The 44th OAS General Assembly, held this month in Paraguay, demonstrated that the support and priority given to the issue of "Development with Social Inclusion" is unanimous in the region.  Many of the region's top diplomats also emphasized that, in order to make real progress in this area, cooperation among countries is fundamental. So too is the need for a broad range of stakeholders -- public and private-- to become truly engaged as partners for development. 

"The issue before us must help us define relevant and viable lines of action that will allow all countries to make real progress towards development in democracy, and with social inclusion," said the Hon. Horacio Cartes, President of the Republic of Paraguay during the inauguration of the XLIV OAS General Assembly.  President Cartes stated that "the ideal of genuine integration should encourage cooperation," and that opportunities for collaboration exist today in the region given the progress made by many countries and the wide range of good practices that can be shared and emulated.

In this spirit, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from OAS Member States unanimously approved the "Declaration of Asuncion: Development with Social Inclusion", recognizing that "eradicating hunger and poverty, in particular extreme poverty, requires the promotion of public social, economic and environmental policies that encourage, among others, productivity, employment and sustainable and broad-based and inclusive development in our nations".

Assembled Authorities also pledged to "promote cooperation among the Member States" calling on the Organization, and entrusting the OAS General Secretariat to "support the coordination of cooperation efforts through existing mechanisms and instruments."

OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, stressed that "although the spread of democracy and improved economic growth have made it possible to reduce poverty and broaden prospects of a better life for many citizens, these achievements have not made our countries more egalitarian societies. On the contrary, the prevailing injustice in wealth distribution and access to social goods has reached levels that threaten to harm our democratic fabric. And that is why the debate about inequality and exclusion should no longer be purely economic but move to the public policy arena." In this regard, the Secretary General posited that “searching for broad agreements among social and political actors” is the least costly way to confront inequality.

In the same vein, Ministers stressed the central theme of the Assembly and the role played by the OAS in the follow-up process of the Declaration, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, Winston Dookeran, further advanced the debate as he acknowledged that “now we can recognize that growth and development are linked in a way in which equality is in fact a precondition for growth.” He observed that, for his government, the discussions at the Assembly are seen “not only as a renewal, but also as the regeneration of an interest in rebuilding the OAS as a premium multilateral forum for discussion in an open, frank, and candid way on issues that affect all of us.”

Among other issues, Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Elias Jaua Milano, reflected on the importance of regional cooperation, stating that, “the fight for integral development and poverty eradication is not possible in a single country. It will only be possible through economic and social complementarity and the economic and productive integration of our countries.”

Foreign Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Camillo Gonsalves, observed that the central theme for the OAS General Assembly “has profound local, regional, and international implications, and provides the OAS with a succinct raison détre as it looks to its future role in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.” Speaking of the current exercise underway on defining a “Strategic Vision” for the OAS, the Minister stressed, that "the four pillars of the OAS, as set out in the Charter are interdependent and of equal importance. But the necessary and desirable realignment of tasks and priorities must remain true to the OAS Charter, which places strong emphasis on Development.”

As an additional expression of support to the theme and the work of the Organization in this area, United States Deputy Secretary of State, Heather Higginbottom declared “I can think of no more fitting theme. Our region has already accomplished much in this regard, yet there remains much work to be done.” She also shared her country’s conviction that “a vibrant and active OAS is central to our common vision of creating a peaceful, prosperous, and socially inclusive Hemisphere.”

In addition, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, Carlos Castaneda, described the theme as “historic and fully current, of interest and concern to the peoples and nations of the Hemisphere.” The Vice Minister acknowledged "the important work of the OAS" in the area of development, stating that "El Salvador attaches great importance to substantive dialogue advanced through the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), designed to focus the work of the OAS in the area of development, thus maximizing existing resources and utilizing the comparative advantages of our Organization."

Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, José Antonio Meade Kuribreña, called on the OAS to provide a constructive space “for defining priorities and actions to meet our region’s particular needs”. He further noted that this debate is linked to the current process of defining the post-2015 agenda, an issue that is also recognized in the Declaration of Asunción.

Although the topics covered at the General Assembly were extensive, there was a clear consensus on the need for greater coordination and collaboration among countries; for strong and effective alliances with other actors from the private sector, academia and civil society; and for continued OAS leadership in the policy debate and facilitation of regional programming.

From imminently social issues such as access to health services, quality education, social protection and other public services; to issues with a more economic focus such as the promotion of investment and entrepreneurship, decent and productive work and financial and digital inclusion;  and environmental concerns such as climate change and disaster risk management, the issues addressed in the Declaration of Asuncion are aligned with the development focus of the OAS, as implemented by its Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI).

The conclusion of the XLIV General Assembly of the OAS; the Declaration of Asuncion, and the discussions held by the region’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Paraguay, provide a clear set of working guidelines for the OAS-SEDI going forward, not only in its areas of work, but also for strengthening and promoting cooperation as a strategic tool to achieve common goals for development with social inclusion.

As stated by Eladio Loizaga, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Paraguay at the closing, "The unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Asuncion, entitled "Development with Social Inclusion," established a strategic priority for our governments, our states, and our nations of the Americas. Our mission is development in democracy, for which we place most emphasis on shared responsibility and responsibility of our citizens. And we specifically want to stress the importance of social inclusion. It is the only vehicle and the raison d'etre of development." 

To read the speeches in their entirety and for additional information on the General Assembly, visit: http://www.oas.org/en/44ga/