View source for Organization:Mesoamerica Project

{{Infobox Geopolitical organization
|conventional_long_name = Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project
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|image_symbol = First Gemco Logo.PNG
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|established  = 2008
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|membership   = 10 countries <br />
{{flagicon|Belize}} Belize<br />{{flagicon|Colombia}} Colombia<br />{{flagicon|Costa Rica}} Costa Rica<br />{{flagicon|Dominican Republic}} Dominican Republic<br />{{flagicon|El Salvador}} El Salvador<br />{{flagicon|Guatemala}} Guatemala<br />{{flagicon|Honduras}} Honduras<br />{{flagicon|Mexico}} Mexico<br />{{flagicon|Nicaragua}} Nicaragua<br />{{flagicon|Panama}} Panama
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|area_km2     = 3,676,719
|official_website      = [http://www.proyectomesoamerica.org]
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The '''Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project''',  or in [[Social:Spanish language|Spanish]] {{lang|es|'''Proyecto Mesoamérica'''}} ('''PM'''), is a mechanism by which 10 countries centered on Central America implement regional projects for development and integration.  The 10 participating countries are Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.  The initiative was championed by the then-Mexican President, Vicente Fox.  It is the successor to the '''Puebla-Panama Plan''' ('''PPP''') first announced in 2001.  The Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project was launched under that name in 2008.

== Goals and financing ==
The objective of Mesoamerica Project is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the region's population through social and economic development projects, based on sustainable development and integration through the delivery of regional public goods.

The Mesoamerica Project has an innovative form of financing for the projects it supports, including contributions from each of its Member States, funds from Mesoamerican regional agencies, traditional aid, south-south and triangular cooperation, as well as public-private partnerships.

==Projects==
The work of the mechanism targets two main pillars in nine strategic sectors:

'''Economic Projects'''

'''1. Transport'''

• The International Network of Mesoamerican Highway (RICAM)

• The Mesoamerican Integration Corridor (CMI)

• The Regional Bridges Programme

• Short Sea Shipping Maritime Transport (TMCD) in Mesoamerica

'''2. Energy'''

• Central America Electrical Interconnection System (SIEPAC)

• Electrical interconnection Mexico-Guatemala

• Electrical interconnection Panama-Colombia

• Efficient Lighting Strategy in Central America

• The Mesoamerican Network for Research and Development of Biofuels (RMIDB) integrated by academia representatives from member states.

'''3. Telecommunications'''

• The Mesoamerican Information Highway (AMI)

'''4. Trade Facilitation and competitiveness'''

• International Transit of Goods (TIM)

• Increased competitiveness and support for SMEs

• Mesoamerican Program for Coordinated Border Management (includes Authorized Economic Operators and One-Stop Shop mechanisms)

'''Social Projects focused on sustainable development'''

'''1. Health'''

• the Mesoamerican Public-Health System (SMSP)

• the Mesoamerican 2015 Health Initiative.

'''2. Disaster risk management'''

• the Mesoamerican Environmental Sustainability Strategy (EMSA).

'''3. Environment'''

• The Mesoamerican Comprehensive Risk Management Network (RM-GIR).

'''4. Housing'''

• The Central American Social Housing Development Program.

'''5.''' '''Food security and nutrition'''

• Mesoamerica Against Hunger is a regional intervention implemented by Food and Agriculture Organization

== History ==
The Puebla-Panama Plan (PPP) was first announced by Mexico's President Vicente Fox on March 12, 2001<ref>Davis, Celia; Beas, Carlos Beas; and Call, Wendy, "Plan Puebla Panamá Exists and Mesoamerica Resists," page 2. Unión de Comunidades Indígenas de la Zona Norte del Istmo, 2006. Translated by Brendan O’Neill.</ref> and officially launched on June 15, 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iadb.org/ppp/pppdescription.asp |title=IDB - Plan Puebla-Panamá |access-date=January 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208142302/http://www.iadb.org/ppp/pppdescription.asp |archive-date=February 8, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In March 2004, Fox officially announced the relaunch of the PPP. Among the changes made were a new emphasis social concerns.

After Felipe Calderón was elected president of Mexico, he continued the project. He had been a proponent of the Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project which was now merged with a similar funding and infrastructure project, the Puebla-Panama Plan (PPP).<ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/200704/10/eng20070410_365194.html Mexican summit set to relaunch Puebla-Panama Plan]</ref>

The Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project was launched in 2008 by the Heads of State and Government of Colombia, Mexico and Central America during the X Summit of the Tuxtla Dialogue and Consultation Mechanism, thus becoming the technical instance for cooperation and integration within this mechanism.

Calderón expanded the Mesoamerican Integration and Development Project, now including Colombia,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexidata.info/id1336.html|title=Mexico's Calderon gives life to Puebla-Panama Plan|website=www.mexidata.info}}</ref> and has stated that "the challenge (of the mechanism) is to foster democratic practices with solid foundation in the region".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milenio.com/index.php/2007/04/10/57910/|title=El gran reto para la región es cimentar las prácticas democráticas, dice Calderón|website=www.milenio.com}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Organization:Central American Integration System|Central American Integration System]]
* [[Finance:Mesoamerican region|Mesoamerican region]], an economic territory defined by the [[Organization:OECD|OECD]], with the same membership scope as the PM, except Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
* Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.proyectomesoamerica.org/ Official site of the Mesoamerica Project]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071029105130/http://www.planpuebla-panama.org/ Official site of former PPP (archived)]
*https://web.archive.org/web/20090312064524/http://portal2.sre.gob.mx/ppp/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=21
*http://www.rootforce.org
*https://web.archive.org/web/20060704193440/http://www.iadb.org/ppp/
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050213053034/http://americas.org/item_10043]
*https://web.archive.org/web/20080317035232/http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2004/16.html
*http://www.iadb.org/

[[Category:Economic integration]]
[[Category:Organizations (Finance)]]
[[Category:Organizations|Finance]]

{{Sourceattribution|Mesoamerica Project}}