The Havana Charter (Carta de La Habana) 1948

In the picture above we see Ambassador William Clayton and Ambassador Gustavo Gutiérrez signing the Havana Charter (La Carta de La Habana) for the United States and Cuba, respectively in March, 1948. The Havana Charter was a document that followed the creation of the G.A.T.T. (General Agreement on Trade and Tariff), in Geneva, Switzerland in 1947, which attempted to, among other things, correct certain trade inequalities between the underdeveloped nations and their industrialized neighbors. Dr. Gutiérrez was in charge of hosting this conference in Havana which celebrated 800 official sessions. (please see blog entry " GG Prepares Capitol Building for International Conference," January 2009). Gustavo Gutiérrez had initially served as the Technical Director for the Cuban delegation in Geneva in 1947 as well as in New York and London. Then served as host and head of the Cuban delegation for the Havana Conference beginning December 21, 1947. For Dr. Gutiérrez closing remarks at the conference please see blog entry from February, 2010, "Havana Charter GG closing remarks 1948." Later he served as the head of the Cuban delegation in Geneva and Petropolis in November of 1954. See blog entry from October, 2008, "Cuba's Voice in Geneva and Petropolis 1954."

The caption below the picture reads; "The United States and Cuba celebrate among the nations which signed the Final Act and the Havana Charter, represented by the heads of the delegations Mr. William Clayton, on the left, and doctor Gustavo Gutiérrez, on the right, "This will be an historic day in the world," said the North American sub-secretary. And the delegate from our government said, "Proof of equilibrium, reached in the Charter on Commerce, it's just that it doesn't satisfy anyone."

In a speech regarding the Havana Charter, Gustavo Gutiérrez declared;

(English translation below)

1) In Geneva, November 10, 1954; "La Carta de La Habana, laboriosamente discutida y negosiada por una de las reuniones económicas mas universales que se han efectuados, no fué ratificada por los que más obligados estaban a hacerlo, quedando los paises insuficientemente desarrollados a la intemperie del G.A.T.T., sin las contrapartidas equilibrizadoras. Lasexcepciones del Acuerdo General primaron sobre los principios, y su complicada maquinaria no ha podido ser plenamente utilizada por los paises insuficientemente desarrollados."

"En relación, por último, con la reorganización del G.A.T.T. por medio de un instrumento para las cuestiones de organización y otro para las regulaciones de aranceles y comercio, la experiencia de la Carta de La Habana nos hace permanecer a la expecativa. Puede de nuevo una parte recibir la aprobación de los parlamentos y otra no, creando una rara sensación, aunque ningún país puede juzgar a los demás de acuerdo con su práctica constitucional o parlamentaria..."

"Esperamos, Señor Presidente y Señores Delegados, que los fríos del egoismo no malogren la esperanza de que los grandes principios que inspiraron el Acuerdo De Ginebra de Aranceles y Comercio y La Carta de La Habana para una organización Internacional de Comercio puedan, al fin, desembarazarse de la tupida red de intereses creados que no los dejan brillar con toda la fuerza que deseamos los que aquí nos encontramos y que, sin duda, esperan todos los pueblos de la tierra."

(English Translation)

"The Havana Charter, laboriously discussed and negotiated by one of the most universal economic meetings ever held, was not ratified by those who were most greatly obligated to do so. The underdeveloped countries remained out side of the G.A.T.T. without counterbalancing provisions. The exceptions of the General Agreement over-ruled it's principles and the under-developed countries have not been able to fully utilize it's complicated machinery."

"Finally, with regard to the reorganization of the G.A.T.T. by means of an instrument to deal with organization and another for the regulation of tariffs and trade, the experience of the Havana Charter makes us assume an expectant attitude. Again, it might be that one part will be approved by Parliaments while another may not, creating a rare situation, in as much as no country may judge the others according to it's own constitutional or parliamentary practice..."

" We hope, Mr. President and Fellow Delegates, that cold egoism will not defeat the hope that the great principles which inspired the Geneva Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Havana Charter for and International trade Organization may, in the last analysis, divest themselves of the thick network of created interests, which prevent them from exerting the force those of us here desire and which the peoples of the world expect."

2) In Petropolis, November 24, 1954; " Es justo reconocer que la iniciativa de los Estados Unidos se celebró en 1947 una Conferencia Mundial de Comercio y Empleo con objeto de liberalizar el comercio y propiciar el empleo, pero la realidad es que la Carta de La Habana para la Organización Internacional de Comercio, producto de las laboriosas y extensas discusiones de dicha Conferencia, no fué ratificada por el Senado de los Estados Unidos, y que el Acuerdo de Ginebra sobre Aranceles y Comercio (G.A.T.T.), que fué el único producto vivo del referido proyecto, ha funcionado más en beneficio de lo países industrializados de amplio comercio internacional, a pesar de ser una minoría en recursos nacionales y población, que de los países insuficientemente desarollados."

(English Translation)

"It is fair to recognize that on the initiative of the United States a World Conference on Trade and Employment was held in 1947 for the purpose of liberalizing trade and propitiating employment, but the fact is that the Havana Charter for the International Trade Organization, the result of laborious and lengthy discussions at said Conference, was not ratified by the United States Senate, and that the Geneva Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (G.A.T.T.), which was the only actual living result of that project, has operated more to the benefit of the industrialized countries with great international trade in spite of being in the minority in national resources and population, than to underdeveloped countries."