FINANCING THE NEW AGENDA

Summing up, to carry out the programs on the OAS' new agenda, resources are needed to finance the following:

• establishment of the new Trade and Environment Units;

• a significant increase in the human and financial resources assigned to the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy;

• reinforcement of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Secretariat of CITEL, by assigning them additional resources;

• additional resources for the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Secretariat of CICAD;

• a contribution toward the funding of the ministerial meetings on trade, money laundering and terrorism;

• attracting highly trained, expert personnel to the General Secretariat and retaining highly professional consultants, especially for trade- and environment-related matters.

The General Secretariat will find ways to obtain the necessary financing without causing any increase in the member States' quotas.

The initial expenses will be financed through budgetary transfers, within the authority given to the Secretary General. Moreover, the General Secretariat will propose alternatives for securing additional resources, as, for example, using funds that are now earmarked for activities with less priority, such as the Offices of the General Secretariat in the member States, as mentioned in the Introduction to this Report, or a plan for voluntary early retirement to free up positions that would then be transferred to the new programs. At the same time, steps will be taken to obtain funds from sources other than the budget of the Organization.

When the measures employed affect staff, their rights will be fully respected and all applicable rules and regulations in force will be observed.

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