Contributions Permanent Observers
Contributions by Permanent Observer Countries
during:
2009 |
2008 |
2007 |
2006 | 2005 |
2004 |
2003 | 2002
| 2001 |
2000 | 1999
The
Permanent Observers provide cooperation for various OAS programs
in the form of cash contributions, training courses, experts,
specialized services, and the donation of equipment. In 2008,
Permanent Observers contributed a total of US$25.8 million
in cash contributions and an estimated value of US$354,732 in in-kind contributions.
Support
by the Permanent Observers during 2008 made possible many success
stories in the Americas in the areas of democracy promotion, human
rights, demining, conflict resolution, efforts to combat drug
trafficking, gender and sustainable development and the
environment, among others.
Promotion of Democracy and Electoral Observation
Missions
The support of Permanent Observers played a key role in the
promotion of democracy and the
strengthening of democratic
institutions throughout the hemisphere. During 2008,
the OAS observed
legislative and presidential elections in
Paraguay, the Dominican Republic and Grenada, as well as the
political referendum in Bolivia. Similarly, the OAS was able to
implement programs related to strengthening
electoral management
bodies’ institutional capacity, conduct political analyses of
countries in the region, and undertake political finance reform.
(Germany, Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland)
Supporting Conflict Resolution and Peace
The OAS Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OAS)
was created to verify
compliance with the peace process, including
a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, as well as the
demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of illegally
organized armed groups. To date 31,000
members of the paramilitary
group AUC have been demobilized. With the support of the
international
community the 68,064 victims who have filed reports
at the time of this writing, have legitimized the process and
given it substantial social backing. (Germany, Spain, Sweden,
Netherlands)
Similarly,
the Peace Fund, created by the General Assembly in 2000,
supports OAS Member States to react swiftly to an unforeseen
crisis resulting from a territorial dispute. Through the Peace
Fund, the countries avail themselves of a range of conflict
resolution mechanisms contemplated under the OAS Charter,
including direct negotiation, good offices, mediation,
investigation and conciliation, judicial settlement, arbitration
and other mechanisms to which the Parties jointly agree. One of
the major accomplishments of the Peace Fund has been the
successful defrayment of costs related to the resolution of the
Belize-Guatemala border conflict, which will be heard before the
International Court of Justice. (Germany, China, Spain, United
Kingdom, Holy See, Turkey)
Humanitarian Demining
Permanent Observers support to the OAS Comprehensive Demining
Programs has notably increased the
capacity of the member
states to rid themselves of dangerous antipersonnel landmines.
Through these
programs, more than 3 million square meters of area
have been cleared, over 67,000 mines have been
destroyed, and
thousands of landmine survivors throughout Central America and the
Andes have been
treated and reintegrated into society. Thanks in
large part to OAS efforts, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras
and
Suriname are now considered landmine free. Only demining programs
in Nicaragua remain incomplete.
Also, significant progress has
been made in developing mine risk education programs, emphasizing
involvement by affected communities in mine awareness initiatives,
including benefits of participation through the exchange of
information about the location of mined areas and explosive
devices. (Italy, Norway
The Lecture Series of the Americas 
Through this program, Permanent Observers have helped bring
prominent world leaders and
intellectuals from throughout the
world to participate in semi-monthly conferences at the OAS so
that they can share their experiences and expertise on key issues
of the inter-American agenda.
(Spain, China and France)
Human Rights
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights makes use of several
instruments to implement its
mandates: its individual case
system, on site visits, country reports, recommendations to the
States and
precautionary measures. The role of the Commission in
the last decade has been characterized by the
strengthening of its
system of individual petitions, which has had a direct impact on
the release of
individuals who were arbitrarily detained; the
reparations for the victims of disappearance and
massacres; the
derogation or modification of laws that limited fundamental
rights; the encouragement to carry on important constitutional
reforms; and, advancing freedom of expression in the Americas,
among others. The support of Permanent Observers to the IACHR is
key to ensure that the Commission complies with these mandates.
(Denmark, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden,
Switzerland, European Union)
Promoting
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
During 2008, the valuable contributions of Permanent Observers
financed diverse OAS efforts aimed at
promoting indigenous
peoples’ participation in the inter-American system and furthering
activities to
protect their human rights and advance their
cultural, social, and economic development. Support from
Permanent Observers in 2008 helped finance programs in early
childhood education in indigenous
communities. Furthermore, a
significant portion of the fund donated supported the Working
Group to
Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples in which over 100 indigenous representatives
from 19 member States actively participated. (Germany, China,
Spain and France)
Counter-Narcotics
Permanent Observers have donated significant amounts of money to
the general fund of the Inter-
American Drug Abuse Control
Commission (CICAD), helping to implement programs throughout the
Hemisphere relating to prevention, treatment and eradication of
illicit drug production and consumption.
CICAD approaches all
facets of drug control, from institutional failure to money
laundering and
alternative crop development. In 2008, programs of CICAD took a greater approach to demand reduction,
examined the link between development shortfalls and drug production and began
to address drug
treatment through the European-Latin American and
Caribbean cities partnership. (Spain, France,
Greece, European
Union)
The Model OAS General Assembly (MOAS)
In
2008, the Department of International Affairs organized and
successfully executed five separate MOAS – one for high schools
and four for universities (including one for OAS interns).
Contributions by Permanent Observers helped facilitate the
implementation of this important youth initiative throughout the
hemisphere. The objective of the MOAS is to promote democratic
values among youth and familiarize the students with the role and
work advanced by the OAS while they study the issues that affect
the citizens of the Americas. During the Model, the students who
represent the OAS Member States defend the policies and interests
of the country they are assigned.
(China, Korea, Spain)
Gender
The Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM)
is the principal forum for generating hemispheric
policy to
advance women's rights and gender equality. Likewise, the programs
that CIM advances are
aimed at supporting women's movements
throughout the Americas and helping to foster inter-American
cooperation. In 2008, thanks to the support of permanent observers CIM was able to make progress on
important issues such domestic
violence, health, electoral participation, gender and labor, and
the role of
women in conflict resolution, among others. (China,
Korea, France, Spain, Netherlands)
Integral
Development
Permanent Observers have a long history of contributions to
promote integral social, educational and
environmental development
for the long-term benefit the citizens of the
Americas. Among these programs
include modernizing the civil
registry systems in former conflict-torn Peru, Guatemala, Panama
and
Honduras. Additionally, Permanent Observers
encourage environmental protection in the Americas through
support
has been aimed at strengthening regional activities relating to
water resources, disaster relief,
promoting energy security
and natural hazards-risk management.
(Austria, China, European Union,
Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy)
