CP/RES. 818 (1320/02)

PROMOTION OF THE MODEL OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROGRAM
FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

CONSIDERING that the Model OAS General Assembly Program (MOAS Program) of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States is designed to promote greater awareness of the OAS among high school and university students in OAS member states;

BEARING IN MIND the interest shown by high school and university students in the countries of the Hemisphere in participating in the MOAS Program;

RECOGNIZING the importance of making the MOAS Program accessible to high school and university students throughout the Hemisphere to the broadest extent permitted by funding availability;

WELCOMING the fact that in September 1997, a session of the MOAS General Assembly for university students was held for the first time away from OAS headquarters, in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a pilot activity;

NOTING that the Twentieth and Twenty-First Regular Sessions of the Model OAS General Assembly for university students were respectively held in Edmonton, Canada, in March 2000 and in San Martin de los Andes, Argentina, in April 2001;

EMPHASIZING the successful outcome of MOAS General Assemblies held away from AS headquarters, which consolidated the interest in conducting these sessions, like those of the OAS General Assembly, in a different country every year in as much as possible;

WELCOMING the initiative of member states high schools and universities in holding sessions of the Model OAS General Assembly in Washington, D.C. or elsewhere in the hemisphere, with technical and logistical support from the General Secretariat;

NOTING that the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas recognizes that education is the key to strengthening democratic institutions, promoting the development of human potential, equality and understanding among the peoples of the Americas and that it is necessary to encourage the participation of young people by offering them opportunities to express their views and contribute to discussions in local, national, regional, and international fora and meetings;

ASSERTING the importance of education of citizens and of strengthening a culture of democracy in the Hemisphere;

STRESSING the opportunity provided, in the context of resolution AG/RES.1733 (XXX-O/00), which declared the year 2001 "Inter-American Year of the Child and the Adolescent," to promote the education of high school students;

RECALLING, resolutions AG/RES. 1761 (XXX-O/00) and AG/RES 1788 (XXXI-O/01), which encouraged member states to continue to support the Model OAS General Assembly Program for high schools and university students; and

HAVING SEEN CP/doc. 3593/02 "Annual Work Plan of the Model General Assembly Program 2002-2003,"

RESOLVES:

1.     To encourage member states to continue to support the Model OAS General Assembly Program (MOAS Program) and to make voluntary contributions to the General Secretariat to assist in financing the infrastructure and logistical support needed to host sessions of the Model OAS General Assembly for high school and university students at OAS headquarters and away from OAS headquarters and in the official languages of the OAS.

2.     To recognize the work of all the universities in the member states that have hosted activities of the MOAS Program as well as those which have established coordination and cooperation links with the Program, particularly those seeking to expand the participation of universities from all the member states.

3.     To encourage member states to continue to offer to host sessions of the Model General Assembly for high school and university students.

4.     To request the Secretary General to reiterate his invitation to Permanent Observer States and interested organizations and institutions to make voluntary contributions to the General Secretariat to facilitate holding Model General Assemblies for both high school and university students.

5.     To reiterate the request to the General Secretariat to continue to present to the Permanent Council annually a work plan for the MOAS Program, listing the goals of the program, a financial plan for its implementation, and semi-annual reports on the activities, including concise information on the results achieved.