glyph 409: Flagstaff Institute . World Economic Processing Zones Association (WEPZA) . Richard L. Bolin, Robert (Bob) C. Haywood ... freezones, freeports ... peace through commerce ... history of the emergence of freeorder ... entrepreneurial creativity and innovation, new economic & social forms useful to explorers ... investment in freeorder

The Flagstaff Institute and the World Economic Processing Zones Association (WEPZA) honored the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for establishing the World's First Economic Processing Zones.

Presentation of the award was made September 9, 2004 in San Juan to Hon. Carlos Vizcarrondo Irizarry, President, House of Representatives, and Sr. Antonio (Tito) Colorado, Former head of Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) and former Secretary of State of Puerto Rico during a conference of the Latin American Free Trade Zones Committee.

A full account of the significance of the achievement that led to this award may be found here:

https://explorersfoundation.org/archive/409t1-english.pdf [document no longer exists]
https://explorersfoundation.org/archive/409t1-espanol.pdf [Spanish version exists]

Where these documents came from:
http://www.wepza.org/editorials.html — October 21, 2007 [document no longer found here]
Thanks to Robert Haywood, director of WEPZA for permission.

The Flagstaff Institute:
http://www.instflag.org [site no longer found]

The Word Export Processing Zones Association:
http://www.wepza.org [site exists]

Two historical items:

Journal of the Flagstaff Institute — (Edited by Richard L. Bolin) Published semiannually since 1976, covers articles of interest on development of manufacturing in the Third World Countries to serve global export markets. See the Institue's website for additonal information and access to journal articles.

"Multilateral organizations need to take a more open attitude toward the use of special areas with alternative policies that help to teach countries how to interact in a global environment ....It is the presence of efficient policies and controls, and not an absence of policy and control, that define an effectrive zone." —Robert C. Haywood, former Director of WEPZA

https://explorersfoundation.org/glyphery/409.html
October 21, 2007; edited/updated November 26, 2015