Mr. Chairman, each of us is here as a representative of people. Some may be called Canadians, others Antiguans, yet others Americans. They are all people with basic aspirations to live a life in freedom, to raise their children, to feed them properly, give them education, good housing and health care.

Our goal here should not be to seek an advantage for one group over the other; our objective ought not to be to create prosperity for some by impoverishing others. Our purpose must be to provide a framework in which all could benefit; in which inequities could be addressed; and in which all our people can prosper.

Already, the last eight years have seen a growing disparity and inequality among nations of the hemisphere in prosperity and distribution of income. If the FTAA is to be meaningful to the peoples of the smallest countries that have the greatest need, then small, developing countries must be seen to reap benefits from the arrangement.

Since the launch of the FTAA process one of the fundamental principles enshrined in all Declarations has been the need to take into account the concerns and interests of the smaller economies of the region.

Yet, commitments made by the Heads of Government, have not been translated into practical effect in the negotiations so far. If the stated goals of the Summit are to be achieved, among which is enhancing the prosperity of all nations through economic integration, this issue must be forcefully addressed. When CARICOM countries agreed in April 1998 to launch negotiations for an FTAA, it was recognized, and enshrined in the San Jose Ministerial Declaration that, as a general principle:

• The negotiations shall take into account the differences in the levels of development and size of the economies in the Americas, in order to create opportunities for the full participation by all countries, and
  
•  that the rights and obligations of the FTAA shall be shared by all countries, foreseeing that the measures such as technical assistance in specific areas and longer periods for implementing the obligations could be included to facilitate the adjustment of smaller economies and the full participation of all countries in the FTAA.

However, after two years of negotiations, it became clear that no genuine attempts were being made to give effect to the agreed principles as they related to our economies. Consequently, we welcome the inclusion of language in the Buenos Aires Ministerial Declaration which, for the first time and only at the insistence of CARICOM Ministers, seeks to address more fully the need for capacity building, technical assistance and special provisions to meet the needs of smaller economies.

But, words without action is not enough. We want this recognition to be given tangible effect in the negotiating process. It is this vein that CARICOM counts on the support of all leaders around this table in carrying forward these commitments through:

• support for the inclusion of specific measures in each negotiating group area addressing the needs of the smaller economies,
  
• technical assistance that will enable CARICOM countries to successfully negotiate and implement the agreements; and
  
• the identification and implementation of new methods to address the disparities created by the differences in size and levels of development in the hemisphere.

CARICOM countries want to make the FTTA a success story, one in which we can proudly claim paternity and which our people can embrace with confidence and with pride. In this connection, we look forward to the meaningful support of all our partners to fulfill the objective we collectively envisaged in Miami, that is, to create a more prosperous future for all our countries.