At a ceremony which took place at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington D.C., the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and member of the Club de Madrid, Jennifer Mary Shipley; and the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, signed an agreement to collaborate in the areas of support, technical cooperation, implementation of joint projects, and dissemination of knowledge, in the area of democratic transition and consolidation.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Albert Ramdin affirmed that “the relationship between the OAS and the Club de Madrid has strengthened over the couple few years” and expressed that “the signing of this instrument is part of an OAS plan to be much more part of the world and strengthen our relationship with countries and with other important institutions like the Club de Madrid”.

On the other hand, Former Prime Minister Jennifer Mary Shipley affirmed that it was an “honor to have this opportunity to form a new working relationship with the OAS.” She pointed out that there are many areas in which the OAS and the Club de Madrid have in common mainly “in terms of our aspirations to improve the outcomes for our people through leadership, policy design and through sharing experiences in the mutual basis”. She concluded by expressing her hope that “the signing of these documents cement an already well-establish relationship.”

The Club de Madrid is an independent organization made up of more than 70 former Heads of State and Government, democratically elected, of whom 23 are from OAS Member Countries and 36 from its Observer Countries. It was created for the purpose of supporting and promoting democratic transition and consolidation, as well as the culture of democratic values. The actions of the Club de Madrid focus on issues of worldwide interest, particularly related to the consolidation and strengthening of democratic values, and on preparing practical and politically viable recommendations that can be implemented in situations of democratic transition and consolidation, in order to contribute to strengthening the rule of law and democratic values around the world.

Reference: E-305/09