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Securing Our Citizens’ Future - US Summit of the Americas Goals Document

The White House has released the following document to announce measures from President Obama 'that reinforce the U.S. commitment to work jointly to advance the goals agreed to in Trinidad and Tobago' at the Summit of the Americas. The document covers three primary areas: Social Inclusion and Economic Development, Energy and Climate Change and issues of Citizen Safety (such as firearms trafficing).

The United States and the 2009 Summit of the Americas: Securing Our Citizens’ Future

On April 17-19, President Barack Obama attended the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, along with the 33 other democratically elected Heads of State and Government of the Western Hemisphere.  The President used his first meeting with many of his regional counterparts to start engaging in a new relationship with countries of the Americas and to forge partnerships and joint approaches to work on the common challenges facing the people of the Americas—the economic crisis, our energy and climate future, and public safety.  The theme of the Summit was "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security, and Environmental Sustainability." 

Over the past three days, the Summit leaders demonstrated their commitment to promote human prosperity by agreeing to cooperate to address the current financial crisis, strengthening efforts to reduce inequality, improving food security, promoting health, and improving the quality of education.  In the spirit of partnership, leaders committed to developing strategies to promote access for our people to reliable, efficient, affordable and clean energy, especially for the poorest sectors.   Leaders also agreed to take actions to promote environmental sustainability.  Recognizing the importance of addressing the threats to security in our hemisphere, leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen public security.  Leaders also affirmed that the aspirations and goals for the Americas depend on strong democracies, good governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.  President Obama announced measures of the past three days that reinforce the U.S. commitment to work jointly to advance the goals agreed to in Trinidad and Tobago.

Barak Obama's Speech at Summit of the Americas

FULL TEXT of Barak Obama's Speech at Summit of the Americas Opening Ceremony

OBAMA: 'I think everybody recognizes that we come together at a critical moment for the people of the Americas.  Our well-being has been set back by a historic economic crisis.  Our safety is endangered by a broad range of threats.  But this peril can be eclipsed by the promise of a new prosperity and personal security and the protection of liberty and justice for all the people of our hemisphere.  That's the future that we can build together, but only if we move forward with a new sense of partnership...'

'I'm prepared to have my administration engage with the Cuban government on a wide range of issues -- from drugs, migration, and economic issues, to human rights, free speech, and democratic reform.  Now, let me be clear, I'm not interested in talking just for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction...'

Photo: White House photo by Pete Souza

Read FULL TEXT of  of Barak Obama's Speech at Summit of the Americas Opening Ceremony

SUMMIT Follow-up: Obama-US and UNASUR - 12 Nations of South America

'I would characterize the meeting as very civil, very positive; a good discussion, no tension in the room.  Most of the South American Presidents spoke...there was a frank exchange'

White at the 5th Summit of the Americas in Trinidad, US President Obama met with the heads of state from UNASUR or The Union of South American Nations, a group representing these 12 nations of South America:    Argentina   Bolivia   Brazil   Chile   Colombia   Ecuador  Guyana
 Paraguay  Peru   Suriname   Uruguay  Venezuela The group was formed by a trading group called The Andean Community which includes: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and Mercosur (Mercosul) a previous trading agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.  Chile, Surinam and Guyana are also a part of UNASUR.

This is a White House released backgrounder on the meeting  between Barak Obama and Heads of State of UNASUR, by Senior White House Experts/Officials: The President met this morning with the 12 members of UNASUR.  UNASUR is a grouping of all of the countries of South America.  The group is currently headed by the President of Chile, Mrs. Bachelet.  This is done on a rotating basis, so she was Chairman of the meeting.

I would characterize the meeting as very civil, very positive; a good discussion, no tension in the room.

PHOTOS: LEFT: Presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela at the Summit RIGHT: President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe
Photos by: Summit of the Americas

White House - from Summit - Microfinance Growth Fund to help Small Business in Americas

From the White House, announced at The Summit of the Americas: New $100 Million Microfinance Growth Fund for the Western Hemisphere:  The global credit crisis is having a significant and harmful impact on the availability of finance for micro and small businesses that provide a majority of the jobs in the Hemisphere.  This is one of the factors jeopardizing recent hard won gains in reducing poverty.  While the region has a wealth of microfinance institutions, these lenders are now confronting a serious shortage of private finance from both international and local sources.  As the supply of lending is shrinking, the demand for smaller loans is expanding as job loss escalates and the newly unemployed are falling back on micro and small enterprises as their sole source of income.  To address this shortfall, the Treasury Department brought together key U.S. and multilateral institutions to develop a rapid response.

OBAMA SUMMIT AMERICA'S SPEECHS HITS THE APPLAUSE LINES

'[US] policy should not be interference in other countries, but that also means that we can't' blame the United States for every problem that arises in the hemisphere. That's part of the bargain.'
'I didn't come here to debate the past -- I came here to deal with the future.'
'To move forward, we cannot let ourselves be prisoners of past disagreements.'

'we seek an equal partnership'
The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba.

US PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA SPEECH to HEADS of STATE at the 5th SUMMIT OF THE AMERCAS: All of us must now renew the common stake that we have in one another. I know that promises of partnership have gone unfulfilled in the past, and that trust has to be earned over time. While the United States has done much to promote peace and prosperity in the hemisphere, we have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms. But I pledge to you that we seek an equal partnership. (Applause.) There is no senior partner and junior partner in our relations; there is simply engagement based on mutual respect and common interests and shared values. So I'm here to launch a new chapter of engagement that will be sustained throughout my administration. (Applause.)
READ THE FULL TEXT OF OBAMA'S SUMMIT OF THE AMERICA'S SPEECH

 

US-VENEZUELA Discussion of Ambassador Exchange

From handshakes and smiles to words and plans for action:
US STATE DEPT announced a 'U.S. and Venezuela -- Discussion of Ambassador Exchange' saying that 'Earlier today [April 18th, 2009] at the Summit of the Americas President Chavez approached Secretary Clinton, and they discussed returning ambassadors to their respective posts in Caracas and Washington. This is a positive development that will help advance U.S. interests, and the State Department will now work to further this shared goal.'

CHAVEZ - OBAMA !!

The Language of International Diplomacy: One Handshake. Two Smiles. A warming of very very bad foreign relations can happen in an instant.

US President Barack Obama exchanges greetings with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the 5th Summit of the Americas in Trinidad, April 17th, 2009.

Photo Credit: Summit of the Americas

SUMMIT of the AMERICAS - HEADS OF STATE ARRIVE

The Heads of State of 34 countries are participating in the 5th Summit of the Americas. Presidents and Prime Ministers will mix it up in Trinidad. Who are the heads of state leading their national delegations at the Summit of the Americas?:

NORTH AMERICA (Also see CARICOM)

Canada Stephen Harper

United States Barack Obama

Mexico Felipe Calderon

CARIBBEAN & CARICOM:

Antigua & Barbuda Baldwin Spencer	Bahamas Hubert Ingraham	Barbados David Thompson	Belize Dean Barrow
Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit	Dominican Republic Leonel Fernandez Reyna	Grenada Tillman Thomas	Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo
Haiti Rene Garcia Preval	Jamaica Bruce Golding	Saint Kitts and Nevis Denzil Douglas	Saint Lucia Stephenson King
St. Vincent & Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves	Suriname Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan	Trinidad & Tobago Patrick Manning
CENTRAL AMERICA (BELIZE -- see CARICOM)	Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchez	Guatemala Alvaro Colom	Honduras Manuel Aelaya Rosales
El Salvador Antonio Saca Gonzales	Nicaragua Daniel Ortega Saavedra	Panama Martin Torrijos Espino
SOUTH AMERICA (Also see CARICOM)	Colombia Alvaro Uribe Velez	Venezuela Hugo Chavez Frias	Ecuador Rafael Correa Delgado
Peru Alan Garcia Perez	Bolivia Evo Morales Ayma	Paraguay Fernando Armindo Lugo  Mendez	Uruguay Tabare Vazquez
Chile Michelle Bachelet	Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner	Brazil Lula Da Silva

Clinton to Summit Americas: 'We are neighbors, friends, partners...'

'The United States wants to engage our hemisphere. This is our backyard. We are neighbors and friends and partners on so many fronts. We obviously have disagreements with some of the leadership in certain countries in Latin America. But we approach that from a practical, not an ideological perspective.'

Hillary Clinton offered some perspective on her (and Obama's) goals for the Summit of the Americas. She spoke from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic after meeting with the President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez.

US Secy. of State Clinton: Later today, leaders from across the region will arrive at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. We will be discussing concrete ways to improve the lives of people...

Updated Schedule 5th Summit of the Americas - Friday April 17th

Here's the events schedule for the Summit of the Americas | Friday April 17th, 2009:
SUMMARY FOR TODAY'S EVENTS: Heads of State will be arriving today, with the intent of most Presidents and Prime Ministers to arrive by 4PM, in time to attend  the Opening Ceremony at 6PM.

SUMMARY FOR Satuday and Sunday: Plenary Sessions begin on Saturday at 10 AM and go until 6:45 PM, followed by the Official Dinner for Heads of State at 8 PM.
There is a Retreat for Heads of State on Sunday at 8:30 AM followed by the Closing Ceremony at 11 AM. --ALSO SEE FULL SUMMIT AMERICAS SCHEDULE

Complete Updated FRIDAY SCHEDULE:

FIFTH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS-CARICOM Caucus
LOCATION: Caribbean Princess, Sabatini  Start Time: 7:00 AM -- End Time: 9:00 AM

Dialogue between Ministers of Foreign Affairs with Sectoral Actors
LOCATION: Caribbean Princess, Club Fusion
Start Time: 9:00 AM -- End Time: 12:15 PM

All Day Arrivals of Heads of State and/or Government, Spouses and other members of the Delegations
Start Time: 9:00 AM -- End Time: 4:00 PM

Lunch, Hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs: LOCATION: Caribbean Princess, Sabatini -- Start: 12:00 PM -- End: 2:00 PM

Preliminary Entertainment: LOCATION: Hyatt Regency Ballroom -- Start : 5:00 PM -- End : 6:00 PM

Opening Ceremony of The FIFTH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
LOCATION: Hyatt-Regency Ballroom -- Start Time: 6:00 PM -- End Time: 8:00 PM

Screening of Opening Ceremony
LOCATION: Princess Theatre -- Start Time: 6:00 PM -- End Time: 8:00 PM

HEADS OF STATE AND/OR GOVERNMENT- Cocktail Reception for Heads of State
LOCATION: Hyatt- Jade, Sapphire and Ruby Rooms -- Start Time: 8:00 PM -- End Time: 9:30 PM

Cocktail Receptions for Other Invited Guests: (Hyatt); LOCATION: Outside Regency Ballroom 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Reception 2 LOCATION: Pool Deck Start Time: 8:00 PM -- End Time: 9:30 PM

ALSO SEE FULL SUMMIT AMERICAS SCHEDULE

Barak Obama a América Latina (Español) -- Escogiendo un futuro mejor en las Américas

US President Obama's editorial was printed, in Spanish, across a range of Latin American Newspapers: 

SUMMIT of the AMERICAS -- Obama Newspaper Editorial Reaches ARGENTINA, CHILE, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, VENEZUELA...

    Escogiendo un futuro mejor en las Américas
                        Presidente Barack Obama
US President Obama has started to reach out to Latin America prior to to his arrival at the Summit of the Americas.  Obam's editorial was publised in Spanish in El Nuevo Herald (USA); La Nación (Argentina); El Mercurio (Chile); El Tiempo (Colombia); La Nación (Costa Rica); El Comercio (Ecuador); El Universal (México); El Comercio (Perú); El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico); El País (Uruguay); and El Nacional (Venezuela) and in Portuguese in Brazil's O Globo.

Here's the full text of Obama's editorial printed in Latin American Newspapers.

Choosing a Better Future in the Americas
President Barack Obama

As we approach the Summit of the Americas, our hemisphere is faced with a clear choice. We can overcome our shared challenges with a sense of common purpose, or we can stay mired in the old debates of the past. For the sake of all our people, we must choose the future.

Too often, the United States has not pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors. We have been too easily distracted by other priorities, and have failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas. My Administration is committed to the promise of a new day. We will renew and sustain a broader partnership between the United States and the hemisphere on behalf of our common prosperity and our common security.

In advance of the Summit, we have begun to move in a new direction. This week, we amended a Cuba policy that has failed for decades to advance liberty or opportunity for the Cuban people. In particular, the refusal to allow Cuban Americans to visit or provide resources to their families on the island made no sense – particularly after years of economic hardship in Cuba, and the devastating hurricanes that took place last year. Now, that policy has changed.