Archives - Jean Chrétien

The Closing Ceremony of the Second Summit of the Americas

Mr. President, fellow leaders, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

I want to thank President and Señora Frei for your warm and generous hospitality. I know all of us from every corner of this vast hemisphere felt very much welcome and at home here in beautiful Santiago. We are honoured that Canada has been asked to host the next Summit of the Americas, but we know this will be a hard act to follow.

Four years ago, in Miami, we laid out a vision for our common future, a vision of prosperity, a vision of progress, a vision of partnership, a vision of a better quality of life for all of our people in every part of this hemisphere.

Our vision is built on shared values, on democracy, on respect for human rights and the rule of law. Here, in Santiago, we reaffirmed the fundamental principles laid down in Miami, and we took new and specific steps to make these principles a concrete reality in the lives of all of our people.

The history of this century shows us the undeniable failure of isolation and protection. They impoverished our citizens, they undermined stability and international understanding, they resulted in stagnation.

My colleagues, let us tell our people -- let us tell the world loud and clear, once and for all -- that as we turn the page to a new century, the era of building walls is over. The new century that is dawning -- the global century -- will be a time of building bridges of understanding, of shared values, of prosperity. And in this new century, the free flow of products, know-how and investment will be the engine of economic development and prosperity, the key to our standard of living and a better quality of life.

In my country, we know that. This is not an economic theory. It is an economic fact. Ours is one of the most trade dependent nations in the world. We have learned first hand the benefits that come from keeping our doors open to trade, investment and ideas from abroad. This openness laid the foundation for our prosperity, and it has furnished us with the resources we needed to act on common Canadian values and build a social safety net that is one of our proudest national achievements. We have enjoyed the benefits of more open trade and we want to see them shared by all.

We have been a leading champion of freer trade throughout the Americas. NAFTA and our Free-Trade Agreement with Chile symbolize this belief. But we have always looked upon them as just the beginning. That is why we were so pleased by the joint pledge in Miami to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas by the year 2005. Here, in Santiago, together, we have taken the next historic step by launching negotiations.

Canada is honoured to have been chosen to Chair the first round of trade negotiations. We will ensure that momentum is maintained over the next 18 months. We also look forward to hosting the hemispheric trade ministers meeting in Canada in 1999.

Through our consultations with the civil society, we will ensure that the views of all of our citizens are reflected in the development of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. We know that we must listen to all people as we work toward an agreement -- not only business or special interests. This is one of the innovations in the process for developing this vast free trade zone, and it is our obligation, as Chair of the next Summit of the Americas, to make sure that this process works.

Today the people of our countries support us when we lower the walls of protectionism and isolationism and replace them with bridges of understanding. We must work carefully to maintain this support, and face squarely the fear that naturally accompanies change: by helping our peoples prepare to thrive in the new economy, by showing that free trade is not just an economic imperative driven by the market or ideology; by demonstrating that business is not our sole preoccupation, an that when we make progress on trade liberalization, we can also make progress in other areas that are important to people in every corner of the Americas.

On of the lessons we have learned in the century that is coming to an end, is that freedom is always in peril where poverty and inequality persist. They feed the forces of reaction and despotism. Just and prosperous societies are founded on equal opportunity for all citizens to participate fully in social, political and economic life.

It is for this reason that we, the leaders of 34 democratically elected governments in the hemisphere, have committed ourselves to concrete action to address problems of poverty and discrimination. It is why we have made education such a high priority, so that our people have the tools they need to adapt to and prosper in a changing world. It is why we, as leaders, have committed to nurturing the spirit of democracy that has taken hold in every corner of this hemisphere and why we must strengthen our commitment to respect human rights everywhere in the Americas.

As Chair of the new Summit, I pledge to carry forward these commitments.

We have also discussed the situation of indigenous people in our hemisphere. There are indigenous people throughout our region. Too often, they are the most marginalized members of our society. We have a collective obligation to make their concerns a priority.

We have also stated our determination to increase our efforts to curb the problem of illegal drugs, which are not only a social and health threat, but a threat to the very democratic fabric that we are aiming to strengthen.

I am proud that Canada has made a contribution with its proposal to have an action group of foreign ministers formed to ensure our collective response to this threat. In our work leading both to the next summit and to the FTAA, we must continue to focus on these priorities and on other important issues such as on protecting the fragile ecosystems we all share.

Ladies and gentlemen, the challenges we face in the Americas are great, but we have demonstrated here in Santiago that our resolve to meet them is greater. We have shown that the area of the Western Hemisphere is no longer a passive fact of geography. It is becoming an active state of mind.

In Miami four years ago, I referred to the countries joining in the trade agreement as amigos. Here, in Santiago, it is clear that we are becoming something more than amigos. We are becoming una gran familia. A family of different cultures, of different languages, and of many races, but a family nonetheless with shared values and shared goals. A family that may not always be in perfect harmony -- after all, no family ever is -- but a family that cares for each other, that reaches out to help and encourages each other. Not in judgement or competition, but in acceptance and understanding. A family that understands that our land is the hemisphere from the Yukon to the Tierra del Fuego and our community is the global village.

We, in Canada, look forward to hosting the next reunion of this family and taking the first steps into a new century, a new millennium together.

Viva la familia de America!