The central goal of the Santiago summit is to improve the lot of the poor

By EDUARDO FREI RUIZ-TAGLE

or centuries the nations of the Western Hemisphere have hoped to work together, yet inequality, distrust and ideological differences have kept us apart. But that is quickly changing. When 34 heads of government met in Miami more than three years ago for the first Summit of the Americas, each country represented was a democracy. Every government had adopted policies of economic openness and deregulation. We all shared a commitment to improving the welfare of the people of this hemisphere. As President of Chile, I will be honored to welcome to Santiago this new generation of leaders, endowed with a common democratic purpose, for the second Summit of the Americas.

Since the Miami meeting we have moved forward with economic and social reform more quickly than anyone would have imagined. The average level of inflation in Latin America and the Caribbean fell from 61.2% in 1994 to 11% in 1997. Seven new trade agreements were signed, for a total of 30. Sixteen countries launched judicial reforms, and a number of others tackled the difficult task of overhauling our educational systems.

Regional cooperation on key issues has become stronger. When democracy was threatened in one Mercosur country, the other nations in this trade block worked together to preserve constitutional procedures and the rule of law. When Mexico faced economic turmoil, the U.S. led a multilateral effort that helped produce a swift turnaround and ensured ongoing economic stability in the entire region.

Our most important recent achievements have come not from the efforts of governments, but from the enterprise of the private citizens and businesses of the Americas. A decade ago, half of all investment in Latin America and the Caribbean was channeled through the public sector; today private firms are the overwhelming source of new capital, and investment across the borders of the hemisphere is booming. New technology has brought our nations closer together: millions of new phone connections link the hemisphere, and hundreds of thousands of homes have gained access to the Internet and satellite television. Regional television channels, publications and other media have sprung up in unprecedented numbers. Today more citizens of the Americas are working, learning and investing together than ever before.

But while much was achieved in the 1990s, much remains to be done. We cannot ignore the fact that our hemisphere still suffers from some of the world's greatest income disparities, or that the average citizen of Latin America and the Caribbean has only a few years of elementary education. We must acknowledge that drugs, corruption and weak judiciaries still plague many of our countries.

At the summit in Santiago we will tackle these problems with action, not rhetoric. We will ratify our commitment to free trade by announcing the specific schedule by which trade will be liberalized among countries of the region. By 2005 we will have accomplished something unprecedented in human history: a whole hemisphere through which goods, capital and ideas can move freely.

We will launch a major education initiative to ensure that the work force of the Americas has the skills needed to win the jobs and fuel the growth of the coming millennium. Funds will be committed to train teachers and reach would-be students now cut off from formal education. Our effort to improve primary and secondary education will benefit mainly those at the bottom of the income scale. We will also work to increase the transparency of our legal systems and eliminate corruption. Perfecting the rule of law is the best way to protect the weak from the strong and ensure fairness in our countries.

The central goal of all these initiatives is to reduce inequality and improve the lot of the poor in the hemisphere. We the leaders of the region have come to understand that political and economic reforms that fail to produce tangible improvements in living conditions are hollow victories. Growth at the expense of those who have the least is not development.

The Miami summit was a beginning rich with promise. Since then our countries and their leaders have solidified the trust that comes from working together, under shared values and for a common goal. Today the age-old dream of a prosperous, democratic and integrated Americas seems more attainable than ever. I am confident we will seize this opportunity and make real change happen.

Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle is President of Chile.