[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 71 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.Con.Res.71
                                        Agreed to April 11, 2000        

                       One Hundred Sixth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
             the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand


                          Concurrent Resolution

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 Senate (the House of Representatives 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.
  Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.

  Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.