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OAS SECRETARY GENERAL CALLS FOR STRENGTHENING CONTINENTAL UNITY ON PAN-AMERICAN DAY

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) held a meeting to celebrate Pan-American Day, commemorating the end of the First International Conference of American States in 1890. That meeting, held in Washington, DC, established the International Union of American Republics and its permanent Secretariat, the Commercial Bureau of the American Republics, the OAS predecessor.

At Wednesday’s meeting held in the Bolivar Hall at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, DC, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza highlighted that the unity showed at the Conference 119 years ago is still valid. Pan-American Day is celebrated on April 14th.

“That unity remains nowadays and has allowed our organization to live on as the World’s oldest and most important multilateral political forum, now including all independent countries of the Organization of American States.”

Mr. Insulza stressed “the region’s ability to generate agreements”. “We have not reached minor consensus during all these years,” he said. Secretary General Insulza also mentioned that all agreements were reached respecting principles such as the sovereignty of the Member States, non-intervention, the right of self-determination and respect of Human Rights.

“In this Pan-American Day I wish that, with all our differences and debates, we will be able to make efforts to strengthen the unity of the Americas, which I believe is very much needed for the full development of our people,” he said.

Mr. Insulza also asked for the celebration to “spark some thoughts” in light of the upcoming Fifth Summit of the Americas; “the most important meeting regarding our unity”. The meeting in Port-of-Spain, he said, “takes place in very difficult moments for the world, which also hurt our region.”
The Chair of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Canada, Ambassador Graeme Clark, emphasized how the Inter-American System founded upon “solidarity and mutual respect” still lives on at the OAS, where the “chance to do more” still exists.
Ambassador Clark also stressed the efforts made by the organization to “promote respect and equality in the Americas”. He also mentioned that current Member States and their Permanent Representatives must ensure the OAS lives on to “address the new questions that arise daily in our current societies.”

Participants in the meeting also included the Permanent Representative of Argentina, Ambassador Rodolfo Hugo Gil, representing the ALADI Group (Latin American Integration Association); the Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ambassador Izben C. Williams, representing CARICOM (Caribbean Community); the Permanent Representative of Panama, Ambassador Aristides Royo, representing the SICA Group (Central American Integration System); and the Permanent Representative of the United States, Ambassador Hector Morales.

They all shared praise for the vision and even “audacity” of that 1890 meeting, and celebrated that the same spirit of unity and co-operation among the countries in the region lives on at the Organization of American States.

Reference: E-120/09