The OAS has close
working relations with international intergovernmental institutions
with programs in our region. The United Nations and its specialized
offices such as the UN Development Program, the UN Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean and UNICEF cooperate effectively
with the OAS on their common issue areas such as support to Haiti,
trade and child welfare. The World Bank and the World Trade Organization
(WTO) have contributed to joint initiatives on trade and on the
environment. In the area of labor and migrants we have coordinated
closely with the International Labor Organization and the International
Organization for Migration.
We will continue our commitment to multilateralism to promote
peace, prosperity and justice by deepening and strengthening our
relations with international organizations which share our goals
in the Americas.
OAS Secretary
General, José Miguel Insulza, meets with Presidents and
Foreign Ministers of the Western Hemisphere during the UN
General Assembly
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.
Sixty-third Session of the
United Nations General Assembly
The sixty-third session of the United
Nations General Assembly will open on September 16, 2008 and
the general debate will take place from September 23, 2008 to
October 1, 2008.
Schedule of events as follows: September 16th: Formal
Opening Session September 21st: Arrival of
Heads of State and Delegations September 22nd: Special
High-Level Meeting on African Development Issues September 23rd: Opening of
General Debate, lasting until October 1st September 25th: Special
High-Level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals October
2nd: Meeting on Almaty Program of Action for Least-Developed
UN Members
OAS and UN
in seminar about relations on Colombia-Ecuador border
The Organization of
American States (OAS) and the United Nations (UN), together
with FLASCO, have jointly organized a two-day seminar under the name “Building
bridges: Policy of peace and development for the
Colombo-Ecuadorian border” from September 8th-9th, 2008, that
will take place in Quito, Ecuador. The objective of the seminar is
to reestablish trust and diplomatic relations between the
neighboring nations through public policy proposals that
produce greater understanding between border residents of
Ecuador and Colombia. The gathering will be attended by
experts and academics of both countries, among them
ex-Colombian Chancellor, María Emma Mejía.
August 22, 2008
OAS Secretary General
José Miguel Insulza meets
with UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs,
Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe
On August
22, OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza met with the UN
Undersecretary General for Political Affairs, Ambassador B.
Lynn Pascoe to discuss OAS-UN collaboration.
Annual
Ministerial Substantive Review of the ECOSOC
The Annual Meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
was held from June 30 through July 25, 2008, in the United
Nations headquarters in New York. At this meeting the 2008
Annual Ministerial Review took place. This is a new function
of the ECOSOC mandated at the 2005 World Summit, whose purpose
is to assess the progress made towards the Millennium
Development Goals and the implementation of the other goals
and targets agreed at the major UN conferences and summits
over the past 15 years. The first Annual Ministerial Review
took place in 2007 on the theme of “The eradication of
poverty”. The theme for the 2008 Review was “Implementing the
internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to
sustainable development”. The theme for the 2009 Review will
be “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and
commitments in regard to global public health”. The ECOSOC
annual report was presented to the Member States, which
underscores the benefits of coordinating practices and
approaches in the area of sustainable development,
particularly through using the common country assessment and
the UN Development Assistance Framework.
OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, welcomes UN
Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations,
Edmond Mulet
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.
U.N. ECOSOC Special Meeting
on “The Global Food Crisis”
On May 20,
2008 a special meeting on “The Global Food Crisis” organized
by United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) took
place at United Nations (UN) headquarters. Representatives of
U.N. member states, regional organizations and
Non-Governmental Organizations participated in the meeting.
Mr. Leo Merores, President of the ECOSOC, chaired the meeting.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Joachim von Braun,
Director-General of International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI). During the meeting the representatives
highlighted the gravity and the widespread nature of the
current food crisis and its impact on the poor. The
participants recommended urgent and coordinated action by the
U.N. and the international community. The meeting was
attended by Ms. Sherry Stephenson, of the Department of
International Affairs, on behalf of the OAS.
Alicia Bárcena of Mexico
appointed Executive Secretary of ECLAC
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on
May 13th, 2008 the appointment of Alicia Bárcena Ibarra of
Mexico as Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). On July 1st she
replaced Executive Secretary José Luis Machinea. Prior to
this appointment, Bárcena served as the Under Secretary
General for Management, before that as the Chief de Cabinet to
former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and earlier in her
career, as Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC where she was
able to increase interagency collaboration to provide a
regional perspective on the Millennium Development Goals and
on Financing for Sustainable Development.
On April 25,
2008, a “Programmatic Exchange” was held between OAS staff and
UNICEF Country Representatives in the Americas. During the
meeting staff members of these institutions shared information
on areas of common work and they identified potential areas
for collaboration. The program began with remarks from Ms.
Suzanne Laporte, Secretary of the OAS Secretariat for External
Relations, who voiced her belief in partnerships between
institutions working on common issues in the Western
Hemisphere. Ms. Irene Klinger, Director of the Department of
International Affairs, gave an overview of the OAS, focusing
the four pillars of its work: promotion of democracy; human
rights; multidimensional security; and integral development.
Mr. Nils Kastberg, Regional Director of UNICEF, spoke on
behalf of the UNICEF representatives and pointed out the
numerous common areas of work in which the two institutions
were engaged. The participants suggested exploring some form
of framework agreement to enhance synergies and to facilitate
the sharing of best practices between the OAS and UNICEF.
The OAS and UN Sign Agreement
to Combat Malnutrition in the Region
The Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza, signed a cooperation agreement today with UN
World Food Programme Regional Director, Pedro Medrano,
aiming to combat malnutrition in the Hemisphere.
The
OAS Secretary General meets with the UN Secretary General
before the start of the OAS XXXVII General Assembly
The OAS Secretary General, José Miguel
Inzulza, met with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
before the start of the XXXVII OAS General Assembly in
Panama City, Panama. More on the XXXVII General Assembly Photo Gallery
June 3, 2007
The
President of Panama Welcomes the OAS Secretary General, the
UN Secretary General, and the Region's Foreign Ministers
At the presidential palace in Panama
City, the President of Panama welcomed the OAS Secretary
General, the UN Secretary General, and the region's foreign
ministers to start the XXXVII OAS General Assembly in Panama
City. More on the XXXVII General Assembly Photo
Gallery
March 5, 2007
The Secretaries General of the
United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, and the Organization of American
States, José Miguel Insulza, meet at UN headquarters in New
York.
Place:
United Nations Headquarters; New York City, NY
Photo Gallery
December
14, 2006
OAS AND UN STRENGTHEN TIES TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT
AND BETTER GOVERNANCE IN THE AMERICAS
The
Organization of American States (OAS) signed an agreement
with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that
seeks to strengthen international cooperation in eradicating
poverty and promoting political, economic and social development
in the hemisphere.
OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza underscored
the benefits that can be achieved by strengthening relations
with other international institutions in order to work
toward common goals. Insulza noted the importance of the
framework agreement with the UNDP and said it “should
enable us to undertake intense efforts at a singular moment
in Latin America,” referring to the significant
poverty levels that still exist in the region.
The agreement will lay the groundwork for both organizations
to advance programs, projects and cooperation activities
for development. This marks the first time that the two
international entities commit to work together to face
the problems of the region, implementing projects in support
of institutional strengthening in the member states.
During a brief ceremony in the OAS Secretary General’s
office, the UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and
the Caribbean, Rebeca Grynspan, said this commitment will
pave the way for the organizations to develop several
concrete activities, with the shared priority of serving
the region.
The UNDP representative noted that “what is important
is to provide a unified voice in the understanding of
this Latin America,” adding that the region “will
probably benefit more from our agreement than from separate
actions carried out by the institutions that serve it.”
December 14, 2006
UNIVERSAL CIVIL REGISTRATION INITIATIVE TOUTED AT OAS
In any society, individuals
who do not have an identity are much more vulnerable to
abuse. That view was expressed by the Secretary General
of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel
Insulza, as he accentuated the importance of moving forward
on an initiative to promote universal civil registration
in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Insulza told member state ambassadors during a Permanent
Council meeting that this issue has implications for democracy,
as a legal identity is vital if citizens are to exercise
their rights and assume their responsibilities in a democratic
society.
The Secretary General told the Permanent Council meeting—chaired
by Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador Marina Valere—that
identity is an important part of the rights that protect
citizens from abuses such as human trafficking and other
crimes to which they fall victim.
“That is why we have been working so assiduously
on this matter,” said Insulza, who referred to a
cooperative approach under the terms of a memorandum of
understanding signed last August by the OAS, the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF). The parties to the agreement undertake
to cooperate on a citizen registration program, recognizing
that a significant number of individuals in the region
are not included in official civil registries.
Insulza argued that in a democratic society, people must
have an identity, a name and a legal status. Stressing
the importance of the memorandum of understanding, the
Secretary General noted that nearly 15% of children under
five years of age in the countries of Latin America and
the Caribbean are not registered. The OAS “can now
embark on projects in a number of countries,” Insulza
said. “We have had discussions with some Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) governments about tackling these citizen
registration projects in greater depth.”
Others who addressed the Permanent Council Wednesday included
the UNICEF Executive Director, Ann Veneman, and the Chief
of the Office of the Presidency of the IDB, Jamal Khokhar.
Both reiterated the arguments presented by Insulza, emphasizing
the need for universal civil registration in order to
protect the rights of unregistered citizens and bring
them into the official systems in their respective countries.
Member state delegations, meanwhile, expressed support
for the initiative, which was put before the Permanent
Council by the delegations of Peru and Mexico.
October 19, 2006
The Secretary General of the Organization of American States
(OAS), José Miguel Insulza, meets with Jacques Diouf, Director-General
of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
OAS Secretary General at the United
Nations - UN, New York
OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza was invited
to participate in a meeting of the United Nations Security
Council, to debate policies of cooperation and joint collaboration
among the UN and regional organizations.
Let's take partnership with Regional bodies
to new label of clarity,
Practicality, Seriousness, Secretary -
General tells Security Council
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan’s remarks to the ministerial meeting
of the Security Council on cooperation between the United
Nations and regional organizations, in New York, today,
:
Many of the regional and subregional
partners themselves are stronger. Our interaction
is more intense, substantial and meaningful. This year
alone, our political and operational cooperation has included:
And ongoing partnerships with ECOWAS
in West Africa, NATO in Afghanistan and Kosovo, and the
Organization of American States in support of Haiti’s
electoral process.
The
Inter-American Development Bank, The Organization Of American
States and Unicef launch initiative to grant official identity
to millions of unregistered children.
OAS Reaffirms Cooperation between the General Secretariats
of the United Nations, CARICOM, and the Central American
Integration System
The General Secretariat of the OAS and the Secretariats
of the United Nations, CARICOM, and the Central American
Integration System reaffirmed their cooperation at the XXXVI
General Assembly in Dominican Republic. The OAS and UN
furthermore strengthened that commitment by designing
programs of mutual cooperation between the OAS and UN, and
reporting on such cooperative programs. More on the XXXVI
General Assembly Report on Cooperation with Institutions
Report on OAS and UN Collaboration Programs
May 4, 2006
UN Secretary General Meets With Jose Miguel Insulza
The Secretary General
of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel
Insulza, held a private meeting today with United Nations
(UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan at OAS headquarters.
Insulza briefed the UN Secretary General on the current
political situation in the Americas, outlining the Organization’s
role in recent democratically held elections in the region.
Annan expressed his appreciation for the OAS role during
the electoral process in Haiti. The OAS, in collaboration
with the United Nations, supported Haiti’s Provisional
Electoral Council in carrying out a massive voter registration
drive.
Annan and Insulza agreed to continue working together in
that country to strengthen democracy and to build stronger
institutions.
Photo Gallery
OAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL PARTICIPATES AT IDB FORUM
OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, participated in the IDB Forum on
"Culture and Development: Advancing Equality and Racial Inclusion" on December
10, 2008.
"Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American Responses to
Climate Change" - December 10, 2008 - World Bank
The World Bank Group presents: "Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American
Responses to Climate Change" on December 10, 2008 at World Bank Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. The event will feature an opening by Pamela Cox, Vice President
- Latin American and Caribbean Region, a presentation by the author, Augusto de
la Torre, Chief Economist - Latin America and the Caribbean Region and John
Nash, Lead Economist - Sustainable Development Department, Latin America and the
Caribbean Region, a discussion by Christopher Flavin, President - Worldwatch
Institute. The discussion will be moderated by Sergio Jellinek, Manager -
External Affairs, Latin America and the Caribbean Region.
Juan
Somavia elected to third term as ILO Director-General
GENEVA (ILO News) - Juan Somavia was elected
to a third term as Director-General of the International
Labour Office (ILO) today, and pledged to work to ensure
social justice amidst a growing series of challenges in the
global economy.
Mr. Somavia, a Chilean who became the first
representative of the Southern Hemisphere to head the ILO when
first elected to the post a decade ago, received 43 of the 56
available votes of the titular members of the ILO’s Governing
Body with 13 abstentions. The vote was conducted by secret
ballot, and there was no other candidate for the position.
Mr. Somavia is the ninth Director-General to
hold the office in the Organization’s 89-year history and
formally begins his new five-year term in March 2009.
During the past decade, Mr. Somavia has led
the organization on a new course through the promotion of the
ILO’s Decent Work Agenda, which has received support at the
highest political level in all regions of the world as well as
across the multilateral system. Mr. Somavia has also overseen
the implementation of the Organization’s Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work adopted in 1998, as
well as a massive increase in the number of ratifications of
ILO labour standards.
During his tenure the ILO also adopted a
landmark Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair
Globalization, in June of this year, designed to strengthen
the tripartite Organization’s capacity to address the
challenges of the 21st century and to promote its Decent Work
Agenda to forge an effective response to globalization. He has
also been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate child
labour and forced labour, end discrimination in the workplace,
and promote adherence to labour standards, employment growth
and sustainable development.
In comments today, Mr. Somavia said: “We stand
today at a significant moment in this Organization’s history.
Unemployment is rising. The crisis continues to batter
economies and individuals across the world. The number of
working poor is increasing. And there is a growing chorus of
concern over the balance, fairness and sustainability of the
current model of globalization.”
“Yet the current crisis also reveals the
strength and value of the ILO”, he said. “On the eve of the
ILO’s 90th year, we must continue to work for social justice
and maintain and enhance social protection. We must ensure
that enterprises can find the access to credit to avoid
layoffs, maintain wages and find the resources that will
permit them to recover. And we must pursue deeper social
dialogue to help move toward long-term recovery and
sustainable development.”
“‘Working for social justice’ is more than
just the theme of our 90th anniversary” he said. “It is our
assessment of the past and our mandate for the future”.
Born on 21 April 1941, Mr. Somavia is an
attorney by profession and has had a long and distinguished
career in civil and international affairs. He has served as
both the President of the UN Security Council and the UN
Economic and Social Council. He also was Chairman of the
Preparatory Committee for the 1995 World Summit on Social
Development. His wide experience in all areas of public life –
as a diplomat and academic – and his involvement in social
development, business and civil organizations have helped
forge a vision of the need to secure decent work for women and
men throughout the world.
October 10-12, 2008
2008 Annual Fall Meetings of
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund
The 2008 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund (IMF) were held October 10 – 12, 2008 at the
World Bank and IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C. amidst the
current, rattling global financial crisis. While necessarily
including the financial crisis in the discussions, the main
focus of this year’s meeting was meant to be on “High Food and
Oil Prices”.
The
2008 Annual Meetings addressed the impact that rising food and
oil prices are having on the world, and particularly the
impact they are having and will continue to have on developing
countries. Sessions of the 2008 Annual Meetings dealt with:
ØHigh Oil Prices: Origins and Prospects?
ØThe Shame of Hunger By Elie Wiesel, Nobel
Laureate
ØThe Food Crisis: What Happened and What Should
be Done?
ØGlobal Turbulences and Slow Down in G7 Growth:
Can Developing Countries Sustain High Growth and How
ØTurmoil in Global Financial and Commodities
Markets – Prospects and Policies
In addition to
the formal discussion panels, financial experts and government
ministers as well as leaders of many countries affected by the
current financial crisis joined in a coordinated effort to
halt a possible global financial collapse.
The world financial system is
teetering on the "brink of systemic meltdown", the head of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned. At the 2008 Annual
Meetings, Dominique Strauss-Kahn said rich nations had so far
failed to restore confidence, but he endorsed a new action
plan by the G7 group. He underlined that the IMF was ready to
lend to step in and lend to countries in dire need of capital.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick made a plea to the
leaders of the world’s richest countries not to forget
developing nations, even as they hammer out ideas to steady
their own economies. “The financial crisis will only make it
more difficult for developing countries to protect their most
vulnerable people from the impact of rising food and fuel
costs.”
October 13, 2008
Additional Funds to Sustain
Jobs, Social Gains and Inject Liquidity - World Bank Ready to
Help Latin America Cope with Crisis
WASHINGTON, October 13, 2008— In a coordinated move with
regional institutions, such as the Inter-American Development
Bank, the World Bank and its private sector arm, the
International Finance Corporation (IFC), announced today that
Latin American and Caribbean countries facing the impact of
the global financial crisis will be able to use additional
funding from the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD) --the lending facility for middle-income
countries-- and the IFC to sustain jobs, social gains and
inject liquidity.
“IBRD
has the financial capacity to comfortably double its annual
lending to developing countries to meet additional demand from
clients. IBRD lending was
US$13.5
billion last fiscal year,” said the Communiqué of the
Development Committee, the governing body of the World Bank
comprised of Ministers of Finance and Development from member
countries.
This is
especially relevant to Latin America as the region has
accounted for 35-40 percent of IBRD lending.
The
Committee's mandate is to advise the Board of Governors of the
Bank on critical development issues and on the financial
resources required to promote economic development in
developing countries.
“During
the last five years, Latin America managed to sustain growth
at an average of five percent, reduce poverty, and for the
first time in 30 years the region slowly started to reduce
inequality. Countries in the region want to protect these
gains, and the Bank is ready to increase funding for ongoing
programs and inject liquidity where needed, while protecting
the most vulnerable in society,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank
Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Several
countries have expressed interest in receiving additional
financing.
The IFC
will provide up to US$500 million for microfinance and loans
to Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs).
"IFC
has been in constant communication with its private sector
clients in the region. Some clients have already been impacted
by the reduced availability of short-term credit. Others have
expressed a desire for contingency plans to be put in place.
Therefore, we are increasing the availability of trade finance
and putting in place funding packages, such as the US$150
million package for housing finance in Mexico that we
announced last week,” said Atul Mehta, Head of IFC’s Latin
America Department.
According to a World Bank report issued by the office of the
Chief Economist for Latin America, the crisis is spreading tothe region through
three channels:
a)
Financial contagion (slowdown in portfolio flows, large
declines in stock price indexes and significant currency
adjustments);
b)
External demand (the decline in the demand for LAC exports
will be exacerbated by falling remittances, weakening
commodity prices, higher borrowing costs and the lagged impact
of tight monetary policies); and
c)
Changes in relative prices (over 90 percent of the region’s
GDP and population reside in net commodity exporting
countries).
The
report emphasizes that regional economies are on average
weathering the crisis significantly better than in the past,
due to notable improvements in macroeconomic and financial
policies, with countries showing a more diverse exposure and a
reduced net dependency on external capital inflows.
Growth
is expected to slow down from 5.6 percent in 2007 to an
estimated 4.6 percent in 2008 and to between 2.5 percent and
3.5 percent in 2009.
“The
deceleration will occur from a relatively high growth trend
achieved in recent years,” said Augusto de la Torre, the World
Bank’s Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Compared with other periods, this is a positive development.
In the past, the impact of such a global shock would have
implied negative growth,” he added.
Countries that are tightly linked to the U.S. economy, such as
Mexico and Central American countries, are already feeling the
impact through decreases in remittances, exports and tourism.
Those countries more linked to other regions, such as
Argentina, Peru and Brazil, will see a somewhat mitigated and
delayed impact as long as China’s growth remains robust.
China’s growth for 2009 is estimated at around 9 percent.
For
More Information on the World Bank's Latin America and
Caribbean Program, click
here
October 6, 2008
World Bank President Robert
Zoellick Calls for "Modernizing Multilateralism" in Light of
Economic Crisis
In an October 6 speech, World Bank
President Robert Zoellick summarized contributing factors to
the current economic crisis and outlined a framework for a
“New Multilateral Network for a New Global Economy”. Economic
multilateralism, he said, must look beyond finance and trade
and address issues of energy, climate change, and the
stabilization of fragile and post-conflict states.
OAS Department of
Sustainable Development wins World Bank Global Development
Marketplace Award
The Department of Sustainable Development
of the Organization of American States together with the
Instituto de Derecho y Economía Ambiental
de Paraguay (IDEA) won the 2008 Global Development
Marketplace: Sustainable Agriculture for Development award.
The award ceremony took place on Friday, September 26, 2008 at
World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The Development
Marketplace is a program that appropriates funds to help
identify and finance innovative projects that promote
development. The program is administered by the World Bank and
financed by the IFC, GEF, GTZ and the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation.
The 100 finalists that
participated in the competition this year were chosen from
1800 proposals. The jury, composed of professionals in the
field of development and other experts, selected the 22
projects that were given prizes. The project "Pago por
servicios ambientales y agricultura sostenible," ("Payment for
Environmental Services and Sustainable Agriculture") presented
by the OAS/DSD and the IDEA, was one of the 22 winders that
received funds of $2,000.00 for implementation.
The objective of this
project is the improve the socio-economic wellbeing of 500
homes and protect the service capacity of the ecosystem
through the implementation of a series of agro-forest
practices combined with a scheme of Payments for Environmental
Services (PES). The project will be implemented in three pilot
sites located in the San Pedro Department, that includes a
portion of the Atlántico de Alto Paraná Forest and other
delicate ecosystems.
Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) Twelfth Annual Conference
The Corporación
Andina de Fomento (CAF) will hold its twelfth annual
conference on trade and investment in the Americas will take
place from September 10 and 11, 2008 in Washington, DC at the
Carnegie Endowment for Democracy. OAS Secretary General José
Miguel Insulza will be present at the conference delivering
welcoming remarks and addressing the upcoming 2009 Summit of
the Americas.
OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, delivers speech
at the 2008 Inter-American Development Bank Annual Meeting
On Monday, April 7, Secretary General, José
Miguel Insulza, delivered remarks to the participants of the
2008 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Annual Meeting.
Insulza discussed issues regarding the effectiveness of
macroeconomic reform and its impact on long-term economic
growth. The Secretary General noted the influence of
ineffective reforms on the proliferation of poverty and
inequality, highlighting the need to address the root causes
of these issues, such as institutional shortcomings and poor governance.
On
February 11, 2008, a “Programmatic Exchange” between staff
of the Organization of American States and the World Bank
was held in Washington, DC at the World Bank headquarters.
The purpose of the discussion was to share information on
issues of common interest and to identify potential areas
for collaboration. The three programmatic areas of focus
covered in the exchange were: crime and violence,
governance and climate change. After extensive discussions
on ongoing work and future projects, the participants
recommended: (i) that Inter-institutional policy roundtable
discussions could be organized on major reports prepared by
the OAS and the World Bank; and (ii) Representatives of the
Department of International Affairs of the OAS and the
External Affairs Unit in the Latin American and the
Caribbean Region of the World Bank could meet on a periodic
basis (perhaps bi-annual) to review the effectiveness of
collaboration in the three areas above and facilitate future
exchanges which could include more thematic areas.
OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, visits with the
President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick
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).
Assistant
Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, participates in Guyana at
Bio-Energy Conference
AT BIO-ENERGY CONFERENCE
IN GUYANA, OAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL IDENTIFIES “GREAT
PROMISE” IN NEW INITIATIVE (OAS press release)
“We are perhaps seeing the emergence of a new
sustainable energy order in our hemisphere,” Assistant
Secretary General
Albert Ramdin of the Organization of American States
(OAS) declared
at an international conference on bio-energy, citing the
“great promise” which he said a new sustainable energy
initiative holds for achieving a new development ethos in the
Hemisphere.
That new development focus spells less poverty, greater
prosperity, greater social equity and a cleaner environment
for all, the OAS Assistant Secretary General argued as he
addressed international experts and officials during the
opening of the High-Level Seminar on Expanding Bio-Energy
Opportunities in the Caribbean, in Georgetown, Guyana, on
Monday (Click
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OAS Secretary General
and the President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
close the "Vanguardia 2007" Conference in Washington, D.C.
The OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, and
the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis
Alberto Moreno, closed the Vanguardia Latina 2007 Conference
today. The three-day conference, hosted by the IDB, brought
together government authorities, press, academics, artists
and 250 universities to discuss the role of youth in
development in the Americas.
The Inter-American Development Bank helps with
Implementation of Corruption Convention
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) signed an
memorandum of understanding to help implement the OAS
Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. The IDB and
OAS agreed to establish a legal framework in order to
facilitate joint efforts in implementing the Convention, as
well as the Follow-up of the Implementation of the
Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (MESICIC).
OAS
Secretary General
meets with the President of the Central American Bank for Economic
Integration
The
Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza met with the President of the Central
American Bank for Economic Integration, Harry Brautigam.
Place: OAS Headquarters; Washington, D.C.
OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza meets with the
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Rodrigo
de Rato. Place: Miranda Room, OAS Building - Washington,
DC
In a meeting this morning at the headquarters of the Organization
of American States, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza
and the Managing Director of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), Rodrigo de Rato, talked about political and
economic issues relevant to the countries of the hemisphere.
Insulza and de Rato, accompanied by members of their staffs,
examined the electoral processes taking place in 13 nations
of the region during a one-year period, and discussed the
positive economic situation in the Americas.
The Fifth EU/LAC Lima Summit
took place on May 16th and 17th, 2008,
in the Museo de la Nacion in Lima, Peru. Sixty Heads
of State and Government from the European Union (EU), Latin
America and the Caribbean (LAC) met to discuss timely issues
of mutual interest hoping to deepen cooperation between their
countries to tackle these issues. José Manuel Durão Barroso,
President of the European Commission, was the top
representative of the European Commission at the summit. The
topics of the Fifth EU/LAC Summit were: i)
poverty, inequality, inclusion; and ii)
sustainable development: climate change; environment; and
energy. The Fifth EU/LAC Summit concluded with the signing
of the Declaration of Lima: “Addressing Our Peoples’
Priorities Together.” In matters of poverty, inequality and
inclusion, the signatories agreed to: I) Formulate and
implement effective social policies; II) Promote economic
growth with more equitable distributive impact; III) Promote
social participation and sense of belonging; and IV) Implement
the Lima Agenda on eradication of poverty, inequality and
exclusion. In matters of sustainable development, the
signatories agreed to: I) Promote bi-regional cooperation on
climate change; II) Promote bi-regional energy cooperation;
III) Foster environmental sustainability; IV) Implement the
Lima Agenda for sustainable development: climate change;
environment; and energy. Overall, the participants agreed to
increase mutual cooperation and resources to tackle these
issues.
Luncheon for International and Inter-American Institutions at
the XXXVII OAS General Assembly in Panama
On June 4,
2007, a meeting of representatives of International and
Inter-American Institutions took place in Panama City during
the celebration of the XXXVII OAS General Assembly. During the
meeting the Secretary General of the OAS, Jose Miguel Insulza,
invited the Heads and high level representatives of
institutions to participate in a working luncheon in the
framework of the OAS General Assembly. The purpose of the
luncheon was to exchange ideas on major hemispheric challenges
and renew the multilateral commitment of partner institutions
to work on issues of concern in the Americas, with particular
emphasis on the commitments agreed upon the Summits of the
Americas Process.
October 30, 2006
The Director of External Relations holds luncheon at the Museum of the
Americas for External Relations and Washington office
directors of multilateral institutions
The
OAS Director of External Relations, Irene Klinger, held a
luncheon at the OAS 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.
The
2008 Annual Meetings addressed the impact that rising food and
oil prices are having on the world, and particularly the
impact they are having and will continue to have on developing
countries. Sessions of the 2008 Annual Meetings dealt with:
