AG/RES. 1854 (XXXII-O/02)

POVERTY, EQUITY, AND SOCIAL INCLUSION 

(Adopted at the fourth plenary session held on June 4, 2002) 

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 

HAVING SEEN resolution AG/RES. 1512 (XXVII-O/97), “Inter-American Program to Combat Poverty and Discrimination,” and the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development 2002-2005, and resolution CIDI/RES. 113 (VII-O/02), "Poverty, Equity and Social Inclusion"; 

CONSIDERING: 

            That Article 2.g of the Charter of the Organization of American States establishes that one of the essential purposes of the Organization is to eradicate extreme poverty, which constitutes an obstacle to the full democratic development of the peoples of the Hemisphere; 

That the Declaration of the Third Summit of the Americas noted that "we will spare no effort to free our fellow citizens from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty"; 

            That the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development 2002-2005 underscores that the struggle against poverty and inequality and especially the eradication of the extreme poverty is a common and shared responsibility of the member states, and are essential factors in promoting and consolidating democracy; 

That the Inter-American Program to Combat Poverty and Discrimination declares that overcoming poverty and discrimination requires the application of comprehensive policies that are defined and applied by the state with the full participation of all sectors of society and that economic growth is an essential but insufficient factor in enhancing the quality of life, overcoming poverty, and eliminating discrimination and social exclusion; 

            That the Inter-American Democratic Charter reaffirms "that the fight against poverty, and especially the elimination of extreme poverty, is essential to the promotion and consolidation of democracy and constitutes a common and shared responsibility of the American States"; 

            That the Consensus of Monterrey includes the commitment "to promoting national and global economic systems based on the principles of justice, equity, democracy, participation, transparency, accountability and inclusion,"

RESOLVES: 

            1.         To reiterate that the fight against poverty is a priority and constant concern of the member states and that the OAS should support their efforts to reduce the level of poverty in the Hemisphere. 

2.         To convoke, in the framework of CIDI, a high level meeting during the last quarter of 2002 to address the challenges that poverty, equity, and social inclusion present for the inter-American system. 

3.         To suggest that the program for the meeting include, inter alia, the following points: a) the role of the OAS in hemispheric social development, and b) the identification of mechanisms to promote cooperation for development and exchange on effective and efficient programs to combat poverty. 

4.         To thank and accept the generous offer of Venezuela to host the high level meeting in Caracas. 

5.         To instruct the General Secretariat to provide, through the Unit for Social Development and Education and in coordination with the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI), technical and secretariat support to hold this meeting. 

6.         To instruct the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development to jointly and in light of the results of said high level meeting, define new actions to strengthen the existing mechanisms of cooperation with the objective of supporting the OAS member states in combating poverty.