Project for the Incorporation of the Afro-descendent
Theme in the Policies and Programs of the Organization of
American States (OAS)
Introduction
Among other functions, the Department of International Law (DIL)
of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs promotes and
disseminates international law; provides legal advisory
services on international law to the different areas of the
OAS and member states; serves as technical secretariat of
the [Inter-American Juridical Committee] and other
bodies; and acts as the depository of all inter-American
conventions and bilateral cooperation agreements of the
General Secretariat of the OAS.
In addition, the Department carries out a number of projects
on specific themes. In that regard, at present the DIL is
implementing the “Project for the Incorporation of the
Afro-descendent Theme in the Policies and Programs of the
OAS.” The lifetime initially set for this project is three
years (2009-2011).
Context and objectives of the
Project
Afrodescendants are among the most vulnerable
social groups in the Hemisphere. Both the OAS and the
[Summits] of the Americas Process have repeatedly
expressed their concern with regard to inclusion, respect
for human rights, and attention to the needs of these
groups. This project is designed to raise awareness of the
problems that assail Afro-descendants in the region; promote
inclusion of this group as a cross-cutting element in the
design of OAS policies and programs; and, finally, offer
technical and policy recommendations to the main political
organs of the inter-American system. The overarching
objective of the Project is to increase democratic
governance in the Hemisphere by including these vulnerable
groups, with increased awareness for their rights and basic
needs.
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