I. GOVERNING BODIES
The General Assembly, whose duties and responsibilities are set forth in Chapter IX of the Charter, is the supreme organ of the Organization of American States. It meets each year, at the time stipulated in its Rules of Procedure. Under special circumstances and with the approval of two thirds of the member states, the Permanent Council may convoke a special session of the General Assembly. All member states have the right to be represented in the General Assembly and each is entitled to one vote.
The General Assembly held its twenty-sixth regular session in Panama City, Panama, June 3 through 7, 1996. The President of the General Assembly was His Excellency Ricardo Alberto Arias, Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama. The certified texts of the declarations and resolutions are published as Volume I of the Proceedings of that session (OEA/Ser.P/XXVI-O.2).
The General Assembly reiterated its support for the Government and people of Guatemala in their efforts to consolidate democracy and achieve peace, and requested the Secretary General to provide all possible support for the efforts at democratic consolidation, peace, reconstruction and reconciliation in that country, to which end a Special Program of Support for Guatemala was to be established. The Secretary General was also asked to coordinate efforts with other international organizations to support initiatives aimed at the reconstruction of Guatemala in the wake of the internal armed confrontation (AG/RES. 1378).
The General Secretariat was instructed to conduct and promote, inter alia, studies, seminars and research to strengthen democracy in the region, with full respect for the principle of nonintervention. The Permanent Council was instructed to study and, as appropriate, set up within the General Secretariat a permanent voluntary fund to finance all electoral observation missions requested by the member states (AG/RES. 1401).
The Organization was urged to continue to develop an agenda to help sensitize youth and youth leaders to issues related to democracy and democratic practices and principles. The Permanent Council was instructed to continue the study on incentives to preserve and strengthen democratic systems (AG/RES. 1402).
The CIAV/OAS presence and activities in Nicaragua was extended until December 31, 1996, for verification of the rights and guarantees of demobilized persons, extension of its mandate to all population groups affected by the aftereffects of the conflict, and its participation in any activities indicated by the Government of Nicaragua to guarantee respect for human rights, education for peace, and the definitive consolidation thereof in the country (AG/RES. 1375).
The Permanent Council was instructed to prepare a draft Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination by Reason of Disability and the Inter-American Juridical Committee was instructed that once it received the draft convention, it should prepare and submit its observations to the Permanent Council, which should then prepare a new draft convention taking the observations received into account (AG/RES. 1369). The Permanent Council is presently working on this matter.
The mandate given through resolution AG/RES. 1329 (XXV-O/95) was renewed and the Inter-American Juridical Committee was asked to present to the Permanent Council, as soon as possible, its comments on the document prepared by the General Secretariat so that the Permanent Council might present the General Assembly with the report on the draft guidelines covering the entire process of preparation of inter-American legal instruments (AG/RES. 1391).
The Permanent Council was instructed, in coordination with the Inter-American Juridical Committee and the General Secretariat, to continue to organize seminars or workshops aimed at achieving greater judicial cooperation in the region and at increasing awareness of the international rules of law emanating from the inter-American system, to consider any requests that the member states might make of the Organization for assistance in enhancing the administration of justice in their countries and to forward those requests through the appropriate channels (AG/RES. 1392).
The Sixth Inter-American Specialized Conference on Private International Law (CIDIP-VI) was convoked to be held at the venue and on the dates which the Permanent Council determines (AG/RES. 1393).
The Inter-American Juridical Committee was instructed, as a follow-up to its contribution to the adoption of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, to develop model laws regarding illicit enrichment and transnational bribery. The Inter-American Juridical Committee was further instructed to continue consideration of the document "The Law in a New Inter-American Order", presented by this General Secretariat, and with its studies on the legal dimension of integration and international trade, various aspects of enhancement of the administration of justice in the Americas, freedom of information, and the topic "Inter- American Cooperation to Confront Terrorism" (AG/RES. 1395 and 1399).
The Permanent Council was instructed to continue consideration of an inter-American convention to combat money laundering (AG/RES. 1396). The Permanent Council has created a Working Group for that purpose.
The General Assembly recommended to the Permanent Council that it convene a technical-legal meeting to address various legal dimensions of regional economic integration, thereby identifying areas that could be addressed by concrete projects in this field, in cooperation with regional and subregional integration mechanisms or with other institutions that share this inter-American objective (AG/RES. 1406).
The General Assembly made note of how the observance of human rights in the region had improved, particularly the measures that the member states were taking to heighten the promotion, observance and protection of human rights in their respective countries. At the same time, it expressed its concern over the persistence of situations that affected the full observance of human rights. Member states that had not yet done so were again asked to forward their comments and observations on the proposed amendment to Article 34 of the American Convention on Human Rights (AG/RES. 1390), to ratify or accede to the American Convention on Human Rights "Pact of San Jose", to consider accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and to sign, ratify or accede to the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights "Protocol of San Salvador" and the other inter-American instruments for the promotion and protection of human rights (AG/RES. 1394 and 1404). The governments of the member states were also urged to continue to cooperate with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and to provide it with the resources it needed to fulfil its functions. Member states were urged to make instruction on human rights part of their education programs at all levels and as widely as possible, in accordance with their internal legal systems. Member states were encouraged to devote special efforts to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, indigenous peoples, minors at risk, refugees, persons with disabilities, migrant workers and their families, detainees and prisoners, marginalized or minority groups, and victims of racial discrimination. The Assembly vehemently condemned all forms of racism, racial or religious discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, and member states were urged to take effective measures to promote tolerance.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was urged to continue promoting the observance and protection of the human rights recognized in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and in the American Convention on Human Rights and to continue to give priority to adoption of the measures needed to remedy the situation of persons held in custody while awaiting trial, and overcrowding in prisons.
The Permanent Council was instructed to work with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to evaluate the workings of the inter-American system for the protection and promotion of human rights so as to initiate a process leading to its improvement, possibly by amending the respective legal instruments as well as the methods and working procedures of the Commission (AG/RES. 1404). The Permanent Council created a Working Group on Democracy and Human Rights for this purpose.
The General Assembly highlighted the mission in which the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights has been engaged and urged it to continue its important work to teach and promote human rights and to foster the exchange of technical information and educational tools aimed at teaching human rights and developing a culture of peace. (AG/RES. 1405).
Finally, the Commission and the Court were once again asked to harmonize, in their respective regulations, the rules on external advisors to the Commission in cases in which it appears before the Court. The Assembly also asked that the Commission propose amendments to its Statutes regarding conflicts of interest applicable to its members and that it adopt the measures it deemed necessary to preserve the confidentiality of matters under consideration by the Commission (AG/RES. 1417).
Resolutions AG/RES. 1376, 1399, 1403, 1409, 1410, 1411, 1412, 1413, 1414 and 1415 all concern issues of hemispheric security. The General Assembly noted with appreciation the positive measures of the governments of the United States and Panama to promptly implement the provisions of the Panama Canal Treaty and the Treaty concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, and reaffirmed the importance of the Canal's continuing accessibility to the Hemisphere, trade and world navigation.
The General Assembly reiterated its strongest condemnation of all forms of terrorism which "constitute a systematic and deliberate violation of the rights of individuals". The Permanent Council was asked to set up a Working Group on the White Helmets Initiative. The member states were invited to provide information on the application of confidence- and security-building measures and to provide the Secretary General each year with the information they submit to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and to the United Nations Standardized International Reporting of Military Expenditures. All member states were urged to increase their mutual exchange of information on defense policies and doctrines and to develop, adopt, and execute confidence-building measures such as those outlined in the Declaration of Santiago. They were also urged to support and hold seminars, courses, and studies on confidence- and security-building measures.
The Permanent Council was asked to draw up guidelines for an education for peace program within the OAS and, using information provided by the member states, to create a roster of experts in confidence- and security-building measures so that they might conduct outreach courses, seminars and studies of any measures determined by the Permanent Council.
The General Assembly resolved to convene a special session of the Committee on Hemispheric Security on the special security concerns of small island states, which was held in Washington, D.C., October 17 and 18, 1996. The Assembly adopted as goals the global elimination of antipersonnel land mines and conversion of the Western Hemisphere into an antipersonnel-land-mine-free zone. It requested the Permanent Council, as a confidence- and security-building measure, to establish a complete and integrated registry of antipersonnel land mines.
The General Assembly decided to convene, for the second half of 1997, a regional conference to follow up on the Santiago Regional Conference on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures. Finally, the Assembly welcomed the specific steps taken by a number of countries for consolidation of the regime of military denuclearization established by the Treaty of Tlatelolco.
Under resolution AG/RES. 1370, the General Assembly reaffirmed OAS support for the preparations for and holding of the Summit Conference on Sustainable Development, and decided that the Working Group of the Permanent Council would be the intergovernmental forum for organizational and substantive preparations for the Summit. Meetings in preparation for the Summit were held in Washington between November 18 and 22, where the experts and plenipotentiaries advanced preparation of the Declaration of Santa Cruz and the so-called Plan of Action. The Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development was held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, December 7 and 8, 1996.
In resolution AG/RES. 1427, the member states were urged to strengthen the environmental component in educational programs of all kinds and were encouraged to exchange information, technical assistance and traditional know-how on environmental matters in order to achieve sustainable development. Note was taken of the International Coral Reef Initiative and member states were urged to consider implementing it in the region (AG/RES. 1428).
The General Assembly resolved to consider the mandate of the Committee on the Environment fulfilled and an Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS) was established as a subsidiary body of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), with the participation of high-level government experts who were to prepare the Organization's policy in these areas and prepare an inter-American program for sustainable development. CIDI was instructed to establish a Working Group on Sustainable Development to lend support to the preparatory work for the first meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS). That meeting was convened for the first quarter of 1997. CIDI was further instructed to follow up on the agreements of that Committee and the programs and projects developed by the Organization in this field. The Assembly expressed its support for the Secretary General's proposal to create a Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment and to carry out such mandates as the General Assembly or CIDI -through the CIDS or the Working Group of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI)- might issue (AG/RES. 1440).
Resolutions AG/RES. 1420, 1421, 1424, 1425, 1426, 1429, 1434, 1435, 1436, 1437, 1438, 1441, 1442, 1443 and 1444 concern cooperation for development. The Statutes of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) were approved, whose purpose is to promote cooperation among the American states to achieve their integral development and, in particular, to help eliminate poverty.
The General Assembly expressed support for the Plan of Action adopted at the Hemispheric Meeting of Ministers of Science and Technology. It recommended to the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) that it identify the resources needed to carry out the Plan of Action, and recommended to the General Secretariat that it support the Permanent Committee of the Common Market of Scientific and Technological Knowledge (MERCOCYT) in establishing the executive committee in charge of implementing the recommendations of the Meeting of Ministers. The General Assembly also supported member states' access to new information technologies, especially for the lower echelons of society.
CIDI was instructed to continue its study of a proposed information network to integrate the wealth of knowledge possessed by governmental and nongovernmental institutions and organizations that provide cooperation for development in the Hemisphere, and to create a database on development cooperation. The General Secretariat was instructed to continue its efforts toward modernization of the Organization's information systems and to facilitate access to training courses on new information systems for member states.
As for overcoming poverty, CIDI was instructed to pay priority attention to cooperative efforts and projects designed to fight poverty and discrimination in the Hemisphere. It was authorized to convoke the First High-level Meeting on Social Development to promote the establishment of the Organization's policies in this area and, in particular, to draw up an Inter-American Program to Overcome Poverty and Discrimination. It was also instructed to proceed immediately to establish a Committee on Social Development (CDS) whose responsibilities would include preparing the high-level meeting, following up on cooperative programs and projects pursued or promoted by the OAS in the area of social development, and considering topics related to social development and especially to efforts to overcome poverty, such as employment generation, educational, scientific, and technological development, and the promotion of culture.
The General Assembly took note of the Secretary General's proposal to create a Unit for Social Development and Education, mainly designed to endow the OAS with a more relevant role in the struggle to overcome poverty and discrimination, within the framework of the mandates it receives in this area from the General Assembly, CIDI or its subsidiary bodies. The General Secretariat was asked to submit to CDS, for its consideration, the annual program of activities of the Unit for Social Development and Education and quarterly progress reports about that program. The General Assembly also decided to assign priority to social development programs and projects concerned with the formulation of policies and initiatives that deal with children in an integrated way, that help expand basic education and enhance its quality through improved management practices in educational systems and training for teachers and other educational personnel, as well as those programs and projects that link education to the productive sectors.
The General Assembly supported the proposal of the General Secretariat to create an Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism. The Secretariat was also instructed to prepare, for CEPCIDI's approval, a work program that promotes cooperation programs and projects on the preservation, enrichment, and awareness of the cultural and linguistic identity of the Hemisphere, the promotion of the arts and the preservation of historical and archeological sites.
Through resolution AG/RES. 1364, the Inter-American Juridical Committee was instructed to examine and decide upon the validity under international law of the Helms-Burton Act and to present its findings to the Permanent Council. On September 11, 1996, the Permanent Council received the opinion requested by the General Assembly and referred it to the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs for the latter to prepare the draft report requested by the General Assembly. The General Assembly supported the work of the OAS' Special Committee on Trade and its Advisory Group, and the collaborative activities on trade and integration of the Tripartite Committee (OAS/IDB/ECLAC), the contributions of other specialized regional, subregional and multilateral organizations and subregional and regional groups and institutions, in fulfillment of the mandates of the Special Committee on Trade and as requested by the FTAA working groups.
OAS support for the preparation and holding of the Summit Conference on Sustainable Development was reaffirmed, as was the mandate of the Special Committee on Inter-American Summits Management to submit a progress report each year concerning execution of resolution AG/RES. 1349 (XXV-O/95).
General Assembly resolutions AG/RES. 1381, 1382, 1383, 1384, 1385, 1386, 1387, 1388 and 1389 all concern administrative matters. The Permanent Council was authorized to introduce in the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat those editorial changes needed to make them conform to the Protocol of Managua. The period for presentation of the study entrusted to the Permanent Council on the Statute of the Administrative Tribunal was extended. The Permanent Council was asked to finalize its consideration of the study prepared by the General Secretariat concerning the Offices of the General Secretariat in the member states, and CEPCIDI was asked to examine the study.
Through resolutions AG/RES. 1371, 1372 and 1374, the General Assembly approved provisions to strengthen relations with the Central American Integration System, the United Nations System and the Caribbean Community, respectively.
The elections held at the Assembly and their outcome are as follows: Jonathan T. Fried (Canada), Luis Marchand Stens (Peru) and Brynmor Thornton Innis Pollard (Guyana) were elected to the Inter-American Juridical Committee; Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela were elected to CICAD; Jacquelyn L. Williams-Bridgers (United States) was elected to the Board of External Auditors to Examine the Accounts of the General Secretariat; Morton H. Sklar (United States) was elected to the Administrative Tribunal of the Organization.
Offers from the following countries to host meetings were gratefully accepted: Venezuela, for the twenty-eighth regular session of the General Assembly; Colombia, for commemoration of the Organization's fiftieth anniversary; Guatemala, for the twenty-ninth regular session of the General Assembly, and Canada for the thirtieth regular session.
On December 19, 1996, Organization headquarters was the site of the twenty-third special session, held to consider the request from the Nicaraguan Government that the mandate of CIAV/OAS be extended. Through resolution AG/RES. 1 (XXIII-E/96), the General Assembly resolved, inter alia, to instruct the Secretary General to extend the mandate of CIAV/OAS in Nicaragua for six months, in other words, from January 1 to June 30, 1997, as requested by the Government of Nicaragua. The General Assembly also reiterated the content of operative paragraph 2 of resolution AG/RES. 1375 (XXVI-O/96) and asked the Secretary General to report to the General Assembly at its next regular session on the fulfillment of this resolution.
The Permanent Council is one of the organs by means of which the Organization accomplishes its purposes (Article 52 of the Charter) and is directly answerable to the General Assembly. The Council is composed of one representative of each member state, especially appointed by the respective government, with the rank of ambassador. Chapter XII of the Charter stipulates the functions and responsibilities of the Permanent Council, which takes up any matter entrusted to it by the General Assembly or the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. It serves provisionally as the Organ of Consultation, in accordance with the provisions of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. The Permanent Council sees to the maintenance of friendly relations among the member states and assists them in the peaceful settlement of their differences. It acts as Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly unless the latter decides otherwise.
The following describes some of the Permanent Council's activities and decisions during this period. Its Annual Report to the General Assembly contains a more detailed account.
The General Secretariat maintained a fluid relationship with the Permanent Council and submitted to it a number of documents and information and explanations on the progress of various activities. Some of the written and/or oral reports concern the OAS' activities and projects from 1990 to 1995, support to the Government of Haiti, the work of the OAS/UN International Civilian Mission in Haiti, reports on election observation missions in Haiti, the Ministerial Meeting on Trade held in Cartagena de Indias, the events that transpired in Paraguay, the Offices of the General Secretariat in the member states, the permanent observers' cooperation during 1995, the OAS' fellowship program for development of human resources in the member states, the progress made in the pacification of Guatemala, the trips made, activities carried out and agreements concluded by the General Secretariat, and a second edition of "The Law in a New Inter-American Order".
During the period from February 1996 to February 1997, the following Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives served as Chairmen of the Permanent Council: José Antonio Tijerino of Nicaragua, Lawrence Chewning Fábrega of Panama, Carlos Víctor Montanaro of Paraguay, Beatriz Ramacciotti of Peru and Flavio Dario Espinal of the Dominican Republic. The Vice Chairmen were the following Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives: Brian Dickson of Canada, Carlos Casap of Bolivia, Dean R. Lindo of Belize, Courtney Blackman of Barbados, and Arlington Griffith Butler of The Bahamas.
Protocolary meetings were held where the Permanent Council received official visits from the Presidents of Haiti, Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru and Chile. It also welcomed the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay. Other protocolary meetings were convened to commemorate Pan American Day, the 170th anniversary of the Amphictyonic Congress in Panama, the Birth of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, and yet another anniversary of the Discovery of the Americas.
The Council also held special meetings, inter alia, in honor of the Minister of the Interior of Argentina and in tribute to the memory of Ambassador Danilo Jiménez Veiga, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the OAS. At the request of the Permanent Mission of Peru, a meeting was held to consider the grave situation created by the terrorist attack on the Japanese Embassy in Lima, Peru.
The Permanent Council also received the President and the Vice President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, who spoke about the Court's activities. It heard oral reports by the Executive Secretary of CICAD, who spoke about the results of CICAD's twentieth session, the Assistant Secretary for Management, the Executive Secretary for Integral Development and the Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs of the OAS General Secretariat, who discussed their areas' work programs.
The following are some of the issues about which the Permanent Council adopted resolutions or declarations:
Professor João Grandino Rodas was saluted as a new member of the Inter-American Juridical Committee. He will replace and serve out the term of resigning Ambassador Ramiro Saraiva Guerreiro.
The Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Ghana were granted permanent observer status. With these two additions, the total number of permanent observers to the Organization now stands at 41.
A new official residence for the Secretary General was purchased and authorization was given to proceed with the first phase of the remodeling of the General Secretariat's Main Building, which will add more meeting rooms.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Colombia gave an informative explanation of the mechanisms provided under the Constitution and laws of Colombia with respect to the President of the Republic. He also reasserted his Government's position on the issue of drug trafficking.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the United States asked that a complete and combined register be established of antipersonnel land mines.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Brazil recommended that the OAS analyze and prepare guidelines for a policy of global solidarity that guarantees the safety and security of all and advances the human cause in a context of respect for fundamental human rights. Reference was also made to the fact that the Nobel Peace Price for 1996 had gone to the Bishop of Lorim, Monsignor Carlos Felipe Ximénez Belo, and to political activist José Ramos Horta.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Mexico reported that the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) had been opened for signature at the United Nations.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Peru reported that Peru had deposited its instrument of ratification of the Protocol Amending the Andean Subregional Integration Agreement (Cartagena Agreement). She also informed the Council that in her capacity as Chairman of the Permanent Council she had attended the Summit on Sustainable Development in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Argentina reported that Chile had joined MERCOSUR.
The Permanent Council expressed sadness at the passing of Ambassador Mario López Escobar of Paraguay; former President of Bolivia, Walter Guevara Arce; Carl Lindbergh Rogers of Belize; Gabriel Lewis Galindo, former Foreign Minister of Panama; Sir Rupert John, former Governor of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Ambassador Darío Suro, of the Dominican Republic; the Right Honorable Robert Milton Cato, former Chief of Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the Honorable Charles Wesley Virgill, member of Parliament and Minister of State for Housing of The Bahamas; Ambassador Jacques Laureau, Permanent Observer of France to the OAS. It also expressed sorrow over the air tragedies in Peru and Brazil and the terrorist attack on a United States military base in Saudi Arabia. It extended its solidarity to the people and Government of the United States at the time of the bomb explosion in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, where the Olympic Games were underway.
The Permanent Council extended congratulations to the new Foreign Minister of Paraguay, Rubén Darío Melgarejo, at one time his country's Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the OAS, and to the people and Government of Guatemala on the occasion of the signing of the Peace Accord on December 29, 1996.
The Council extended to the Honorable Cheddi Jagan, President of Guyana, its best wishes for a speedy recovery.
It took note of the appointments made by the Secretary General to the posts of Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Leonel Zúñiga M.; Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs, Enrique Lagos; Assistant Secretary for Management, James R. Harding; Director of the Unit for Social Development and Education, Benno Sander, and of the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment, Kirk P. Rodgers.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Venezuela proposed that a meeting of government experts be convened on how to prevent drug money from being used in election campaigns.
The Permanent Council welcomed the establishment of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and congratulated the governments of Ecuador and the Dominican Republic for the presidential elections held in those countries.
The Permanent Council heard presentations by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, the Secretariat for Management and the Secretariat for Legal Affairs concerning their respective work programs.
3. INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT
The Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) is an organ of the Organization of American States and is directly answerable to the General Assembly. It has decision-making authority in matters related to partnership for development and was established when the Protocol of Managua entered into force on January 29, 1996 (Chapter XII). It comprises all the member states of the Organization, which designate one principal representative, of ministerial or equivalent rank, whom the respective Government appoints especially for that purpose. It may create such subsidiary bodies and organs as it deems necessary to perform its functions properly. Its purpose is to promote cooperation among the American States to achieve their integral development and, in particular, to help eliminate extreme poverty, in accordance with the standards of the Charter, especially those set forth in Chapter VII with respect to the economic, social, educational, cultural, scientific and technological fields. CIDI holds at least one meeting each year at the ministerial or equivalent level, and may convene such other meetings as it deems pertinent in its area of competence. Execution and coordination of the respective activities are the responsibility of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development.
As of the date of this report, CEPCIDI has held 12 regular meetings, during which it took action on a number of matters that are within its purview, approving resolutions on the programming and financing of technical cooperation activities and establishing subsidiary bodies.
On February 4, 1997, CEPCIDI held its First Special Meeting to receive from the Government of Bolivia a report on the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development and the documents the Summit approved: the Declaration of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and the Plan of Action for the Sustainable Development of the Americas. Document CEPCIDI/doc. 41/97 contains a report on significant aspects of the CEPCIDI meeting.
In addition to its other subsidiary bodies, CIDI also has the Special Committee on Trade (CEC) which, by a mandate contained in resolution AG/RES. 1438 approved by the General Assembly at its twenty-sixth regular session, became a Special Committee of CIDI.
To comply with General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1440, CIDI established the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development, which is to develop the Organization's policy on sustainable development and prepare the Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development. CIDS will hold its first meeting in March.
The Committee on Social Development has held seven meetings to take action on the mandates contained in resolution AG/RES. 1424. The CDS, with technical advisory assistance from the Unit for Social Development and Education, prepared the proposed Inter-American Program to Combat Poverty and Discrimination and a proposed Plan of Action to implement it. A meeting with government experts on this subject was organized and held on December 2 and 3, 1996, at Organization headquarters.
Correspondingly, to comply with General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1424, CEPCIDI convoked the First High-Level Meeting on Social Development, which was held February 20 and 21, 1997.
Chairing the meeting was Dr. Rebeca Grynspan, Second Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica. Ministers and other high-ranking officials with authority in matters relating to the social development of the member states contributed to the preparation of the Inter-American Program to Combat Poverty and Discrimination. The resulting document has a Declaration and Plan of Action. The latter will help strengthen the inter-American dialogue and help identify specific areas of cooperation to modernize public institutions and social management; strengthen the mechanisms through which civil society participates in the war on poverty; promote and finance social investment and programs to fight poverty and discrimination. The Program prepared by the High-Level Meeting will be presented to CIDI and the General Assembly.