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At OAS, Civil Society Organizations Present their Recommendations and Perspectives on Security, Democracy, and Human Rights

More than sixty representatives of civil society organizations today presented their recommendations on security for the XLI OAS General Assembly to the Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) during a meeting of the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC), which closed the Eighth Civil Society Hemispheric Forum that took place at Organization headquarters in Washington, DC.

At the meeting, Member States had the opportunity to receive the conclusions of the hemispheric forum from civil society representatives, and they held a dialogue on the main topics of the gathering: Citizen Security, Democracy, and Human Rights in the Americas; Development and its Impact on Citizen Security; and the 10th Anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter: Opportunities and Challenges.

The recommendations issued as an outcome of the dialogue and were presented to the Member states are available here.

In welcoming the meeting’s participants, the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the OAS and Chair of the CISC, Ambassador Luis Alfonso Hoyos, referred to the importance of receiving input from civil society organizations and the way in which the OAS has been incorporating this practice in recent years. "We all have witnessed the growing importance of civil society in modern life, especially in the global events of recent months. A vibrant society that seeks to be heard has transformed its cities, and its various expressions have left us many lessons to learn," he said.

Ambassador Hoyos advocated continued collaboration with NGOs and a strengthening of that practice. “We cannot lose sight of the fact that participation by civil society organizations represent much more than spontaneous social movements. While it is true that the latter lead to quick transformations, their participation is much more sustainable, more articulated, more prone to dialogue, better informed, and it is accompanied by a technical experience that the States need upon adopting development policies,” he said. The Colombian representative added that at the OAS the Member States are more aware that “without civil society we cannot construct that which is called a virtuous circle of development: a circle that includes the participation of all sectors of society in the processes undertaken by the States to achieve more inclusive, more democratic, safer and more just societies.”

The OAS Secretary for External Relations, Alfonso Quiñonez, for his part, highlighted the opportunity the OAS has created to talk with civil society "in a frank and open manner," and stressed that this practice is almost unique in the field of international organizations. "Once again, this shows that Member states are open to listening to your advice and expertise on multiple issues. In this opportunity, they are interested in knowing what you think should be included in the debate that will take place at the General Assembly in El Salvador,” he explained referring, to the hemispheric meeting that will be held June 5-7 in San Salvador.

“We are convinced of the value of interacting with you and of your recommendations, as well as the importance of having an open space like the one provided today,” affirmed the OAS representative, who also recognized non-governmental organizations for the “important efforts they make in support of the work that we develop in the hemispheric agenda.”

The Director of the Department of International Affairs of the OAS, Irene Klinger, explained that the hemispheric forum was organized in response to Resolution 840 of the Permanent Council, titled, “Strategies for Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities,” and in the framework of the commemorative activities of the tenth anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. She also thanked the commitment shown by participating organizations, coming from 21 countries of the region.

During the Forum’s session held this morning, representatives of civil society organizations held a dialogue with Ambassador Jaime Girón, Coordinator of the VI Summit of the Americas (April 14 and 15, 2012, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia). The Colombian diplomat, who is also Chair of the Summits Implementation Review Group (SIRG), offered participants a presentation on the preparatory work conducted by his country’s government for said event, the highest-level political gathering in the Americas.

In his presentation, Ambassador Girón described the vision his country’s Government has of the message that must be captured in the meeting’s theme and its declarations and results, emphasizing the aspects of the Hemisphere that make it a region full of optimism and opportunities while being ready to face the great challenges and problems that threaten it. “The setting of the Summit of the Americas offers us an instance to take advantage as countries and as a hemisphere to analyze and seek solutions that serve to overcome difficulties, and we wish to do it through concrete, measurable mandates that can be fulfilled and have secure financing, and that seek greater levels of development and equality.”

In addition, the Coordinator of the VI Summit extended an invitation to the representatives of civil society to contribute their ideas, suggestions, and recommendations to optimize the impact and guarantee the success of such an important event, and to do it directly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia or through the OAS Virtual Community. In this sense and on behalf of his Government he thanked the hemispheric organization for this dialogue with civil society, an event he described as “one of the most important stages in our preparatory process.”

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-643/11