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 will host a Results Report
of the XXXVIII OAS General Assembly for the Foreign Ministers
of the Americas. The Results Report will feature the OAS
Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General and Ambassador
Camilo Ospina, the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the
OAS. The Results Report will take 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
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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