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OAS and University of Salamanca Sign Agreement to Strengthen Democracy in Latin America

  September 26, 2012

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the University of Salamanca today signed a strategic alliance of academic cooperation for the strengthening of democracy in Latin America, during a ceremony at the headquarters of the university in Spain.

Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, Acting Director of the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) of the OAS, said on behalf of the Secretary General of the organization, José Miguel Insulza, that the initiative is "an example of the importance” to the OAS of "the exchange of experiences and knowledge with prestigious academic institutions, to continue to work actively in the strengthening of democracy in Latin America."

Daniel Hernández Ruipérez, Rector of the University of Salamanca, said "an academic institution like the University of Salamanca, whose Latin American vocation in set forth in its statutes, should encourage and promote agreements like this that contribute to mutual benefit and cooperation."

The actions laid out in the agreement include the participation of students, researchers and professors of the Latin American Institute of the University of Salamanca in Electoral Observation Missions (EOMs) of the OAS, the collaboration between research teams of the Institute and the OAS to develop joint research, and educational activities, such as courses, which are already being held, specializing in electoral matters and the dissemination of diverse experiences through joint publications.

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

Reference: E-334/12