Belize Property For Sale
F) Canada, Mexico, and Central America
The Government of Guatemala, with the assistance of CICAD is developing a comprehensive national drug strategy that should assist in making maximum use of its resources. Following significant high-level USG and public pressure at the end of 2002, the GOG began to pay attention to counternarcotics issues. The Embassy, in concert with Washington, will continue to urge progress on a return to pre-2002 drug seizure levels, more aggressive prosecution of major narcotics cases and the complete destruction of seized drugs not needed for evidence. In addition, the U.S. will work with the GOG to conclude negotiations on a bilateral maritime agreement – as well as encouraging the GOG to develop new legislation needed for increased successful counternarcotics enforcement, particularly in areas of search warrants, investigative authority, and the use of seized assets. The upcoming Central American Free Trade Agreement negotiations will enhance this effort by focusing regional attention on GOG perf ... [Read More]
F) Canada, Mexico, and Central America
The effectiveness of both national and bilateral efforts against drug crimes will depend largely on demonstrable progress in disrupting and dismantling transnational narcotics trafficking organizations. This includes apprehending, prosecuting and convicting major drug traffickers, and exposing and prosecuting individuals and businesses involved in providing critical support networks such as money laundering and front companies, security, transportation, and warehousing. Successful law enforcement efforts will be rendered meaningless without strong judicial action. In addition to striving toward the broad strategic objectives, U.S.-Mexico law enforcement cooperation needs to focus on resolving specific obstacles:While we made measurable progress in 2001 in reducing the production and flow of illicit drugs through Mexico and into the U.S., cooperation needs to be institutionalized if we are to sustain these efforts. Continuation of programs to exchange information and experie ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: U.S. Releases 2004 Report on Intellectual Property Protection
The United States is committed to a policy of promoting increased intellectual property protection. In this regard, we are making progress in advancing the protection of these rights through a variety of mechanisms, including through the negotiation of free trade agreements (FTAs). We are pleased that the recently concluded FTAs with Central America including the Dominican Republic, Morocco and Australia will strengthen the protection of IPR in those countries. Specifically, the intellectual property chapters of these agreements provide for higher levels of intellectual property protection in a number of areas covered by the TRIPS Agreement. We are also seeking higher levels of protection and enforcement in the FTAs that are currently under negotiation with Bahrain, Panama, the Southern Africa Customs Union, in the upcoming FTA negotiations with Andean countries and Thailand, and in the ongoing negotiation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas. Another opportunity we are using to s ... [Read More]
Treaties in Force 2002 Index
AppendixTable of ContentsPART 1: BILATERAL TREATIES AND OTHER AGREEMENTS [Read More]
Canada, Mexico, and Central America
Canada I. Summary The Government of Canada had an active and productive year in counternarcotics in 2004. The national "Canadian Addiction Survey" that was made public in November indicated that substance abuse among Canadians has significantly increased over the past decade, especially among youth. While alcohol and cannabis remained the most commonly abused substances, there were worrisome trends in abuse of other illicit substances. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) estimates that the overall drug trade in Canada generates criminal proceeds in excess of $3 billion at the wholesale level and $13.5 billion at the street level. Marijuana production is a thriving industry in Canada with production estimated by the RCMP at somewhere between 960 and 2400 metric tons. This is a particular concern of the USG because of in ... [Read More]
Belize
The Government was committed to children's rights and welfare. Education is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 15. After children finish their primary education, they may enter a secondary school, the government-run apprenticeship program, or a vocational institution. However, these programs had room for only one-half of the children finishing primary school. Education was nominally free, but school, book, and uniform fees placed education out of reach for many poor children. Approximately 71 percent of school-age children were enrolled in school; the enrollment rate was 96 percent at the elementary level and less than 60 percent at the secondary level. Statistics from 2001 indicated that 81 percent of students reached fifth grade. There were also many truants and dropouts. A 2003 study concluded that girls were victims of discrimination in the schools. Schools often expelled pregnant students, requiring the students to wait 1 year before applying for readmission. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
The Embassy forms part of the Special Embassy Program (SEP). It includes Political/Econ/Commercial, Consular, and Administrative Sections; a 50-volunteer Peace Corps program; DEA; an IBB/VOA relay station 200 road miles south in Punta Gorda; a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector 50 miles west in Belmopan; and a Military Liaison Office at Belize airport. Housing Temporary QuartersLast Updated: 11/28/2003 2:31 PM Newcomers usually stay at the Radisson Fort George, the Chateau Caribbean, or the Fiesta Inn hotels, all in walking distance of the Embassy. The Embassy rate for a single room is about US$70. These are three-star hotels, and the facilities are ... [Read More]
Marketing U.S. Products and Services
On May 19, 2000, the Belize National Assembly passed a comprehensive package of IPR legislation to satisfy Belize's obligation under the World Trade Organization (WTO) to implement the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (the TRIPS Agreement). The set of six IPR pieces of legislation includes copyrights, industrial designs, patents, trademarks, protection of new plant varieties, and protection of layout - designs (topographies) of integrated circuits.With the enactment of these measures Belize acceded to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and of Literary and Artistic Works and the Patent Copyright Treaty.This legislation came into effect on January 1, 2001. However, music and video stores in Belize continue to carry hand-copied tapes for sale or rent. Local television stations and cable companies also continue to pirate American television networks and cable channels with impunity, although two of Belize's major cable television co ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
Cyprus is a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers who forced women into prostitution continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. There was increasing evidence of Chinese women being trafficked for sexual exploitation in Cyprus. The Government of Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Cyprus made some progress in its anti-trafficking efforts over the past year. The new police anti-trafficking unit produced successful results and showed vigilance in combating the problem. Government recognition of the problem improve ... [Read More]
Investment Climate
Foreign currency transactions come under the exclusive control of the Central Bank of Belize (CBB). In order to pay for goods and services procured outside of Belize in a foreign currency, a foreign exchange permit must be obtained from an authorized dealer or directly from CBB. The CBB also has to grant approval to businesspeople or firms who wish to secure a loan from outside Belize that involves a foreign currency, and for these businesspeople or firms to be able to service repayment of the loan. In addition, foreign investors are required to register any investments made in Belize with CBB in order to facilitate the repatriation of profits, dividend, etc. Officially, no person, other than authorized dealers and authorized depositories, may retain any foreign currency in their possession without the consent of the Central Bank. However, there a number of cases of U.S. citizens being unable to exchange Belize dollars for U.S. dollars or other hard currency at commercial banks in ... [Read More]
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