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OAS and Mexican State of Chiapas Sign Framework Cooperation Agreement on Integral Development

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, and the Governor of the Mexican state of Chiapas, Manuel Velasco Coello, today signed a Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Integral Development to enable the exchange of knowledge and successful experiences between the two entities in the various areas covered by the programs of the Organization.

During the signing ceremony, Secretary General Insulza recalled that the institution is fundamentally "a forum, a space in which countries can find means of cooperation, especially in the areas of democracy, security, development and human rights," areas addressed by the cooperation agreement.

The OAS leader said "there are no superior entities that are going to teach us how to do things, we must depend on ourselves and the richness of our people, our cultures and our experiences to exchange, and that is the meaning of this agreement." In that way, he said in the coming months specific programs will be developed with input from each of the parties "that we will implement and evaluate together, because that is the good way to work on cooperation between equals."

For his part, Governor Velasco said he would use the opportunity to work with the OAS to discuss the programs carried out by the State he leads and compare them with similar experiences in the Americas. He specifically referred to the rehabilitation program for drug dependents with five centers in Chiapas which is an alternative to incarceration for minor drug offenses.

The Governor explained that the high number of successful cases of rehabilitation, above the national average, allows them to offer the therapeutic model to other nations, as part of the new approach to the problem of drugs established by the member states of the OAS.

The Permanent Representative of Mexico to the OAS, Emilio Rabasa said at the ceremony that the purpose of this agreement is to establish the basis for the design and development of activities, programs and projects for integral development, but said it also touches on issues such as justice, governance, human rights, children and women, youth, indigenous people, migration, social and economic development, social equity and education, among other issues.

The signing was held at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, and was also attended by the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization, Albert Ramdin. Before the ceremony, Secretary General Insulza received Governor Velasco Coello in a private meeting.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The B-Roll of the event is available here.

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

Reference: E-501/14