may press release banner.GIF (28717 bytes)

(E-115/01)
May 31, 2001
General Assembly

 

OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO TAKE FIRM DECISION
ON DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY IN HEMISPHERE

The Foreign Ministers of the countries of the Americas will gather in San Jos�, Costa Rica, for the thirty first regular session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States beginning Sunday, June 3. A central agenda item for the hemispheric Assembly will be the approval of an Inter-American Democratic Charter to bolster OAS instruments to actively defend representative democracy throughout the Hemisphere.

Delegations from the OAS' 34 active member states concluded preparatory work at the Organization's headquarters in Washington, during which they considered more than fifty draft resolutions and prepared a Draft Inter-American Democratic Charter on which the Foreign Ministers are to take a final decision.

Originally put forward by the Peruvian government, the Democratic Charter proposal was adopted at the April 20-22, 2001 Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, Canada, where the leaders instructed the Foreign Ministers to draw up an Inter-American Democratic Charter, under the purview of the OAS, "to reinforce OAS instruments for the active defense of representative democracy throughout the Hemisphere."

The Democratic Charter will be considered under the Dialogue of Heads of Delegation, which will also consider the restructuring of the inter-American system in light of the Summits of the Americas: strengthening and modernization of the OAS; as well as the strengthening of the hemispheric human rights system.

During their deliberations, the OAS member state delegations will take decisions on a wide-ranging agenda of items including the strengthening of democracy, human rights, trade and integration, security, environmental protection, action against landmines and natural disaster reduction. Also featuring on the agenda are such other issues as the fight against drug- and arms trafficking, corruption and poverty.

The General Assembly will also elect new members to the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Justice Studies Center of the Americas, among others.

Costa Rican President Miguel �ngel Rodr�guez and OAS Secretary General C�sar Gaviria will inaugurate the hemispheric gathering of foreign ministers, which is the highest decision-making body of the OAS. The opening ceremony takes place on June 3, at 6:00 p.m. at the National Theater Building. The OAS Assembly ends June 5.

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