living former president, or his representative, and other prominent Americans as we take specific steps to serve our children and to rebuild our communities. Our mission is nothing less than to spark a renewed national sense of obligation, a new sense of duty, a new season of service. I hope that the many related activities in the days leading up to this important event will make all Americans think about our shared responsibility for one another. Citizen service can take many shapes-it can mean joining AmeriCorps as a high school student, volunteering nights or on weekends in a religious group or neighborhood association, or devoting years of one's life to service in the Peace Corps or in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of April 13 through April 19, 1997, as National Service and Volunteer Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to express appreciation for all those who serve and to encourage others to continue the American legacy of service. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-first. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 6987 of April 11, 1997 Pan American Day and Pan American Week, 1997 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Each year, we pause to reflect on how the 34 free countries of the Western Hemisphere are inextricably linked to a shared vision through the common thread of democracy, free trade, and mutual respect. This vision can be achieved by continuing our efforts to create a hemispheric free trade area and by working together to uphold democracy, defend human rights, and defeat the scourge of narcotics trafficking. The citizens of the Americas have made remarkable progress toward the advancement of democratic values and institutions, as well as the creation of integrated markets within which goods may be exchanged freely in a common market of ideas and innovation. Today, every country in our hemisphere with one exception-has made the promise of democracy a reality. These countries have recognized that representative democracy is essential for guaranteeing the basic human rights of their citizens. Through common effort, we can make this gift of freedom a reality for all. The United States applauds the people of Paraguay for their great accomplishment in resolving last year's constitutional crisis, and we welcome the central role of the Organization of American States in defending democracy in Paraguay. We commend the people and government of Guatemala for their success in forging a comprehensive peace accord, and we encourage the spirit of reconciliation that has firmly taken root throughout Central America. Americans continue to maintain a special consideration for the people of Haiti as they strive to consolidate their new democracy and set the stage for economic growth. Today, all of us must work together to encourage the one country-Cuba-that has not embraced our common purpose to join the community of democracies. As the united standard bearers of democracy in the Western Hemisphere, we now approach a new century of unprecedented possibilities. Our vision is bold, and our expectations are high. Our cooperative spirit was nurtured through the Summit of the Americas, where we committed ourselves to free trade, representative democracy, relief from poverty, and respect for the environment. We are now collaborating closely with others in the hemisphere to prepare the agenda for the next Summit of the Americas, to be held in Santiago in March 1998. Never before has there been such a window of opportunity to promote a higher standard of living through improved access to quality education and adequate health care. Working together, we can prove that democracy provides the means for improving the daily lives of all the citizens of the Americas. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, April 14, 1997, as Pan American Day and April 13 through April 19, 1997, as Pan American Week. I urge the Governors of the 50 States, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the officials of other areas under the flag of the United States of America to honor these observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-first. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 6988 of April 11, 1997 To Modify Application of Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized System of Preferences By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation 1. Sections 502(d)(1) and 503(c)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended by Public Law 104-188; 110 Stat. 1755, 1920, 1922 ("the 1974 Act”) (19 U.S.C. 2462(d)(1) and 2463(c)(1)), provide that the President may withdraw, suspend, or limit the application of the duty-free treatment accorded under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) with respect to any country and any article upon consideration of the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2462(c)). Pursuant to sections 502(d)(1) and 503(c)(1) of the 1974 Act and having considered the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c) of such Act, including, in particular, section 502(c)(5) (19 U.S.C. 2464(c)(5)) on the extent to which a des ignated beneficiary developing country is providing adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights, I have determined that it is appropriate to suspend the duty-free treatment accorded under the GSP to certain eligible articles that are the product of Argentina, as provided in the Annex to this proclamation. 2. Section 604 of the 1974 Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including but not limited to sections 502(d)(1), 503(c)(1), and 604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim that: (1) In order to provide that Argentina should no longer be treated as a beneficiary developing country with respect to certain eligible articles for purposes of the GSP, the HTS is modified as provided in the Annex to this proclamation. (2) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive orders that are inconsistent with the actions and provisions of this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency. (3) The modifications made by this proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles both: (i) imported on or after January 1, 1976, and (ii) entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 30 days after the date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal Register. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-first. WILLIAM J. CLINTON ANNEX MODIFICATIONS OF TARIFF TREATMENT UNDER Effective with respect to articles both (1) imported on or after January 1, 1976, and (ii) entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the date which is 30 days after the date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal Register, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States ("HTS") is modified as set forth below: (1) General note 4 (d) to the HTS is modified by: (a) inserting in numerical sequence the following HTS subheadings and the country set out opposite such subheadings: (b) inserting in alphabetical sequence the country set out opposite the following HTS subheadings: |