[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 217 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 217

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that Miami, Florida, and not a 
competing foreign city, should serve as the permanent location for the 
Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) beginning in 
                                 2005.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 1, 1999

  Mr. Shaw (for himself, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. 
   Foley, Mr. Goss, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mrs. Thurman, Mrs. Meek of 
Florida, Mr. Davis of Florida, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Mica, 
Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Bilirakis) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that Miami, Florida, and not a 
competing foreign city, should serve as the permanent location for the 
Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) beginning in 
                                 2005.

Whereas deliberations on establishing a ``Free Trade Area of the Americas'' 
        (FTAA) will help facilitate greater cooperation and understanding on 
        trade barrier reduction throughout the Americas;
Whereas the trade ministers of 34 countries of the Western Hemisphere agreed in 
        1998 to create a permanent Secretariat in order to support negotiations 
        on establishing the FTAA;
Whereas the FTAA Secretariat will employ persons to provide logistical, 
        administrative, archival, translation, publication, and distribution 
        support for the negotiations;
Whereas the FTAA Secretariat will be funded by a combination of local resources 
        and institutional resources from a tripartite committee consisting of 
        the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Organization of American 
        States (OAS), and the United Nations Economic Commission on Latin 
        America and the Caribbean (ECLAC);
Whereas the temporary site of the FTAA Secretariat will be located in Miami, 
        Florida, from 1999 until February 28, 2001, at which point the 
        Secretariat will rotate to Panama City, Panama, until February 28, 2003, 
        and then rotate to Mexico City, Mexico, until February 28, 2005;
Whereas by 2005 the FTAA Secretariat will have international institution status 
        providing jobs and tremendous economic benefits to its host city;
Whereas a permanent site for the FTAA Secretariat after 2005 will likely be 
        selected from among the 3 temporary host cities;
Whereas the city of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and the State of Florida have long 
        served as the gateway for trade with the Caribbean and Latin America;
Whereas trade between the city of Miami, Florida, and the countries of Latin 
        America and the Caribbean totaled $36,793,000,000 in 1998;
Whereas the Miami-Dade area and the State of Florida possess the necessary 
        infrastructure, local resources, and culture necessary for the FTAA 
        Secretariat's permanent site;
Whereas the United States possesses the world's largest economy and is the 
        leading proponent of trade liberalization throughout the world; and
Whereas the city of Miami, Florida, the State of Florida, and the United States 
        are uniquely situated among other competing locations to host the 
        ``Brussels of the Western Hemisphere'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that the President should direct 
the United States representative to the ``Free Trade Area of the 
Americas'' (FTAA) negotiations to use all available means in order to 
secure Miami, Florida, as the permanent site of the FTAA Secretariat 
after February 28, 2005.
                                 <all>