Monterrey Special Summit of the Americas
Encyclopedia
The Special Summit of the Americas was held on January 12 and 13, 2004 in Monterrey
, Nuevo León
, Mexico
.
This summit is part of the Summit of the Americas
initiative which is carried on by the Organization of American States
with the purpose of bringing together the Heads of State
and Government
in the Hemisphere to discuss and act on political, economic and social issues concerning the Americas
. The summit gathered the leaders of all the countries which are members of the OAS, except for Cuba
, whose participation from OAS activities has been suspended since 1962.
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 because 14 Heads of State and Government in the Hemisphere had assumed office since then, the Government of Canada
proposed holding a Special Summit of the Americas to reinforce hemispheric unity before the Fourth Summit of the Americas
, which took place in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 2005.
The goal of the Special Summit was to facilitate hemispheric cooperation at the highest level of government in order to address current economic, social and political challenges in the region.
The Special Summit of the Americas focused on three central issues:
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
This summit is part of the Summit of the Americas
Summit of the Americas
The Summits of the Americas is a series of international summit meetings bringing together the leaders of countries in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Neither the elderly leader nor a representative from Cuba participated in this summit...
initiative which is carried on by 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...
with the purpose of bringing together the Heads of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and Government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
in the Hemisphere to discuss and act on political, economic and social issues concerning 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...
. The summit gathered the leaders of all the countries which are members of the OAS, except for Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, whose participation from OAS activities has been suspended since 1962.
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.
- December 9–11, 1994 -- 1st Summit of the Americas at MiamiMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
- December 7–8, 1996 -- Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development at Santa Cruz de la Sierra in BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
- April 18–19, 1998 -- 2nd Summit of the Americas at Santiago in ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
- April 20–22, 2001 -- 3rd Summit of the Americas, in Quebec City, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Objectives
In light of the economic and political challenges many countries in the region had faced since the 2001 Quebec City Summit of the AmericasQuebec City Summit of the Americas
The 3rd Summit of the Americas was a summit held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on April 20--22, 2001.This international meeting was a round of negotiations regarding a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas...
and because 14 Heads of State and Government in the Hemisphere had assumed office since then, the Government of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
proposed holding a Special Summit of the Americas to reinforce hemispheric unity before the Fourth Summit of the Americas
Mar del Plata Summit of the Americas
The 4th Summit of the Americas was held at Mar del Plata, about southeast of Buenos Aires in Argentina, on November 4-5, 2005.This summit gathered together the leaders of all the countries of the American continent, except Cuba. Major security arrangements and massive popular protests against the...
, which took place in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 2005.
The goal of the Special Summit was to facilitate hemispheric cooperation at the highest level of government in order to address current economic, social and political challenges in the region.
The Special Summit of the Americas focused on three central issues:
- Economic growth with equity.
- Social Development.
- Democratic Governance.
External links
- Summits of the Americas
- Official website: Special Summit of the Americas