In spite of the fact that the Declaration of the Heads of State and Governments adopted at the Summit in Santiago, Chile, contains a series of commitments relating to social and labour matters, the FTAA negotiations are limited to trade and investment issues. Within this scenario, we reaffirm our demands to the governments of the FTAA with respect to the social dimension, we call for new participatory structures and insist on our criticism of the very limited participation by civil society. This was also our position with regard to relations with the European Union. Today we need to revise our governments approaches toward globalization. We reaffirm that the importance of geography has not disappeared and that the current international system is still based on the Nation-State.
National characteristics remain, despite the globalization process.
The vision of a weakened Nation-State is recommended and supported by those who have an interest in it, giant multinational corporations for example. Although globalization conditions social and economic development, there is no single recipe for all times and all places. Despite the harmonization of the organization of production, national economies still have their own characteristics in the way markets are organized, in the relationship between markets and the State, and in the links between the State and civil society. We must ensure reciprocal access to markets, strengthen national economies, internal markets and employment. If this clarity of thought and action is to be had in the FTAA negotiations, together with a social dimension, this process will be in tune with the aspirations of the vast majority.