Organization of American States

www.oas.org

(E-150/01)
July 11, 2001

Presiding over the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today for the first time, Costa Rica's Ambassador Hernán R. Castro outlined a work program he described as "filled with mandates our heads of state and government agreed upon at the Third Summit of the Americas, in Quebec City. It also gives an overview of pressing challenges that the Hemisphere's foreign ministers identified at the [OAS] General Assembly in San, José."

Just installed as Chair of the Permanent Council, the Costa Rican envoy will lead the OAS body for the next three months. Observing that during this period preparations will be made for the Special General Assembly on the Inter-American Democratic Charter—to be held in Lima—Castro said: "I believe we will only be able to express satisfaction at accomplishing our goals if at the end of all that work we adopt this invaluable instrument to preserve and defend democracy and freedom in our Hemisphere."

Ambassador Castro opined that conducting a study and evaluation of the modernization, renewal and strengthening of the OAS "means we must be dedicated to pursuing those objectives as a joint effort." He said the Permanent Council will effectively follow up on the activities the foreign ministers had entrusted to the various organs of the OAS—promoting democracy, preventing corruption, eradicating discrimination, controlling drug abuse, bolstering hemispheric security and confidence-building measures among the member states and development of international law, among other mandates.

The Permanent Council Chairman stated that while in the chair he would introduce a new round of discussions and studies to evaluate the operations of the inter-American human rights promotion and protection system. "There is no question that the guidelines arising from the recent General Assembly will be crucial to reinforcing existing mechanisms," he declared.

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