August 17, 2001

 

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

PANEL DISCUSSES DEMOCRATIC CHARTER

During a live forum Tuesday at the Organization of American States (OAS), four distinguished panelists will discuss the proposed Inter-American Democratic Charter and its expected political impact in the hemisphere.

The creation of the Democratic Charter -- a mandate from the Third Summit of the Americas -- is intended to reinforce "the active defense of representative democracy." A draft document has been available for review and discussion by governments and civil society. The final Charter is scheduled to be adopted by the OAS General Assembly during a special session that begins September 10 in Lima, Peru.

The forum is part of an OAS series of programs called "Overcoming Challenges" (Despejando Dudas). It will be Webcast (www.oas.org), as well as carried live by Radio Caracas of Venezuela and Radio Programas of Peru. The OAS has also invited people to attend a live screening in the Hall of the Americas. During the second half of the program, participants will be able to ask the panelists questions.

What: Discussion on the OAS Inter-American Democratic Charter

Who:  Manuel Rodríguez Cuadros, Vice-Minister of Foreign Relations, Peru

         Humberto de la Calle, Ambassador of Colombia to the OAS and Chairman of a            Permanent Council working group examining the Charter

        Jorge Valero Briceño, Ambassador of Venezuela to the OAS

        Michael Shifter, Vice-President, Inter-American Dialogue

 

Moderators: María Luisa Azpiazu, Spanish news agency EFE (panel)

                 Mario Martínez y Palacios, OAS (questions and answers)

Questions and Answers: For live response, please send
                                    questions the following address:
                                             [email protected]  

When:         Tuesday, August 21
                  10 - 11 a.m.

Where:        OAS headquarters
                  17th St. & Constitution Ave. NW
                  Washington, D.C.

 

Note: The program will be broadcast in Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation into English available for those who attend the screening.

For more information, please contact: Lucrecia Baracat, telephone (202) 458-6824, e-mail: [email protected] or Gabriel Gross, telephone (202) 458-3752, e-mail:  [email protected]