CP/RES. 840 (1361/03)

STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING AND STRENGTHENING PARTICIPATION BY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN OAS ACTIVITIES

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT resolution AG/RES. 1852 (XXXII-O/02), “Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities”;

RECALLING resolution AG/RES. 1668 (XXIX-O/99), “Strengthening Cooperation between Governments and Civil Society,” and resolutions AG/RES. 1707 (XXX-O/00) and AG/RES. 1834 (XXXI-O/01), “The Organization of American States and Civil Society”;

BEARING IN MIND the Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities (the Guidelines), approved by the Permanent Council in its resolution CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) and endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution AG/RES. 1707 (XXX-O/00);

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALSO that the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas established that, among other initiatives, the governments would develop strategies at the national level and through the OAS to increase the capacity of civil society to participate more fully in the inter-American system;

RECOGNIZING the importance of the participation of civil society organizations to consolidating democracy in all member states and the significant contribution that they can make to the activities of the OAS and of the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system; and

RECOGNIZING ALSO that civil society participation in OAS activities should take place within a framework of close cooperation among the political and institutional organs of the Organization,

RESOLVES:

1.     To adopt the following strategies to increase and strengthen civil society participation in OAS activities:

1.1     To instruct the General Secretariat:

a.     To actively promote the registration of civil society organizations and their participation in OAS activities.

b.     To transmit to civil society organizations registered with the OAS the resolutions adopted at each session of the General Assembly, soliciting their comments and their assistance in effectively implementing those resolutions, as appropriate.

c.     To prepare, in a single document, and give broad distribution to all current provisions of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, the Permanent Council, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), the specialized conferences, and other organs and agencies that permit participation by civil society organizations in OAS activities. Such information shall also be publicized through the directors of the organs and agencies, in particular the national offices of the General Secretariat in the member states, the OAS agencies and entities, and the technical secretariats of committees and working groups of the OAS Permanent Council.

d.     To transmit electronically, as appropriate, in consultation with the chairs or presidents of the Organization’s political organs, to the registered civil society organizations that so request, according to their areas of interest or endeavor, the draft resolutions presented for consideration by the General Assembly, giving them the opportunity to comment and consequently make suggestions accordingly.

e.     To examine and periodically evaluate how virtual consultations operate, as in the drafting of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the consultations conducted by the Trade Unit and the Unit for Social Development and Education, in order to identify challenges and best practices and design a model for consultations with registered civil society organizations and other organizations on issues and initiatives promoted by the OAS.

f.     To promote broad use of the OAS website by civil society in the Hemisphere as a primary tool of information and participation.

g.     To take the necessary measures to include a restricted access mechanism at the OAS Internet site for registered civil society organizations, so as to increase their awareness of and participation in OAS activities, facilitate their communication with the Organization and its member states, and promote an exchange of views among them regarding OAS mandates, programs, and activities.

h.     To take the necessary measures to provide civil society organizations registered with the OAS with special identification during General Assembly sessions and other specialized conferences organized in the OAS framework.

i. To prepare a technical study, for consideration by the Permanent Council and CIDI, on the appropriateness and feasibility of harmonizing existing OAS mechanisms and regulations to promote participation by civil society organizations.

1.2     To instruct the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities:

a.     To consult with registered civil society organizations, in coordination with the appropriate policy-making bodies and, to the extent possible, with all civil society organizations that express interest, regarding draft conventions or other legal and political instruments of hemispheric scope, so that said organizations may provide their input.

b.     To establish, in cooperation with the General Secretariat, a channel for consultations with the United Nations, in particular with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and with other international organizations, on experience gained and specific measures adopted to promote systematic and constructive relations with civil society organizations in developing the international agenda.

c.     To recommend to the Permanent Council the appropriate measures needed to institutionalize the informal dialogue that takes place at every General Assembly session among heads of delegation, the OAS Secretary General, and the civil society organizations invited to attend. This dialogue should be official in nature, take place on a regular basis, and be placed on the official schedule of meetings of the General Assembly. It may be organized by the host country in cooperation with an accredited civil society organization, or with a number of them, and should preferably focus on the same topic discussed in the dialogue of heads of delegation of the plenary General Assembly.

d.     To encourage all chairs of Permanent Council committees and working groups, when they take office, to extend an official invitation to registered civil society organizations working within the sphere of interest of those committees and working groups to contribute to their deliberations.

e.     To organize a meeting, once a year, within the Permanent Council, on a matter of special interest to registered civil society organizations for a broad and substantive dialogue.

1.3     To urge member states:

a.     When they host meetings organized in the OAS framework, to invite registered civil society organizations, according to their areas of endeavor, to attend as guests and contribute to the agenda and preparation of such events.

b.     To report on existing procedures and regulations at the national level regarding consultations with civil society on the formulation of government policies and decision making, to allow for an exchange of experience and best practices among the member states.

2.     To request the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) to follow up on these strategies; to evaluate their implementation; and, if appropriate, to propose amendments to them or new mechanisms for increasing and strengthening participation by civil society organizations in OAS activities.

3.     To reiterate that the above provisions shall be carried out in accordance with the Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities [CP/RES. 759 (1217/99)], in particular those referring to the exclusive power of states to negotiate and approve, within the Organization, resolutions, declarations, and conventions by virtue of the intergovernmental nature of the organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS.

4.     To report to the General Assembly at its thirty-third regular session on the strategies set forth in this resolution.