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OAS Permanent Council Receives Report of the Pan American Health Organization and Submits Draft Resolutions to the General Assembly

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today held its last regular meeting prior to the 43rd General Assembly, in which it heard reports of the work done during the last year by its various committees, the annual report of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and approved the submission of numerous draft resolutions to be decided by the Foreign Ministers at the meeting to be held from June 4 to 6 in Antigua, Guatemala.

In his presentation to the Council, PAHO Deputy Director Dr. Jon Andrus outlined the main achievements, milestones, progress and developments of public health in the region during the first decade of the century, as well as the contributions and efforts made by the organization. This period, Andrus noted, was one of "significant health progress and development in the Americas."

In presenting the report, Dr. Andrus said that "the OAS and PAHO have been working together and are united by their shared history." "During these 110 years, Pan Americanism has been a powerful force for progress in health in the Americas and PAHO has played an important role in promoting Pan American cooperation on the issue," he said upon presenting the report, which highlights the technical cooperation work done by PAHO and covers the core areas of its work in compliance with the Millennium Development Goals. Among the central themes of the report are: the fight against chronic diseases, the rise of non-communicable diseases, the expansion of immunization coverage and social health protection, the reduction in child mortality rates, and the elimination or significant reduction of "poverty diseases," including leprosy, Chagas disease, onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis.

After hearing the presentation of the PAHO Deputy Director, Secretary General José Miguel Insulza said that PAHO, which is integrated within the structures of both the OAS and the World Health Organization, "is an example of how it is perfectly possible to reconcile a regional organization with global organizations." Insulza also referred to the positive aspects in the report, especially those related to increased life expectancy in the hemisphere and disease reduction, which "show that the region is on the right track." The OAS leader closed by expressing his gratitude for "the impressive work done by PAHO in recent years" and "once again send our best wishes to the new Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, who recently replaced Dr. Mirta Roses.”

During the meeting, delegates of the member countries and Secretary General Insulza joined the expressions of sympathy and solidarity expressed by the Chair of the Council and representative of Panama, Arturo Vallarino, related to the tornado that struck the state of Oklahoma in the United States and the fire that occurred recently in the village of El Chorrillo in the capital of Panama. "We share the pain and concern of the victims," said Secretary General Insulza.

The Chair of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs and Representative of Canada, Allan Culham presented a proposed methodology for further work on the prioritization of OAS mandates – based on the Strategic Vision presented by Secretary General Insulza - centered on their classification into three categories. This proposal was approved and will serve as a basis for the subsequent prioritization work to be done by the Committee.

The Report of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP) was based on the analysis and approval of the resolution entitled "Progress towards accountability, efficiency and effectiveness and results in the OAS General Secretariat," which includes topics related to human resource policies, efficiency measures, the budgetary review process, and business modernization and accountability, among other issues.

The Chair of the Committee on Legal and Political Affairs and Representative of Colombia to the OAS, Andrés González, presented three draft resolutions "which were discussed with the participation of representatives of all Member States." The three documents refer to the Programme of Action for the Decade of the Americas for the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (2006-2016) and support for its Technical Secretariat (SEDISCAP), Strengthening the activities of the Justice Center of the Americas (CEJA), and the Meeting of Ministers of Justice or Other Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas.

Furthermore, the Council adopted by acclamation the nomination of Uruguayan Andrés Scagliola as alternate government expert for the Working Group’s analysis of national reports under the Protocol of San Salvador.

Council members also approved eight draft resolutions submitted by the Chair of the General Committee of the Permanent Council, the Permanent Representative of Panama, Arturo Vallarino, to be elevated to the General Assembly. The Council decided to send the project related to the regulation of footnotes as an open page for the final consideration of the Assembly.

Also, the report of the Chair of the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation for the period 2012-2013, was presented by Ambassador Vallarino. In this regard, two draft resolutions relating to "Support for and Follow-up to the Summits of the Americas Process" and to "Increasing and Strengthening the Participation of Civil Society and Social Actors in the Activities of the Organization of American States and in the Summits of the Americas Process” were approved for submission to the General Assembly.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The video of the event will be available here.

The audio of the event is available here.

The B-roll of the event will be available here.

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

Reference: E-200/13