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OAS Promotes Cooperation with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today had an exchange with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Maina Kiai, with whom he spoke about the importance of preserving this right and helping countries in the region promote freedom of association as an essential part of the full enjoyment of the civil and political rights of citizens.

The meeting, which was attended by representatives of member countries and by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) as well as by the Chair of the Permanent Council and Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin, analyzed the objectives and mandates that both the OAS and the UN have received in relation in regards to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and discussed the need to continue strengthening ties between the two institutions, especially in coordination with the IACHR.

The meeting was also an opportunity to assess the state of the countries of the Americas regarding the promotion and protection of the rights of association and past and future cases that have drawn the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur. Likewise, authorities recalled that at the OAS General Assembly held in San Salvador in June 2011, the highest authorities of the Organization adopted Resolution 2680 "Promotion of the Rights to Freedom of Assembly and of Association in the Americas" which recognizes the importance of the participation of civil society and other stakeholders in consolidating democracy in all member states and how they can contribute to the work of the agencies of the Inter-American system.

For his part, Secretary General Insulza said that overall the region has made progress on the issue of protection of the rights of association and recalled that the OAS is one of the international entities that provides greater opportunities for participation of civil society, "this demonstrates the value we place on civil society organizations and the inclusion of their voices in the decisions and policies of the Organization."

Both the Chair of the Permanent Council and the representatives of the member states present at the meeting agreed on the importance of convening in the coming months a special meeting of the Permanent Council to exchange experiences, views and best practices that serve to promote the right to freedom of assembly and of association, as dictated by the Resolution of the 2011 OAS General Assembly in El Salvador.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-143/14