All around the Americas, citizens are demanding a greater say in government  decisions that affect their lives. And governments are listening to those demands. At the OAS, this trend has been evident during the recent discussions about the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The OAS invited citizens to contribute their opinions about the draft text through a special Web site created for that purpose. 
 
During the Third Summit of the Americas, held in April 2001, the hemisphere’s presidents and prime ministers stressed the importance of citizen involvement in meeting today’s challenges. “We welcome and value the contributions of civil society, including business and labor organizations, to our Plan of Action,” they stated in the Declaration of Quebec City. “We affirm that openness and transparency are vital to building public awareness and legitimacy for our undertakings. We call upon all citizens of the Americas to contribute to the Summit process.” 

In the months leading up to Quebec City, the OAS Office of Summit Follow-Up supported an extensive consultative process with non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and other representatives of civil society. This was coordinated by Corporación Participa of Chile, the Canadian Foundation of the Americas (FOCAL) and the U.S.-based Esquel Foundation. The OAS Special Committee on Inter-American Summits Management held several meetings with civil society experts and broadcast these over the Internet. Altogether, some 800 civil society organizations in 18 countries participated in consultations on Summit issues. A summary of their recommendations was presented in Quebec City. During the Summit itself, government ministers from several countries in the Americas met with representatives of civil society organizations. The Quebec City Plan of Action calls on the OAS, as well as other multilateral organizations and development banks, to develop strategies to increase the participation of civil society in the inter-American system. 

Such participation has been increasing in recent years at the OAS. Meetings at the Organization’s headquarters in Washington—whether they are addressing corruption, illegal drugs, indigenous rights or gender issues—increasingly include representatives of non-governmental organizations, advocacy groups, academic institutions and think tanks. In late 1999, the OAS Permanent Council approved policies to enable such groups to participate more fully in dialogue and activities at the Organization. The Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society in the Activities of the OAS (available at www.civil-society.oas.org) were adopted after 18 months of negotiations and consensus-building. 

Civil society organizations had participated in many OAS activities before, but the guidelines opened the door to closer ties. The policies recognize “recent changes in the responsibilities of non-state actors in public life and their increasingly important role at the national, regional, and international levels.” As of August 2001, 27 organizations had been accredited to participate as observers at the OAS.  

The OAS has also adopted the Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-Making for Sustainable Development (www.ispnet.org), which grew out of the 1996 Bolivia Summit on Sustainable Development. Developed after extensive consultation with civil society, academics and government representatives, it provides a framework and best practices for governments to ensure a high level of citizen participation in development decisions.

Last updated: September 2001