E-067/00
March 29, 2000OAS SECRETARY GENERAL SAYS PARLIAMENTARIANS
HAVE VITAL ROLE IN HEMISPHERIC INTEGRATION
To maintain the rapid pace of inter-American integration, all nations of the hemisphere must have real, strong parliaments where deliberations take place, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), César Gaviria, said today at the inauguration of the first meeting of chairs of foreign relations committees of national parliaments and congresses of OAS member states.
They are meeting today and tomorrow at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., to explore ways to establish the Parliamentary Network of the Americas. Gaviria presented highlights of the OAS’ major activities, observing that democracy had been spread, consolidated, defended and entrenched in an unprecedented manner in the countries of the Americas in recent years.
Gaviria insisted there are still countries with institutions too vulnerable and political systems with authoritarian tendencies and lacking a proper balance of power, where citizens are not afforded sufficient participation. "I am convinced," he added, "that we cannot effectively tackle such challenges unless there is firm support from our congresses and political parties. They are vital to articulating all the interests of our societies."
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of Canada's House of Commons, Bill Graham, was elected by acclamation to preside over the debates involving parliamentary leaders from the 34 OAS member countries, whose two-day interaction will help pave the way for dialogue on how to handle the issues on the hemispheric agenda. Peru's Senate President Oswaldo Sandoval was also elected by acclamation, as co-chair.
Mexico's Ambassador Claude Heller, who chairs the OAS Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs, told delegates at the inaugural session: "This is the first OAS meeting for representatives of the member states' legislative branches to exchange experience and views on matters of common interest, with particular emphasis on priority hemispheric agenda issues, which have grown more diverse and complex."
Heller said political understanding at the highest level about hemispheric matters guides OAS cooperation in a variety of areas, and that training programs for more civil society involvement in OAS activities was being embarked upon. He noted that "the hemisphere's legislators have not been left out of that process."