Foreign Ministers from Hemisphere To Meet in Caracas
for OAS General AssemblyMay 28, 1998
Foreign ministers from the member nations of the Organization of American States (OAS) will meet in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas beginning Monday, June 1, for the Twenty-Eighth Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly.
During the three-day meeting, delegations from 34 countries will consider topics related to strengthening democracy, defending and promoting human rights, and fighting poverty, drug trafficking and corruption, among other issues. The 60-item agenda includes proposals from member countries and from the OAS General Secretariat.
The deliberations will take into account the mandates the OAS received at the recent Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile, and the need to implement measures to carry out the summit goals. The heads of the delegations will also participate in a dialogue on three issues: the renewal of the inter-American system, the strengthening of justice systems and cooperation for development in the Americas.
At the request of the Venezuelan government, this session will have a shorter duration than previous meetings. "The Venezuelan initiative for a reformed General Assembly has been supported by the member countries, and as a result this session will have a different structure, one that is more agile and modern, in line with the times," said Venezuela's permanent representative to the OAS, Ambassador Francisco Paparoni.
The General Assembly, the highest decision-making body in the OAS, establishes major policies and directions for the Organization. It meets once a year in regular session.
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