Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

'Energy for Development' the theme for next OAS General Assembly
01-27-2007

WASHINGTON, USA: The member countries of the organization of American States (OAS) have unanimously endorsed the Panamanian government’s proposal for energy, a basic resource to fuel development for the peoples of the Americas, to be the central theme for the thirty seventh regular session of the OAS General Assembly to be held in Panama City beginning next June 3.

Panama’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, Ambassador Aristides Royo, submitted the Draft Declaration of Panama entitled “Energy for Development” for consideration by the Permanent Council. He said the initiative represents his government’s effort to acknowledge the major concerns of countries regarding the rapidly-unfolding energy problem. “All our member states must become aware and act on this concern in a timely manner,” Royo stated.

The draft Declaration, under consideration by a working group that Royo chairs, warns that high energy costs were putting a severe financial constraint on resources the countries of the Americas need for their development programs.

The draft declaration argues that economic development and environmental conservation were complementary and part of the basic goals of the OAS. It also accentuates public-private sector alliances as vital to the promotion of the energy sector agenda in the hemisphere, and touches on the effects of climate change and the need for research, promotion, development and increased use of renewable energy forms. The OAS Department of Sustainable Development is providing the working group with technical advice.

New Ambassadors

Two new Permanent Representatives—Bolivia’s Ambassador Reynaldo Cuadros Anaya and Peru’s Ambassador Antero Flores-Araoz—delivered maiden addresses to the Permanent Council.

Ambassador Cuadros Anaya, a sustainable development scientist, outlined the new Bolivian perspective and concept of “wholesome living” based on multicultural principles and values to foster a sense of brotherhood. “Coming with the apparent contradictions and challenges of the new world order, Bolivia is proposing an alternative lifestyle within its constraints and capabilities, so that its people can at least live well and deal with the rest of the community as brothers,” Cuadros Anaya said.

Referring to the “delicate” issue of drugs, he said Bolivia is under the gaze of the other countries of the region in terms of what it does in this regard. Arguing that his country has been stigmatized as a drug producer, he urged the delegations to consider the issue from a more holistic standpoint, in terms of the traditional uses of coca leaves in some societies. He also touched on free market, human rights, freedom of expression and the rights of indigenous peoples. With respect to the OAS agenda, he said Bolivia shares the same perspective as the hemispheric organization.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Flores-Araoz explained the Peruvian government’s commitment to supporting the multilateral agenda. He observed that democracies are strengthened through dialogue, reflection and consensus-building. The Peruvian diplomat also outlined his government’s effort to promote human rights, fight corruption at all levels, and address social rights.

In his first address to the Permanent Council, Ambassador Flores-Araoz touched as well on his Peru’s commitment to stepping up the fight against poverty and discrimination—“zero tolerance with regard with racism of any kind”—and reiterated his government’s commitment to the principles enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter. “We want to take a much more aggressive, frontal war to terrorism, subversion, drug trafficking and money laundering,” he said.

The Peruvian diplomat spoke about is government’s willingness to help draft a resolution on civil and general registry, to guarantee the right to an identity. He invited countries to support this effort, noting Peru has made a financial contribution. Flores-Araoz said his country defends press freedom “very broadly because for there to be democracy there has to be criticism and tolerance.”

Justice Studies Center of the Americas Report

In other matters considered during the Permanent Council meeting, the Executive Director of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas, Juan Enrique Vargas, gave an update on the process of judicial reform in the region over the last decade, saying “it has introduced a certain dynamism and brought an absolutely new depth to our countries.”

Vargas said “our legislative branches are now greater and more powerful,” and cited among other accomplishments greater transparency and independence in decision-making. Judicial training has also been improved and many countries have made major improvements to their criminal justice processes, he said, noting, however, that citizens often view their judiciaries negatively because of perceived corruption and security problems.

Ambassador Vargas told the Permanent Council that the Justice Studies Center, headquartered in Santiago, Chile, has collaborated with member countries on judicial reform. He said that full overhaul of the justice systems calls for more than technical support alone but also “political support from member states, and I believe this is an area in which we need to make much more progress in order to sell the idea that sustained judicial reform is urgently needed with adequate financing to be successful.”