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GUATEMALA IS NEW CHAIR OF OAS PERMANENT COUNCIL

  January 2, 2003

Guatemala’s Permanent Representative, Arturo Duarte, today assumed the chairmanship of the Organization of American States’ (OAS) Permanent Council, pledging to maintain the focus on building stronger democracies in the Americas.

Ambassador Duarte succeeded Grenada’s Ambassador Denis Antoine in the rotating chair, which he described as a “great honor” as his country prepares to steer for the next three months the work of the OAS’ second highest decision-making body.

Speaking at the brief ceremony at OAS Headquarters in Washington, Ambassador Duarte stressed that “as long as the needs of citizens are not met, democracies remain imperfect.” He explained that the member states “are working to ensure democracy not only delivers governments that represent the people but governments that to help lift the well-being of their citizens and provide them better opportunities to develop themselves.”

The outgoing Permanent Council Chairman, in reviewing the Permanent Council’s work during his three-month tenure, thanked the member states as well as OAS General Secretariat staff for their support in helping advance the inter-American agenda.

Reference: E-001/03