>from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba-Granma: LatinAm Brazilia Summit.UN Summit-Human Rights > � Copyright. 1996-2000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GRANMA INTERNATIONAL/ > ONLINE EDITION September 7, 2000 > > SOUTH AMERICA > Regional integration on the horizon > BY SONIA SANCHEZ (Granma International staff writer) > >SOUTH America, a group of countries with distinct national political >characteristics and marked economic differences, took a step towards >an idea that has long been cherished by that continent's politicians >and statespeople: to establish a profound and logical dialogue > >about the routes towards regional integration. > >The Brasilia Summit was convened by the host president, Fernando >Enrique Cardoso, and was attended by 12 country's heads of state. The >participating delegations were brought together with interest in >cooperating in important spheres such as infrastructure integration; > >the defense of democracy; information, knowledge and technologies; >trade; and the fight against drug trafficking. > >The final document, entitled The Brasilia Declaration, gave priority >to accelerating the process of integration among the member countries >of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), namely Argentina, Brazil, >Uruguay and Paraguay, plus associate members Chile and Bolivia; and >those of the Andean Community, namely Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and >Ecuador. It aims to establish a free trade zone between the two blocs >before 2002. > >According to Notimex reports, commerce negotiation experts consider >the speeding up of agreements allowing the free circulation of goods, >services, capital and people between the two blocs, in an environment >of transparent competition, to be a matter of some urgency. > >With regard to the financing of infrastructure, priority was given to >environmental factors, social needs and project viability. Private >companies working under fixed regulations will mainly undertake work >on highways, railroads and waterways amongst others. > >According to Prensa Latina, the text also considers representative >democracy as the fundamental legitimate form for political systems >and as an indispensable condition for the consolidation of the >region's democratic institutions, peace, stability, justice and > >development. > >The declaration also emphasizes the importance of macroeconomic >policies, saying that these are essential for the internal stability >of each country and for guaranteeing progressive integration, >supported by a plan of action which must be implemented after 10 >years. > >This vitally important forum, at which all South American countries, >including Guyana and Suriname, were represented, took place against a >background of disquiet over the Colombia Plan designed by Andr�s >Pastrana's government. According to government announcements thus >far, the plan aims to combat drug trafficking and make social >investments. However, various analysts have warned that it could lead >to the regionalization of Colombia's current conflict. > >Naturally, the summit didn't avoid discussion of this difficult >subject. In a separate document, those attending expressed their >support for the Colombian peace process and their desire for the >success of the forthcoming Bogot� meeting of the Peace Process >Support Group. They gave their full backing to the fight against the >trafficking of drugs originating in the Andean triangle of Colombia, >Peru and Bolivia. However, they avoided making any reference to the >plan's military aspects. > >* NEWS * INTERNATIONAL * SPORT * CULTURAL * This WEEK * FROM OUR >MAILBAG * OUR AMERICA * ARTS IN THE WORLD * MORE INFORMATION ON THE >SOUTH SUMMIT > Javier Sotomayor | Documentos | Revistas | >Correo-E | Ingl�s | Franc�s | Portugu�s | Alem�n > > *********** > >from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba-Granma: Fidel on Peace. Clinton-Imperialists vacant >� Copyright. 1996-2000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GRANMA INTERNATIONAL/ >ONLINE EDITION September 6, 2000 > > A summit framed by the pressing needs of the next century > (Granma International staff writer) > >IN the context of the urgent need to establish a definite time frame >for the elimination of poverty, educational levels within the reach >of the majority and a halt to the spread of HIV and AIDS, as well as >other equally pressing goals, the Millennium Summit has come at a > >significant juncture, when humanity is assuming the challenges of the >new century. > >This forum has brought together the majority of the world's leaders >at the UN headquarters in New York, where strict security measures >have been taken, including the deployment of virtually the entire >50,000-strong New York Police Department and other forces. > >And quite possibly, such as display of security forces was aimed at >preventing demonstrators from actively denouncing the pressing >problems of the contemporary world, a regular occurrence in the >environment of the United States during major international meetings. > >According to the DPA news agency, numerous control points blocked >access to the UN Building, while about five helicopters overflew >adjoining areas since the early hours of the morning, and seven >police launches with frogmen aboard were stationed on the East >River, bordering the UN headquarters on the east side of Manhattan. > > More than 150 heads of state and government area attending the most >important meeting since the creation of the international >organization, which went into session on the morning of September 6 >for a three-day discussion of humanity's most acute problems and the >role of the United Nations in the next century. The 54th session of >the General Assembly, presided over by the Namibian foreign minister, >was formally closed prior to the opening of the 55th session in the >afternoon, under the presidency of Finland. > >UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the session after one minute >of silence in memory of the three UN employees murdered in East >Timor. He acknowledged that the organization must adapt to the new >demands of the world, noting that humanity's current >problems cannot be confronted by nations in isolation. > >The planet's most dispossessed populations are awaiting protection >from the international community, he emphasized. > >He observed that no mother on the planet is able or will be able to >comprehend the death of her child from malnutrition or a preventable >disease, and that nobody can understand why his or her family is >suffering from hunger or is repressed by means of torture. > >He called for those grave problems to be addressed and insisted that >the UN must ensure that priorities are reflected in clear and rapid >decisions, leading to genuine changes in people's lives. That is what >nations are expecting from the UN and they must not be disappointed. > >The secretary-general likewise made a call for international peace >and security, recalling that nations look to the UN for help in >liberating themselves from the ravages of war. > >In his role as president of the host country, Bill Clinton gave a >brief speech in continuation in which he called on those present to >support Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli >Prime Minister Ehud Barak along the road to reconciliation, >expressing the need to strengthen what he called the peacekeeping >forces. > >Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that it is imperative to >improve the mechanisms of the international organization without >undermining its fundamental principles. The new century, he noted, >has to enter the United Nations' history as the period of genuine > >disarmament. Putin warned of the dangers of the militarization of >space and announced an international conference in Moscow on the >issue. > >Jiang Zemin, the Chinese head of state, called for a strengthening of >the UN's positive role and authority. > >Important speeches from heads of state were programmed at the close >of this edition, among them President Fidel Castro who, since his >arrival in New York, has undertaken an intense working schedule >accompanied by Ricardo Alarc�n, president of the National Assembly >of People's Power; Felipe P�rez Roque, minister of foreign affairs; >Jos� M. Miyar Barruecos, secretary of the Council of State; Carlos >Valenciaga, member of the Council of State; and Osvaldo Mart�nez, >director of the Center for Research on the World Economy, among > >others. > >The announced arrival of Fidel in New York and at the summit sessions >has absorbed the accredited journalists' attention. The Cuban >delegation is being constantly besieged for details of his agenda, >Prensa Latina reported. > >When he arrived at the UN Building for the opening of the summit, the >local television stations tracked Fidel closely, later following him >up the escalators and over a large part of majority of the world > >leaders, according to Prensa Latina. > >Reuters cable affirmed that anything he says and wherever he goes, >one thing is certain: as always, the now gray-bearded but still >robust Castro attracts media and public attention. > >The Cuban president met with Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister >of Malaysia, at Cuba's UN mission in New York, and subsequently was >transported to the embassy of the People's Republic of China for >talks with President Jiang Zemin. > >The 54th Session of the General Assembly approved a document which, >in the opinion of Bruno Rodr�guez, Cuba's ambassador to the UN, has a >favorable effect on the underdeveloped countries. Nuclear disarmament >was fully discussed and there were calls for an international >conference on the dangers represented by nuclear weapons. > >Nevertheless, Rodr�guez noted that the focus on human rights does not >recognize all those rights as being equal, prioritizing some and >denigrating others that are as elemental as leading a life of dignity >with access to work, education and health care. > >A tight working agenda awaits the heads of state and government >attending the event, including four roundtables facilitating a more >intimate communication among the leaders, a Dialogue among >Civilizations, and an unofficial meeting of female heads of state >and government who are demanding a higher profile for women on >international issues. > > � Copyright. 1996-2000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. >GRANMA INTERNATIONAL/ ONLINE EDITION > > > ************ > >sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba named site of World Environment Day >� Copyright. 1996-2000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GRANMA INTERNATIONAL/ >ONLINE EDITION September 6, 2000 > > Cuba named site of World Environment Day > * Second time in less than a year the UNEP honors Cuba > BY LILLIAM RIERA (Granma International staff writer) > >CUBA has been nominated as the site for the celebration of World >Environment Day, to be celebrated in Havana on June 5, 2001, >announced Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment Rosa >Elena Sime�n during a press conference. > >The decision was made by the United Nations Environment Program >(UNEP), which took into consideration efforts made by Cuba related to >environmental policy and the results achieved. > >The minister highlighted rescue projects carried out in the main >hydraulic basins which allowed pollution discharges to be reduced by >11%; the fact that 95.5% of the population has access to safe >drinking water, in contrast to low rates in numerous Third World > >countries; as well as the ongoing reforestation plan, which has >exceeded previous years' levels by 21.4%. > >Reference was also made to the recently established Cuban Fund for >the Environment, to which the state contributed five million pesos >and which currently encompasses 35 social projects, including those >aimed at resolving sewage and contamination problems within > >communities. > >Dr. Sime�n pointed out that the environmental license, which was >approved together with Foreign Investment Act, substantially prior to >the application of the Environmental Act, represents a solid means >for raising investors' awareness of the need to make economic > >development compatible with caring for the environment, particularly >in the sphere of tourism. She added that 7.9% of corporate >investments are currently being used to solve environmental problems. > >Dr. Sime�n also announced at the press conference that on September >23, in the headquarters of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba >(UNEAC), the book Misi�n Ambiental (Environmental Mission) would be >launched. The book consists of artistic and literary contributions on >the subject by children and young people, and 18,000 copies will > >be distributed in schools throughout the country. > >This is the third occasion on which World Environment Day will be >held in Latin America, with Brazil and Mexico hosting the event in >previous years. Last year Cuba received the UNEP Saving Dry Lands >Award. > > Javier Sotomayor | Documentos | Revistas | >Correo-E | Ingl�s | Franc�s | Portugu�s | Alem�n >� Copyright. 1996-2000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GRANMA INTERNATIONAL/ >ONLINE EDITION " JC > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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