Source:
IFIs Latin American Monitor
Mon Oct 02 2006
Within the framework of the Call for Global Actions against IFIs, Rede Brasil, Rebrip and FBOMS organized a seminar-workshop in Sao Paulo, where representatives of South American organizations got together to discuss the future of continental integration, the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) and the role of IFIs.
Within the framework of the Call for Global Actions against IFIs, the Brazilian Network on Multilateral Financial Institutions (Rede Brasil), Rebrip and FBOMS, organized a seminar-workshop on 18-19 September in Sao Paulo, to discuss the alternatives of regional integration. The event was convened under the title: "Capitalist Internationalization or Integration of Peoples: Where is South America Heading Towards?". The event represented a preparatory stage of the "Summit for the Integration of the Peoples" to be held next December in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Those organizing the event explained its importance, highlighting in the invitation the role of South America within the global context:
"South America, owing to the magnitude of available resources and the political irradiation it generates is nowadays one of the main pillars of the balance or unbalance of the global capitalist order. On account of this, all bets are placed on the cartelization of the region. The United States hurries to conclude bilateral trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and now Uruguay. The European Union, led by transnationals and banks, insists on negotiating with the MERCOSUR, and the Andean Community (CAN) in no less asymmetrical terms. With regards to this, within national states and in the context of domestic regulatory frameworks, the IMF, World Bank, IDB and transnational corporations are promoting – in a coordinated fashion – direct privatizations or public-private partnerships, cross-trade liberalization and infrastructure connection programmes adapted to free trade, such as the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA)".
The main objectives of the seminar were:
* To evaluate the evolution and current situation of regional integration process, such as the Andean Community (CAN), MERCOSUR, FTAA, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), South American Community of Nations, and other trade agreements and their relation with IIRSA.
* To discuss alternatives from the point of view of the integration of economic, political and socio-environmental infrastructure (energy, transport, etc.), by means of an analysis from a local and regional perspective.
* To analyze the relationship among, finance, indebtedness, trade and capital flows, asymmetries and development of the countries and regions.
* To analyze the relationship between financing of the current integration policy and financing for development. To consider financing agencies, the instruments that are being proposed to finance integration, as well as partner institutions involved in this financing process.
Some highlights of the event
The event was carried out with the participation of representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay, and with a broad representation at local level.
During the first workshop session, the following were presented: the main features of the integration process that is taking place in South America, their implications and the strategies to be followed by the different stakeholders involved.
With regards to the IIRSA initiative, participants agreed on the fact that "interconnection" is different from "integration"; therefore, a road or gas pipeline can either be or not be part of an integration process. As pointed out by Margarita Florez, representative of ILSA (Colombia), "regional integration initiatives represent a third level of trade policy reform aimed at complementing the unilateral and multilateral liberalization that has been promoted since the mid-1980s. Regional integration is an integral part of the structural reform process itself".
Later on, the role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and transnational companies in infrastructure projects and the integration of the region was analyzed. The members of the panel agreed that those operating as key actors for the geopolitics and economy of the region are "translatin" rather than transnational companies.
The role of the World Bank, IMF and IDB, as policymakers in the region, was present in the discussion. Lecturers made special reference to the Annual Meetings of the World Bank-IMF that were simultaneously taking place in Singapore. The IMF reform and the banning of civil society representatives were strongly criticized.
Reference was also made to the role played by the regional banks that are financing many controversial infrastructure projects: CAF, FONPLATA and BNDES (Brazil).
The first day of the event ended with the following panel presentation: "Integration and geopolitics of natural resources". The discussion was focused on the management of resources such as: water, land and energy by governments, national and transnational companies, with the presentation of cases corresponding to Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay.
During the second day of the event, participants discussed integration strategies, being aware of the key role played by social movements as political subjects within the process. Questions such as: what is implied by integration?, what kind of integration do we want?, what kind of development do we want?, where is the development of Latin America heading towards? were put on the table. The work in groups, which gave rise to the conclusions of the event, was carried out according to the following guidelines:
* What assumptions should guide an integration alternative?
* What specific projects do we identify as proposals for the integration of nations?
* How should we advocate for this proposals to be considered by our governments?
The discussion about these issues will be compiled as the final statement of the seminar-workshop, for social movements to present their position at the next Summit of the Peoples.
See more information at Rede Brasil (Portuguese language)
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