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OAS General Secretariat Signs Agreement with Paraguayan Government

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, stated today that the economic growth encountered after what has been called the “Great Recession” offers the possibility of looking with optimism upon the future of countries in the region that, nonetheless, still face pending challenges with poverty, criminal violence, and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

In the presence of President Fernando Lugo, and during the signing of the agreement between the OAS and the Paraguayan Government for technical assistance in public management, Secretary General Insulza said growth rates give room for optimism when considering the future of countries throughout the continent that have grown more in the last ten years than in preceding decades. He also added that, in this context, “Our countries are in better condition to withstand the three principal challenges that persist today: we have too many people living below the poverty line, too much criminal violence, and, despite not having wars, thousands of people who die due to illicit conduct and organized crime.”

In addition, the highest representative of the OAS highlighted the fact that “the strengthening of democracy and growth rely on the ability of governments to address these serious problems that can only be solved through public policy.” “People demand that their governments fulfill these goals; that their governments respond with proficiency, transparency, and quality in public management. And our Organization seeks to contribute to the accomplishment of this purpose.”

The document signed today by President Lugo and Secretary General Insulza creates a legal framework to lend technical assistance in public management to the Project of Structural Innovation that the Paraguayan government will set in motion, and has as its objective the strengthening of institutional capabilities in the public sector to achieve effective management. Previously, the OAS sent a team of analysts to establish priority areas in which the Executive Power should be advised.

“When we talk about democratic governments, we mean good governments, effective governments. We mean those that seek to modernize their mechanisms for public management, and we are excited about this project because we see a sincere interest from President Lugo’s government to put public management at the top of its agenda,” the Secretary General of the OAS said during the signing of the document.

The Project of Structural Innovation will be headed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and at the OAS it will be in the hands of the Secretariat for Political Affairs, headed by Victor Rico. Both organizations will interact directly with the Ministry of Public Affairs, a part of the executive branch.

Secretary General Insulza, who was accompanied by Victor Rico in his visit to Asunción, was received by President Fernando Lugo; the Minister of the Interior, Rafael Filizzola; and the Minister of Foreign Relations, Héctor Lacognata. He also met with Vice President Federico Franco.

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

Reference: E-337/10