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Press Release

PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
MEDIA ACCREDITATON BEGINS

The city of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, will host the Thirty-Sixth Regular Session of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly, which will bring together the hemisphere’s Foreign Affairs Ministers from June 4 to 6, to debate issues relating to “Good Governance and Development in the Knowledge-Based Society.”

Carlos Troncoso, the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, will chair the three-day meeting, which is being held for the first time in this Caribbean country. Secretary General José Miguel Insulza will report to the member states on his first year at the helm of the OAS General Secretariat.

The 34 member state foreign ministers will consider actions to take on priority issues such as human rights promotion, follow-up to the Fourth Summit of the Americas, democratic governance, social and economic development, hemispheric security and the fight against corruption, poverty and inequality. Other issues they will consider include racism and intolerance, conflict resolution and cooperation against terrorism and drug trafficking.

Ahead of the ministerial meeting, the OAS will host a forum on “Democratic Stability in the Americas: The Institutional Role of the OAS,” slated for Saturday, June 3. It will focus on regional experiences and efforts to preserve and strengthen democratic institutions, drawing on specific examples from 2005.

Entrepreneurs from around the hemisphere will also gather in the Dominican capital June 2 and 3, for the OAS Private Sector Forum, under the theme “Inter-American Public-Private Partnership for Competitiveness and Job Creation in the Knowledge-Based Society.” Participants will draft recommendations for submission to the foreign ministers on June 4.

Also within the context of the General Assembly, on June 4 the foreign ministers will engage in a dialogue with the permanent observers to the OAS and with civil society. Representatives of non-governmental organizations from across the hemisphere will have an opportunity to express their views and make recommendations on the implementation of the Declaration of Florida (June 2005) and on the Mar del Plata Declaration and Plan of Action (November 2005).

Following Sunday morning’s Private Dialogue between the Foreign Ministers and the OAS Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General, President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic will inaugurate the General Assembly session during a ceremony at the National Theater.

At 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin will brief reporters on the details of the General Assembly agenda.

Media accreditation information is available on the OAS website: http://www.oas.org/36GA.

Reference: E-100/06