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OAS PERMANENT COUNCIL CELEBRATES THE DAY OF THE AMERICAS
The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) marked the Day of the Americas with a special protocolary session that highlighted the member states’ commitment to work together to strengthen democratic institutions and face other challenges.
Bolivian Ambassador Marcelo Ostria Trigo, the Council’s current chair, emphasized "our countries’ decision to move together to build a better future that will reflect our shared efforts to ensure the well-being of the peoples of the hemisphere, to whom we owe dedication and vigilance."
For his part, OAS Secretary General C�sar Gaviria reaffirmed the importance of basic democratic principles "that are essential in inter-Americas relationships, even in these times when these relationships focus more intensely on economic, political and social matters." Such principles, he said, must also be adapted to a broader agenda that includes such issues as combating arms trafficking, corruption and drug trafficking.
Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador Lionel Hurst paid tribute to the memory of Sim�n Bol�var, stressing that a century later, Eric Williams developed and shaped many Bolivarian principles in the Caribbean region. He also proposed "the inclusion, not the isolation, of the only independent state in the hemisphere which is not seated at this table," and affirmed that "the United States and Cuba must find a method for settling peacefully, once and for all time, the hostility which keeps these two American states apart."
Ambassador Diego Abente Brun of Paraguay highlighted some of the most historic events leading to Pan-Americanism and after proposing "extending mechanisms designed to strengthen the democratic system," the Paraguayan diplomat emphasized the need to increase the role of the OAS in the Summit process, to continue supporting the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, as well as the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development and the Inter-American Justice Study Center.
Finally, Luis Lauredo, U.S Ambassador to the OAS, presented a declaration from President Bill Clinton on the occasion of the Day of the Americas, reaffirming his commitment to the democratic values and principles of its member states.
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