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General Assembly
Colombia 2008
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Assembly
Secretary General
Assistant Secretary General
60th Anniversary of the OAS
Meeting of Foreign
Ministers
March 17 & June 2, 2008
Secretary General Congratulates Colombia for rescue operation “We celebrate the freedom of the hostages, for them, for their families and for all the people of Colombia. Their liberation embodies the goals of peace that our Organization fights for” - OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza
OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, speaking in Canada yesterday, called on the Member States’ defense ministers to begin a study of new situations shaping up in Latin America and the Caribbean as a result of rising crime. He said these unfolding developments call for new thinking and discussion as regards the possible roles of various institutions in fighting crime in the Americas.
Addressing the Eighth Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, in Banff, in the Canadian province of Alberta, Secretary General Insulza said he knows that this kind of cooperation involving defense agencies and public security institutions creates an undesirable situation, since “we are all aware of the specifics and differences between defense activities and public security activities.” (more)
Government representatives from 18 Latin American countries will gather September 3-5, 2008, in Bogotá, Colombia, to participate in a regional workshop aimed at strengthening national legislation in each country against cyber-crime.
A survey conducted by the Organization of American States (OAS) indicated that the people, businesses, and governments of OAS countries are often victims of cyber-crimes such as online identity theft, crimes involving intellectual property, and child pornography shared over the Internet. Yet, as of early 2007, only 15 of the 35 Member States had substantive cyber-crime legislation in place, while only 12 states have enacted procedural cyber-crime legislation.
(more)
Food security and rural development in Haiti took center stage as the OAS Group of Friends of Haiti, representing member countries and observers to the hemispheric body, met at OAS headquarters this week to review ongoing projects and new initiatives with that country, and to facilitate information sharing among the partners.
(more)
Calling for vulnerability analysis as an integral part of the strategy to combat the current food crisis, the World Food Program’s (WFP) Executive Director, Josette Sheeran, said today the OAS and her global agency could work together immediately on best practices for an early warning system. Haiti has been identified as the world’s hardest hit nation in the global food crisis, prices having soared 80 percent. In another dire warning, Sheeran said that throughout the Americas, price increases are expected to push an additional 15 million into vulnerability and below the poverty line.
(more)
The Secretary General OAS, José Miguel Insulza, signed an electoral cooperation agreement with the State Electoral Commission of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, highlighting its importance in helping the continental organization attend to requests from its Member States in electoral matters. “The goal of this agreement is to establish cooperative ties in order to promote horizontal cooperation toward other Member States,” Insulza said, after signing the documents together with Eduardo Guerra Sepulveda, Commissioner and President of the State Electoral Commission of Nuevo Leon, in a ceremony celebrated on Thursday at the seat of the OAS in Washington, DC.
(more)
The OAS teamed up with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to organize a Caribbean Regional Sustainable Energy High Level Seminar, where measures to increase energy sector sustainability while combating the rising costs of energy resources were identified. Ministers and senior authorities from the Caribbean Region, representatives from the United States government and other key energy stakeholders from around the globe met in Nassau, Bahamas, to address key challenges in the energy sector in the region. Official delegations from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago attended the event.
(more)
Albert Ramdin, the Organization of American States (OAS) Assistant Secretary General, today warned that urgent and concerted action must be taken to prevent energy uncertainty from reversing the Caribbean region’s march toward a bright, prosperous future. He said to achieve energy security and sustainability, government, the private sector and civil society at large must “pool resources; develop synergies; and work together to support the needs of the Caribbean in this emerging sector.” (more)
In keynote remarks to a group of women leaders, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza highlighted persistent problems of violence against women as well as poverty and discrimination. He said that despite the gains, much remains to be accomplished in protecting and defending women’s human rights and in clearing the paths to power in our societies for the full and equal participation of women at the highest levels.
(more)
The Permanent Council of the OAS today approved a declaration congratulating the people and the Government of Colombia on the operation that led to the rescue of 15 hostages on July 2, among them, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. It also demanded that the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) immediately release the rest of the hostages. From Chile and through video conference, OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, expressed his solidarity with Colombia (more)
Secretary for Political Affairs, Dante Caputo, acting as deputy Secretary General, congratulated the Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS, Ambassador Héctor Morales, on occasion of the Member Country’s national day. (more)
The Committee of Experts of the Mechanism for Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) adopted, at the meeting that concluded on June 27, 2008, the reports on the implementation of that Convention in Canada, the United States, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala. (more)
On occasion of the celebration today of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS), together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), present the findings of a study entitled “Guidelines for Public Policy on Drugs in the Subregion: First comparative study on drug use and associated factors among the general population (15 to 64 years)." (more)
Ambassador Nestor Mendez, the new Belizean Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), while challenging the hemispheric body to be more robust in its critical role in combating poverty, social inequity and corruption, has identified education and people empowerment as “the principal prescriptions” against these and other major scourges. (more)
The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, strongly summoned the Governments of Colombia and Ecuador to resume their commitment to reestablish diplomatic relations without preconditions at the level of chargés d’affaires. Said commitment was scheduled to become effective this week. The Secretary General believes this is the correct way to advance in the recovery of mutual trust and to build a positive cooperation and integration agenda. (more)
“Once again in the developed world a repressive measure against illegal immigrants is approved, which directly affects many Latin Americas,” declared today the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, referring to the rule on the return of illegal immigrants approved by the European Parliament. “It is a paradox,” he added, “that while they negotiate important agreements in trade matters and they speak of strategic alliances, they adopt in a unilateral manner measures like prolonged detention, which treat illegal immigrants like criminals, without even discussing or negotiating the subject with Latin American governments.” (more)
MEDELLIN, Colombia – The highest political body of the Organization of American States (OAS), which brings together the region’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs, concluded its deliberations today reaffirming the commitment of Member States to promote and strengthen among young people the values, principles, and practices of a democratic life, in approving, by acclamation, the Declaration of Medellin: Youth and Democratic Values. (more)
OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, inaugurated the Youth Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Medellin, Colombia, today, stating that “the most effective way to spread the values of democracy among the young is by proving their participation is useful and productive.” The opening ceremony was held at the EAFIT University within the framework of the OAS 38th General Assembly. (more)
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OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, speaking in Canada yesterday, called on the Member States’ defense ministers to begin a study of new situations shaping up in Latin America and the Caribbean as a result of rising crime. He said these unfolding developments call for new thinking and discussion as regards the possible roles of various institutions in fighting crime in the Americas.
Addressing the Eighth Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, in Banff, in the Canadian province of Alberta, Secretary General Insulza said he knows that this kind of cooperation involving defense agencies and public security institutions creates an undesirable situation, since “we are all aware of the specifics and differences between defense activities and public security activities.” (
Food security and rural development in Haiti took center stage as the OAS Group of Friends of Haiti, representing member countries and observers to the hemispheric body, met at OAS headquarters this week to review ongoing projects and new initiatives with that country, and to facilitate information sharing among the partners.
(
Calling for vulnerability analysis as an integral part of the strategy to combat the current food crisis, the World Food Program’s (WFP) Executive Director, Josette Sheeran, said today the OAS and her global agency could work together immediately on best practices for an early warning system. Haiti has been identified as the world’s hardest hit nation in the global food crisis, prices having soared 80 percent. In another dire warning, Sheeran said that throughout the Americas, price increases are expected to push an additional 15 million into vulnerability and below the poverty line.
(
The Secretary General OAS, José Miguel Insulza, signed an electoral cooperation agreement with the State Electoral Commission of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, highlighting its importance in helping the continental organization attend to requests from its Member States in electoral matters. “The goal of this agreement is to establish cooperative ties in order to promote horizontal cooperation toward other Member States,” Insulza said, after signing the documents together with Eduardo Guerra Sepulveda, Commissioner and President of the State Electoral Commission of Nuevo Leon, in a ceremony celebrated on Thursday at the seat of the OAS in Washington, DC.
(
Albert Ramdin, the Organization of American States (OAS) Assistant Secretary General, today warned that urgent and concerted action must be taken to prevent energy uncertainty from reversing the Caribbean region’s march toward a bright, prosperous future. He said to achieve energy security and sustainability, government, the private sector and civil society at large must “pool resources; develop synergies; and work together to support the needs of the Caribbean in this emerging sector.” (
In keynote remarks to a group of women leaders, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza highlighted persistent problems of violence against women as well as poverty and discrimination. He said that despite the gains, much remains to be accomplished in protecting and defending women’s human rights and in clearing the paths to power in our societies for the full and equal participation of women at the highest levels.
(
The Permanent Council of the OAS today approved a declaration congratulating the people and the Government of Colombia on the operation that led to the rescue of 15 hostages on July 2, among them, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. It also demanded that the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) immediately release the rest of the hostages. From Chile and through video conference, OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, expressed his solidarity with Colombia (
Secretary for Political Affairs, Dante Caputo, acting as deputy Secretary General, congratulated the Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS, Ambassador Héctor Morales, on occasion of the Member Country’s national day. (
The Committee of Experts of the Mechanism for Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) adopted, at the meeting that concluded on June 27, 2008, the reports on the implementation of that Convention in Canada, the United States, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala. (
On occasion of the celebration today of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS), together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), present the findings of a study entitled “Guidelines for Public Policy on Drugs in the Subregion: First comparative study on drug use and associated factors among the general population (15 to 64 years)." (
Ambassador Nestor Mendez, the new Belizean Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), while challenging the hemispheric body to be more robust in its critical role in combating poverty, social inequity and corruption, has identified education and people empowerment as “the principal prescriptions” against these and other major scourges. (
The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, strongly summoned the Governments of Colombia and Ecuador to resume their commitment to reestablish diplomatic relations without preconditions at the level of chargés d’affaires. Said commitment was scheduled to become effective this week. The Secretary General believes this is the correct way to advance in the recovery of mutual trust and to build a positive cooperation and integration agenda. (
“Once again in the developed world a repressive measure against illegal immigrants is approved, which directly affects many Latin Americas,” declared today the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, referring to the rule on the return of illegal immigrants approved by the European Parliament. “It is a paradox,” he added, “that while they negotiate important agreements in trade matters and they speak of strategic alliances, they adopt in a unilateral manner measures like prolonged detention, which treat illegal immigrants like criminals, without even discussing or negotiating the subject with Latin American governments.” (
OAS Secretary General, 