OEA/Ser.P
AG/RES. 1804 (XXXI-O/01)
5 June 2001
Original: Spanish

INTERPARLIAMENTARY FORUM OF THE AMERICAS

(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on June 5, 2001;
subject to review by the Style Committee)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Permanent Council on the topic "Parliamentary Network of the Americas," presented in fulfillment of resolution AG/RES. 1722 (XXX-O/00) (CP/doc. /00);

RECALLING the Declaration of Santiago of the Second Summit of the Americas (1998), which reaffirms the willingness of the Heads of State and Government to enhance dialogue and inter-American cooperation in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity;

MINDFUL that the Heads of State and Government, gathered at the Third Summit of the Americas, decided in their Plan of Action to encourage "cooperation and exchange of experiences and parliamentary best practices between national legislators of the Hemisphere, while respecting the separation and balance of powers, through bilateral, subregional and hemispheric vehicles such as the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA)";

NOTING that the Parliamentary Conference of the Americas (COPA) will hold its annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro in November 2001;

CONSIDERING the mandates contained in resolutions AG/RES. 1599 (XXVIII-O/98), AG/RES. 1673 (XXIX-O/99), and AG/RES. 1722 (XXX-O/00), "Parliamentary Network of the Americas";

BEARING IN MIND that, at the meeting of parliamentarians held in Ottawa, Canada, from March 7 to 9, 2001, the Interparliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) was established;

HAVING EXAMINED the report of the Secretary General on the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 1722 (XXX-O/00) (CP/doc.3431/01); and

CONSIDERING that, in the inter-American context, interparliamentary dialogue plays an important part in promoting, inter alia, mutual awareness and cooperation through the exchange of experience on matters of common interest,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of the report of the Secretary General on the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 1722 (XXX-O/00) and its appendixes.

2. To note with satisfaction the establishment of the Interparliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) at the meeting held in Ottawa, Canada, from March 7 to 9, 2001, and to express its confidence that said forum will make a decisive contribution to strengthening the role of the legislature in democracy and in the promotion and defense of democracy and human rights, pursuant to the objectives set forth in its rules of procedure.

3. To welcome the decision taken by FIPA to strengthen its ties with the OAS by its request that the General Secretariat of the Organization, through its Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD), provide technical support to the Technical Secretariat of FIPA.

4. To instruct the General Secretariat, within resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources, and in accordance with the priorities set by the Permanent Council and its own possibilities, to provide technical assistance to FIPA in the preparations for the next meeting, to be held in Mexico in 2002.

5. To request the Secretary General to keep the Permanent Council informed with respect to the implementation of this resolution and report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirty-second regular session.