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CHINA RENEWS FIVE-YEAR WORK COMMITMENT WITH OAS

The Secretary General of Organization of American States, (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, and the Permanent Observer of the People’s Republic of China before the OAS, Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, today signed two five-year cooperation agreements between the hemispheric organization and the Government of the People’s Republic of China in a ceremony held at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The Secretary General thanked China for the renewal of its commitment with the organization, “which shows its continuous dedication to share our objectives.” “This is a strong signal of the conviction held by the international community to improve the quality of life of our fellow global citizens,” he said.

For his part, Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong said he was confident that China and the OAS “are fully able to build on what has been achieved, continue to increase mutual understanding and exchanges, and further expand the mutually beneficial cooperation so that the Chinese and American people will be better off.”

The agreement, the “Additional Protocol between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the General Secretariat of the OAS,” has the goal of promoting OAS projects of international cooperation for governance and economic and social development in the region, as well as renewing cooperation between the Asian country and the organization for the next five years. With the agreement China will contribute one million of dollars to OAS activities.

Through the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the General Secretariat of the OAS for Human Development and Scholarships Programs,” the Government of China will cooperate during the next five years with ten scholarships (US$300,000 dollars annually) for undergraduate and graduate nationals of OAS Member States to study in China.

Since 2004, a year after the Government of the People’s Republic of China joined the OAS as Permanent Observer, a five-year cooperation period was established that has now concluded. In that period of time, China contributed financially to the OAS for development in areas such as electoral observation missions, reduction of natural disasters, addressing violence against women, promoting education and the rights of youth, and cultural development, among others.

The ceremony was also attended by the President of the OAS Permanent Council and Representative of Colombia before the OAS, Luis Alfonso Hoyos, as well as the Permanent Representatives of Chile, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Reference: E-417/09