PEACE PROCESS IN COLOMBIA

We heads of state and government, meeting in City of Havana, Cuba, on November 16, 1999, for the 9th Ibero-American Summit, express our satisfaction with the significant advances made by the government of Colombia in establishing peace there, and our hope that this process will lead to a permanent reconciliation among Colombians.

We reiterate to the president of Colombia, Dr. Andrés Pastrana Arango, our firmest political support for the negotiations and rapprochement in progress.

MALVINAS ISLANDS

We heads of state and government, meeting in City of Havana, Cuba, taking into account the progress achieved in Argentine-British relations subsequent to our Declaration of Margarita, once again reaffirm the need for the governments of the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland to resume, at the earliest opportunity, negotiations directed at a rapid solution of the sovereignty dispute related to the issue of the Malvinas Islands, in accordance with resolutions passed by the United Nations and the Organization of American States, as well as the provisions and objectives of the UN Charter, including the principle of territorial integrity.

PROCLAMATION OF GUAYASAMIN AS PAINTER OF IBERO-AMERICA

We Ibero-American heads of state and government, meeting in City of Havana, Cuba, for the 9th Ibero-American Summit, acknowledging the profound humanist character and fertile creativity of Ecuadoran painter Oswaldo Guayasimín, an artist with universal scope and the ability to comprehend and reflect the history of these lands, through his interpretation of the sentiments of the peoples of the region, have decided to declare him Painter of Ibero-America.

CENTRAL AMERICAN RECONSTRUCTION AND TRANSFORMATION

We Ibero-American heads of state and government, meeting in City of Havana, Cuba, express our support for initiatives taken by the international community to reduce Central America’s vulnerability and boost the advances in its reconstruction and transformation, in the wake of the damage caused by Hurricane Mitch one year ago. We likewise note the effectiveness of the cooperation provided by our member states related to the aforementioned emergency, the solidarity of our peoples, and the will to continue supporting reconstruction and transformation efforts. In that context, we recognize the need to make concrete, in the shortest period possible, offers made in the meeting of the Stockholm consultative group for the reconstruction and transformation of Central America.

In a similar vein, we reiterate the importance of expanding commercial opportunities and promoting investment, as necessary measures contributing to long-term progress and sustainable development in the Central American nations. We highlight the concrete actions undertaken by some members of the Ibero-American community to relax policies, so as to facilitate Central American immigrants’ equitable assimilation into society and the labor force, with treatment and well-being in conformity with national legislation and international treaties. We express our disposition to continue carrying out actions in this context, and we urge third countries to undertake similar efforts.

In this regard, we highlight the solidarity of the Ibero-American response, at the bilateral and multilateral levels, including the creation of an Ibero-American fund for the reconstruction and transformation of Central America and the Dominican Republic, in the wake of Hurricanes Mitch and Georges, as well as cooperation projects in the fields of public health, small business and civil defense, approved within that fund.

PEACE ACCORDS BETWEEN ECUADOR AND PERU

We salute with great satisfaction the signing of the peace accords between Ecuador and Peru which have ended a century-long controversy that had separated the two peoples, and we pledge our support for plans and programs undertaken by Ecuador and Peru for the integration and development of the border zone.

FOLLOW-UP OF THE SUMMIT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND LATIN AMERICAN AND THE CARIBBEAN

The heads of state and government of the countries participating in the Ibero-American Summit voice their satisfaction with the results of the first summit between Latin American and Caribbean heads of state and government and those of the European Union, which took place in Rio de Janeiro on June 28 and 29, 1999, and welcome the announcement of a second summit between the two regions during the first six months of 2002.

The Ibero-American community considers that the strategic association between the two regions which was established at the Rio Summit should fulfill three central objectives: in the political sphere, the strengthening of democratic systems and coordination between the two regions in international forums; in the economic sphere, boosting association processes between the European Union and the various sub-regions of Latin America and the Caribbean; and, in the humanitarian sphere, the deepening of cooperation in the fields of education, culture and science and technology.

In order to fulfill these general objectives and to move ahead on the action priorities adopted in Rio de Janeiro, the Ibero-American Community will give special attention to the follow-up of the Rio Summit, particularly in the following areas:

• Cooperation in the design of a new international financial architecture, and for strengthening national financial systems.

• An integral and mutually beneficial liberalization of trade.

• Cooperation in the fields of elementary, university, postgraduate and distance education.

• Cooperation in science, technology and telecommunications.

• Preservation of cultural heritage and the deepening of cultural relations among our countries and societies.

During the Rio Summit bi-regional group follow-up meeting, scheduled for Portugal in the year 2000, concrete initiatives and activities within these priority areas will be presented.

CONSOLIDATION OF FRIENDSHIP AND INTEGRATION BETWEEN CHILE AND PERU

We heads of state and government, meeting in City of Havana on the occasion of the 9th Ibero-American Summit, express our great satisfaction that the governments of Chile and Peru have signed in Lima, on November 13, the document resolving the issues pending in the 1929 Peace, Friendship and Limits Treaty and its Complementary Protocol.

We salute the governments of Chile and Peru for the political will demonstrated, which has resulted in a consolidation of friendship and integration between the two countries.

Likewise, we note that the signing of the above-mentioned document constitutes a genuine reflection of the political maturity attained in the region and decisively contributes to strengthening the objectives and ideals of the Ibero-American Community of Nations.

PANAMA CANAL