IDB: Korea and IDB: Finance up to $2 billion
of projects and strengthen partnership on Green Growth
The Export-Import Bank of Korea and the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) will sign a an agreement to co-finance
public and private sector projects worth as much as billion in
the next three years in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Kexim, as the Korean official export credit agency is
known, and the IDB will work together to share information and
identify and finance projects in infrastructure, information
technology, trade finance and other areas. The accord will be
signed in Medellín, Colombia, during the 50th Annual Meeting
of the IDB's Board of Governors.
Also during the annual meeting, the IDB and the Korean
government, one of the Bank's 48 member-countries, will also
sign a cooperation agreement on Green Growth to develop and
promote the use of renewable energy, efficient energy
technologies and practices and carbon finance activities in
Latin America and the Caribbean.
"We are honored by the presence in Medellín of Vice
Minister Kyung Wook Hur and Kexim's President Dong-soo Kim,
whom on behalf of the Korean Government are making a special
contribution to more sustainable economic growth in Latin
America and the Caribbean by providing cutting-edge green
technologies,"said IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno. "Kexim's
remarkable support with this large credit facility will allow
the IDB to enhance its infrastructure financing during these
difficult economic times".
The accord also involves the creation of Green Growth
Operations Steering Committee, formed by IDB officials, the
Ministry of Strategy and Finance of Korea and members of Kexim.
The committee will help in the formulation of policies that
promote economic growth with environmental sustainability inn
the region.
The IDB, the world's largest regional development
institution, and the Korean government are also strengthening
its relations and partnering to provide advisory services in
the areas of environmental protection, energy efficiency and
sustainable finance.
Korea joined the IDB in 2005 as the Bank´s 47th member. The
Asian nation has financed several IDB initiatives since then,
including poverty alleviation programs and the development of
small- and medium-sized enterprises in Latin America and the
Caribbean.
The IDB, through its Office of Outreach and Partnerships (ORP)
has facilitated the accomplishment of these partnerships that
will mobilize additional financial and non-financial resources
for the Bank to increase the support for its member countries.
Inter-American Development
Bank hosts Fiftieth Annual Meeting of Board of Governors
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 will be held in the city
of Medellín, Colombia, from March 27 – 31 2009. The inaugural
session will take place at the Metropolitan Theater. Seminars,
sessions, and meetings will be held at the Plaza Mayor
Exhibition Hall and Convention Center.
Annual Meeting of the Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO)
The Ministers of Health of all the countries of the Americas
will gather for the annual meeting of the Directing Council of
the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The opening
session will take place Monday, September 29, at 9 a.m., at
PAHO headquarters in Washington DC, with comments by PAHO
Director Mirta Roses, World Health Organization
Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan, Secretary General of the
Organization of American States José Miguel Insulza, and
President of the Inter-American Development Bank Luis Alberto
Moreno.
The purpose of the meeting is to make new policy decisions
that address the critical health problems of the region. Among
key topics to be discussed are: cervical cancer prevention,
neonatal health, adolescent and youth health, prevention and
management of diabetes and obesity, response to vector-borne
diseases, and the presentation of the Director’s Annual
Report.
A Roundtable on "Climate Change and its Impact on Public
Health: A Regional Perspective" will be held on Tuesday,
September 30th.
The Pan American Health Organization, founded in 1902,
works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the
health and quality of life of their peoples. It serves as the
Regional Office of the UN World Health Organization.
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
Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin meets with IICA
Director of Operations for the Caribbean Region, Trevor Murray
The OAS Secretary General met with the Director of Operations
for the Caribbean region of the Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Trevor Murray, on July 29.
The two met to discuss areas of mutual cooperation.
29th
Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the
CARICOM
OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, and Assistant
Secretary General Albert Ramdin participated in the 29th
Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the
CARICOM from July 1-4, 2008 in Antigua.
49th Annual Meeting of the IADB Board of
Governors
The 49th Annual Meeting of the
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) Board of Governors was
held from April 3rd through 8th, 2008,
in Miami, Florida. Governors of the IADB, who are finance
ministers, central bank presidents and high ranking financial
officials of the 47 member countries, were joined by
approximate 6,000 other participants, including OAS Secretary
General Jose Miguel Insulza. In his opening remarks the
President of the IADB, Luis Moreno highlighted the power of
partnerships to improve people’s lives. President Moreno also
announced a $2.million grant from the Multilateral Investment
Fund of the IADB to further the Partnership in Opportunities
for Employment through technology in the Americas, which is a
program headed by Microsoft and the Organization of American
States. The issues addressed during the individual sessions of
the annual meeting were: infrastructure finance, philanthropic
capitalism, youth leadership, climate change, renewable energy
sources, microfinance, and U.S. foreign policy towards Latin
America. Distinguished speakers from all spheres addressed the
issues. Among the most notable speakers were Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez,
Emilio Azcárraga, Chairman Televisa Group, Roberto Kriete,
Chairman and CEO, TACA Group, and Anna Escobedo Cabral, United
States Treasurer. The 2009 IADB Annual Meeting will be hosted
in Medellin, Colombia; this meeting will commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the founding of the IADB.
OAS Secretary General meets
with the Secretary General of ALADI
The Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza, met today with the Secretary General of
ALADI, Didier Opertti to discuss areas of mutual
cooperation.
OAS Secretary General meets
with the Secretary General of ALADI
The Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza, met today with the Secretary General of
ALADI, Didier Opertti to discuss areas of mutual
cooperation.
SECRETARY GENERAL INSULZA PARTICIPATES
IN THE OPENING OF THE FOURTH MINISTERIAL MEETING ON
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL LIFE ORGANIZED BY THE IICA
INAUGURATING
AGRICULTURE MINISTERIAL, OAS SECRETARY GENERAL URGES OPENING
UP OF INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL TRADE (OAS Press Release)
Guatemalan President Oscar Berger and
Organization of American States
(OAS) Secretary
General
José Miguel Insulza opened the Fourth Ministerial Meeting
on Agriculture, in the city of Antigua, Guatemala, yesterday,
amidst concerns over major challenges facing agriculture in
the Americas and the rest of the world, triggered by climate
change and energy-related scientific discoveries in
agriculture.
Click here to see the entire text of the press release
June 4, 2007
The
Secretary General of the OAS meets with the Secretary
General of the Association of Caribbean States
The Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza, met today with the Secretary General of the
Association of Caribbean States, Rubén Silié, to discuss
issues relating to the Western Hemisphere. Photo Gallery
June 3, 2007
The Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO) launches Health Agenda
for the Americas
The Director of the Pan American Health Organization
Presents the Institution's Annual Report at a Regular
Meeting of the Permanent Council
The Director of the Pan American Health Organization, Mirta Roses Periago, presents the Pan American Health
Organization's Annual Report before a regular meeting of the
OAS Permanent Council. Photo Gallery
PAHO Annual Report
March 14, 2007
OAS
Secretary General meets at Pan American Health Organization
The Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza, participated in a working breakfast meeting
at the Pan American Health Organization today to discuss
strategies related to curbing violence in Latin America and
the Caribbean
Photo Gallery
December
4, 2006 - Washington, DC
José Miguel
Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of
American States Remarks at the 30th Miami Conference on
the Caribbean Basin
Ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to open this Caribbean/Central
American Action’s 30th Miami Conference on the Caribbean
Basin. This means that for three decades you have been
committed to advocacy on behalf of the countries of the
Caribbean and Central America. This Conference gives us,
therefore, an occasion to reflect on what we have done
over the past decades and what we are doing now, and the
continuing challenges that we have before us.
More
September 25,
2006
Insulza Stresses Regional Cooperation to Face Health
Priorities
The
Secretary General of the Organization of American
States (OAS),
José Miguel Insulza, today addressed the Directing
Council of the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO), stressing the need for close cooperation among
regional organizations to establish a stronger link between
health priorities in the Americas and the region’s
political agenda.
“Political action, particularly the negotiation
and the search for consensus, is a vital element to forge
the type of governance needed to strengthen democracy
in the hemisphere,” Insulza said at the opening
session of the annual gathering of health ministers from
PAHO member countries. In that regard, the OAS Secretary
General said that governance requires capable institutions
that can, together with the private sector and civil society,
formulate and implement public policies needed to reach
all sectors of the population, including the most disadvantaged.
Insulza emphasized that one priority on the OAS agenda
is support for persons with disabilities, including prevention
and rehabilitation. This issue was considered by the Heads
of State and Government during the
Fourth Summit of the Americas, held last November.
In response to a Summit mandate, the OAS
General Assembly entrusted the OAS
Permanent Council with drafting a plan of action for
the Decade of the Americas for Persons with Disabilities.
This effort will seek the support of PAHO and other regional
organizations, Insulza indicated.
The Secretary General also recalled the recent strategic
cooperation agreement signed at the OAS between the Inter-American
Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
(IICA) and PAHO, aimed at improving health and prosperity
in rural communities of the member states. These two institutions,
Insulza noted, “have spearheaded our cooperation
on the topic of avian influenza and other recent experiences
related to natural catastrophes and the fight against
drugs, which point us in the same direction of generating
a culture of cooperation,” Insulza said.
Others participating in the opening session included PAHO
Director Mirta Roses; the Acting Director-General of the
World Health Organization
(WHO), Anders Nordstrom; the U.S. Secretary of Health
and Human Services, Mike Leavitt; and the Acting Commissioner
of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Andrew von Eschenbach.
During today’s meeting of the PAHO Directing Council,
Insulza also moderated a panel discussion that focused
on strategic alliances to improve coordination among the
health, labor, education, and environmental sectors in
countries of the region.
Photo Gallery
June
6, 2006
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
December 9, 2005
INSULZA STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION
December 9, 2005
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - The Secretary General
of the Organization of the American States (OAS), José Miguel
Insulza, said regional integration is an issue the OAS has
followed for many years and one which it considers especially
important.
During the Summit of Mercosur Heads of State, which he attended
as a guest, Insulza hailed the work that key organizations
have carried out since the 1960s to pave the way in the
hemisphere for processes of integration. In his remarks,
he announced that in the coming months he would convene
a meeting of all the regional and subregional organizations
to explore this effort in depth.
Following is a partial transcript of the Secretary General’s
speech:
“For many years, first in the 1960s with ALALC, in the 1980s
with ALADI and more recently – very significantly, in terms
of achieving this major goal of integration – with the creation
of regional integration entities such as Mercosur, the Andean
Community, the System of Central American Integration and
CARICOM, valuable elements have been brought to this process,
notwithstanding obstacles and difficulties. I want to report
that the OAS intends, in the coming months, to convoke all
the subregional and regional integration organizations in
order to delve deeply and see how these processes can be
articulated and advanced. This morning’s debate was enriching,
because Mercosur is a phenomenon that goes beyond the issue
of economic integration, and it also captures the political
and cultural imagination of an important number of citizens
of the hemisphere.
“I consider especially important the points raised by the
leaders of the Mercosur countries, in particular those of
Presidents Tabaré Vázquez and Ricardo Lagos, regarding specific
issues in which it is necessary to plan so that integration
is not only a verbal process but one that is productive
and fruitful in such areas as the circulation of goods and
services, macroeconomic coordination, the circulation of
persons, financial instruments, physical and energy integration,
science and technology, labor rights in social legislation,
and so many other areas that they detailed substantively
in their interventions.
“We are at a good moment and on the right track to reflect,
within the framework of our integration agreements, on how
to continually make these processes more real, in different
areas, to achieve a more effective integration in our hemisphere.
I want to express my appreciation for the invitation and
to emphasize the quality of the debate and the guidelines
for action that have been delivered to all the international
organizations that take an interest in this issue.”
OAS
Secretary General
meets with Secretary General of the Council of Europe
On March 18, 2009, OAS Secretary General, José
Miguel Insulza, received the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe, Terry Davis. The two leaders discussed ways to
increase cooperation between the intergovernmental
organizations, as well as addressed issues related to human
rights in the Americas and in Europe. Secretary General Davis
met with the OAS Secretary General following his presentation
at the XXXIV
Lecture Series of the Americas, where he spoke on: "The
Universality of Human Rights and the Work of the Council of
Europe" on March 18, 2009 in the OAS Hall of the Americas.
Asia-Latin America Update: APEC and Trans-Pacific Trade
and Economic Ties
The Asia-Latin America relationship continues to grow in
diversity, with trade agreements and investment surging in
the past decade. In fact, trans-Pacific trade may represent
the greatest potential for hemispheric trade expansion, and
cooperation also continues to accelerate on the economic and
investment fronts. Since 1980, the number of trade
agreements in force in the Asia-Pacific region has jumped
from 22 to 152. Beyond that, 21 agreements await
implementation, 72 are under negotiation, and 81 are in the
exploratory stage.
APEC Peru Year
On November 22 and 23, leaders from the 21-member
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) met in Lima. The
theme for this year's APEC summit was reducing the gap
between developed and developing member countries, but much
of the discussion focused on the global economic downturn.
APEC leaders reiterated their belief in free-market
principles and open trade and investment as engines of
economic growth, employment creation, and poverty reduction.
Echoing commitments made by the G20 one week earlier, APEC
leaders vowed not to erect new barriers to trade and
investment over the next 12 months and called for a speedy
conclusion to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha
Development Round. A commitment was also made to support
export credit agencies, international financial
institutions, and private banks in their efforts to keep
business financing available and trade and investment
flowing.
Trade ministers were also instructed to accelerate
implementation of the APEC Regional Economic Integration
Agenda, which includes the long-term goal of a Free Trade
Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). The next step for the
FTAAP is for trade officials to study the agreement's likely
economic impact and to discuss the potential capacity
building requirements required for future negotiations.
Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership
In September, the United States announced that it would
enter into negotiations to join the comprehensive
Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, or
Trans-Pac. The agreement, which currently includes Brunei,
Chile, Singapore, and New Zealand, is the only proposal that
formally links Asia and the Americas through binding trade
terms. It could ultimately serve to advance trade,
investment liberalization, and integration across the two
regions. At the same time, Trans-Pac holds considerable
strategic and economic significance for APEC countries in
the Western Hemisphere; without it, the Americas risks being
left out of alternative East Asian integration proposals.
A distinctive feature of Trans-Pac, which makes it a
possible vehicle for broader participation, is the open
accession clause. At the recent APEC meetings, Peru and
Australia committed to sign on to the pact and will
participate in the first round of negotiations in Singapore
in March 2009. Vietnam and a number of other APEC countries
have also expressed interest in joining. Although it is not
an APEC initiative, many see the Trans-Pac as a potential
building bloc for the larger FTAAP.
China to Negotiate FTA with Costa Rica, Concludes
Agreement with Peru
On his way to the APEC meeting, Chinese President Hu
Jintao stopped in Costa Rica and Cuba as part of his first
Latin American tour since 2004. During Hu's visit to San
Jose the two countries agreed to launch talks on a bilateral
free-trade agreement in January 2009 that would optimally be
concluded by mid-2010. According to Costa Rican Foreign
Trade Minister Marco Vinicio Ruiz, this FTA will produce
economy-wide benefits, especially in the agricultural and
meat products industries. In 2007, Costa Rican exports to
China totaled $848 million. Beyond the FTA, nearly a dozen
other agreements were signed, including a joint venture for
China's National Petroleum Corporation to help modernize
Costa Rica's state-owned oil refinery and a deal to provide
assistance in building a national sports stadium. Costa Rica
is the only Central American country to extend diplomatic
relations to China rather than Taiwan.
While in Cuba, Hu vowed to boost ties, promising at least
$78 million in donations, credit, and hurricane relief. He
also signed trade and investment accords so that China could
continue purchasing Cuban nickel and sugar and providing
Cuba with agricultural products. After Venezuela, China now
ranks as Cuba's second largest trading partner, with trade
totaling $2.3 billion in 2007.
As expected, China also concluded negotiations on a
bilateral FTA with Peru. The agreement-expected to come into
force in late 2009-will eventually lead to the elimination
of tariffs on about 90 percent of two-way trade. The Chinese
president indicated that the agreement is likely to
facilitate additional investment in Peruvian infrastructure
including ports, roads, telecommunications, and electricity.
Cooperation agreements were also signed on issues such as
customs, technology, intellectual property rights,
investment, finance, mining, and agriculture.
China Becomes a Donor Nation to the Inter-American
Development Bank
China-now the region's second largest trading partner
behind the United States-has seen trade jump from $13
billion in 2000 to $111 billion in the first three quarters
of 2008. But that's not all. China recently joined the
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a donor nation,
becoming the third such Asian member. Japan and South Korea
are also donor members. In joining the Bank, China made a
$350 million commitment to Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to IDB President Alberto Luis Moreno, the money
will be divided into four areas, with about $125 million
going to soft loans for poorer countries like Bolivia,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The remainder will
be divided up within the Bank.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Policy Paper on Latin America
and the Caribbean
China's foreign ministry recently highlighted the
importance of Latin America in its first policy paper on the
region. The paper was intended to clarify China's policy
goals in Latin America and the Caribbean and outline
principles for future cooperation. Goals include the
promotion of regional development, enhancement of economic
cooperation, and establishment of the one-China principle as
the political basis for relations.
On the economic front, the paper commits China to work
toward greater two-way trade and to encourage investment,
particularly in manufacturing, agriculture, forestry,
fishing, energy, mineral resources, infrastructure, and the
services sector. It also calls on China to welcome domestic
investments from Latin American and Caribbean businesses.
Peru and Japan Sign Investment Protection Agreement
Making the most of its year as APEC host, Peru signed an
investment protection agreement with Japan, which could open
the door for an eventual FTA. With a Chile agreement already
in place, this is now Japan's second such agreement in South
America. Peruvian President Alan Garcia hopes to begin trade
agreement talks while in Japan in February 2009. In 2007,
two-way trade totaled $3 billion.
South Korea and Brazil Expand Economic Cooperation
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak traveled to Brazil
(a non-APEC country) to meet with President Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva prior to the APEC summit. The two leaders agreed to
further boost economic cooperation. During Lee's visit, the
two countries discussed working together in the areas of
mineral resources, oil development, and biofuel and
automotive industries. This year, two-way trade has reached
$64 billion-a 60 percent increase from 2007.
November 11, 2008
Sixteenth APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting “A New
Commitment to Asia-Pacific Development” -Lima, Peru -
November 22-23, 2008
The 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation Forum (APEC) agreed at the 16th APEC Economic
Leaders’ Meeting held in Peru from November 22-23 to take
economic and financial measures to solve the world financial
crisis, vowing as well to boost regional economic integration
and food security, and to combat climate change and
corruption, as stated in the Declaration of Lima, issued
Sunday, November 23 by APEC leaders.
“We welcomed the monetary and fiscal stimulus provided by
APEC member economies and will take all necessary economic and
financial measures to resolve this crisis, taking the
necessary actions to offer hope to those most in need”,
indicates the Declaration.
The theme for this year's meeting, "A New Commitment to
Asia-Pacific Development," highlighted the importance of
reducing the gap between developed and developing member
economies, said the Declaration of Lima. "We are committed to
strengthening the social dimension of globalization and
ensuring that all members and all sectors of our economies can
access the skills and opportunities to participate in, and
benefit from, regional and global trade and investment," it
said.
On Saturday, Japan offered to grant loans for up to 100
billion dollars to the emerging economies through the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order that they can
overcome the financial crisis that restricts the credit lines
of the international banking.
Strengthening of the financial market in the region was
emphasized as a measure to advance in the regional economic
integration.
According to the Declaration, the present world financial
crisis is one of the most serious economic challenges that
economies have ever faced, so they will act decisively to
face the imminent global economic slowdown.
Established in 1989, APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada,
Chile, China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia,
Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the
United States and Vietnam.
OAS Assistant Secretary General
meets with Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat
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.
OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, meets with Marc
Perrin de Brichambaut of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
The Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza,
met with Marc Perrin de Brichambaut of the OSCE,
during a courtesy visit
by the OSCE representative to Washington, D.C. The Secretary
General and Mr. Perrin de Brichambaut discussed areas of
mutual interest and common issues related to the operations
of the respective organizations. The meeting ended with a
discussion of the need for greater cooperation and
information sharing between the OAS and the OSCE.
The Organization of American
States (OAS) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) sign an agreement to strengthen
cooperation on issues related to state modernization and the
fight against corruption.
Photo Gallery
February 20, 2007
OAS
Secretary General
meets with Representatives from the African Union
Secretary General of the OAS, José
Miguel Insulza, received a visit from representatives from
the African Union. Place: OAS Headquarters; Washington,
D.C. Photo Gallery
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.
June 4, 2006
Lunch with Representatives of Regional Institutions- XXXVI OAS
General Assembly
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.
Meeting participants included the President of
the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno, the
Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean, Jose Luis Machinea, President of the Andean
Development Corporation (CAF), Enrique Garcia, Director of the
Pan-American Health Organization, Mirta Roses, Director General
of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture,
Chelston Braithwaite, the Secretary General of the Central American
Economic System (SICA), Anibal Quinones, and the Director of the
Institute for Connectivity in the Americas, Ben Petrazzini. Other
institutions represented were the World Bank, the International
Labor Organization and the International Organization for Migration.
Senior OAS officials including Assistant Secretary General Albert
Ramdin, directors of political affairs, Dante Caputo, integral
development, Alfonso Quinones, and external affairs, Irene Klinger,
participated in the meeting.
For further information on this meeting or other matters concerning
relations between international inter-governmental institutions
and the OAS, please contact Jane Thery, Chief, Institutional Relations,
Department of External Affairs, at jthery@oas.org or 202-458-6072.
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.
