among the nations in eliminating trafficking of illegal drugs. Another outline in the summit was the procedure to promote prosperity through economic integration and free trade. This required a promotion for all nations there should be no subsidies and nations should not practice in unfair laws.
and South America
. The function of these summits is to foster discussion of a variety of issues affecting the western hemisphere. These high-level summit meetings have been organized by a number of multilateral bodies under the aegis of the Organization of American States
. In the early 1990s, what were formerly ad hoc summits came to be institutionalized into a regular "Summits of the Americas" conference program.
and anti–Free Trade Area of the Americas
protests. Police responses to protesters and demonstrations developed into independent news stories.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in December 1994.
This summit
Summit (meeting)
A summit meeting is a meeting of heads of state or government, usually with considerable media exposure, tight security and a prearranged agenda.Notable summit meetings include those of Franklin D...
and was the first of a series of events for leaders from countries of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
From across North and South America thirty-four nations met in Miami and agreed to create Free Trade Area of the Americas
Free Trade Area of the Americas
The Free Trade Area of the Americas , , ) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas but Cuba. In the last round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal...
(FTAA). All countries were welcome to participate except for Cuba. Cuba was the only country not invited to participate in Miami.
The Summit of the Americas accepted a Declaration of Principles to aid in the process of discussing a continent wide trade bloc. The declaration principles included: Partnership for Development and Prosperity which meant that the heads of all the states in the Americas were committed to promote democracy, its values, and various institutions. Another aspect of the agreement was that all of the Americas were to be joined together in pursuing prosperity for every nation through open markets.
The summit adopted a procedure to preserve and strengthen the community of democracies of the Americas. It was agreed upon that all nations would promote democracy and that citizens have the right to participate in government. The thirty-four nations that met in Miami understood that democracy requires an attack on all corruption which is what the agreement stated. There was also a call to cooperation among the nations in eliminating trafficking of illegal drugs. Another outline in the summit was the procedure to promote prosperity through economic integration and free trade. This required a promotion for all nations there should be no subsidies and nations should not practice in unfair laws.
Overview
The "Summits of the Americas" is the name for a continuing series of summits bringing together the leaders of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The function of these summits is to foster discussion of a variety of issues affecting the western hemisphere. These high-level summit meetings have been organized by a number of multilateral bodies under the aegis of the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
. In the early 1990s, what were formerly ad hoc summits came to be institutionalized into a regular "Summits of the Americas" conference program.
Protests and demonstrations
The summits which garnered most general public and media attention were the Quebec City and Mar del Plata events, both provoking very large anti-globalizationAnti-globalization movement
The anti-globalization movement, or counter-globalisation movement, is critical of the globalization of corporate capitalism. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist movement, anti-corporate globalization movement, or...
and anti–Free Trade Area of the Americas
Free Trade Area of the Americas
The Free Trade Area of the Americas , , ) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas but Cuba. In the last round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal...
protests. Police responses to protesters and demonstrations developed into independent news stories.