The OAS and the African Union sign Memorandum of Understanding to
cooperate on issues for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights
The Commission of the
African Union (AU) and the General Secretariat of the Organization
of American States (OAS) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at 11:30 a.m. Thursday,
October 1, 2009 to strengthen the cooperation between both regional
organizations. The document was signed by the OAS Secretary
General, José Miguel Insulza, and the Chairperson of the Commission
of the African Union, Mr. Jean Ping.
Secretary-General Insulza emphasized the historic character of
the agreement in his remarks, stating that this was the “first such
agreement that has been signed” between the two organizations since
inter-regional cooperation took root two years ago.
The MOU establishes a higher level of cooperation between the two
organizations specifically on issues relating to the promotion of
democracy and strengthening of democratic institutions and
processes, conflict resolution, protection of human and peoples’
rights and social and economic development, as well as any other
areas of common interest that may be defined in the future by the
parties. Click
here for more info.
September 24, 2009
The OAS and the Ibero-American Secretariat (SEGIB) sign a
Cooperation Agreement
The OAS Secretary General, José Miguel
Insulza, and the Ibero-American Secretary General, Enrique
Iglesias, signed a
Cooperation Agreement to strengthen relations between the
two organizations and jointly develop regional initiatives in areas
of common interest. This Agreement was signed during the framework
of the Sixty-fourth Session of the United
Nations General Assembly, that took place in New York on September
22-26, 2009. Click
here for more info.
September 22, 2009
THE OAS AND THE CLUB DE MADRID SIGN A COOPERATION AGREEMENT ON
DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND CONSOLIDATION
On September 22, at the OAS headquarters in Washington D.C., the
former Prime Minister of New Zealand and member of the Club de
Madrid, Jennifer Mary Shipley; and the OAS Assistant Secretary
General, Albert Ramdin, signed an
agreement (Spanish
version) to collaborate in the areas of support, technical
cooperation, implementation of joint projects, and dissemination of
knowledge, in the area of democratic transition and consolidation.
Click
here for more info.
August 28, 2009
The Academic Council of the Lecture Series of the Americas was
established Friday and held its first-ever meeting with the
attendance of the Secretary General of the Organization of American
States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, and its first seven members.
The Academic Council is chaired by Dr. Raúl Bao, rector of the
Universidad San Martín de Porres (Peru). The first members of the
Council are the rectors of Arizona State University (United States),
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
(Mexico), International Organization of Higher Education (Organización
de Universidades Interamericanas OUI-IOHE), Universidad
Centroamericana (UCA) “José Simeón Cañas” (El Salvador), Universidad
Diego Portales (Chile), and University of the West Indies in Mona
(Jamaica).
Members of the Council will be invited by the OAS General
Secretariat to become participants at their own cost with a rotating
bi-annual membership. The Inter-American Organization for Higher
Education (IOHE) will also participate as member of this Council but
with a permanent member status.
The Academic Council, with an advisory role to the OAS General
Secretariat, will work throughout the year, meeting annually with
several goals, such as extending the reach of the Lecture Series and
the topics in the Inter-American agenda within the academic
community, promoting greater participation of universities in the
hemispheric dialogue, facilitating the relationship between the OAS
and the academic community in the region, and identifying and
securing prestigious high-level speakers for the conferences.
The first meeting of the Council was inaugurated by Secretary
General Insulza, who insisted on the value of these debates focused
on important topics of the Inter-American agenda and provided by
very high-profile speakers.
Secretary General Insulza highlighted that the aim of the Academic
Council should be to “widen the reach of the debates taking place at
the Lecture Series of the Americas and make it useful as academic
material and as a contribution to the design of public policies.”
Click here for more info.
July 30, 2009
THE OAS TRAINS FUTURE LEADERS OF THE HEMISPHERE
Courtesy of Caribbean Net News, August 1, 2009
WASHINGTON, USA -- The Organization of American States (OAS) is
holding its 4th Model of the Permanent Council for OAS Interns (4th
MOAS/PC) at OAS Headquarters. The MOAS Program is designed to
promote democratic values among the youth of the Hemisphere through
simulation exercises of the OAS main political bodies, in which
students represent the Organization’s Member States and negotiate
resolutions to promote democracy, human rights, hemispheric security
and development in the Americas.
The purpose of this 4th MOAS/PC is to familiarize the 77 interns
from throughout the Hemisphere that are doing their Summer
internship at the Organization, with the work of the Permanent
Council of the OAS, so that they can acquire an integral view of the
mission, functions and work of the organization. This is an official
activity of the OAS Internship Program.
The keynote speaker at the opening ceremony this morning, was the
Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the OAS, Ambassador Anthony
Johnson, who provided an overview on the development of democracy in
the Hemisphere from the imperial period of the 18th and 19th
centuries, to the founding of the Pan American Union in 1889, and
how after WWII the OAS was established.
He also summarized the chronology of the Caribbean countries joining
the OAS in the 1960’s, as well as the suspension of Cuba during that
decade, as well as the derogation of its suspension 2 months ago and
suspension of Honduras less than 1 month ago.
Irene Klinger, Director of the Department of International Affairs,
which together with the Department of Human Resources of the OAS
organizes this event, gave an overview of the OAS and its role as
the main political body of the Hemisphere, highlighting the main
events and actions taken by the OAS regarding Honduras. She
reiterated that the Member States applied articles 20th and 21st of
the Inter-American Democratic Chart in their decision for suspending
Honduras.
The newly appointed Ambassador of Panama to the OAS, Guillermo
Cochez, was a special guest and he briefly addressed the interns to
wish them luck in their deliberations pointing out that the work of
negotiation and compromise that they would practice throughout the
day will serve them well for their professional and personal life.
By the end of the 4th MOAS/PC, this afternoon the interns will have
approved 2 resolutions on the following topics: “Strengthening
border control among OAS Member States to combat illicit drug
trafficking in the Americas,” and “Combating arms trafficking in the
Americas.” The interns received technical assistance from OAS
experts on these topics, and also from diplomats regarding the
policies of the countries they are representing at the MOAS. The
Secretary for External Relations of the OAS, Ambassador Adam
Blackwell, and the Director of the Department of Human Resources,
Rosa Maria Barreiro, were due to be the speakers at the closing
ceremony on Friday afternoon.
DIALOGUE ON COOPERATION BETWEEN THE HEADS OF DELEGATION, THE OAS
SECRETARY GENERAL AND THE HEADS OF DELEGATION OF THE PERMANENT
OBSERVER COUNTRIES-
June 1st, 2009
San Pedro Sula - Honduras
On June 1, representatives from 35
Permanent Observer countries met for a luncheon at the Hotel
Intercontinental in San Pedro Sula, Honduras with the Heads of
Delegation of the 34 Member States of the OAS and the Assistant
Secretary General to dialogue on the cooperation between the
Permanent Observers and the Organization, as well as to discuss
points of interest relating to this topic of this year’s General
Assembly, “Toward a Culture of Nonviolence.” The Dialogue began with
introductory remarks by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Honduras, Patricia Licona Cubero, who offered her
welcome on behalf of Honduras and invited the Permanent Observer
participants to exchange opinions and points of view with the Member
States and Assistant Secretary General on themes of the
Inter-American Agenda. Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin,
then provided a brief overview of the role Observers play in the
Organization, noting that the Permanent Observers in 2008
contributed a total of US$25.8 million in cash, and US$354,732 in
kind – an increase of 21.4% from 2007 – and provided contributions
in all areas of the OAS, ranging from democracy promotion, security,
human rights and development. For more info,
click here.
Dialogues of Civil Society
May 31st and June 1st
San Pedro Sula-Honduras
Nearly 200
representatives from more than 100 civil society, private sector and
workers’ organizations participated in the XXXIX OAS General
Assembly. The Informal Conversation between the Secretary
General of the OAS and the Representatives of Civil Society
Organizations and the Dialogue of Heads of Delegation with
Representatives of Civil Society, which took place in the
headquarters of the General Assembly “Centro Social Hondureño Árabe”
on May 31st and June 1st respectively, offered spaces for dialogue,
in which the participants exchanged opinions regarding the theme of
the General Assembly “Toward a Culture of Non-Violence” and the four
priority areas of the OAS, democracy, human rights, multidimensional
security and integral development.
These dialogues
contributed to strengthening citizen participation in the
Inter-American agenda and in the policymaking process, highlighting
the importance of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which
defines civil society organizations as agents of democracy, and
promotes the continued cooperation between civil society and Member
States in the economic, social and cultural development of the
region.
The opening ceremony of the 27th
Model OAS General Assembly (MOAS) for Universities of the Hemisphere took place this morning in the campus of Universidad de San Pedro Sula (USPS), Honduras. This Model, held from April 27- 30, 2009, is organized jointly
by the Department of International Affairs (DIA) of the Secretariat
for External Relations of the Organization of American States (OAS),
the USPS and the Government of
Honduras. This MOAS brings together approximately 400 students and
50 teachers from 15 universities in Honduras, as well as 13
universities from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. The participating students will
represent the 34 OAS Member States and 5 Permanent Observer
countries of the OAS. This Model is financed by the OAS, the USPS
and the Government of Spain, and seeks to familiarize the youth and
general population of Honduras, as well as the youth of the
Hemisphere, with the priorities in the inter-American agenda in
anticipation to the celebration of the 39th Regular Period of
Sessions of the General Assembly of the OAS, to be held in that same
city from June 1-3, 2009. The main purpose of the MOAS Program is
the promotion of democratic values among the youth of the
Hemisphere, through this role-playing exercise, where the students
represent each of the 34 OAS Member States. For more information
about this Model please visit
www.moea.usps.edu. For more information about the MOAS, please
visit www.moas.oas.org
April 9, 2009
The OAS Secretary General Insulza met
today with more than 39 representatives from
the35
Permanent Observer countries. This meeting took place at OAS
Headquarters Guerrero Room at 10:30AM and offered a unique
opportunity for Permanent Observer representatives to exchange
views with the Secretary General on the developments in the
region, on the upcoming
V Summit of the Americas
which will take place in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago from
April 17 -19, 2009, and on the 39th Regular Session of the OAS
General Assembly.
Agenda
Contributions 2008
Photo Gallery
April 8, 2009
The Secretary General provided
welcoming remarks during the inauguration of the 30th
Anniversary year of the Washington Model General Assembly, a
program undertaken jointly with the Inter-American Institute
for Diplomacy (IAID). More than 350 university students and
teachers from 19 universities in the United States, 10 in
Latin America and 1 in the Caribbean are participating in this
model, representing the 34 OAS member states. For more info,
click here
Press release
Photo Gallery
March 29, 2009
The OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza,
spoke at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the
Inter-American Development Bank. The Fiftieth Annual Meeting
of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development
Bank and the Twenty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Board of
Governors of the Inter-American Investment Corporation took
place in the city of Medellín, Colombia, from March 27 – 31
2009.
The OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, signed an
agreement to organize the Model OAS General Assembly for
students in San Pedro Sula. The
XXVII model for
universities of the hemisphere will take place in San Pedro
Sula, Honduras, from April 27 to the 30th. For more info about
this model, please
click here.
March 27 , 2009
On March, 27th, the
III Model of the
Permanent Council for the OAS Interns
was held at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, DC. This model
aimed at sensitizing students with respect to the upcoming
Summit of the Americas, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from
April 17-19, 2009. The III model addressed some of the issues
of the V Summit: energy security and environmental
sustainability.
Photo gallery
March 24, 2009
The DIA held the
Fifteenth OAS Policy Roundtable on March 24th. The Director of
the
Director of the OECD Development Centre,
Javier Santiso, presented the
Latin American Economic Outlook
Report 2009 of the OECD.
March 23-24, 2009
DIA, in
conjunction with IDEA held consultations on the EU’s
role in democracy building in Latin America and the
Caribbean. This was part of International
IDEA’s project entitled “Democracy in Development – global
consultations on this issue. Through cross- and multi-sector
analyses, and consultations with partners in Asia, the Arab
World, Africa, and Latin America, this project aims at
deepening the understanding of how EU policies and actions
impact democracy building worldwide. The project will result
in a set of policy options for strengthening the democracy
building dimension of EU policies and actions, which will be
made public before mid-year, in light of the assumption of
the EU Presidency by the Government of Sweden. These
consultations, therefore, are an opportunity for EU partners
in Latin America and the Caribbean to influence EU policy
making from within.
Program
Photo Gallery Press Release OAS Secretary General says Quality of Government in the
Americas Still Short of Expectations (Caribbean News Net)
March 20, 2009
On March 20, the
Council of the Americas
presented the report: "Building the Hemispheric Growth Agenda:
A New Framework for Policy" to the Ambassadors of the OAS
Member States in a working breakfast, hosted by the Secretary
General.
During his introduction, the Secretary
General of the OAS highlighted the need for the leaders of the
hemisphere to use the upcoming V Summit of the Americas and
the XXXIX OAS General Assembly as opportunities to reshape the
inter-American agenda for regional growth and integration. He
called on the Ambassadors of the OAS to work with the private
sector leaders, such as those of the Council of the Americas,
to generate real solutions to the present economic challenges
that are slowing, or even reversing advancements in other
areas such as energy security, climate change, poverty
alleviation and access to public services.
Eric Farnsworth, Vice President of the
Council of the Americas/Americas Society, echoed many of the
remarks of the Secretary General in his presentation of the
report. The economic crisis, he observed, is prompting an
urgent need for leaders to re-evaluate hemispheric trade
policy and broader US relations with the Americas. The report
highlights how trade expansion is a critical component to
revitalizing the economy of the hemisphere, and that this
expansion must occur in the context of goodwill and mutual
interest. This includes the creation of a subgroup of willing
nations to lead the hemispheric energy security and climate
change initiatives, increased engagement with the Asia-Pacific
region through participation in the Trans-Pacific Strategic
Economic Partnership, and more open cooperation with the
larger economies of the hemisphere, such as Brazil.
Farnsworth concluded by saying that the
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) proved too ambitious
for its time, however, it should remain a long-term goal of
the United States. In the meantime, the US needs to work to
harmonize the rules of origin within existing US trade
agreements in order to help accelerate trade expansion.
Similarly, while bilateral trade negotiations are likely to be
unsuccessful given the pervasive economic and political
conditions throughout the world, this is certainly not the
time for the US and other hemispheric leaders to stop working
toward this solution.
The full text of the Council of the
Americas report is available on their
website.
It includes a series of recommendations on issues related to
US-Latin America relations and trade policy.
On March 18, the Right Honorable Terry
Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, addressed
the Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the OAS
and the public-at-large in the Hall of the Americas at OAS
Headquarters regarding "The Universality of Human Rights and
the Work of the Council of Europe." He spoke briefly on the
structure of the Council of Europe and noted the importance of
the Council's work in assistance programs and communications
campaigns. He stated of these campaigns and programs: "[It] is
of the most importance to our work, as I have invested much
effort and time in establishing the Council of Europe as a
defender and promoter of the values of Europe; the
effectiveness of our work depends on the public perception of
our activities."
Regarding the universality of human
rights, Secretary Davis alluded to the Singapore Argument,
which criticizes developed countries for attacking the
authoritarianism of underdeveloped nations for many argue that
authoritarianism facilitates effective development. He noted
that those who ignore human rights in defense of this argument
should realize that for every case similar to Singapore, there
are ten in contradiction. Davis emphasized the importance of
multiculturalism as a tool for human rights. Indeed, he
commented, human rights cannot be ignored in the name of
cultural differences - every human deserves human rights
regardless of their ethnicity, sexual preference, color or
creed.
Davis concluded that the intercultural
dialogue must continue, as it is the "social glue" that
society needs and it is the antidote for intolerance and
violence. The Council of Europe, for their part, is working to
develop a focus in which human rights and intercultural
tolerance are not perceived as mutually exclusive. This
dialogue and re-focus is what he believes will allow human
rights to be a universally accepted concept with citizens
actively seeking to preserve and protect one another from its
abuse.
On February 20, 2009, OAS Secretary General received a
courtesy visit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia
and Herzegovnia, Sven Alkalaj. The two leaders met to discuss
the role of the OAS in the Americas and expanding Bosnia's
stance in global affairs through increased cooperation with
the OAS Member States.
Ambassador
Aziz Mekouar, Permanent Observer of Morocco to the
Organization of American States (OAS) and Dr. Klinger,
Secretary for External Relations, a.i., met on February
11, 2009 at the Moroccan Embassy to discuss the possibilities
for enhancing collaboration between the OAS and the Government
of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Dr. Klinger opened the meeting by sharing
the priorities, work areas, and pillars of the OAS. Within
the Organization’s four pillars – strengthening democracy,
integral development, multidimensional security, and the
protection of human rights – Dr. Klinger detailed a number of
the noteworthy OAS programs being implemented throughout the
Americas.
Ambassador Mekouar underscored the
importance of bilateral relations between the Government of
Morocco and various countries throughout the Americas,
particularly those that maintain diplomatic relations with
Morocco. The Ambassador also highlighted the interest of the
Moroccan Government in the work carried out by the OAS in the
areas of economic growth, the promotion democracy, and
sustainable development and expressed the intent to explore
avenues for increased support these crucial endeavors.
February 4, 2009
On February
4, 2009, the President of the Universidad San Martín de Porres
of Lima, Perú, Raúl Bao García and OAS Secretary General, José
Miguel Insulza met at OAS Headquarters to renew the
cooperation agreement for the Lecture Series of the Americas.
The renewed agreement will help facilitate the continuation of
the
OAS Lecture Series of the Americas, an initiative
organized by the Department of International Affairs since
2004.
On January 28, 2009, representatives from the Inter-American
Commission of Women (CIM), hosted by the Department of
International Affairs, met with donor country representatives
to discuss the Commission’s 2009-2010 Biennial Work Plan, and
highlight the important contributions made in advancing the
rights of women in the hemisphere.
The Biennial Work Plan, presented by the
President of CIM, Laura Albornoz Pollman, Minister of the
National Service for Women in Chile, features advancements in
much of the work already done by CIM in the past several
years, in addition to new programs on women and voting rights,
access to the judiciary and violence prevention. According to
Minister Albornoz, the CIM intends to build discussion of the
role of women’s rights throughout the various political organs
and technical areas of the OAS. Minister Albornoz underscored
the need to view women’s rights as a cross-cutting issue, and
how the Biennial Work Plan aims to take advantage of this
understanding by increasing the visibility and awareness of
the Commission’s work through the creation of a space for
dialogue between the Member States in the context of the
General Assembly and the Summits of the Americas.
Representatives from donor Permanent
Observer countries as well as Mexico, Chile, the United States
and Canada were also on hand to strengthen to the dialogue on CIM’s commitments in the coming years. The Ambassadors and
representatives from Spain, the European Commission, Canada,
the USA and Mexico took the opportunity to discuss their
countries’ programs with regard to advancing women’s rights in
the hemisphere, and ask questions regarding CIM’s programmatic
outline for the two years. Of those countries who offered
commentary, all reiterated their assurances of support to the
work of the Commission in the biennial.
On November 19, 2008 at OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos, joined OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, to
sign the 2009 Operative Plan for the Spanish Fund of the OAS. For the 2009
fiscal year, the Spanish Government has generously reaffirmed its cooperation
with the General Secretariat with a contribution to the Spanish Fund of US$13.5 million, an increase of over US$3 million from the previous year.
The Spanish Fund of the OAS, established in 2006, was designed to strengthen
collaboration between Spain and the OAS in the areas of democracy, security,
human prosperity and integral development, as well as to support reinforcement
of the institutional and human resources of the OAS General Secretariat. Contributions to the Spanish Fund are made annually to the General Secretariat,
and are distributed to the various technical areas on the programmatic basis.
On November 17, OAS
Secretary General José Miguel Insulza met with Ambassador
Alexandros Mallias, Permanent Observer of Greece to the OAS. Secretary General
Insulza and Ambassador Mallias discussed Greek cooperation in the Americas and
with the OAS. The Greek ambassador expressed his intention to strengthen Greek
cooperation with the Organization and in the Americas. He was particularly
interested in learning of the OAS perspective on challenges in the region, and
concluded the meeting by offering his congratulations to the OAS Secretary
General on the achievements of his OAS administration in strengthening
democracy, human rights, security and promoting integral development in the
Americas. Recently, Greece announced its intentions to finance programs of
the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD).
From November 10 to 14 2008, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of
American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert Ramdin, and the Director of
International Affairs, Dr. Irene Klinger, traveled to Europe to meet with
governmental officials in an effort to establish priorities for strengthening
collaboration with the OAS.
In London, the OAS delegation met with Parliament Member, Gillian Merron,
Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in
addition to 15 ambassadors from Latin American and the Caribbean at a gathering
hosted by the Colombian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Noemi Sanín.
Similarly, Assistant Secretary General Ramdin delivered the keynote speech at
the conference “Making Trade Work for Development in Latin America,” that took
place at the Chatham House, an internationally renowned think tank. High level
officials and experts attended the event in which Ramdin talked about new
approaches to trade policy in the Americas.
In Netherlands, OAS officials also attended the three-day “Global Forum on
Leadership for Shared Societies: Building a world safe for difference,” hosted
by the Club de Madrid in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The delegation also met with
Ambassador Joke Brandt, Deputy Director of International Cooperation for the
Ministry of Development Cooperation, to discuss opportunities for collaboration
in the areas of fragile states, economic distribution and growth, environmental
sustainability, and women’s rights.
The meeting was viewed as largely successful in advancing support from the
Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands to OAS activities in the areas of democracy
and human rights.
On November 11, 2008, OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin called on
Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, Deputy Secretary General Mmasekgoa
Masire-Mwamba and a group of senior officials to review relations between both
organizations.
The Commonwealth and the OAS promote development,
democracy, and political stability. Both organizations are
very concerned with the state of food, fuel, and finance in
today’s global economy, especially in the wake of recent and
current events that are driving markets down and levels of
human anxiety up. A major objective of both organizations is
to mitigate the effects of environmental degradation, and they
are striving to ensure that global trade relationships are
equitable and sustainable.
They agreed that the Commonwealth and the OAS are
organizations whose interests and activities are converging,
and that it is in both organizations’ interests to define new
ways in which they could cooperate, especially on issues and
in regions where their interests and mandates intersect.
On November 3, 2008, OAS
Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, met with Italian Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Observer to the OAS, Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta. Ambassador
Castellaneta and Secretary General Insulza discussed
Italy's ongoing collaboration with the Organization, including the country's
continued commitment to the OAS Action Against Antipersonnel Mines Program (AICMA)
through the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security. The meeting between the
two representatives took place just days following an announcement made by the
Government of Italy to contribute over €200,000 to various
OAS programs in the region.
On October 23, 2008, the OAS
Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, received a visit from Regina Veronica
Maria Jones-Bos, the current Permanent Observer of the Netherlands to the OAS
and Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United States. Secretary General Insulza took the opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Jones-Bos on her recent
appointment of Permanent Observer and welcomed her to the Organization. The two
spoke about various topics on the inter-American agenda, including an exchange
on cooperation between the Netherlands and the OAS. The Secretary General spoke
to the historically strong degree of cooperation between the Netherlands and the
OAS, noting that the Netherlands was the first country to contribute to the OAS Misión de Apoyo al Proceso de Paz en Colombia (MAPP/OEA) program.
Secretary
General Insulza added the support of the Netherlands to OAS programs is highly
valued, but also addressed the challenges the Organization is facing in terms of
implementation of its mandates, and appealed to the Ambassador for stronger
collaboration.
On
October 23, 2008, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza welcomed to OAS
Headquarters, Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to
the United States and current Permanent Observer to the OAS.
Secretary General Insulza offered his congratulations to the
Ambassador for his recent appointment to the Embassy of Russia
in the United States and as Permanent Observer to the Organization.
Ambassador Kislyak and the Secretary General discussed the various commercial relationships Russia shares with countries in the region, and spoke
of ways to strengthen the capacity of Latin
America to compete in the global market. Secretary General Insulza discussed the
work of the Organization and Russia’s collaboration with the OAS as Permanent
Observer. He emphasized the desire for Russia to become more involved in the
work of the Organization and underscored the necessity for increased cooperation
between the country and the OAS.
On October 22, the Department of
International Affairs hosted a luncheon for institutional
partners in the Americas. The working lunch featured lively
discussions on major institutional developments, priorities in
the Hemispheric agenda, host country relations and on areas of
collaboration between the partnering institutions and the OAS.
Partners in attendance included representatives from the
following institutions: the UN Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB), the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International
Organization for Migration (IOM), the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO), the World Bank Group, the UN Development
Programme, the UN Information Center DC, and the UN World Food
Programme. The program also featured a guided tour of the
current exhibit at the Art Museum of the Americas featuring a
celebration of the 100th Birthday of Architect Oscar Niemeyer.
On October 14, His Royal Highness Prince Mired bin Ra'ad bin
Zeid al-Hussein of Jordan visited OAS headquarters in his
capacity as President of the Eighth Meeting of the States
Parties (8MSP) to the Convention on the Prohibition of the
Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel
Landmines and on their Destruction. During a breakfast meeting
with the OAS Secretary General José
Miguel Insulza, Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin,
Member States and Permanent Observers, the Prince offered his
congratulations for its ongoing work in the area of demining
and stressed the importance of continued cooperation on this
effort by both Member States and Permanent Observers.
Secretary General Insulza took the opportunity to highlight
the achievements of the OAS Program against Antipersonnel
Landmines and concluded by extending his gratitude to the
donor countries, including Permanent Observers: Denmark, the
European Union, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Spain,
Sweden and the United Kingdom.
On October 14, 2008 Benin has been
granted the status of Permanent Observer to the Organization
of American States, pursuant to General Assembly resolution
AG/RES. 50 (I-O/71) and resolution
CP/RES.945 (1666/08) of
the Permanent Council.
October 14, 2008
On October 14, 2008 Iceland has been
granted the status of Permanent Observer to the Organization
of American States, pursuant to General Assembly resolution
AG/RES. 50 (I-O/71) and resolution
CP/RES.944 (1666/08) of
the Permanent Council.
October 10, 2008
On October 10, the OAS Permanent Council
held a Protocolary Meeting to commemorate "The Discovery of the Americas: Encounter of Two Worlds." Supported by the
Government of Spain, the event was held to honor the 1492
discovery of the Americas by Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus, and
featured insights by members of the Permanent Council and
others on the evolution of the Americas since its discovery by
the Spanish in the fifteenth century.
On October 9, Assistant Secretary General,
Albert Ramdin, received a courtesy visit from the Permanent Observer from the United Kingdom to the OAS, Ambassador
Dominick Chilcott. The two sat to discuss the United Kingdom's
role as Permanent Observer with the Organization and worked to
discover additional areas of mutual collaboration.
During the framework of the sixty-third session of the United
Nations General Assembly, OAS Secretary General José
Miguel Insulza took the opportunity to meet with numerous
heads of state, representatives and foreign ministers from the
Americas and Europe.
Included in those
meetings were talks with Fernando Lugo, President of Paraguay,
President Evo Morales of Bolivia; as well as the Foreign
Ministers of Belize, Guatemala, Ecuador, Brazil.
Also, Secretary General Insulza attended meetings of
the Grupo de Amigos de Colombia and the Key Players of Haiti.
Additionally,
Secretary General Insulza sat down with the Secretary General
of the European Council, Terry Davis, and the Commissioner for
External Relations for the European Commission, Benita
Ferrero-Waldner. Topics of discussion between
Insulza and the various global leaders ranged across topics
impacting the hemisphere from democratic governance to trade
to public security.
On September 17, the Department of International Affairs
hosted the Tenth OAS Policy Roundtable: "Opportunities and
Challenges in the Western Hemisphere: Perspectives from the
United States Congress" featuring US Senators Mel Martinez
(R-FL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The Roundtable will took from
9:30am-11:00am at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
On August 14, the Department of International Affairs
received from the Government of Italy a Verbal Note indicating
a generous contribution of €37,000
(approximately US$55,021.07) to finance the project "Civil Registry Information Reconstruction and Registration of
Populations Affected by the Internal Armed Conflict -
Huancavelica, Peru."
August 4, 2008
On August 4, Assistant Secretary General welcomed the
new Permanent Observer of Spain to the OAS, H.E. Ambassador Javier Sancho. Spain has held the status of
Permanent Observer to the OAS since January 1972.
OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, met with the
Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme,
Josette Sheeran, in the framework of the XXIX Lecture of the
OAS Lecture Series of the Americas.
XXIX
Lecture Series of the Americas:
"Confronting
the Challenge of the Global Food Crisis in the Americas"
Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the United Nations
World Food Programme Tuesday,
July 29, 2008 - 3:00pm
Organization of American States, Hall of the Americas
17th Street & Constitution Ave., NW. ,Washington, DC
20006
The Secretariat for External
Relations, Department of International Affairs is pleased to
announce the Twenty-Ninth Lecture of the OAS Lecture Series of
the Americas featuring Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of
the United Nations World Food Programme, who will speak on
"Confronting the Challenge of the Global Food Crisis in the
Americas" on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at OAS Headquarters in
Washington, D.C.
As the current global food crisis is
one of the most urgent problems facing the region, Ms.
Sheeran's views and ideas on how to confront this challenge
will undoubtedly contribute to enriching the hemispheric
debate on this important issue.
On July 18, OAS Secretary General José
Miguel Insulza met with United Nations Assistant Secretary
General for Peacekeeping Operations, Edmond Mulet, to discuss
areas of mutual cooperation.
On July 14, the XXVI
Model OAS General Assembly for Universities began in Santiago,
Chile. The MOAS will take place from the 14th to the 17th of
July at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
with cooperation from the OAS and Corporación
PARTICIPA. The XXVI MOAS was inaugurated by Secretary General José
Miguel Insulza and the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Alejandro Foxley. For more information on the
MOAS in Santiago (Spanish only) and other MOAS in the
Hemisphere, visit the Secretariat for External Relations'
MOAS webpage.
On July 9, the Government of Italy announced a
contribution to OAS Demining Programs in the Americas. Specifically, the 100,000 Euro donation will finance the
ongoing demining and reconstruction efforts of the Secretariat for Multidimensional
Security in the Peru-Ecuador, Colombia and Nicaragua regions
of Latin America.
The People's Republic of China recently pledged a generous
contribution of US$100,000 to fund projects on "Education for
Children in Rural, Indigenous and Border Regions," to be
implemented by the Department of Education and Culture, and
the forthcoming publication entitled, "Sustainable Development
in the Caribbean; Contemporary Issues, Challenges, and
Opportunities" to be issued by the Department of Sustainable
Development and Environment.
At the request of the Permanent
Mission of Peru (CP/doc.4322/08), a Special Permanent Council
Meeting was held on June 26, 2008, at 10:30 a.m., in the Simón
Bolívar Room at OAS Headquarters. The purpose of this meeting
was to discuss the recently approved "Rule of Return of
Illegal Immigrants" by the European Parliament. The
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Peru, Colombia as well as the
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay addressed the
Permanent Council on this complex issue. The Permanent Representatives of the OAS Member States also expressed their
views on the impact of this directive, followed by remarks
from the Permanent Representatives of the European Union and
Slovenia.
Ambassador
John Bruton, Permanent Observer of the
European Union to the OAS, addressed his concern over
the apprehension of the citizens of the Americas regarding the
new directive. He noted that the regulation does not
criminalize migration, but rather seeks to help the EU
better regulate both illegal and legal migration. He concluded by
underscoring the necessity for comprehensive immigration reform in order to develop more appropriate safeguards against the exploitation
of illegal immigrants.
On
June 13, OAS Secretary General José
Miguel Insulza met with former United States Secretary of
State, Madeleine K. Albright and United States Supreme Court
Justice Anthony Kennedy at OAS Headquarters in Washington,
D.C. Ambassador Albright and Justice Kennedy spent time at the
OAS that day in their roles as members of the Commission on
Legal Empowerment of the Poor, an independent commission
hosted by the United Nations Development Programme. The
Commission launched it's latest report:
"Making the Law Work for Everyone" in the framework of the
Ninth OAS Policy Roundtable on
June 13 at OAS Headquarters.
On June 13, the Department of International Affairs will host
the Ninth OAS Policy Roundtable and Report Launch: "Making the
Law Work for Everyone" by the UN Commission on Legal
Empowerment of the Poor. The Roundtable will take place from
10:00am-11:30am at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
On
June 12, representatives from the Government of the Federal
Republic of Germany convened at OAS Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. to sign an agreement marking German support
to the Program for the Strengthening of Electoral Management
Bodies' Institutional Capacity. The program operates through
the OAS' Department for Cooperation and Electoral Observation.
On June 9, the Department of International Affairs of the
Secretariat for External Relations hosted a Results Report
of the XXXVIII OAS General Assembly for the Foreign Ministers
of the Americas. The Results Report featured the OAS
Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General and Ambassador Camilo Ospina, the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the
OAS. The Results Report took place from 4:00pm-5:30pm in
the Hall of the Americas at OAS Headquarters in Washington,
D.C.
On May 21, 2008, the Model
OAS General Assembly (MOAS) for Colombian Universities
began in Medellín, Colombia proceeding
the upcoming 38th OAS General Assembly, being held in the same
city from June 1-3. The Colombian Model was organized by the
EAFIT University of Medellín, with support from Universidad
del Norte of Barranquilla, the Organization of American States
and the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Colombia. For more
information on the MOAS for Colombian Universities, visit
here.
On Monday, May
19, 2008 the Department of International Affairs of the
Secretariat for External Relations held a Special
Ambassadors Briefing breakfast during which the Council on
Foreign Relations’ Task Force presented the report: U’S’-Latin
America Relations: A New Direction for a New reality.
Among the attendees of this breakfast
were: General J. Thomas Hill (ret.), former member of
Congress Jim Kolbe, and Project Director, Shannon O’Neil,
presented on behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations Task
Force. Ambassadors from The Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada,
Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua,
Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad
and Tobago, Uruguay and the United Status participated in
the event.
On May 9, 2008 Iceland
was been
granted the status of Permanent Observer to the Organization
of American States, pursuant to General Assembly resolution
AG/RES. 50 (I-O/71) and resolution
CP/RES.
936 (1650/08) of
the Permanent Council.
May 8, 2008
On May 8, the Government of
France announced a
contribution to the Organization of American States totaling
US$125,384.61 with the goal of supporting the work of the
Organization in strengthening democracy and human rights in
the Hemisphere. The funds will be used to aid the following
programs:
•Support for the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights on its Activities in Haiti Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) - US$60,000
•Course on Empowerment, HIV and
violence against Women in the Caribbean - Comisión
Interamericana de Mujeres (CIM) - US$23,000
•Strengthening Freedom of Expression in
the Americas - Special Rapporteaur for Freedom of Expression,
Comisión
Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH)
- US$15,000
•Working Group in charge of preparing the American Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - Secretariat for Juridical
Affairs - US$12,384
•Support for the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism -
Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) - US$10,000
•Lecture Series of the Americas - Secretariat for External
Relations, Department of International Affairs - US$5,000
XXVIII
Lecture Series of the Americas: "Indigenous
Peoples and their Contribution to the International
Human Rights System"
James Anaya, Professor of Human Rights Law and Policy Thursday,
April 17, 2008 - 3:00pm
Organization of American States, Hall of the Americas
17th Street & Constitution Ave., NW. ,Washington, DC
20006
On April 10, OAS
Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza will participate as a
briefer at the hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere about: "Crisis in the
Andes: The Border Dispute Between Colombia and Ecuador, and
Implications for the Region."
On April 4, the Korean government announced a cash
contribution to the OAS of US$100,000. The funds will support
the following projects: the MOAS in the Caribbean (US$21,000);
Project on Strengthening Access to Justice in the Americas
2008 (US$25,000); Project on Empowerment, HIV and Violence
against Women in the Caribbean (US$24,000); and support for
the activities of Paraguay election observers (US$30,000).
XXVII
Lecture Series of the Americas: "Immigration and
Hemispheric Affairs"
Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico Tuesday,
April 1 - 3:00pm
Organization of American States, Hall of the Americas
17th Street & Constitution Ave., NW. ,Washington, DC
20006
On March 26, the OAS General Assembly formalized the
establishment of two new Secretariats within the organization:
one for Legal Affairs and another for External Relations. The
new Secretariat for External Relations will be headed by
Suzanne Laporte, with continued direction of the renamed
Department of International Affairs (formerly the Department
of External Relations) by Irene Klinger.
On March 25, OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza
forwarded to the Permanent Council for its approval the
request of His Excellency Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, to be granted the
status of Permanent Observer to the Organization of American
States. For its part, Iceland's foreign policy objectives
fully support the efforts of the OAS in strengthening
cooperation on democratic values, promoting human rights,
fostering the environment and sustainable development, as well
as advancing fair trade and confronting shared problems such
as poverty, terrorism and corruption.
March 25, 2008
XXVI
Lecture Series of the Americas: "Political Strategy for
Governance: The Importance of the Regional Context"
Eduardo Stein, Former Vice President of Guatemala Tuesday,
March 25 -
3:00 PM
Organization of American States, Hall of the Americas
17th Street & Constitution Ave., NW. ,Washington, DC
20006
The OAS hosts Ministers of Foreign Affairs for Meeting of
Consultations
On March 5, the OAS Permanent Missions and some Permanent
Observers met to discuss the situation between Colombia and
Ecuador that took place on March 1, 2008. On March 17, the
Missions and Observers reconvened to receive the report of the
report of the Commission headed by the Secretary General
regarding these events.
The Permanent Observers participate in the Special Meeting
to treat the Situation between Colombia and Ecuador
On March 5, the Permanent
Observers participated along with delegations from the OAS
Member States in the Special Meeting convened by the OAS
Permanent Council seeking to resolve the situation between
Colombia and Ecuador that took place on March 1, 2008. The
Permanent Observers engaged in dialogue with the OAS
representatives, actively seeking to help the OAS delegations
seek a resolution to this matter.
Breakfast between the Secretary General and
Permanent Observers: "Assessing the Americas"
On February 4, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza met
with more than 40 representatives from the Permanent
Observer countries in a breakfast organized by the
Department of External Relations. The breakfast was an
opportunity for the Secretary General to assess the
situation in the Americas as well as express gratitude on
behalf of the Organization of American States to the
Permanent Observer countries for their continued support to
OAS programs. The Secretary General spoke at the breakfast
with the underlying theme of continued cooperation between
the Permanent Observers and the OAS. He gave an overview of
the situation in the Americas and addressed issues of
economic growth and challenges affecting the region.
Additionally, the Secretary General spoke of poverty and
inequality, organized crime, drugs and human trafficking,
political change, issues regarding regional integration,
free markets and constitutional reforms of Bolivia and Ecuador.
The breakfast also provided a forum for open dialogue
between the Secretary General and the participating
representatives on concerns and issues impacting the
hemisphere.
The
Twenty-Fifth Model of the Organization of American States
(OAS) General Assembly for Universities of the Americas
opened on December 12 on the Pilar Campus of the Universidad
del Salvador, in Argentina.
Organized by the OAS
Department of External Relations in coordination with
Argentine counterparts, including the Asociación Conciencia,
Universo Agora Asociación Civil, Universidad de la Matanza
and the Fundación Universitaria del Río de Plata, the
meeting brings together some 200 students from 26
universities from Argentina and the rest of the hemisphere.
During the Model, students will debate key issues of the
inter-American agenda, such as energy for sustainable
development, labor regulations of free trade agreements,
regional cooperation, fight against corruption and
transnational crime, cooperation mechanisms between the
private and public sectors and civil society, as well as
guarantees for the financial stability of the OAS.
The event’s objective is to familiarize the students with
the work and duties of the OAS while they study the main
problems that affect the citizens of the Americas and the
role that the Organization plays in their solution. During
the Model, the students who represent the OAS Member States
defend the policies and interests of the country they are
assigned.
Click here to read the entire press release. For
more information about the MOAS, please click here.
OAS Secretary General Addresses the World Affairs Council
in California
On October 31st,
2007, OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza,
participated as the main speaker at a monthly event
organized by the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. To
promote greater understanding of current global issues and
their impact on the hemispheric relations, Secretary General
Insulza presented his views
on the status of democracy in the region and the role of the
OAS in the promotion of democratic values.
The program was moderated by the Honorable Curtis
Mack, President of the Council, who expressed, his and the
council’s appreciation of the OAS and its Secretary General
being part of this initiative.
The World
Affairs Council in Los Angeles promotes a broader engagement
of the public of Southern California in local and
international issues by inviting authoritative, influential
figures in world affairs to Los Angeles and providing them
an open forum to discuss a broad range of subjects from
environment, to security and
development.
Click
here to read the Secretary General’s speech: “The
OAS and the Advance of Democracy”
October
12, 2007
His
Majesty, the King of Spain, has decided to honor Irene
Klinger, Director of the Department of External Relations,
for her outstanding work in the international arena.
Mrs. Klinger was given this award at a ceremony today on the
occasion of the Anniversary of the Discovery of the Americas,
which took place after the 11:30 protocolary session in the
Patio tropical.
From October 3-6, 2007, members of the
OAS, the Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston,
Texas, and young leaders throughout the Hemisphere
participated in the tenth anniversary of the America's
Project. This year's meeting took place at Rice University
and examined issues relating to "Building Opportunities &
Managing Challenges in the Americas." For more information on the America's Project,
please see the
America's Project webpage.
On October
1st, the OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel
Insulza,
paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Robert Zoellick, new President
of the World Bank. The idea was to exchange views on the
region and to identify potential areas for collaboration.
Participants for the Bank were, in addition to Mr. Zoellick,
Mr.Makhtar Diop, Director Strategy & Operations, LAC, and
Mr. Auguste Tano Kouame, Assistant to the President. Ms.
Irene Klinger, Director of the Department of External
Relations and
Ms. Paloma Adams, Advisor, accompanied the
Secretary General in this meeting.
The
meeting included an exchange of views on the situation in
the region and some initial identification of potential
areas of collaboration in crime; governance & the rule of
law; climate Change – e.g. designing creative mechanisms to
help countries adapt to climate change (carbon offsetting
funds, technology transfer, innovative financial schemes),
aid for Trade; and increased work with the Caribbean and
reaching out to Central America (through IFC in the latter).
On October 1st,
the Korean government
announced a contribution of $20,000 to support
the Promotion of Democracy Among the Youth of the Americas
through the Model OAS General Assembly, as well as a $20,000
contribution to support the Referendum in the Republic of
Costa Rica over the ratification of the “Dominican
Republic-Central America Free Trade” (DR-CAFTA) to be held
on October 7, 2007. Mrs. Klinger, Director of the
Department of External Relations
of the OAS, welcomed these contributions and
commended the Korean delegation for their support to OAS
activities.
The Second Meeting of the Government Spokespersons of
the Member States of the Organization of American States
took place in Montevideo, Uruguay with sponsorship from
the OAS, the Open Society Institute and the Governments
of China and Uruguay. The two-day conference organized
by the OAS Department of External Relations brought to
the table the important topic of freedom of expression.
Guest panelists and speakers included: Andrés
Oppenheimer from the Miami Herald, Matt Cooper
from Conde Nast Portofolio, Ignacio J. Álvarez
from the OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
Expression, and Claudio Grossman of the American
University Washington College of Law. For more
information... Photo Gallery Agenda Program
List of Participants
June 3-5, 2007
XXXVII General assembly The thirty-seventh
regular session brought together the hemisphere’s
foreign ministers in Panama City from June 3 to 5, under
the theme of “Energy for Development.” The
meeting adjourned having approved a series of
resolutions and declarations tied to key facets of the
hemispheric agenda. After receiving a report on the
socioeconomic and environmental impact of climate change
on the countries of the hemisphere, presented by Antigua
and Barbuda, as well as the annual report of the OAS
Permanent Council, the General Assembly adopted more
than 80 resolutions and declarations. Furthermore,
members of the
Inter-American Juridical Committee, the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the
Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights addressed the
General Assembly, after which the member states
proceeded to elect officials to OAS bodies, agencies,
and entities. For more
information...
Speeches
Declarations and Resolutions Adopted by the General
Assembly
Press Releases Photo Gallery
May 8, 2007
OAS Policy Roundtable #
4:
Building a Consensus on Trade Policy in
an Era of Globalization May 8, 2007
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Hall of the Americas, OAS Main Building (17th Street and
Constitution Ave.)
Program
Press release
Photo gallery
The Washington Model of the 36th OAS General
Assembly (36th WMOAS) for universities began on
April 9 and ended on Friday, April 13. The opening and closing
plenary sessions were held in the Hall of the
Americas and the committee sessions met in the
Washington Plaza Hotel from Tuesday through Friday
morning. This year, there were 16 universities from the US
and 6 from abroad, totaling some four hundred students
and faculty. Dr. Irene Klinger, Director of the
Department of External Relations, inaugurated this event.
The
Director General for Bilateral Political Affairs in
Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vefahan Ocak
met with OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin at OAS headquarters.
Photo gallery
March 22, 2007
OAS
Secretary General José Miguel Insulza received a
courtesy visit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan, Elmar Maharram Mammadyarov, whose country
has been an OAS permanent observer since 2001.
Photo gallery
March 6, 2007
Secretary General José Miguel Insulza welcomed the Mayor
of Washington, D.C., Adrian Fenty, to OAS headquarters.
March 6, 2007
OAS Policy Roundtable:
International Law: The U.S. Perspective
Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm in the Ruben
Dario Room, 8th floor, Organization of American States (1889
‘F’ Street, NW, Washington, D.C. ) Program Power
Point Presentation Press
release
Photo gallery
March 5, 2007
The Department of
External Relations organized a visit to the United Nations
by the Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza and
Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin. Mrs. Irene
Klinger, Director of the Department of External Relations
was also part of the OAS Delegation. OAS Secretary General met
with the recently-appointed Secretary General of the United
Nations, Ban Ki-moon to discuss issues of common interest on
the inter-American agenda, exchange information on ongoing
joint programs and activities, as well as to identify
additional areas of cooperation.
February 22,
2007
Visit by Korean Delegation
The
Department of External Relations coordinated the visit
to the OAS of a high-level delegation of the Government
of Korea which met with the Secretary General of the
Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza. On
this occassion, the Secretary General reiterated the
importance of strengthening relations with countries
from other regions of the world and thanked Korea for
the support it has provided to the OAS since becoming a
permanent observer in 1981. The delegation was headed by
Byung-kil Han, Director General for the Latin American
Affairs Bureau in Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, who extended an invitation to the Secretary
General to visit that country sometime this year. He
also expressed his intention to continue supporting
cooperation projects that benefit the Americas.
Photo gallery
February 8, 2007
Denmark presented a donation to support the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
within the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Place: OAS Headquarters; Washington, D.C.
Photo Gallery
November 27, 2006
Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Donato
Di Santo visited OAS headquarters. Place: OAS
Headquarters; Washington, D.C.
Photo Gallery
November 6, 2006
The OAS Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the
Spanish Agency for International Cooperation agreed to
carry out joint projects.
Place: OAS Building - Washington, DC
Photo Gallery
October 30, 2006
On October 30, Irene
Klinger, Director, External Relation, held a
luncheon at the Museum of the Americas for external
relations and Washington office directors of
multilateral institutions. The purpose of the event
was to explore ways to cooperate to increase our
impact on achieving our common goals in the Western
Hemisphere. The group agreed to promote
participation in each institutions’ events, discuss
organizing a conference on hemispheric issues and
meet regularly to follow-up on joint initiatives.
October
16, 2006
The government of Korea presented a contribution to
support the OAS mission that will observe Panama's
October 22 referendum on the proposed expansion of the
Panama Canal.
Place: OAS Building - Washington, DC
Photo Gallery
September 27, 2006
The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza hosted
a luncheon at his residence for a group of donor
countries who actively support OAS programs. Guests included the
Ambassadors, Permanent Observers of Spain, H.E. Juan Manuel Romero
de Terreros; France, H.E. George Vaugier; Italy, H.E., Geri Schiavoni;
and Norway, Knut Vollebaek; as well as the Alternate Observers
of Sweden, Ingrid Ask, and Germany, Volker Timmerman. Also present
were the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Ramdin; the
Secretary General´s Chief of Staff, Ricardo Dominguez, Irene
Klinger, Director of the Department of External Relations, and
Magdalena Talamas, Chief of the Public Relations Section at the
Department of External Relations.
September 20, 2006
-
OAS SECRETARY GENERAL AT UN
The
Secretary General of
the Organization of American States (OAS),
José Miguel Insulza,
at the invitation of the Chair of the
United Nations
Security Council, participated today in a
meeting of that institution in New York, to
debate policies of cooperation and joint
collaboration among the UN and regional
organizations.
Insulza noted the work carried out in
Haiti by the OAS and
the United Nations, and said that this
experience demonstrates what can be achieved
when regional organizations work together. He
cautioned that the lessons learned from the
crises in
Ecuador and
Bolivia show that
besides “dialogue and cooperation, we should
have held previous consultations before becoming
involved in member countries of the
organization. I believe it is better to prevent
crises and to have common policies toward them.”
August 17th, 2006
Meeting to bid farewell to Mr. Cho Byoung-Lip,
former Alternate Observer of Korea to the OAS by Irene Klinger,
OAS Director of the Department of External Relations (DER) and
Magdalena Talamas, Chief of Public Relations of DER. Mr. Byoung-Lip
will leave Washington D.C to serve as the new Ambassador of Korea
in Costa Rica.
On June 4, Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza
convened the first meeting of multilateral political and development
institutions supporting the inter-American agenda of the OAS.
Held immediately preceding the 36th General Assembly of the OAS,
the informal luncheon dialogue focused on the challenge of translating
the benefits from recent economic growth, especially in the commodity
exporting countries of the region, into concrete policies and
actions to reduce poverty and inequality. This is important to
respond to demands by citizens who are increasingly participating
in democratic processes. Representatives of ten institutions attended
this meeting organized by the OAS Department of External Relations
to promote greater cooperation and thereby better serve national
needs in the OAS Member States. For more
information...
In preparation for the XXXVI Regular Session
of OAS General Assembly, the Department of External Relations
organized a Dialogue between the delegations of the Permanent
Observer countries and the delegations of the OAS Member States.
This Dialogue took place on June 4, at 10:15 am at the Auditorium,
Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Santo
Domingo. For more information, click
here.
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