AG/RES. 1425 (XXVI-O/96)

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMMING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION

(Resolution adopted at the eighth plenary session, held on June 7, 1996)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

CONSIDERING:

That the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) establishes the concept of integral development as a defining element of cooperation within the inter-American system;

That integral development is an essential condition for the maintenance of peace, respect for human rights, and the strengthening of democratic institutions; and

That efforts to combat extreme poverty by means of programs and projects targeting the most vulnerable segments of the population through basic education and educational activities more directly geared to the job market are a central component of integral development,

RESOLVES:

1. To establish that educational programs and projects are key elements of the social development programming to be adopted by the Organization of American States.

2. To assign priority to social development programs and projects concerned with the formulation of policies and initiatives that deal with children in an integrated way, which contribute to expanding basic education and help enhance its quality through improved management practices in educational systems and training for teachers and other educational personnel.

3. To assign priority as well to programs and projects that link education to the productive sectors, thereby contributing to more rational integration of young people into the labor market by promoting job training, retraining, and technical and vocational training.

4. To recommend the development and, when possible, the harmonization of mechanisms for the international recognition of certificates, diplomas, and degrees so as to facilitate economic integration and the mobility of the labor force within the Hemisphere.

5. To recommend to the General Secretariat that it undertake studies and research on social and educational development at the basic levels and on the appropriate use of social and labor indicators.