III. GENERAL SECRETARIAT
THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT
Chapter XVI of the Charter describes the functions and authorities of the General Secretariat, the OAS' permanent, central organ headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Elected by the General Assembly, the Secretary General directs the General Secretariat, serves as its legal representative and participates, with voice but without voice, in all meetings of the Organization. The Secretary General has the authority to bring to the attention of the General Assembly or the Permanent Council any matter that, in his judgment, could affect the peace and security of the Hemisphere or the development of the member states. It is the Secretary General's responsibility to establish whatever offices he deems necessary within the General Secretariat, to determine the number of staff members, appoint them, regulate their duties and functions and fix their remuneration.
Also elected by the General Assembly, the Assistant Secretary General is the Secretary of the Permanent Council and an advisory officer to the Secretary General, whose functions he performs during the latter's temporary absence or disability. He also serves as the Secretary General's representatives in all matters that the Secretary General may entrust to him.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL
1. Office of the Secretary General
In keeping with policy and practice decided by the General Assembly and with the pertinent decisions of the Councils, the Office of the Secretary General, under the provisions of Article 110 of the Charter, directs the functions associated with the promotion of economic, social, juridical, educational, scientific and cultural relations among all the member states of the Organization.
The entry into force of the Protocol of Managua on January 29, 1996, and the launching of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) set in motion an institutional reform that is now in full progress. Its purpose is not only to give the Organization a simpler and more efficient structure, but also new areas of business and a new work style.
2. Department of Public Information
The principal function of the Department is to conduct an information gathering and reporting program through press, radio and television activities, reference services, public relations and production, in order to bring news about the OAS to the public in the member states and thus increase their awareness and understanding of the Organization's purposes, programs and achievements.
The Press area also answered a number of written and telephone inquiries from the general public about such topics as the Convention against Corruption, opinions of the Inter-American Juridical Committee on the Helms-Burton Act, the Declaration and Plan of Action approved at the Summit on Sustainable Development and the activities of various working groups of the Permanent Council.
At the Organization's home page on the Internet, the space devoted to "This Week at the OAS" continued to be updated. The calendar of the Permanent Council's activities was included, as were press communiques, the Weekly Report on Activities of the General Secretariat, and the Secretary General's speeches. As part of a strategy aimed at building up this resource, additional institutional information is now being added, as is information about the radio and television areas.
During the twenty-sixth regular session of the General Assembly in Panama, close coverage of all the proceedings was assured, which meant that the most important debates were broadcast across the Hemisphere and beyond. The occasion was also used to produce news spots about the General Assembly and the Organization. Because it is vital that this area be used to maximum advantage and that the new technologies available be introduced, funds are being sought to digitalize the sector as soon as possible.
The program titled The Voice of the OAS continued to be broadcast daily to Latin America and the Caribbean, in Spanish and English, respectively. The weekly programs in Portuguese also continued, as did two weekly programs in English broadcast in the United States and the Caribbean. A number of events were broadcast live. There were correspondent services and broadcast press conferences. During the twenty-sixth session of the General Assembly in Panama, there was daily coverage of the sessions in Spanish and English, with special dispatches to be included in the OAS' own transmissions and in programs broadcast by stations throughout the Hemisphere. In the last quarter of 1996, a plan got underway to modernize the sector, which involves a change in the Spanish-language programming in 1997 and the production of special programs to extend and optimize the Organization's radio broadcasting circuit.
The XVI Model General Assembly of the OAS for university students was held in Washington in 1996. Participating were 500 students and 50 university professors from Argentina, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. The XV Model General Assembly for high school students from the United States was also held, with 500 students from 38 high schools in the United States and Puerto Rico in attendance. An agreement was reached to hold a Model Assembly in Bolivia in April 1997, and another in Argentina in October.
During the first half of 1996, the Visitors Service welcomed groups of various nationalities to Secretariat headquarters and gave them guided tours of the Main Building. These groups also attended lectures on the history, structure and purposes of the OAS.
The membership of the Editorial Board of Americas appointed by the Permanent Council in 1993, was renewed in 1996. Ambassador Carlos Víctor Montanaro, Permanent Representative of Paraguay, was named Chairman. The other members of the Board are the Representatives of Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States.
Americas put out six issues in 1996, each with a total run of 65,000, with separate English and Spanish editions. The magazine was circulated in the member states through subscriptions, sales at magazine stands, advertising campaigns, controlled distribution and exchanges. Americas is one of the publications of the Secretariat that has stirred tremendous interest in the general public and in 1996 earned an important distinction: it was given the award of excellence by the United States' Printing and Graphics Communications Association.
In the last months of 1996, a promotional campaign was launched in which one million notices were mailed offering the magazine at a discount. In early 1997, a promotional campaign was set in motion in which the Agenda de las Américas [Americas Magazine daily agenda] was offered gratis. The advertising campaign is expected to generate a considerable increase in the number of subscribers, which will make up for the revenues lost when subscribers failed to renew. The novelty of the 1996 campaign is that it used lists of specially selected subscribers and 300,000 offers in Spanish were sent out (included in the one million figure cited earlier). This campaign is sounding out the market with a view to future promotional campaigns in the member states.
During 1996 Americas focused on magazine-stand sales. Since the magazine was first established, sales at magazine stands have been very low. Before March 1996, less than 1,000 copies were sold at magazine stands, almost all of them in the United States. These sales represented about 8 percent of the total. However, since March 1996 the situation has changed drastically. Over 20,000 copies of the January-February 1997 issue were distributed at magazine stands in the United States and Canada. Sales were up by 21 percent. A market survey has also been conducted in Uruguay and, with the support of the Permanent Observer Mission of Spain, talks have gotten under way with a number of Spanish distributors with a view to selling the magazine in Spain as well.
3. Department of Legal Services
Under Executive Order 96-4 of May 1996, the Secretariat for Legal Affairs was reorganized and the Department of Legal Services was transferred from that Secretariat to the Office of the Secretary General. The Department's function remained unaltered, which is to deal with the legal matters that arise with regard to the Organization's activities, its internal rules and regulations and its relations with other entities. The Department accomplishes its objectives by providing legal advisory services, representation in litigation and negotiations, and helping to draft legal documents for the General Secretariat, the political bodies and other organs within the Organization. Given its nature, the work is extensive, varied and intensive.
4. Office of the Inspector General
The Office of the Inspector General operates under the provisions of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat, Chapter XV of the Budgetary and Financial Rules, and Executive Order No. 95-05, which provide for the internal auditing function that helps the Secretary General and the governing bodies monitor to ensure that the various levels of administration are fully discharging their responsibilities vis- a-vis the programs and resources of the General Secretariat, thereby ensuring a systematic review of the operating procedures and financial transactions of the General Secretariat at headquarters and in the offices of the General Secretariat in the member states. It also checks to ensure that the established policies, rules and practices are being observed and carried out correctly, efficiently and economically.
During the period from March 1, 1996, to February 28, 1997, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted 12 audits and a number of inspections and investigations that reached into almost every area of the General Secretariat's operations. As in previous years, this work has been carried out with complete freedom and independence and with open, unrestricted access to staff, records, documents and papers at headquarters and away from it. On only two occasions did the OIG meet with any resistance from certain staff members to its access to documents or files; in both cases the situations were quickly resolved. The work done covered the General Secretariat's Offices in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago; within the Secretariat for Management, the OIG's work concerned the Department of Human Resources (Travel Office, long-distance phone calls, official travel) and the Department of Human Resources (contracting mechanisms); within the Executive Offices, the OIG looked into the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (concerning the International Civilian Mission in Haiti, MICIVIH); within the Executive Secretariat for Education, Science and Culture, it was the Department of Cultural Affairs (Inter-American Music Editions); in the area of Conferences, it was the Unit of Language Services; and among the specialized organizations, it was the Inter-American Commission of Women. As of the date of this Report, the recommendations that the Inspector General presented to the Secretary General have all been approved. Those recommendations represented a savings to the General Secretariat on the order of US$250,000 during the 1995-1996 period.
The Inspector General designated an auditor to follow up on the recommendations resulting from the audits. This step was taken to help make these recommendations more effective by making the OIG's contacts with the various departments, offices and areas more dynamic, while clarifying any doubts and resolving any differences that might arise.
The OIG has continued to provide advisory services to various areas of the General Secretariat and has sat in on meetings of the Secretary General's Executive Board, the Internet Committee, the Sales Committee, the Committee on Contracting Methods and the Publications Board, among others.
The Protocol Office plans and coordinates the official ceremonies of the governing bodies, the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General, the Executive Secretaries and the Assistant Secretaries. It serves as liaison between the permanent missions and the United States Department of State on matters concerning the privileges and immunities of the members of the missions. It also organizes and coordinates the use of the OAS' Main Building for protocolary and social functions.
The Office concerned itself with matters relating to the protocol to be observed at official events and meetings that took place and the diplomatic and social functions associated with them. The Directory of Heads of State and of Government and other high- ranking officials of the members states and of the permanent missions and permanent observer missions to the OAS was updated and published in October. Assistance was provided to members of the permanent missions to the OAS in matters relating to visas and the like.
The Department of Fellowships administers the Organization's fellowship programs. It applies the standards for awarding fellowships and helps evaluate the training activities conducted by the General Secretariat.
In compliance with the directives that the General Assembly adopted during its twenty-sixth regular session [AG/RES. 1381 (XXVI-O/96)III.A.4], the following activities have been carried out:
During the period covered by this Report, around 1,260 fellowships are in the process of being awarded, at an estimated cost of some $8.0 million. If the extra-budgetary resources that will be raised through the courses conducted thanks to the participation of the observer countries (PEC courses) and through horizontal cooperation (ADPD) with the member countries are factored in, then the Department will have handled an estimated $10.0 million in training services. These overall figures are similar to previous years, but below the figures in some years in the 1980s, particularly in unit terms when some 2,000 fellowships were granted each year. This is in part because of the Organization's overall financial situation; even though the fellowship programs are a priority when it comes to allocating Regular Fund resources, the levels approved have not been sufficient to offset the rapid increase in the unit costs of the fellowships, particularly those for postgraduate studies, where the increase in tuition fees has been excessively high.
This program is a tool for career instruction at the postgraduate level, that uses the universities and centers of higher learning in the member states. Some 396 fellowships, extensions included, will be granted at an estimated total cost of $7.3 million. These fellowships continue to be in high demand among the member states, but because of limited budgeted resources not all their requests can be met.
These fellowships are for specialized professional and technical courses given by various schools under the auspices of the governments of some of the member states under the concept of horizontal cooperation. For the 1996 programming, offers were received from nine member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico and Venezuela, and the Asociación Panamericana de Crédito Educativo [Pan American Association for Educational Loans](APICE), a regional organization. A total of 73 courses were offered, involving 833 fellowships. Of these offers, 44 courses were actually carried out, for a total of about 452 fellowships. The cost to the General Secretariat will be around US$500,000 and the contribution from the cooperating countries will be over $1.0 million.
This program is carried out in cooperation with some of the observer countries. In 1996, offers were received from Spain and Israel, for a total of 30 courses for which some 220 fellowships would be granted. Of these, 22 courses were actually held and the total number of fellowships was estimated at 150. The cost to the General Secretariat is close to US$350,000, while the cooperating countries are estimated to have contributed anywhere from 3 to 4 times that amount (approximately US$1,000,000).
This program was set up to award fellowships for the last two years of basic university studies, although specialized courses to train professionals in areas of particular interest to the region are also included. In 1996, some 66 fellowships were awarded at a cost to the General Secretariat of over $800,000.
The Department continues to work with other offices of the General Secretariat on training courses. These courses are conducted in conjunction with the technical areas, either through the Inter-American Centers or institutions in the member states. Among the topics this year were marketing, social and economic development, drug abuse prevention, promotion of democracy, international law, telecommunications, education, culture and others. The total amount of training resources that will be channeled to the member states with resources assigned in the respective technical areas for those training programs will be approximately US$360,000, involving 200 fellowship grants.
The Rowe Fund offers interest-free loans to students from Latin America and the Caribbean to supplement the funds they have to complete their graduate studies or to pursue courses for a masters degree or doctorate in the United States. In 1996, the Fund awarded 140 loans to students, for a total of $694,893, and 37 to staff, for a total of $179,576.
The promotion of cultural values is one of the areas whose tradition and history date back to the very beginning of the inter-American system. Over that period, the shape of the cultural area has changed several times, as has its organizational structure. The most recent is the current Department of Cultural Affairs, established by Executive Order No. 82-4, of November 5, 1982. Its basic responsibilities are to advise the various governing bodies and organs of the Organization, and to provide training, technical cooperation and institutional support services to the institutions that participated in the then Regional Cultural Development Program. During the twenty-sixth regular session of the General Assembly, a new Inter-American Cultural Program was established [AG/RES. 1434 (XXVI-O/96)], intended to reaffirm the importance of culture for the integral development of the member states. Accordingly, measures are now underway to transform the Department of Cultural Affairs into an Office of Culture.
The 1995 "Gabriela Mistral" Inter-American Prize for Culture, awarded in the field of the music arts and sciences, went to Venezuelan maestro José Antonio Abreu. Honorable mentions went to tenor Luis Alva of Peru and guitarist Abel Carlevaro of Uruguay. The competition for the 1996 "Gabriela Mistral" Inter-American Prize for Culture was announced.
A regional course for Latin America on Preserving Paper in Archives was held in Santiago, Chile, from September to November 1996. The activity was organized in conjunction with the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) in collaboration with the National Conservation and Restoration Center (CNCR) of Chile. Participating were specialists from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and Peru.
A three-stage training workshop was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for staff of archeological and ethnographic museums, to train participants in heritage preservation involving national and international agencies, in order to develop preservation recommendations.
This Forum was organized jointly with the Center for Latin American Studies of the University of Maryland and held in December 1996, in Washington, D.C. Participating in the event were specialists in research, teaching, and the policy and practice vis-a-vis various aspects of culture and democracy in Latin America. The Forum was organized into three panels, the themes being: "Culture, Democracy and State Reform", "Cultural Integration and Citizen Participation", and "Public Policy, Communication and Cultural Democracy".
Issues 3 and 4 of the inter-American journal Nuevas Tecnologías de la Información were published and circulated as part of strategies aimed at circulating Spanish-language information on new information technologies, with emphasis on the Internet.
Twelve fellowships were awarded for masters degrees in social sciences, eight for masters degrees in government and political science, eight for masters degrees in population studies and eight for doctorates in social science research, specializing in policy, culture, and public institutions. A conference was organized in St. Kitts and Nevis with officials from the Department of Culture and other figures in the public and private sectors, to discuss the updating of the 1986 Cultural Study and preparation of a draft cultural policy for the country.
Prominent among the events conducted were the Inter-American Symposium on Authenticity for Conservation and Management of the Cultural Heritage, organized by the United States Committee of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS), the Getty Preservation Institute and the San Antonio Preservation Society and held in San Antonio, Texas, in March 1996; the exhibit that was touring museums in the Caribbean community until November 1996, on "Encounter of the Worlds"; the Seminar-workshop titled "International Debate on Management of the Submerged Heritage" held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and the restoration and musical scoring of the Chilean film "El Húsar de la Muerte" (1925) and a Colombian film "Bajo el Cielo Antioqueño".
The series of concerts and recitals by outstanding soloists and groups of the Americas continued at both the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and at the Organization's Hall of the Americas. The highest honor that the OAS and the Inter-American Music Council can confer went to Maestro Ljerko Spiller, in Argentina, Mercedes Sosa, in New York, and Plácido Domingo, in Washington. The VII Inter-American Course for Young Orchestral Directors was held in Cumaná, Venezuela, where eleven students from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela graduated.
8. Office of Science and Technology
This Office was created by the Secretary General on January 29, 1997, through Executive Order No. 97-1. Under that Executive Order, it comes under the Office of the Secretary General and is the advisory office to the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General and the Executive Secretary for Integral Development and the Organization's governing bodies on all matters related to activities in science and technology. The Office of Science and Technology replaces the former Department of Scientific and Technological Affairs and its functions and responsibilities are: to strengthen the technical capability and the programs that have some scientific and/or technological component; to assist the member states in matters within its competence; to cooperate with and support the activities of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development; to foster the exchange and dissemination of specialized information; to coordinate the inter-American prizes in its area of specialization, and to serve as Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission.
The Protocol of Central American Integration and its Secretariat (SICA) recognize the Commission as the specialized technical agency in science and technology. Since its establishment, the OAS has provided it with support and serves as its Technical Secretariat. At the Hemispheric Meeting of Ministers of Science and Technology, held in Cartagena, Colombia (March 1996), the Commission introduced a working paper on the position of the relatively less developed countries. In 1996, the Commission met twice under OAS auspices.
In keeping with a MERCOCYT initiative recommended by the Ministers of Science and Technology in their Plan of Action, in 1995 a project on regional science and technology indicators got underway in cooperation with the Ibero-American Science and Technology Program (CYTED). In the latter half of 1996, the project had funding from CEPCIDI. An Inter-American/Ibero- American Network has been formed and a regional publication has been prepared containing data from the countries of the region. The second publication will come out in the latter half of 1997. The data are now available at a page on Internet's World-Wide Web.
This project combines the activities of the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM), the support provided to the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT) and the Total Quality Project sponsored by the Government of Germany. In the first quarter of 1996, the Office collaborated on the Meeting of the FTAA Working Group on "Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade", in which metrology and standards agencies of the region, active members of SIM, COPANT and other agencies participate.
With support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the United States, the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM), originally created in the late '70s, was reactivated. The goal of SIM is to harmonize standards of measurement among the countries of the Western Hemisphere in order to achieve the major objectives that the Plan of Action of the Summit of the Americas set for greater cooperation in science and technology in the region and for promoting prosperity and free trade by eliminating technical barriers to trade. The SIM is composed of five regional metrology agencies: NORAMET (for the countries of North America); CAMET (for the countries of Central America); CARIMET (for the Caribbean countries); ANDIMET (for the Andean countries of northern South America); and SURAMET (for the countries in the southern reaches of South America). The Executive Secretariat of the SIM is the OAS General Secretariat, while the NIST serves as permanent technical advisory body for the entire region.
During the present year, apart from the SIM Coordination Meeting, the following activities have been carried out: a) training exercises in cross-comparison of mass measurements: seminar and exchange of materials among the region's metrology centers; b) start of the seminars for cross-comparison of units of electricity and power; c) publication of two issues of the SIM bulletin; and d) training of technicians from the countries' metrology agencies, most of which was provided in the United States (NIST), Mexico (CENAM) and Brazil (INMETRO).
In collaboration with NIST, the first Advanced School of Metrology, "Optical Metrology", was held in Recife, Brazil, January 5 through 10, 1997. Two exercises in cross comparison of electrical and pressure units have been programmed for February 1997 in Washington, D.C.
This project, started by COPANT back in 1991 with support from the IDB and the OAS, has been reactivated this year with support from the American National Standards Institute. It was presented at COPANT's Annual Meeting, held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in May 1996. As a result of a meeting called by the OAS General Secretariat and attended by representatives of standards institutes in Colombia, the United States and Uruguay, the project was redesigned and submitted to CEPCIDI for financing. It will later be presented to the IDB as well. The project has the ANSI computerized database, which can be accessed via the Internet, and plans are to assist all the countries of the region to actively access that system.
The support provided for meetings of the Working Group continued. The latter held two meetings in 1996. A letter of understanding was drawn up to be signed by the accreditation organizations of the region, so as to be able gradually to standardize the national certification and accreditation systems, whereupon the countries can negotiate agreements for mutual recognition of certification and accreditation.
This project is co-sponsored by the German Government by way of its Technical Cooperation Agency (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, GTZ). Between 1990 and 1994, the German Government contributed 4 million marks for this project. By the end of the 1994-1996 period, the GTZ had contributed another two million marks, and negotiations are now in progress to complete the project in 1998.
In the period 1994-1996, the project focused on strengthening the technical counterpart institutions in the 13 participating countries (universities, standards institutes and technological institutes) to create a better link with industry and conduct total quality programs. With that as the objective, the following results have been achieved: a) improved networking among participating technical centers through systems like the Textile Quality Network and the Network of Textile Technical Institutes of MERCOSUR (open to other countries; b) a Quality Network in the Dairy Sector (Central America, rural cheese manufacturers' subproject), which resulted in the creation of the Central American Association of Rural Cheese Manufacturers; c) the Central American Commodities Marketing Information System; d) the Central American System for Exchanging Information on Food Legislation and Standards; e) services provided during the 1994- 1996 period to more than 1500 businesses, including 50 rural cheese manufacturers in Central America, 575 businesses in the textile sector in Argentina and Brazil, and some 600 businesses in the other countries, served by a method of entrepreneurial quality and excellence developed by project consultants; and f) training activities, whereby some 5700 managers and technicians from over 1500 participating businesses took part in courses offered under the project.
The purpose of the Network is to connect the OAS member states to the Internet by creating a computerized network for sharing information. The project supplies high-tech equipment and technical assistance and sponsors technical seminars and workshops in the region to prepare projects, improve technical expertise, share specialized know-how and train the network's managers in the countries. This commitment was ratified during the Meeting of Ministers of Science and Technology held in Cartagena, Colombia, in March 1996. The project has also involved important collaboration with various organizations, such as the United States' National Science Foundation (NSF), the World Bank and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). Its funding came from the governments of the United States and of other member countries. Recently, through CEPCIDI, the sum of $1.1 million was approved to expand the project
Support was provided for the following: a) the Common Market of Scientific and Technological Knowledge Program; b) "SIMBIOSIS" - Multinational System of Specialized Information on Biotechnology and Food Technology; c) the Department's relationship and cooperation with other regional and national institutions; and d) preparation of documents and publications.
MERCOCYT is a multinational Program of the member states that is both a forum for hemispheric dialogue on scientific and technological policy and a mechanism of inter-American cooperation in science and technology. As a forum, the Program facilitates hemispheric dialogue on policies, strategies, instruments and mechanisms in science and technology. As a vehicle of cooperation, the Program provides a means for the Hemisphere's universities and research centers to communicate with each other and also generates conditions more conducive to providing better support for technological innovation in industry and public services, by working in cooperation with business associations and national and local governments. The MERCOCYT Program is directed by a Permanent Committee, composed of high- ranking delegates from the member states, most of whom are either chairmen or executive directors of national science and technology organizations.
This Inter-American Program has been implemented in conjunction with Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), through the Central American Industrial Support Network (CAISNET- CODETI). It consists of a series of regional workshops targeted at representatives of business and industrial associations, national and regional bureaus of standards, and development institutions. It was organized with the idea of cultivating the strengths of small- and medium-size businesses. Workshops were held in Trinidad and Tobago (February 1996), Ecuador and Costa Rica (March 1996), and Jamaica (May 1996).
Inter-American Program for Environmental-Technological Cooperation in Key Industrial Sectors
This Program emphasizes integrated action in the area of the environment so as to further, in all the member states, direct dialogue between public and private institutions in every sector of industry.
The Trade Unit was created by Executive Order No. 95-4, of April 3, 1995, which made the Foreign Trade Information System (SICE) part of that Unit. The Unit is to assist the member states in following up on trade-related decisions adopted in the Hemisphere. It is charged with providing technical support to the Special Committee on Trade (CEC), studying various aspects of hemispheric trade relations, ensuring effective coordination with regional and subregional integration organizations, and strengthening the trade information systems.
One of the Trade Unit's most important missions is to assist in the development of a free trade agreement encompassing the inter- American area. The formation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is necessitated by the changes that have taken place in the economies of the Western Hemisphere and the entire world. Inter-American relations are changing and the Hemisphere has set itself upon a course that would have been unimaginable only a few short years ago. The economic reforms in Latin America, the increase in subregional and hemispheric trade, the support of Canada and the United States for the regional agreements, and the very fact that all the countries of the Western Hemisphere share the rules and disciplines of the World Trade Organization (WTO): these factors have combined to change the face of inter-American economic and trade relations. The Trade Unit also provides support to the Special Committee on Trade, which watches trade and the new developments in trade within the region, and to its Advisory Group.
The formation of the FTAA is in progress and the Ministerial Meeting on Trade that took place in Cartagena in March 1996 helped to keep that process moving in the right direction. This Meeting was decisive in giving the FTAA process a structure and keeping the preparatory work of the negotiations moving. The Meeting also served to underscore the political commitment that all the participating countries have to establishing the FTAA by the year 2005, and to achieving tangible progress in that direction by the end of the decade.
The Trade Unit provided support and technical assistance to the Special Committee on Trade (CEC) and its Advisory Group. It has performed the following activities in that connection:
10. Unit for Social Development and Education
The Unit for Social Development and Education was created by Executive Order No. 96-5, of June 1996. It is responsible for assisting with formulation of public policy and coordination of programs of action aimed at overcoming poverty, strengthening educational systems, job training, and promotion of employment opportunities and social integration. It also conducts activities to identify and share experiences in those areas, to promote and carry out human resource training activities, and to develop and support horizontal cooperation initiatives in order to promote collective action and partnership among the countries, government institutions and institutions of civil society.
The Project involves activities geared to helping agencies in the member states design social policies; supporting CEPCIDI's Committee on Social Development with preparation of a draft Inter-American Program to Overcome Poverty and Discrimination; and assisting the Latin American and Caribbean Social Network with institution building and strengthening of its human resources.
The following were among the activities carried out: the Third Annual Conference of the Social Network of Latin America and the Caribbean (Panama, October-November 1996); four working meetings of the Steering Committee (Washington, D.C., February 1996; Buenos Aires, April 1996; Cartagena, August 1996, and Panama, October 1996); the International Seminar-Workshop on the Contribution of Investment Funds to Social Policy in the Member States (Santiago, Chile, April 1996); Andean Subregional Course on Policies for Overcoming Poverty and for Social Management (Caracas, May 1996); Subregional Course on Anti-poverty and Social Development Policies and Programs for the Countries of the Central American Isthmus and the Caribbean (Mexico, June 1996); the Seminar-Workshop on Negotiation of Credits between Social Investment Funds and International Banking (Washington, D.C., June 1996); the Seminar-Workshop on Citizen Participation and Social Control in the Struggle to Overcome Poverty, organized by the Social Partnership Network (Cartagena de Indias, October 1996); two OAS/IDB subregional meetings (Santa Cruz, Bolivia, November 1996; Antigua, Guatemala, December 1996);
Ten initiatives involving partnership for development among institutions and countries were sponsored. Requests were channeled and coordinated through the Social Network Steering Committee. The activities were geared toward determining objectives, programs and specific timetables and preparing guidelines and manuals for keeping a record of requests for cooperation and for evaluating results.
Following up on the commitments agreed upon with the Social Network Steering Committee in Washington, the Unit has worked with the Inter-American Development Bank on developing "New Generation" projects involving training for staff of institutions in the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean, as a joint effort of the IDB/Institute of Social Development/OAS/CARICOM and the University of the West Indies.
Under a joint OAS/ECLAC project, the Program of Social Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (PROPOSAL) is being carried out. Its activities included an Inter-American Course on Formulating and Evaluating Projects, in Santiago, Chile, with 38 experts from substantive programs in 17 countries attending. Technical advisory missions were conducted in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay on the subject of evaluating policies in education, health and nutrition.
In Guatemala, work was done with the National Office of Women's Affairs to develop a program for the integral advancement of peasant and indigenous women; in El Salvador, the National Family Office was provided with cooperation to devise social projects and programs; in Nicaragua, support was given to the National Agrarian Reform Institute (INRA) for technical formulation of the national plan for deeding and regularizing title to property; in Ecuador, technical and organizational assistance is being given to rural cooperatives in the Esmeraldas region; in Paraguay, a project was executed with the Rural Welfare Institute to consolidate selected agrarian reform settlements in the Kororo-í zone of the San Pedro Department, for a total of 500 families on 4,000 hectares; in Mexico, support was given to NAFIN for a program of 16 courses in different cities nationwide, in which 360 students from 168 credit unions participated.
CITAF and its national counterparts jointly conducted a total of 13 courses (2 inter-American courses, 7 regional courses and 4 national courses), equivalent to 577 hours of classes for 368 participants from 24 member states. The General Secretariat funded 13 fellowships.
Twenty activities in instructors' participation (courses organized by other institutions with CITAF's support) were carried out. Some were inter-American courses, others were national. A total of 238 hours of class instruction were provided to a total of 886 participants.
Eleven technical cooperation activities were carried out that benefitted eleven member states. They concerned, inter alia, integral development, efficiency and probity in government, reduction of extreme poverty and strengthening of the regional and subregional integration arrangements. This activity was 100% effective.
As for research, 31 documents and 3 books were published and circulated, and were displayed at the International Book Fair in Buenos Aires. If the results are compared to what was originally planned, the conclusion is that this activity was 100% effective.
Five training events were carried out with the following results: three subregional courses (Venezuela, Mexico and Nicaragua), one inter-American seminar (Colombia) and one national course (Ecuador); 172 technicians and professionals were trained; 154.8 person/months trained; 23 countries benefitted (Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela) and three documents prepared.
At the request of Argentina's Foreign Ministry, CIDES provided technical assistance to the Project for Development of the Social Sector of the Economy in Honduras (Project No. 1979) through FO-AR.
The CIDES cooperated with the Unit on preparation of documents presented at the Meeting of the Committee on Social Development attended by experts, and at the Inter-American Seminar on Citizen Participation and Social Control in the Struggle to Overcome Poverty.
The Unit provided support to the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on preparation of a long-term strategic plan for development of small business and microenterprise in the Caribbean subregion.
The project on "Education and Development of Caribbean Business" is studying a proposal to establish a trust fund that could guarantee national projects the provision of technical training to entrepreneurs, support resources to businesses and joint venture financial schemes. The project is part of a network of resource centers to support businesses and was established by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
As part of the Plurinational Project for the Creation of Businesses and Jobs, the Caribbean Project on Youth Businesses provided fellowships for recipients to participate in regional and international seminars and conferences in order to promote an exchange of specialized information and knowledge within the Hemisphere and on the international level. In this context, the General Secretariat, together with a number of other international organizations, including the Society for International Development and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) co-sponsored an international conference in Washington, D.C., on the development of youth.
The General Secretariat and other multilateral agencies and nongovernmental international organizations in the Washington, D.C. area established an inter-institutional working group on matters related to young people and conducted a number of activities to identify possible areas where techniques and information could be exchanged.
An international seminar was held in Washington, D.C., on youth enterprise, jointly sponsored by the IDB in conjunction with the Inter-American Working Group for the Development of Young People, the Services for International Youth Enterprise and the OAS. The event provided an opportunity to share a number of international experiences.
Two seminars on planning social policy were carried out in the Caribbean, for 50 middle- and high-level executives. The seminars were co-sponsored by the University of the West Indies, with support from the Inter-American Institute for Social Development and the IDB.
The General Secretariat participated in the Ministerial Meeting of the Caribbean on Poverty, held in Trinidad and Tobago under the auspices of ECLAC. A coordinated regional strategy was devised for anti-poverty programs.
With a diverse range of national and subregional activities, specific activities continued in, among other places, The Bahamas, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The activities of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor included the meeting of the Working Group on productive retraining and professional and vocational training in Costa Rica, the meeting of the ministerial-level working group on social dialogue and collective bargaining in Colombia. A meeting of the Permanent Technical Committee on Labor Matters (COTPAL), with ministers participating, was held in Washington, D.C.
Through the Inter-American Statistics Center (CIENES), eight training courses were held, targeted at the Organization's priority areas. As part of the work of the Inter-American Statistical Conferences, seminars were held on the following: social and poverty indicators for Central America; national survey programs; the joint OAS-ECLAC meeting to enable countries to share methods and experiences in the area of statistics; and the Third Inter-American Statistical Conference, held in Chile.
Regional programs and national projects for generating productive employment and creating jobs with small business and microenterprise were carried out. The Central American Seminar on Modernization of Small Business, held in Costa Rica, looked at policies for promoting the creation of new business with a view to the region's integration, with the state, the private sector, research centers and agencies of international cooperation participating. Cooperation was provided to the Latin American Association of Small and Medium-size Industry (CLAMPI) to build up its operating capability to enable it to circulate information relevant to the promotion and development of small business at the regional level.
The following are among the most important activities conducted in the countries: in El Salvador, installation and operation of a system for training microentrepreneurs was completed; in Costa Rica, the project providing support to the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Commerce was brought to a close; in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Confederation of Small- and Medium-size Business received support; and in Chile, the Secretariat cooperated with the National Confederation of Small and Cottage Industry.
In Central America, as part of the Program of Cooperation for Integration (GS/OAS-GS/SICA agreement), projects to overcome poverty and create productive jobs were conducted with the Nutrition Institute of Central America and Panama (INCAP).
With the cooperation of Argentina and the International Organization for Migrations (IOM), the XVIII Inter-American Course on International Migrations was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, October 1 through 25, and attended by 22 officials from 17 countries.
In cooperation with Costa Rica and the IOM, the Central American/Mexican Workshop for former fellows of the Inter-American Migrations Course was held in San Jose, Costa Rica, June 21 through 23. Present were 16 professionals from Central America and Mexico, all of whom are specialists in migrations.
Mar del Plata, Argentina, was the site of the South American Workshop of former fellows of the Inter-American Migrations Course, held from November 19 through 21, to create a network of horizontal cooperation in matters relating to migration for the countries of the region. Participating in the event were 12 officials from 10 countries in the area.
In conjunction with the University of Buenos Aires and the IOM, a regional seminar was held in Buenos Aires on September 28 and 29, to evaluate the proposed curriculum for the masters degree program in International Migration Policy.
At the request of the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community, and as a second phase of the studies on the development and integration of capital markets in the countries of CARICOM and the Group of Three, studies were done on the possibility of developing and building up the links connecting the capital markets of Central America and the Caribbean.
With financial support from the United States Department of State, a two-week course was organized with Florida International University on the trade opportunities that the new information technologies open up in the Caribbean. Approximately 15 fellowship recipients from the private and public sectors in the Caribbean participated in the event.
The Secretariat also participated in the Conference on the Mechanics of Trade Finance organized by the Telecommunications Industry Association, and in the Annual Miami Conference on the Caribbean and Latin America, organized by Caribbean Latin American Action.
The Fourth Latin American Symposium on Research and Evaluation of Integral Development Programs for Children Ages 0-6, was held in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and Sports of Brazil, as a regional activity recommended in CIECC resolution 894/95. The meeting took place in Brasilia, November 24 through 30, 1996, and stimulated a high-level, technical dialogue, while promoting an exchange of information among public and private, national and international institutions involved in pre-school and basic education; over 1,200 representatives and specialists in education, health and nutrition participated in the event. Among the institutions supporting the Symposium were the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), UNICEF, PAHO, UNESCO, and the Andres Bello Agreement.
In Washington, D.C, on September 16 and 17, a meeting on "Partnership for Educational Revitalization in the Americas" (PERA) was held in conjunction with USAID and the Academy for Educational Development. It examined the findings of case studies in educational reform in El Salvador, Jamaica, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
The General Secretariat participated in the meeting on "Higher Education in Latin America: the Challenges of the Marketplace and Institutional Reform", organized by the Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities (LASPAU) and held at Harvard University, November 6, 7 and 8, 1996.
Together with representatives of the World Bank, the IDB, the UNDP, and the Organization of Ibero-American States, the Secretariat participated in the presentation of papers on the panel for "International Cooperation for State Reform", which was part of the First Inter-American Congress that met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 7 and 8, 1996.
A number of proposals were presented to CEPCIDI for the Andres Bello Inter-American Education Prize and for multinational projects, such as: Qualitative and Quantitative Improvement of Basic Education; Education for Work and Youth Development; Environmental Education for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Family Support and Education, prepared in cooperation with the Inter-American Commission of Women.
Execution of the Pilot Project on Literacy in Haiti continued until September 1996, when activities were suspended pending the appointment of high-level counterpart technicians.
The reports of the external evaluators of the three six-year multinational projects in education that were part of the Regional Educational Development Program were sent to the counterpart institutions in the participating countries for their comments and observations. The conclusions and recommendations of the evaluators were included in the proposed new projects that the Unit prepared for CEPCIDI.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of La Educación, Revista Interamericana de Desarrollo Educativo, a special volume was prepared containing the three issues for 1996 and a cumulative index of all issues produced to date.
The activities of the publications program of the former Department of Educational Affairs continued. Three more monographs were recently published as part of the Interamer Collection educational series: Análisis y Propuestas para la Planeación Educativa, by Carlos Muñoz Izquierdo; Educational Management in Latin America, by Benno Sander; América Latina, Universidades en Transición, by Simon Schwartzman; Educación Preventiva Integral Contra el Uso Indebido de Drogas; Nuevos Desafios en Centroamérica, Panamá y República Dominicana, Washington, 1996. Two studies were concluded and sent for publication: Educación Indígena; Experiencia y Perspectivas, Belem, Federal University of Pará, Association of Amazonian Universities, 1996, Eneida Corra de Assis, Editor; and Educación a Distancia: Alternativas para la Formación Ciudadana, Belem, Federal University of Pará, Association of Amazonian Universities, 1996, María Cáa, Latinoamericana de Innovaciones Educativas, No. 22, 1996; la Revista Interamericana de Administración Universitaria, IGLU, No. 10, 1996, and the final issue of the Revista Interamericana de Educación de Adultos, No. 2, 1995. Each one was produced as part of the publications program of the three previous multinational projects in education.
As part of the publications program of the three previous multinational programs in education, technical education journals produced jointly with Argentina, Canada, and Mexico, continued in publication: the Revista Latinoamericana de Innovaciones Educativas (No. 22, 1996); the Revista Interamericana de Administración Universitaria (No. 10, 1996), and the final issue of the Revista Interamericana de Educación de Adultos (No. 2, 1995).
The Latin American Network for Dissemination of Data for Technological Education, which is done by the Regional Center for Adult Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (CREFAL), headquartered in Mexico, continued to serve as the focal point of the computerized communications network established for the project.
The computerized local area networking is expanding at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in Saint Lucia, and at the Barbados Community College in Barbados. These, and other educational institutions in the Caribbean, will soon be hooked up to the Internet.
11. Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment
The Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment (UDSMA) was created by the Secretary General on June 28, 1996, through Executive Order No. 96-6. Under the latter, the UDSMA is part of the Office of the Secretary General and the General Secretariat's principal entity in charge of matters directly related to sustainable development and environment. The UDSMA replaced the Department of Regional Development and Environment (DDRMA). The Executive Order spelled out the Unit's functions and responsibilities and its basic structure. Programs and those elements of projects that directly concern tourism are now the responsibility of the Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism, while the UDSMA remains in charge of the administration of all DDRMA projects and programs that are related to sustainable development and the environment.
Given this background, the activities summarized below are those performed by the DDRMA when it was still operational (March-June 1996) and that became the responsibility of the UDSMA once it was established. Also summarized below are the new activities that the UDSMA has itself undertaken.
In Brazil, the activities of the project titled "Program of Strategic Activities for the Brazilian Amazon Basin" (PRODEAM) got under way. That project is being conducted in collaboration of the Office for the Development of the Brazilian Amazon Basin (SUDAM) and the Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Legal Amazonia. The study for ecological-economic zoning of the Brazilian portion of the Tabatinga-Apaporis axis in the border region of the Amazonas State was started and activities were carried out to expand the regional system of socio-economic data for the Amazon region. These activities are financed by the Brazilian Government under the Technical Cooperation Agreement signed with the General Secretariat, involving approximately US$2,550,000.
In Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, the process of handing over the functions and responsibilities that the OAS (and IICA) had had in the Trifinio Plan to the governments got under way. Meetings were held with the Plan's Trinational Secretariat where it was agreed that the transfer would be in two stages: the first by December 31, 1996, when the Project's International Coordinator would be removed, and the second by December 31, 1997, during which time the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment would continue to consult and supervise. Another extension of the Technical Cooperation Agreement between the governments, the OAS, and IICA was signed, involving a sum approved by CEPCIDI of US$132,800. During this period, the Trifinio Plan Report was prepared and will be published shortly. A preinvestment project is being put together as part of the plan for managing the financing for the Trinational Integrated Management of the Lempa River Basin.
As part of the Trifinio Plan, the Energy Saving and Environmental Protection Program (PREPA) continued into its second phase in 1995-1996, with funding of US$480,000 from the Government of Finland.
During the period covered by the report, the local capabilities to undertake execution of the program as of 1997 were built up through training courses for community leaders. Some 1,500 new energy-saving wood-burning stoves (Finnish type) were built, nurseries and 1,500 hectares of planted trees were maintained, which included fruit trees. During the second half of the year, a technical-financial evaluation of the PREPA was done, as was an evaluation of community organization and of local acceptance of the program. A commitment was made to select communities in each of the three countries for a pilot experiment wherein the communities themselves will run the PREPA.
As part of the Project on Sustainable Development of Border Regions in the Central American Isthmus, cooperation was provided for two specific modules:
In Bolivia and Peru, as part of the project titled Plan for Environmental Management of the Titicaca, Desaguadero-Poopó-Salar de Coipasa System (TDPS), activities continued with preparation of the studies and priority projects identified during the diagnostic phase. Under the Cooperation Agreement concluded with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), funding in the amount of US$318,000 was obtained for various activities. In early 1997, at the request of both governments, the General Secretariat organized a joint mission of OAS/UNEP and the Global Environment Fund (GEF), to prepare the terms of reference to implement a Strategic Plan for the region's development, using as a basis the environmental diagnostic study and the studies and projects formulated. The GEF will contribute approximately US$350,000.
As part of the Plurinational Project on Amazon Cooperation, a Regional Seminar on Binational Amazon Cooperation Programs was held at which the Technical Units of the six participating countries presented and examined the results achieved thus far with the plans, programs and projects in border development and integration prepared under the Plurinational Project. The papers were financed with resources approved by CEPCIDI, for a total amount of US$60,000.
With additional financial support from the United States Government, which contributed US$80,000, the study of environmental and territorial zoning of the border region between Vila Pacaraima and Santa Elena de Uairén continued. That project is part of the Brazilian-Venezuelan Binational Program in Amazon Cooperation.
In Argentina and Bolivia, at the request of both governments and through a contribution of US$231,000 from the Global Environment Fund, a proposal was prepared and presented for Integrated Management of the Water Resources in the Bermejo River Basin. The GEF approved the proposal in October 1996, providing a contribution of US$3 million, to be executed during the 1997-1998 period.
Technical-institutional support and financial tracking of the irrigation works and projects in Brazil continued, including the additional works in the energy and hydraulics sector, particularly in the states of Maranhão, Bahía, and Espírito Santo. These activities are being carried out in collaboration with the Secretariat of Water Resources of the Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Legal Amazonia, under the Technical Cooperation Agreement concluded with the Government of Brazil for the period 1995-1996, involving the sum of US$1,400,000.
The Manual of Alternative Technologies for Increasing the Water Supply in Latin America and the Caribbean was published. It was the product of a project conducted jointly by the OAS General Secretariat and the United Nations Environment Programme.
At the request of the Government of Brazil, the OAS General Secretariat, in conjunction with UNEP and the World Bank, organized and conducted a mission to Brazil to help prepare a request to be filed with the Global Environment Fund (GEF) seeking the sum of US$251,700 to prepare a proposal for Integrated Management of the Watershed of the Upper Paraguay River and a Strategy for Conservation of the Biodiversity in its Aquatic Ecosystem and a request for another US$350,000 to prepare a proposal for Integrated Management of the Water Resources of the San Francisco River Basin and the area along its banks.
The Unit cooperated with a number of institutions in holding fora on the subject of integrated water resource management, such as the International Seminar on Hydrology in the Humid Tropics, held in Kingston, Jamaica and organized by the Water Resource Authority, and the South American Forum on Water, held in São Paulo and organized by the University of São Paulo.
The first phase of the Project on Environmental Management and Sustainable Development in the San Juan River Basin was completed. The watershed is shared by Costa Rica and Nicaragua. CEPCIDI approved the sum of US$129,000 for 1996. The Project's Executive Committee met in September, approved the report and recommended to UNEP that it apply to the GEF for funding which the OAS would then administer. UNEP has already acted on this recommendation. The OAS-UNEP Agreement for execution of this project was for US$471,000; that entire sum was executed between 1994 and 1996.
In Honduras, support was provided for management and execution of horizontal cooperation from the Argentine Republic to the Government of Honduras in the amount of US$50,000 in 1996 and another US$50,000 in 1997, which was in addition to the funds that CEPCIDI approved for the Gulf of Honduras Module Project, for an advanced prefeasibility study of a project for Integrated Management of the Chamelecon River Basin.
In Central America, there was cooperation with the Central American Water Resources Commission (CCRH) to prepare a Central American Water Management Plan for the seven countries of the region, under CCRH management. The governments now have that Plan under study.
In the Caribbean, preparation and the final paperwork for the project on Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate Change were completed in the manner required by the World Bank for its evaluation. Execution of the project, whose revised cost is US$6.3 million, will be funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and will begin in the first quarter of 1997.
In the seven countries of the Central American Isthmus, at the request of and in coordination with the Central American Environment and Development Commission (CCAD), the joint effort to formulate a Project for a Central American Biological Corridor continued. The Project includes assistance coordinated among the UNEP, the UNDP, and the OAS, to the countries of the subregion. The request for an estimated $14 million in funding for this project will be presented to the GEF, possibly in the first quarter of 1997.
The report titled "Uruguay: Alternatives to Industrial Processing of the Forestry Resource" was prepared and published. The report is the final result of Phase II of the Regional Project on Alternatives for Forestry Investment, developed under the agreement concluded between the OAS General Secretariat and the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) of Uruguay. The project had a total of US$180,000 in funding from the National Reinvestment Fund of Uruguay's Planning and Budget Office and from the MGAP.
In the Caribbean, the third phase of the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project (CDMP) was completed. The project is being carried out under an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and has a total of US$5 million for five years (1993-1998). As part of this Project, members of the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) are introducing new policies and investments based on CDMP-coordinated studies. The Project continued to provide technical assistance and training to various agencies in the countries of the subregion.
In Central America, the second phase of the Program to Reduce the Exposure of Schools to Natural Hazards was carried out, with US$327,000 from the European Community's Humanitarian Office (ECHO).
Also in Central America, the study on the Electric Power Sector's Vulnerability to Natural Disasters was completed in cooperation with the Council for Central American Electrification (CEAC), with a financial grant from the United States Department of Energy in the amount of US$150,000.
For the Andean and Central American countries, the second phase of a Program to Reduce the Highway System's Vulnerability was completed with the cooperation of the Pan American Highway Institute (IPC). ECHO approved financing of US$232,000 for the training activities and testing in the pilot areas. The findings are proposals for regional projects.
In Peru, the Program to Reduce the Vulnerability to Natural Hazards was completed. It was conducted with the National Development Institute (INADE) to include mitigation measures and technology transfer in the investment projects in its portfolio of US$400 million. The UNDP contributed US$74,800 for the Program, and the results will be presented to the international donor community for action to be taken.
With funding from ECHO in the amount of US$232,000, the first phase of the Program of Natural Disaster Exposure Profiles was completed. Workshops were staged in Costa Rica, Ecuador and Saint Lucia about the method for ascertaining the economy's vulnerability to natural disasters.
The report from the Seminar-Workshop on Reducing the Danger of Flooding in Watersheds was prepared and published. The report was the result of a meeting held in Brazil in late 1995 with support from the Ministry of Environment, Water Resources, and Legal Amazonia.
In Uruguay, as part of the project to introduce the environmental agenda into economic policy, five technical reports were produced and circulated on the assessment of the country's principal natural resources. The total amount of OAS cooperation in this project was US$180,000.
Within the Technical Group to assist the Government of Bolivia with preparation of the proposed Plan of Action of the Hemispheric Summit on Sustainable Development, the Secretariat prepared the document titled Environment and Natural Resource Assessment, which was widely circulated in the countries of the region.
In Mexico, in June 1996, the activities of the Project on Description of the Ecology and Natural Resources of the Petenes Region in Campeche were completed. The Project's findings were the basis of the decree issued by the Governor of Campeche declaring the region as an area for special protection of the wildlife and aquatic flora and fauna, and one of the reasons why the area was added to Campeche's Protected Natural Areas System.
Also in Mexico, the Project on Ecological Zoning of Geographic Regions with Priority Businesses was concluded in 1996.
In Guyana, the second phase of the project titled Plan for the Development of the Intermediate Savannahs was completed with execution and/or preparation of studies and projects that complement the Plan, relating to cartography and land use plans, environmental planning, transportation, basic infrastructure services, agri-business, ecotourism and institutional organization. The activities were financed by the OAS; the funds came from the remaining balance of the 1994-95 allocation for the country's PNCT.
In Suriname, seminars/workshops were held to introduce the Environmental Plan of Action completed in 1995 and targeted measures were taken for the tourism awareness program, particularly preparation and dissemination of promotional materials.
In Uruguay, the activities of the Project on MERCOSUR Transportation Alternatives continued and are being carried out with a contribution from the River Plate Basin Financing Fund (FONPLATA) in the amount of US$397,900.
In Trinidad and Tobago, a number of problems and crises resulting from the rapid growth in southwestern Tobago were addressed. Working with the Government, a contribution was made toward preparation of a Development Strategy as part of the project, Environmental Impact Assessment for Southwest Tobago.
Pursuant to operative paragraph 5 of resolution AG/RES.1357 (XXV-O/95), and as part of the program of activities in preparation for the Summit on Sustainable Development in Bolivia, an Inter-American Seminar on Public Participation in the Sustainable Development Decision-making Process was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, August 28 through 30, 1996. The Seminar was a collaborative effort of the OAS, USAID, the Inter-American Foundation, Friends of the Americas, Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Government of Uruguay. Its recommendations were adopted by the Working Group on OAS Cooperation for the Summit on Sustainable Development. One of the recommendations in the Plan of Action was that the OAS prioritize the preparation of the Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Sustainable Development. The General Secretariat has made overtures and is in the process of preparing a request to obtain up to US$1.0 million in external resources from the Global Environment Fund (GEF), through UNEP, to carry out this mandate.
As part of the Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management and the Inter-American Water Resources Network, the Second Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its central theme was "Integrated Water Resources Management for Sustainable Development in the Americas". Participating were some 260 specialists from 26 countries of the Hemisphere, including 22 national focal points of the Inter-American Water Resources Network. As a result of the meeting, the Declaration of Buenos Aires and a number of recommendations on the subject were approved. A home page was established for the Inter-American Water Resources Network on the World-Wide Web and the results of the Buenos Aires meeting are available on Internet, as are the reports of the Network's Advisory Council, and the directories of most water resources organizations in the region. The activities were financed with CEPCIDI-approved funds in the amount of US$112,000.
12. Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism
The Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism was established on June 28, 1996, to promote interdisciplinary tourism development, strengthen and stabilize practical cooperation with other regional and international organizations, revitalize the Inter-American Travel Congress (CIT), and direct the technical cooperation and training programs aimed at promoting sustainable development in the member states.
During the first half of 1996, the former Department of Regional Development and Environment conducted the projects and activities according to the timetable established by the General Assembly for projects of the then Inter-American Council for Economic and Social Affairs (CIES). As of the second half of the year, the responsibilities associated with the support the General Secretariat provides to the member states in the tourism sector passed to the new Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism. Accordingly, this new Unit was entrusted with responsibilities in the area of institutional development, policy strengthening, upgrading the General Secretariat's strength in research and formulating hemispheric policies for integral and sustainable development and technical cooperation in the tourism area, enabling the OAS to form partnerships within the tourism sector.
The Unit focused on institution-building, reinforcing the political process, developing a policy vis-a-vis the tourism product, cooperation between the public and private sectors, and execution of approved technical cooperation activities.
The Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism began talks with various subregional, regional and international organizations, including the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank Group, the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Confederation of Latin American Tourism Organizations (COTAL), the Secretariat of Central American Tourism Integration (SITCA), the Federation of Central American Tourism Offices (FEDECATUR), and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with the idea of developing and building up the existing cooperative and functional ties.
In that context, the Secretariat signed a three-year agreement with the CTO, in September, to provide specific assistance in the amount of US$100,000 to support CTO projects during the first two years. At the present time these funds are assisting activities to build up tourism awareness in the Caribbean and for regional marketing in the North American market.
The Unit has also focused on improving the policy-making process. Accordingly, the planning and organization of the forthcoming Inter-American Travel Congress (CIT), the only forum in the Americas that can bring all agencies of the sector together, continue. The XVII Congress will take place in Costa Rica, April 7 through 11, 1997, and some reorganization is being done to make it easier for the private sector to participate alongside the governments of the member states. The Congress, which is being widely promoted in the public and private sectors of the member states, will include a workshop on investments, presented by the MIGA.
In the activities of the Summit of the Americas, the OAS was cited as the regional institution that provides support to tourism-related activities. Given that fact, the Unit instituted active negotiations with the Uruguayan Government's Tourism Coordinator to ensure that energetic action is taken on hemispheric tourism policy during the XVII Congress, so that recommendations can be passed along to the Second Summit of the Americas, which will be held in Chile in 1998.
The Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism was instructed to strengthen tourism research and the capability for compiling information for a database at the General Secretariat, and to establish an easily accessible documentation center. Accordingly, CEPCIDI is now examining a project on that subject. The Unit also began a database for Tourism Information Systems that is expected to provide information rapidly via the Internet, with current and historical statistics, tourism-related laws and regulations, new technologies and other issues.
A "Tourism Page" created on the Internet is being tested, which will report on the Inter-sectoral Unit, its activities and technical cooperation projects, as well as information on projects approved by CEPCIDI, on the Inter-American Travel Congress, its Permanent Executive Committee, and information on the forthcoming XVII Inter-American Travel Congress. To facilitate the Unit's research efforts and provide tourism information to the member states, an internal documentation and research center is now being organized.
Some of the typical technical cooperation activities carried out in the member states during the transition period are the following:
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as part of the Cultural Tourism Development Project, technical assistance is being provided to develop and carry out a national cultural awareness program, to build up the institutional structure and to develop local cottage industries. There are also plans to provide support for research, excavation and preservation of a shipwreck, thought to be a vessel called the Africa, a slaver that foundered inside Kingstown Harbour.
In St. Kitts and Nevis, the Unit delivered to the Government the final report and plan for transforming the Spooners Cotton Mill Estate into a museum and tourist attraction.
In Jamaica, support was provided for the creation of exhibits, planning and design, and the preservation of artifacts for the museum in the historic Spanish Town district. Staff of the museum received two weeks of training in the preparation of artifacts, administration and maintenance, including two two-week visits to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
In Antigua and Barbuda, assistance was provided to facilitate implementation of the Parham Town Master Plan and to support the activities of the Parham Development Company. Similarly, support was provided for administration of small loans to improve local housing and for small businesses for local entrepreneurs. With the help of the Island Resource Foundation, a management plan was devised for the proposed bird sanctuary and the marine park located in North Sound.
Several training workshops and seminars were held in Costa Rica for microenterprise in the tourism sector. The purpose of the program is to teach management techniques useful to small tourism businesses and how to market small commercial tourism establishments.
In Barbados, a plan of action was prepared to strengthen tourism awareness.
Assistance was provided to prepare and organize the Belize Tourism Exhibit (BETEX).
As part of the Plurinational Project, the Ministry of Tourism of Guyana received assistance in developing promotional materials for the Tourism Awareness Program.
In Panama, the activities being conducted under the Technical Cooperation Agreement between the OAS General Secretariat and the Government to assist the Panamanian Tourism Institute with execution of the Master Plan for Tourism Development continued. The material has been prepared for the tendering of offers for development of three interpretative centers in the national parks at Bocas del Toro, Boquete and Gamboa.
In Grenada, a preliminary draft of the Master Plan for the Tourism Sector was prepared, which includes a 10-year Horizon Plan and a five-year Program of Action.
The first phase of Guyana's National Tourism Development Master Plan was completed, which includes a number of tourist attractions and a development strategy for the sector.
The Government of Brazil and the General Secretariat jointly financed the first phase of the four-stage Strategic Tourism Development Plan for the southern Brazilian states: Mato Grosso, Paraná, Río Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.
The report on "Strengthening the Tourism Transportation System in Saint Lucia" was completed.
13. Unit for the Promotion of Democracy
Established by the Secretary General in Executive Order No. 90-3, of October 15, 1990, pursuant to General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1063 (XX-O/90), the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) is instrumental in conducting a support program that provides the member states that so request, with advisory services or assistance in preserving or building up their political institutions and democratic procedures. The Unit's work plan is carried out under the Program of Support for the Promotion of Democracy, approved through Permanent Council resolution CP/RES. 572 (882/91). The Unit's guidelines and specific areas of activity are spelled out in the Work Plan of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, which the Permanent Council approved on March 9, 1994 (CP/CG-1326/93 rev.3). Under the Work Plan, the activities through which support is provided to the member states are mainly in the area of electoral institutions and procedures, including election monitoring, legislative institutions, and education for democracy.
The Unit's functions are discharged in the broader context of the Organization's role within the Hemisphere as a political forum, as an instrument of partnership for development and as an agent that both generates and circulates knowledge, information and experience. To carry out the activities assigned in its mandate, on July 25, 1995, through Executive Order No. 95-6, the following sections were established for the UPD: Office of the Executive Coordinator, Democratic Institution-Building, Electoral Technical Assistance, Information and Dialogue/ Democratic Forum, and Special Programs.
The purpose of this area is to work with the member states to help build up the democratic institutions of government and strengthen civil society. The programs that this area supports are the following:
Andean Regional Parliament. The UPD is collaborating on the project "Strengthening the Legislative Branch of Government in the Andean Region". Support was provided for basic studies and research to be used in training activities. The issues examined are: a) a comparative analysis and harmonization of the bylaws of the Congresses of the subregion; b) a program of advisory assistance and training for staff, advisors and legislators in the subregion's national Congresses; c) an Andean meeting of women politicians and lawmakers; and d) the budget process in the national Congresses.
Argentina. A seminar-workshop on "Data Processing in the Legislative Branch of Government" marked the end of the project on "Legislative Enhancement", conducted in conjunction with the Center for Legislative Studies and Cooperation (CECOL), located in the Congress of the Province of Santa Fe. The Center will publish the papers from that seminar next year. Also, a book titled La Crisis de la Representación Política y el Poder Legislativo [The Crisis in Political Representation and Legislative Power] was published.
Chile. The project on "Strengthening Technical Advisory Services to the Latin American Countries", carried out by the Legislative Advisory Services Program of Corporation 2000, was completed.
Colombia. The papers produced under the project on "Challenges of Democratization: The Role of the National Legislatures in the Andean Countries", conducted by the Center of International Studies of the Universidad de los Andes, were completed and are now in the process of being published.
Uruguay. The project on "Modernization of Parliamentary Activity", coordinated by the PAX Foundation and the Wilson Ferreira Aldunate Institute, was concluded. The papers from the project were published in the volume titled Modernización Parlamentaria [Parliamentary Modernization].
Regional-Americas. At the initiative of the Latin American Institute of Social Doctrine and Studies (ILADES) of Santiago, Chile, and the Institute of Political Sciences of Bogota's Universidad Javeriana, an inter-institutional meeting was held in October to examine the various components of the Inter-University Program of Studies on Democracy (a masters' degree program), officially presented to the UPD for its support. The Program, which will begin in 1997, involves support for exchanges of professors, partial fellowships for students from the region, joint publications and research, and development of a data bank on democratic development.
Regional-Central America. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Worship of Costa Rica, preparations are underway to hold a Central American seminar on teaching and learning democratic values, practices and behaviors within the educational system, some time in the second quarter of 1997.
Guatemala. The project "Culture and Dialogue in Guatemala: Program for Development of Alternatives and Resources for Building Peace" (OAS/PROPAZ) participated in discussions on how to structure a General Directorate for Labor Conflict Prevention and Settlement. The Unit continued to support the National Fund for Peace (FONAPAZ) to strengthen it institutionally by training a group of 25 staff members (regional coordinators and field workers from the Conciliation Unit) in the techniques of analysis and conflict resolution. At the same time, talks are underway with the Presidential Commission on Land Disputes (COPAZ) to identify specific areas of support.
Paraguay. The first phase of the project titled "Education for Democracy" is in progress. Its purpose is to train teachers how to teach democratic practices and to develop teaching materials that promote democratic values. Similarly, as part of the project on "Women, Leadership and Participation", the Unit provided support to the Office of Women's Affairs for a campaign to encourage women to participate in the voter registration drive.
Peru. In 1996, the Unit cooperated with the Institute of International Studies of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (IDEI) to organize university extension courses on democracy and human rights targeted at military, police and people in Peruvian government and civilian life.
Trinidad and Tobago. With production of a video on strengthening strategies for teaching democratic values, the project on "Education to Preserve and Strengthen Democracy in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago" was completed. That project had been carried out by the ministry in charge of the area and the University of the West Indies.
Regional. The Second Inter-American Conference of Mayors, co-sponsored by the UPD/OAS, AID, the IDB, the Inter-American Foundation and the World Bank, was held in Miami, Florida, in April 1996. Pursuant to its mandate in the area of political development, the UPD dealt with issues related to economic development, the environment and citizen participation.
Regional-Americas. With financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the UPD collaborated with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIDH), the Inter-American Indian Institute (III) and the Indigenous Peoples' Fund, on the organization of two regional meetings (Guatemala and Quito) on the Draft Declaration of Indigenous Rights.
Bolivia. On December 7, 1996, in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the Government of Bolivia and the OAS General Secretariat signed an Agreement to Strengthen the Processes of Decentralization and Citizen Participation.
Venezuela. The project titled "Citizen Participation as a Factor in Strengthening Democracy" is being executed in cooperation with the Presidential Commission for State Reform (COPRE). The first of the project's two phases was completed with preparation of studies on public participation and administration, participation and the political system and participation and municipal government.
This area provides technical assistance to the member states' electoral institutions to encourage more transparent and efficient election processes, while finding new and proven methods and technologies that can be applied in various countries. It also involves training of election officials; development of information and documentation centers; assistance to electoral institutions; the provision of assistance on reform of election laws and administration of elections, among others.
One of the main accomplishments during this period was completion of the first phase of developing a computerized system for logging and retrieving detailed information on projects and other activities that the UPD has in progress. Also, an inventory of its books and documents has been started, and a system is being developed to catalogue and file them.
The Unit continues to publish a series intended to circulate the official reports on the Electoral Observation Missions conducted by the UPD and various activities are underway to publicize the Unit's activities.
The collaborative efforts of the UPD and Georgetown University's Center for Latin American Studies have continued through meetings and other contacts and have contributed to the project "Political Database on the Americas." The purpose of that project is to compile information on the policies and democratic institutions of the countries of the Americas and make that information available to the general public by way of the Internet. The hypertext screens of the UPD and of the University provide this information. The UPD's presentation highlights the activities it is conducting to promote and develop democracy.
The UPD organized two fora during this period. The first was on September 27 and the topic of discussion was "The institutional crisis in Paraguay from April 22 to 24, 1996, from the standpoint of the government, civil society and the international community." The second forum was sponsored jointly by the UPD and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and was held on December 10, to mark International Human Rights Day. The topic discussed was "The relationship between the protection and promotion of human rights and the consolidation of democracy".
As part of CIAV's extended mandate, which now runs until June 1997, the UPD continued to provide support associated with the peace commissions, the Supreme Electoral Council, the Nicaraguan Agrarian Reform Institute, the National Municipal Development Institute, the reassimilation of former combatants, verification of human rights and participation in the Tripartite Commission, whose mission ended in October 1996.
This Program, which began in 1991 with a request for cooperation submitted by the countries of the region affected by antipersonnel mines, has since 1995 been coordinated by the Unit, with technical cooperation from the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB). The Program recently received financial support from Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Sweden. Canada, France and Spain have announced their intention to cooperate with the Program in the near future. Countries like Brazil, Colombia, the United States and Venezuela have been providing tangible cooperation in the form of equipment and technical training services, advisory assistance and supervision. The Government of El Salvador has offered the services of two technicians to cooperate with the Program. The mine-clearing operations per se have been carried out by the military and/or police of the countries concerned. All this points up the multilateral nature of the program's coordination and cooperation.
The Mission began in 1992. Through an exchange of notes between the General Secretariat and the Government of the Republic of Suriname in June 1996, the Mission's mandate was extended for an additional two years (1996-1998). Its activities in 1996 included the following:
The OAS/UN International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH) was formed in February 1993 as a mission to monitor for the observance of human rights. It was established jointly by the United Nations and the Organization of American States, at the request of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, as part of the international effort to resolve the Haitian crisis. A small group of OAS observers had been in Haiti since September 1992, under the terms of resolution MRE/RES. 2/91 (October 8, 1991) of the ad hoc Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Acting on a request from the Permanent Council [CP/RES. 594 (923/92), of November 10, 1992], the UN contingent joined the OAS civilian presence in February 1993, thus creating the joint mission.
The OAS' mandate for the activities of the civilian mission can be traced to the resolutions of the ad hoc Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which remained convoked from October 2, 1991, until June 5, 1995. In its final resolution, MRE/RES.7/95, the ad hoc Meeting expressed its satisfaction with the role the MICIVIH was playing in the defense of human rights and recommended that it remain active. On February 9, 1996, President René Preval requested that the MICIVIH's presence in Haiti be extended; he made the same request again on December 17, 1996, as the mandate of the United Nations contingent in the MICIVIH was coming to an end. The OAS presence in MICIVIH continues, and is for now open-ended.
As of late 1996, the MICIVIH consisted of 53 observers (28 from the OAS and 25 from the UN), which is small by comparison to the 230 MICIVIH observers in October 1993, or the 162 in January 1996.
During the period covered by this Report, MICIVIH's specific objectives included the following important goals: a) verify Haiti's full observance of the fundamental freedoms and human rights recognized in the Constitution and in the international treaties to which it is party; b) provide technical assistance requested by the Haitian Government in the field of institution-building, such as training of police and support to establish a strong and independent judiciary; and c) support development of a program to promote and protect human rights, so as to establish a climate of freedom and tolerance conducive to the consolidation of constitutional democracy in Haiti.
On June 12, 1996, the responsibility for the MICIVIH operation at headquarters was assigned to the UPD.
Pursuant to the mandates contained in resolution AG/RES. 1378 (XXVI-O/96) "Support for Building the Process of Democratization and Establishment of Peace in Guatemala", approved by the General Assembly in June 1996, and in accordance with the parameters established in the Framework Agreement concluded between the Guatemalan Government and the General Secretariat in September of that same year, the UPD is now working to develop several elements of a "special support program" to consolidate democracy, peace and reconstruction and reconciliation in Guatemala. In close collaboration with the Guatemalan Government and in contacts with the URNG and the international community, the UPD prepared proposals for supporting key areas of the peace and democratization process, such as the reassimilation of former combatants, mine-clearing, preparation of legislation for the peace, election reform and others. With the signing of the peace in Guatemala on December 29, 1996, the view is that most of the programs will get underway in the first quarter of 1997.
The purpose of this Mission was to respond to a request from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the Provincial Electoral Tribunals seeking technical cooperation. Unlike other missions, the Ecuadoran Mission was mainly technical in nature. Experts on technical election matters participated and, at the end of the first round of elections, presented suggestions and recommendations for organization of elections and election logistics, which, in the opinion of the election authorities, helped them make the necessary adjustments for the second round of presidential elections.
For the first round of elections, on May 19, 1996, the Mission had a group of 11 observers; for the second round, on July 7, 1996, there were 9 observers. On both occasions, volunteer observers joined the Mission, who came by way of various diplomatic representations accredited in Ecuador and international organizations invited by the Tribunal. The added volunteers brought the total number of observers in the Mission for the May 19 elections to 51; for the July 7, the total was 48. This method enabled the Mission to cover the events in the pre-election period and on election day itself. It had 5 bases nationwide.
Similarly, permanent contact was established with groups of national observers (Ecuadoran Committee of Human and Labor Rights) and the Mission had a presence in the central highlands area, where most of the country's indigenous population lives.
The Mission received cooperation from the Governments of Ecuador (vehicles and office space; there were no official Ecuadoran observers), the United States (funding and volunteer observers), Brazil (financing to enable two technicians from Brazil's Federal Election Tribunal to participate), Bolivia, Korea, France, the Russian Federation and Uruguay (volunteer observers: civil servants or private citizens).
The second round of presidential elections, held on January 7, 1996, was monitored. For this occasion a group of 60 observers was formed, who visited over 2,000 polling stations in 150 communities. The Governments of Canada and the United States provided financial support. The Governments of Japan, Norway and the Russian Federation sent delegations of observers who became part of the OAS Mission. The Mission coordinated its activities with the European Union's Electoral Observation Mission, the United Nations Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) and the diplomatic missions of the OAS member states accredited in Guatemala.
The activity was organized for the general elections of October 20, 1996. The Mission was established in April 1996 and was present for the various phases of the election process, including the period of ad hoc registration, the campaign and preparations for the voting. On the day of the general elections, the Mission consisted of 98 observers, who reported their qualitative observations and participated in the quick vote count. Part of the delegation remained in the country until the official returns were announced. This Mission received financial support from the Governments of the United States, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The Governments of Japan and Norway also provided groups of observers from their respective countries to be part of the Mission.
A mission of 25 observers was sent to monitor the 1996 presidential election process. The voting in the first round of elections was on May 16, and the second round on June 30. The observers arrived in early May and were present when the campaigns closed and while the Central Election Board and the Municipal Election Boards made their preparations. For the second round of voting, the observers arrived in early June and remained in the country until the final results were announced. For both rounds, the Mission posted its observers in the country's 11 most heavily populated municipalities and coordinated activities with other international missions, including the Carter Center's National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. The Governments of the United States and Canada provided financial support for this Mission.
In addition to the observation missions in 1987 and 1991, a third mission for observation, administration and execution of the electoral process was established. The idea was to collaborate with the Government, the political parties and the public to ensure the integrity and transparency of the process. The Mission began its activities in late April, when the voter lists and records of the political parties were inspected. Some 40 nationals of 15 member countries observed the elections on May 23, 1996. The Mission's presence in the country was extended until the new president took office in September 1996. This Mission received financial and material support from the Governments of the United States, the Netherlands and Venezuela.
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL
1. Office of the Assistant Secretary General
In keeping with the policy and practice decided by the General Assembly and the respective resolutions of the Permanent Council, the Office of the Assistant Secretary General, under Article 114 of the Charter, is the Secretariat of the Permanent Council, provides advisory services to the Secretary General, and is in charge of the other activities entrusted to it.
In compliance with the provisions of the Charter of the Organization of American States, during the period from June 1996 to March 1997, technical and operational support was provided to the Permanent Council to hold: 18 regular meetings, 5 special meetings, and 9 protocolary meetings of the Permanent Council, 69 meetings of committees, and 112 meetings of various working groups.
Based on the "Final Report prepared by John M. Strawhorn Consulting Services on the Language Services of the Organization of American States" (document CP/doc. 2825/96), the area of conferences, translations and documents is being restructured on the basis of the recommendations contained in that study in order to improve those services and make them more efficient.
In compliance with resolution AG/RES. 1403 (XXVI-O/96), adopted by the General Assembly in Panama in 1996, the Office of the Assistant Secretary General assumed the responsibility of serving as Technical Secretariat to a Working Group on the "White Helmets Initiative" whose purpose is to develop an operating mechanism within the Organization.
Similarly, the Office provided support and coordination services for the activities conducted by the General Secretariat's Publications Board, which is chaired by the Assistant Secretary General and whose Technical Advisory Group held eight working meetings during the period covered by this Report.
Also, the Office is in charge of supervising and coordinating the activities of the Offices of the OAS General Secretariat in the member states, the Art Museum of the Americas, the Columbus Library, and coordination and cooperation with other organizations. The following is an overview of the most important activities carried out in each of those areas.
2. Offices of the OAS General Secretariat in the Member States
The Offices of the OAS General Secretariat in the Member States assist with the preparation, execution and evaluation of OAS technical cooperation programs in the respective countries. They represent the General Secretariat and provide support to other activities carried out. They are instrumental in circulating information about and promoting a better understanding of the Organization's purposes and activities.
In addition to their regular activities, particular mention should be made of the following:
The Art Museum of the Americas was created by a Permanent Council resolution of 1976. Dedicated to the contemporary art of the Americas, the Museum collects, conserves and exhibits works of artistic and historic merit, organizes exhibits at headquarters and away from it, lectures and other cultural events and produces written and visual materials to promote artistic creation and cultural understanding and cooperation in the Hemisphere.
The Museum organized a total of 13 exhibits in 1996. The most outstanding was Botero in Washington, an exhibit of sculptures by Colombian artist Fernando Botero. The exhibit was staged in conjunction with the Cultural Foundation of the Americas and the Marlborough Gallery in President's Park, between the White House and the Washington Monument, along Constitution Avenue. The following were some of the sponsor institutions: the Banco de Colombia, the Cisneros Group, the Inter-American Development Bank, the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Producers, members of the World Bank's Art Society, Nationsbank, American Airlines, Asocolflores, the Friends of the Museum, International Building Services, Huntington Block and Rutherford International, Inc. The event was widely covered in the national and international press and served to publicize the Museum and the OAS. As a result of this one exhibit, visitorship at the Museum was up 56 percent.
During this period, the Museum acquired 61 new paintings, which were donated to the Permanent Collection. A total of 32 pieces were donated by the estate of Leonard Jay Horwitz, and include paintings by Pedro Figari, José Cúneo, Ignacio Iturria, Manuel Pailós and José Gurvich of Uruguay, Mario Toral of Chile, and Eduardo MacEntyre of Argentina. One painting and an engraving owned by Argentina's Antonio Seguí were also donated.
The Museum had an official appraisal done of more than 1,500 works in the Permanent Collection, in cooperation with Christie's Department of Latin American Art.
The Museum collaborated with a number of cultural institutions by loaning art works from the Permanent Collection for outside exhibits. During this period, 58 works from the Permanent Collection were loaned to various regional and international institutions.
Working with the Department of Management Systems and Information, the Museum did an exhaustive study on computerizing the Permanent Collection. This could enable the Museum to provide the General Secretariat with more accurate and thorough information on activities related to the Permanent Collection, including purchases, cataloguing, condition, inventory, placement, loans, preservation, documentation research, reports and records. Funds must be located to help install the system before it can become operational.
Support continued to be provided to care for and preserve the Permanent Collection. This included preventive measures to preserve 34 pieces in the Collection and detailed preservation of 25 pieces, among them 22 engravings by Carlos Mérida. Preservation-related support continued to be provided for the temporary exhibits held in the Museum and the Gallery, which included preparation of 222 reports on the condition of objects put out on loan and a minor intervention to stabilize another 16 pieces. Photographs were taken for the preservation program and an audiovisual was made of 110 object from the Permanent Collection and 400 from temporary exhibits. Most of the Permanent Collection continues to be temporarily housed in the building called La Casita, until a proper facility can be built in the Museum building.
During the Botero exhibit, around 700 people were present for lectures, workshops and tours given by the Museum.
Under the program of audiovisual materials, in the period from March to November 1996, total sales of slides and videos on Latin America were almost $6,000. To make the audiovisual material more available, new slides and videos of four Museum exhibits are being produced. The Museum collaborated with a number of publishing houses, among them McGraw Hill, Globe Fearon and Thames and Hudson, loaning slides to be reproduced for textbooks, art books and other types of publications. The Museum is now reviewing, editing and updating the series of 320 slides, in order to appeal to a broader market.
The archives cooperation project with the Smithsonian Institute was completed. Through a competitive process, the Smithsonian selected an intern who worked for three months in the Museum processing the archives on the exhibits from 1940 to 1980 and establishing guidelines for preservation and future computerization of the Museum's archives. This project has significantly improved the access that outside researchers have to the Museum's records.
A total of 10 catalogues were produced for exhibits: 6 at the Museum and 4 in conjunction with outside institutions. The Museum produced the 96-page, color, bilingual publication titled Szyszlo in His Labyrinth, and the 66-page publication titled Botero in Washington, also in color.
In September 1996, with the support of the Friends of the Art Museum, a new Gift Shop was established on the second floor of the Museum building. The Museum directed and conducted the necessary research and selected the articles for sale in the Gift Shop, which are related to the exhibits and to the Collection and include articles of various types. Other museums in the Americas are also cooperating. An area was also set aside for the sale of catalogues and posters of past exhibits. The glass cases, stands, and accessories for the Gift Shop were a gift from the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation. Proceeds from sales will help the Friends of the Art Museum to continue supporting the Museum's projects and make it possible for other activities to finance themselves.
Apart from the 21 volunteers who work in the Museum's Gift Shop, other volunteers assisted with a variety of activities associated with the Museum's programs, including tours of the exhibits, updating of inventory records, data processing of records and organization of children's workshops.
The Columbus Memorial Library was established by the First International Conference of American States on April 18, 1890. Its collections are consulted by those interested in topics relating to the Americas and inter-American relations. It administers a program of reference services for members of the Permanent Missions, staff of the General Secretariat and the public. It is custodian of the OAS' historic archives, its collection of historic photographs and the original documents of the OAS and those of the entities that predated it.
The most important activities carried out during the period covered in this Report concern the role of the Columbus Memorial Library as the repository of a unique collection that documents the history of the OAS since the XIX century and that is not available in any other institution of this kind in the world. In addition to materials for the public to consult, rare books and journals, the Columbus Memorial Library also houses the historic archives and programs of the OAS and its predecessors. Because its collection is so well endowed, it is able to offer reference services to the Permanent Missions, the permanent observers, staff of the General Secretariat and the general public. The focus of the new material being acquired spotlights issues related to the Organization's priorities.
As part of the activities planned in the automation program, a computer station was set up for users in the reference room, providing them with access to 3,000 periodicals and 20,000 entries. The demand for assistance in locating information and bibliographical materials has increased, especially with electronic mail and the like. For internal use within the General Secretariat, the Columbus Memorial Library made available documents and forms through its electronic newsletter. Similarly, the Library takes active part in the "OAS Website" on the Internet.
To revitalize this Unit, it was reorganized: 4,298 single-entries were reinserted into the index and the catalogue available to the public was reorganized. A total of 1,493 books (1,109 from the Columbus Memorial Library and 384 from the General Secretariat) were catalogued.
Over 2,890 requests for assistance were answered within the Reference Services Unit. The Circulation Section doubled its services, loaning a total of 2,401 books and 2,237 periodicals to staff of the General Secretariat, Permanent Missions, embassies and others. Also, over 1,044 books and 879 periodicals were consulted in the reading room.
Reference documents were compiled on matters of interest within the OAS. A selective bibliography on Haiti was put together, as was another on environmental issues in the Western Hemisphere. The staff of the Library compiled a bibliography on OAS Electoral Observation, 1972-1996. Through the loan program with other libraries, some 2,252 books were obtained for users of the Columbus Memorial Library and 1,063 were loaned to other libraries.
Close to 50,700 official documents, 345 periodicals and 240 technical documents were added to the collection. The Library responded to over 400 requests for assistance in locating information on OAS official documents.
The General List of OAS Official Documents for 1993 and 1994 was published and the second edition of the English version of the Classification Manual for the OAS Official Records Series: A Manual for the Maintenance of the Series from 1977 was updated.
The procedures for handling records in this Unit were updated, which made for improvements throughout the General Secretariat. As a pilot project, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) retained the services of a consulting firm so that, in consultation with the Unit, changes could be introduced in the OAS records retention program and the Unit's order forms updated and automated. The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission reported that the procedures suggested by the consulting firm were put into practice with positive results. Space was saved because a great volume of outdated material was discarded.
To accommodate semi-active material, the services of an outside firm were hired to store over 1,500 cubic feet of paper files. The firm offers reference services and discards materials whose retention time has elapsed. This year a total of 200 cubic feet were destroyed by the firm, which opened up 200 cubic feet for new records.
Guidelines were examined and prepared for ownership of archives and records of the OAS/United Nations International Civilian Mission (MICIVIH). A report was prepared recommending a joint project to evaluate the United Nations guidelines, to be included in the new Memorandum of Understanding between the OAS and the United Nations.
The services of two consultants were hired to complete a report evaluating the Library's preservation requirements; the staff of the Library participated in a one-day workshop on preservation and conservation techniques.
Various measures were taken to ensure the security of the historic archives and materials of the Library.
5. Coordination and Cooperation with Other Organizations
Under Article 111.h of the Charter, it is the function of the General Secretariat to establish "relations of cooperation, in accordance with decisions reached by the General Assembly or the Councils, with the Specialized Organizations as well as other national and international organizations."
Pursuant to the resolutions from the General Assembly's twenty-sixth regular session, held in Panama, coordination efforts with the United Nations and other regional organizations were continued. The follow-up and oversight of this coordination work is handled through the Office of the Assistant Secretary General.
Two coordination meetings were held with the United Nations, where the counterpart is the U.N.'s Department of Political Affairs. The purpose of these meetings was to follow joint activities being carried out by the various technical areas of the two organizations.
The following are among the most prominent activities that the Office of the Assistant Secretary General coordinates with other organizations:
EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT
Under Article 97 of the Organization's Charter, the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) is entrusted by the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) with planning, programming, coordinating, evaluating, monitoring and advising the cooperation programs, projects and activities carried out within the framework of the policies and priorities established in Chapter VII of the Charter and pursuant to decisions adopted by the General Assembly. CIDI is the governing body at the ministerial level that keeps the General Assembly informed of decisions taken within the OAS on all matters related to cooperation and, in its area of expertise, serves as a forum for inter-American dialogue on issues of hemispheric interest. The Executive Secretariat provides CIDI and its subsidiary bodies with technical and secretariat services. Until such time as the Second Meeting of CIDI approves the instruments that will regulate its functions and decisions in matters of cooperation, SEDI temporarily adopted a functional structure consisting of the Office of the Executive Secretariat, a Director's Office and three departmental divisions: Planning and Evaluation, Regional Coordination and Promotion, and Operations and Direct Technical Services.
In keeping with the provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter of the Organization, which concerns "Integral Development", and as stipulated in Article 97 of the Charter, CIDI is entrusting the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development with execution and coordination of measures needed to implement the approved projects. Accordingly, certain substantive changes have had to be made in the traditional way that the OAS has approached and carried out its cooperation activities. To help implement those changes, a number of specialized units have been created within the General Secretariat to develop policies and programs in specific areas. In addition, the existing guidelines and procedures are undergoing modification.
Accordingly, the services that SEDI provides to the member states and within the General Secretariat will be geared toward the following:
To ensure direct and active participation on the part of the member states through their permanent missions and the internal committees and working groups of CEPCIDI, and an inter-sectoral approach within the General Secretariat, a variety of strategies have been adopted:
On the understanding that execution of cooperation activities and projects will basically be the responsibility of the respective countries' institutions, all initiatives and proposals that are received are to be channeled by way of the respective missions for the SEDI to study and advise on, before being presented to CEPCIDI. Specifically, the following mechanisms have been instituted:
A mechanism is also being developed for inter-institutional cooperation with the various specialized organizations of the inter-American system.
The second function of direct services involves developing better administrative mechanisms and instruments to ensure transparency, cohesiveness and coordination among the various offices of the General Secretariat involved.
To make it easier to monitor cooperation activities, projects and programs and their management, a data bank has been created that gives both the member states and the offices of the General Secretariat on-line service. The first order of business was to record all proposed measures for which funding was requested under the multilateral voluntary funds that are CIDI's responsibility and that SEDI administers.
The activities associated with this area concern the various functional and operational procedures needed to implement the new cooperation system.
SECRETARIAT FOR LEGAL AFFAIRS
The Secretariat for Legal Affairs assists the Organization's organs by preparing studies, documents and legal opinions and providing secretariat services. It collaborates in the preparation of treaties, agreements and other international instruments and is in charge of the legal procedures related to the signature of those agreements and deposit of the instruments of ratification when the General Secretariat is the depository of the agreement in question. It provides technical and secretariat services to the Inter-American Juridical Committee and the Administrative Tribunal. The Secretariat was reorganized under Executive Order No. 96/04 of May 13, 1996, and now focuses on three areas: development of public and private international law; cooperation activities on law-related matters, and information and dissemination. The Secretariat is composed of the Office of the Assistant Secretary and the Department of International Law, the Department of Legal Cooperation and Information, and the Secretariat of the Administrative Tribunal.
During the period covered by this Report, the Secretariat for Legal Affairs was restructured under Executive Order No. 96/04 of May 13, 1996, and its structure and some of its functions were reorganized. With this reorganization, the new Secretariat will focus on three areas: the development of public and private international law; cooperation activities on law-related matters, and information and dissemination. In keeping with those objectives, the Secretariat's new structure consists of the Office of the Assistant Secretary, the Department of International Law, the Department of Legal Cooperation and Information, and the Secretariat of the Administrative Tribunal.
The chief functions of this Office are to further the development and codification of international law in all areas within the inter-American sphere; to plan, direct and coordinate all the Secretariat's activities; and to establish internal policies and procedures to enable the Secretariat to perform its functions properly. This Office also advises the Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General and provides administrative support and supervision to the Secretariat of the Administrative Tribunal (TRIBAD).
The main functions of this Department are to provide legal advisory services in the area of international law to the Organization's organs, agencies and entities, to perform the functions of Secretariat of the Inter-American Juridical Committee, to prepare or coordinate studies and research on matters in its area of competence, to perform the functions of depository of inter-American treaties and other agreements that the Organization concludes.
Editions of various inter-American treaties were prepared for the Treaty Series. In addition to the publications mentioned earlier (Courses and the Proceedings and Documents of the Inter-American Specialized Conference against Corruption and the Inter-American Specialized Conference on Terrorism), the Proceedings and Documents of CIDIP-V were also published.
The purpose of the work done by this new Department is to gradually give the cooperative measures concrete substance and to provide legal information.
SECRETARIAT FOR MANAGEMENT
The Secretariat for Management is in charge of the planning, organization, coordination and general oversight of the administrative activities associated with the program-budget, financial management, personnel management, procurement of goods and contracting of services, data processing, buildings and properties, communications, staff security, assets, and management of the General Secretariat's systems and procedures. These services are provided through the Department of Financial Services, the Department of Program-Budget, the Department of Human Resources, the Department of Material Resources and the Department of Management Systems and Information.
As part of a general strategy to modernize the Organization and give it a response capability able to meet the challenges of the new Inter-American Agenda, the activities aimed at improving its administrative procedures and instruments have continued. Apart from the specific responsibilities of the Office of Assistant Secretary, particular mention should be made of the following:
The financial situation of the Organization of American States is illustrated in the statements that appear in attached Appendix "E".
The information is presented in the following manner:
The Combined Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Balances show the Organization's financial position as of the close of the period. The Combined Statements of Variations in Fund Balances reflect the result of the financial activity during the period.
The financial position of the Regular Fund improved slightly, from $0.1 million in 1995 to $2.7 million in 1996. The following analysis compares the budgetary authorization (appropriations) by the General Assembly and the Permanent Council, financing by the member states and levels of execution during the year.