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Inauguration of the Second Model OAS in the Dominican Republic

Today, in Santo Domingo, the First Lady of the Dominican Republic, Margarita Cedeño, and the OAS Secretary for External Relations, Alfonso Quiñonez, opened the second Dominican Model of the Inter-American System (DMIAS), a conference for college and high school students of the Dominican Republic.

The DMIAS will take place from February 8th to the 10th. It is a simulation of the Summit of the Americas, the General Assembly and Permanent Council of the OAS, and the IDB Board of Governors. This exercise is the product of a joint effort between the OAS Department of International Affairs, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (ANU-RD) and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD).

The event, which took place at the headquarters of the Dominican Central Bank, was attended by the OAS representative to the Dominican Republic, Anibal Quiñonez. Mnisters, local authorities, representatives from the diplomatic corps, and international organizations also attended the event. Afterwards, Alfonso Quiñonez noted that the Model Program of the OAS "promotes democratic values ​​and respect for human rights among the youth of the Hemisphere."

“This exercise is valuable in helping to create responsible citizens able to discern policy and make important decisions ranging from the inalienable right of the electoral vote to public service in all spheres of government," said Ambassador Quiñonez, who attended the event on behalf of the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza.

The Secretary for External Relations also thanked the Dominican Republic for its support of initiatives such as the DMIAS, noting that the DMIAS "benefits the youth of the Americas and is proof of the commitment to promote democratic values ​​and practices."

Over the next three days, 400 students with the support of five experts from the OAS will represent the policies and interests of OAS member countries. They will also discuss, negotiate, and issue resolutions related to the consolidation of democracy through equitable economic development and inclusion; community participation in reducing risks from natural disasters; access to drinking water as a basic right; and infrastructure and development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The DMIAS is one of the official national program models the MOAS / DIA uses to promote democratic values ​​among the youth of the hemisphere and the dissemination of the work of the OAS. The MOAS program also organizes international models for universities in any of the 34 OAS member countries.

All information about this program and future models may be found on the OAS website: www.oas.org

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-037/12