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AN OUTPOURING OF PRAISE FOR OUTGOING OAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL

Assistant Secretary General Luigi R. Einaudi received a rousing farewell from the Organization of American States’ (OAS) Permanent Council on Monday, the latest hemispheric honor for him as he officially concludes his five-year term in the inter-American organization’s second highest post.

The member states’ ambassadors as well as permanent observers praised Einaudi’s leadership, diplomatic skills, commitment, wisdom and his contribution to the OAS, to the inter-American system and to the member states, as Assistant Secretary General and as Acting Secretary General of the OAS—in the latter capacity from October last year until this past May. He was equally hailed for his belief in the potential of the hemisphere in an outpouring of praise led off by the Permanent Council Chairman, Ambassador Roberto Alvarez Gil of the Dominican Republic.

“Einaudi’s has always been a voice to defend democracy and human rights,” Ambassador Alvarez noted, chairing his first Permanent Council session since assuming the rotating chair July 1. “Einaudi’s optimism and intelligence blazed trails for us, gave us options and brought us challenges,” he stressed, citing as well the resolution the member states’ heads of delegations passed at last month’s General Assembly session in Fort Lauderdale, honoring and thanking the Assistant Secretary General for distinguished service to the hemisphere and to the cause of the Americas and the inter-American system. He made reference to Einaudi’s tireless effort to help find a solution to the political crisis in Haiti and to several other disputes involving member states.

Bolivia’s Ambassador María Tamayo expressed the collective sentiments of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) delegations within the OAS when she called the outgoing Assistant Secretary General a “facilitator in the ongoing quest for consensus” and “negotiator extraordinaire and skilled diplomat,” who can rightfully declare “mission accomplished.” She said Einaudi’s engagement as mediator in maritime and border disputes “have established him as a man constantly in search of peace and understanding between countries of our hemisphere.” She praised Einaudi’s role in setting up the OAS Fund for Peace: Peaceful Settlement of Territorial Disputes.

Ambassador Sonia Johnny of Saint Lucia, representing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) group, said “over the years his tireless work has quietly gained him a reputation as a type of latter-day Colossus figure,” who is “undoubtedly first among equals in this arena of diplomacy.” She said “Einaudi has remained unwavering, undaunted in his purpose to find innovative initiatives and implementable solutions to the hydra-headed challenges of the OAS.”

Nicaragua’s Ambassador, Carmen Marina Gutierrez, spoke on behalf of the Central American group. Touting his leadership qualities, including in facilitating dispute-settlement, the Nicaraguan diplomat also referred to the Rio Negro river basin bi-national development project in the border region between Honduras and Nicaragua, saying those two nations are especially grateful for Einaudi’s role in this particular development initiative, she said.

Canadian Ambassador Paul Durand remarked that Einaudi has served this organization “in a way that honors the finest traditions of international public service.” He has been a pillar of strength, Durand said, congratulating Einaudi on behalf of his government.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador John Maisto hailed Einaudi—himself a former U.S. ambassador to the OAS—as the “quintessential inter-Americanist,” and spoke of his “rich” and “meaningful” record. He stressed that Einaudi “is a man who has inspired trust and confidence at every turn, not only among the governments, but among the OAS staff… due to his sense of fair play and transparency.” He cited the Terry Woods award that the OAS Staff Association had presented Einaudi as evidence of the admiration he inspired.

And, Secretary General José Miguel Insulza underscored the humanity and understanding that characterized Einaudi’s work. “As a politician and negotiator, he went into all the crises body and soul.” And none was lost, Insulza asserted, listing among the tough challenges the political crisis in Haiti, Central America’s conflicts, South America’s human rights problems, border disputes, defending the dispossessed, corruption scandals, drugs trafficking or trafficking of children. “He brought a rare generosity to how he handled every one.”

Accompanied by his wife Carol, children and other family members, Ambassador Einaudi expressed appreciation for the Permanent Council’s farewell tributes, thanked his own staff for their contribution to his efforts, and then shared his reflections on some defining moments of his term in office. He underscored three cornerstone principles he has sought to emphasize: participation, the rule of law and the development of state institutions.

Efforts Ambassador Einaudi highlighted as particularly satisfactory include the emphasis on giving voice to regional groupings within the organization, and he underscored the need for a more effective hemispheric summits process, with a better definition of how it relates to the OAS. Einaudi challenged the OAS to do more “to support subregional organization and development in the hemisphere.” But he observed, however, that “ultimately, we are on the road to integration…. I believe that integration is the only way that we can assure ourselves greater stability, and greater wellbeing in what is, after all, a very troubled kind of world.”

Reference: e-141/05