ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT THE SPECIAL SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
President Bush attended the Special Summit of the Americas in
Monterrey, Mexico, to urge leaders to strengthen the foundations for
democracy and economic growth in the hemisphere.
To intensify the fight against corruption, leaders agreed to:
Strengthen a "culture of transparency" in the Americas;
Deny safe haven to corrupt officials;
Promote transparency in public financial management; and
Hold consultations if adherence to their transparency and
anti-corruption objectives is seriously compromised in any Summit
country.
To spur growth and reduce poverty, leaders agreed to:
Significantly reduce the time and cost of starting a business by
the 2005 Summit;
Endorse the Inter-American Development Bank's goal of tripling the
credit it provides for small and medium-sized businesses by 2007;
Reduce by at least half the cost of sending remittances by 2008;
Strengthen property rights by the next Summit in 2005; and
Reaffirm support for completing the Free Trade Area of the Americas
on schedule, by January 2005.
To improve health and education, leaders agreed to:
Provide HIV/AIDS antiretroviral therapy to all who need it,
focusing on the treatment of at least 600,000 individuals by 2005; and
Improve the quality of education by publishing school system
performance reports by the 2005 Summit.