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CARIBBEAN SUB-REGIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM UNDERSCORES OAS EMPHASIS ON INCLUSION, AHEAD OF SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS

“Civil society engagement is not a gesture, it is an obligation,” Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin of the Organization of American States (OAS) reiterated at the weekend, while In Trinidad and Tobago addressing the Caribbean Sub-Regional Civil Society Forum in preparation for the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

Civil society engagement in the preparation of such critical encounters as the Fifth Summit of the Americas cannot be a “one off” activity, Ambassador Ramdin asserted. “This engagement should be continuous one, structured and well defined, and even beyond the Fifth Summit of the Americas,” he stated.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon also spoke of her government’s commitment to fully engaging civil society in the Summit of the Americas it will host in April 2009, under the theme “Securing our Citizens’ Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability.” Other stakeholders in attendance included Hazel Brown, Coordinator of the Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women; David Morris, Director of the OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat; and Racquel Smith, of the Canadian Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL).

Ambassador Ramdin stressed that civil society must be guaranteed “an adequate space” to express their points of view and desires to governments but also to the public at large. He said civil society’s role is crucial because “governments—elected representatives and executive authorities—alone are not capable of mobilizing the necessary forces and resources to facilitate a process of peace, stability and prosperity.

“For society to be able to function and create the conditions for these three fundamental objectives, it is important to engage, involve, consult and built bridges with the other actors in society, whether they be academia, media, private sector, trade unions, religious organizations, social and cultural groups, or development-oriented grass-roots organizations - in short, civil society at large,” he added.

“You are an integral part of this process of transformation in the Americas,” Ramdin told the civil society representatives at the three-day Forum that ended Saturday. Restating the OAS commitment to “structurally engaging social actors on policy making and implementing processes through inclusive, open, and transparent approaches,” he emphasized the focus on coordinating the roles and responsibilities of the different actors in the Summits process; implementation; financing; institutionalizing the process in the already existing dialogue architecture.

Welcoming the youth participation at the Forum, the Assistant Secretary General recalled the OAS’ insistence on youth as a cross-cutting issue in all its policies and programs, and cited the OAS Inter-Departmental Working Group on Youth and the appointment of an OAS Focal Point on Youth. “Our focus on youth is in four areas: consultation, capacity building, technical assistance and partnerships,” he stressed.

Ramdin also thanked the Trinidad and Tobago government and the other Forum organizers: the OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat, OAS Department of International Affairs, FOCAL, and the Network of
NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women.

Minister Gopee-Scoon described civil society as “the collective voices and agents of our peoples, providing the conduit for consultation on issues that affect the very social fabric of each of our societies.” According to the Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Minister, civil society being “the strongest proponent of Summit reform,” its expertise and recommendations “are vital to the inter-American agenda in order to advance Summit implementation.”

Reference: E-420/08