Affirming that openness and transparency are vital to building
public awareness and legitimacy for our undertakings, the Summit
Plans of Action call upon all citizens of the region to contribute
to the Summits of the Americas process.
OAS announces consultations with Civil Society for the Fifth Summit
At the
Fourth Summit of the Americas held in Mar del Plata,
Argentina, from November 4-5, 2005 Heads of State and
Government of the Americas reiterated the importance of the
participation of civil society in the Summit process. Under
the theme “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen
Democratic Governance”, at this Summit, Heads of State and
Government recognized the importance of strengthening broad,
transparent, and inclusive social dialogue with all concerned
sectors of society, in order to promote and consolidate
democracy and to build societies with inclusion and social
justice. In this way, presidents committed to promote and
encourage increased participation by citizens, communities,
and civil society in the Summit process, in order to
contribute to ensuring that the benefits of democracy are
shared by society as a whole. Regarding the creation of decent
jobs as a tool to fight poverty and strengthen democratic
governance, presidents committed to promote tripartite and
inclusive social dialogue and cooperation among social
partners and governments, and if necessary, to ask for support
from the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Presidents, furthermore, recognized the pivotal role that the
OAS plays in the implementation and follow-up of Summit
mandates, and they instructed the General Secretariat to
continue to act as technical secretariat; provide support for
meetings of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG),
ministerial meetings, and specialized conferences; coordinate
the participation of civil society; and ensure the
dissemination of information on the Summits Process and the
commitments adopted by the countries.
Finally, in order to strengthen mechanisms in our countries
for the participation and collaboration in governance by civil
society organizations, the private sector, and citizenry at
large, specifically in the development of public policy for
the generation of employment and the fight against poverty,
governments, in the Plan of Action of Mar del Plata, committed
to request the General Secretariat of the OAS to present for
the consideration of the political bodies of the Organization,
before 2007, an inter-American program including the exchange
of experiences and best practices.
In the Declaration of Nuevo León of the Special Summit of the
Americas held in Monterrey, Mexico on January 12 to 13, 2004,
the Heads of State and Government agreed that civil society
participation is essential to the design, implementation and
evaluation of public policies adopted by different orders or
levels of government. Likewise, the Leaders recognized the
role of civil society, their contribution to sound public
administration, and reaffirmed the importance of continuing to
forge new partnerships that will enable constructive ties to
be built among governments, non-governmental organizations,
international organizations, and the diverse sectors of civil
society working to promote development and democracy.
Leaders encouraged the active participation of civil society
in the Summits of the Americas Process, in which they proposed
to institutionalize meetings with representatives of civil
society including the academic and private sectors. Leaders
also agreed to promote affordable access to information and
communication technology for all and encouraged the full and
active participation of civil society.
At the Third Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec City in
April of 2001, the Heads of State and Government recognized
the contributions of civil society to the Quebec City Plan of
Action and they called upon all citizens of the Americas to
contribute to the Summit process. They recognized the powerful
role civil society has in the consolidation of democracy, and
recognized that its participation in government programs is
one of the most important tools for success of governments’
development policies.
The Heads of State and Government instructed the OAS, other
multilateral organizations, and development banks to develop
strategies for increasing participation in the Inter-American
system. At the same time, such measures have increased the
institutional capacity of Member States’ Governments to
receive, absorb and act on the input and advocacy of civil
society organizations.
The Heads of State and Government committed to develop
educational programs in cooperation with civil society with
the goal of strengthening democracy and promoting respect for
human rights, as well as for ethnic, cultural, and religious
diversity in the hemisphere.
The Quebec City Plan of Action
calls for a
series of seminars and meetings among experts, CSOs and
government officials for increasing acceptance, understanding,
appreciation and respect of the linguistic and cultural
diversity of the peoples of the region. The Quebec Summit also
recognized the expectation that businesses that work within
the Hemisphere must carry out their operations in a manner
consistent with their social and environmental
responsibilities. The Quebec City Plan of Action reiterates
the importance of consulting civil society organizations and
the private sector for the continued analysis of compliance
with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) business practices.
The Heads of State and Government, through the Quebec City
Plan of Action, have been promoting the role of CSOs – along
with technical professionals and regional and educational
institutions – in the development and implementation of
disaster management policies at both national and community
levels. Furthermore, the Heads of State and Government
acknowledge the contributions of CSOs in promoting national
strategies for sustainable development of agriculture and
increasing standards of living in rural areas.
With the acceptance of the Inter-American Democratic Charter,
the Heads of State and Government specifically request the
contributions of CSOs in carrying out programs and activities
designed to promote principles and practices that strengthen
the democratic culture of the Hemisphere. The Quebec City Plan
of Action recognizes democracy as a way of life based on
liberty and the enhancement of economic, social, and cultural
conditions for the peoples of the Americas under good
governance, sound administration, democratic values, and the
strengthening of political institutions and CSOs.
During the Second Summit of the Americas, which took place in
Santiago, Chile, in 1998, the Heads of State and Government
reiterated the importance of strengthening a more active public
participation of civil society.
The Santiago Plan of Action
calls on Member States’ governments and respective CSOs to promote
the development of principles and recommendations for institutional
frameworks to stimulate the formation of responsible and transparent
democratic organizations. It also encourages greater dialogue and
partnerships with governments in which the OAS can serve as a forum
for the exchange of information and experiences.
The Santiago Plan of Action established the "Summit
Implementation Review Group
" (SIRG) which bears responsibility for
ensuring the implementation, by Member States’ governments, of the
mandates of this and future Summits of the Americas. The SIRG group
will hold bi- or tri-annual meetings to assess the degree to which
the Summit mandates have been fulfilled and will annually report on
the progress achieved in the fulfillment of this and future Plans of
Action.
At the Summit on Sustainable Development, held
in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in 1996, the Heads of State and
Government decided to promote more opportunities for the expression of
ideas and the exchange of information on sustainable development
between groups, organizations, businesses, and individuals. By doing
this, they decided that the recommendations of the 1996 Montevideo
Inter-American Seminar on Public Participation should be followed.
This seminar promoted a strategy for the exchange of experiences and
information among government and civil society organizations regarding
the formulation, implementation and improvement of sustainable
development policies and programs and in high level meetings convened
by the OAS. The recommendations also include the establishment of
regional level consultation processes and the integration and
strengthening of national sustainable development councils.
In the
First Summit of the Americas held in Miami in 1994, the Government and
Heads of State showed their interest in strengthening and diversifying
the democracies of the Hemisphere in order to guarantee its
durability. This was the main motivation by which they indicated the
importance of including individuals, labor and political parties,
academic, private sector and civil society organizations (CSOs) in
public affairs, and recognized that public participation is crucial
for the success of any democracy under a responsible and transparent
framework.
The Governments decided to revise the regulatory framework for
non-governmental actors so that it would emphasize the management and
supervision of resources, as well as their transparency and
responsibility. Measures were also taken to improve participation in
the social activities and initiatives by traditionally marginalized
groups.
Third Summit of the Americas,
Quebec City, Canada 2001
Civil Society
Recognizing the important role of
participation by civil society in the consolidation of democracy
and that this participation constitutes one of the vital elements
for the success of development policies, noting that men and women
have the right to participate, with equality and equity, in the
decision-making processes affecting their lives and well-being,
and considering that the diversity of opinion, experience and
technical expertise of civil society constitute a significant and
valuable resource for initiatives and responses of government and
democratic institutions:
Strengthening Participation in Hemispheric
and National Processes
Seek to establish public and
private funding instruments aimed at building the capacity
of civil society organizations in order to highlight the
work and contribution of these organizations and to promote
accountability;
Develop strategies at the
national level and through the OAS, other multilateral
organizations and MDBs to increase the capacity of civil
society to participate more fully in the inter-American
system, as well as in the political, economic and social
development of their communities and countries, fostering
representativeness and facilitating the participation of all
sectors of society; and increase the institutional capacity
of governments to receive, absorb and act on civil society
input and advocacy, particularly through the use of
information and communications technologies;
Promote participation of all
minority groups in forging a stronger civil society;
Develop educational programs,
in conjunction with relevant civil society organizations,
academic experts and others, as appropriate, to provide
democracy and human rights education and to promote the
introduction of books and educational materials that reflect
the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of the Americas
as part of primary and secondary school curricula;
CP/RES. 864,
(1413/04),
"Specific Fund to Support the Participation of Civil Society
Organizations in OAS Activities and in the Summits of the
American Process"
CP/RES. 840,
(1361/03)
"Strategies for Increasing and Strengthening Participation by
Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities"
CP/RES. 759 (1217/99),
"Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society Organizations
in OAS activities"
AG/RES. 1991/04 Increasing and strengthening civil society
participation in OAS activities
AG/RES. 1965/03, "Support for and
Follow-Up to the Summits of the Americas Process", XXXIII General
Assembly of the OAS, Santiago Chile, June 8-10, 2003.
AG/RES. 1915/03, "Increasing and
Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities",
XXXIII General Assembly of the OAS, Santiago, Chile, June 8-10,
2003.
AG/RES. 1852/02
"Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS
Activities", XXXII General Assembly of the OAS, Bridgetown,
Barbados, June 2-4, 2002.
AG/RES. 1834/01
"The Organization of American States and Civil Society", XXXI
General Assembly of the OAS, San José, Costa Rica, June 3-5,
2001.
AG/RES. 1707/00
, "The Organization
of American States and Civil Society", XXX General Assembly of
the OAS, Windsor, Canada, June 5, 2000.
AG/RES. 1668/99,
"Strengthening Cooperation Between Governments and Civil
Society", XXIX General Assembly of the OAS, Guatemala, Guatemala,
June 7, 1999.
AG/RES. 1661/99,
"The Organization of American States and Civil Society", XXIX
General Assembly of the OAS, Guatemala, Guatemala, June 7, 1999.
AG/RES. 1539/98,
"The OAS and Civil Society" , XXVIII General Assembly of the OAS,
Caracas, Venezuela, June 2, 1998.
AG/RES. 57 (I-0/71),
"Standards on Cooperative Relations Between the Organization of
American States and the United Nations, It's Specialized
Agencies, and Other National and International Organizations"
AG/RES. 2162/06, Mechanism to Follow up on Implementation of
the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and
Eradication of Violence Against Women, "Convention of Belém do
Pará"
AG/RES. 2164/06, Inter-American Program on Education for
Democratic Values and Practices
AG/RES. 2166/06, Public Presentation of Candidates for
Membership on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and
the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
AG/RES. 2167/06, Establishment of the Committee provided for
in the Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities
AG/RES. 2168/06, Combating Racism and all forms of
Discrimination and Intolerance and Consideration of the Draft
Inter-American Convention Against Racism and All Forms and
Intolerance
AG/RES. 2177/06, Human Rights Defenders: Support for the
Individual Groups, and Organizations of Civil Society Working to
Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Americas
AG/RES. 2184/06, Natural Disaster Reduction, Risk Management,
and Assistance and other Disaster Situations
AG/RES. 2185/06, Follow-Up to the Special Conference on
Security
AG/RES. 2188/06, Limitation on Military Spending and the
Promotion of Greater Transparency in the Acquisition of Arms in
the Americas
AG/RES. 2190/06, Supports and Follow-Up to the Summit of the
Americas Process
AG/RES. 2193/06, Creation of the Fund for Children of the
Americas
AG/RES. 2194/06, Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility
in the Hemisphere
AG/RES. 2200/06, Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism of the
Inter-American Drug Abuse control Commission
AG/RES. 2201/06, Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral
Development 2006-2009
AG/RES. 2204/06, Eradicating and Fighting Diseases that
Affect Integral Development
AG/RES. 2206/06, Report of the Fourth Meeting of Ministers of
Education within the Framework of CIDI
AG/RES. 2224/06, The Human Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Their Families
AG/RES. 2230/06, Program of Action for the Decade of the
Americas for the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
AG/RES. 2231/06, Persons who have Disappeared and Assistance
to Members of Their Families
AG/RES. 2232/06, Protection of Asylum Seekers, Refugees and
Returnees in the Americas
AG/RES. 2243/06, Support for the Implementation of the
Declaration of Santo Domingo
AG/RES. 2251/06, Promotion of Regional Cooperation for the
Implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter on the
Occasion of its Fifth Anniversary
AG/RES. 2252/06, Access to Public Information: Strengthening
Democracy
AG/RES. 2255/06, The Use of Information Technologies in
Government Procurement in order to Promote Transparency and the
Participation of Micro, Small, and Medium Sized Enterprises, and
other Productive Organizations
AG/RES. 2256/06, Hemispheric Efforts to Combat Trafficking in
Persons: Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of
National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons
AG/DEC. 41/05, Declaration of Florida Delivering the Benefits
of Democracy
AG/RES. 2067/05, Human Rights Defenders: Support for the
Individuals, Groups, and Organizations of Civil Society Working
to Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Americas
AG/RES. 2071/05, 2006: Inter-American Year of the Fight
Against Corruption
AG/RES. 2074/05, Standards for the Preparation of Periodic
Reports Pursuant to the Protocol of San Salvador
AG/RES. 2076/05, Follow-up on the Inter-American Convention
Against Corruption and its Program for Cooperation
AG/RES. 2087/05, Report of the First Meeting of Ministers and
High Authorities on Science and Technology
AG/RES. 2091/05, Support for and Follow-up to the Summits of
the Americas Process
AG/RES. 2092/05, Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society
Participation in OAS Activities and in the Summits of the
Americas Process
AG/RES. 2093/05, Meeting of Ministers and High-Level
Authorities Responsible for Policies on Decentralization, Local
Government, and Citizen Participation
AG/RES. 2097/05, Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) of
the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission: Report on its
Third Evaluation Round
AG/RES. 2103/05, Public Presentation of Candidates Proposed
for the Positions of Secretary General and Assistant Secretary
General of the Organization of American States
AG/RES. 2120/05, Presentation of Candidates for Membership of
the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
AG/RES. 2121/05, Access to Public Information: Strengthening
Democracy
AG/RES. 2123/05, Promotion of Corporate
Social Responsibility in the Hemisphere
AG/RES. 2126/05, Prevention of Racism and All Forms of
Discrimination and Intolerance and Consideration of the
Preparation of a Draft Inter-American Convention
AG/RES. 2130/05, The Human Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Their Families
AG/RES. 2133/05, Inter-American Program of Cooperation to
Prevent and Remedy Cases of International Abduction of Children
by one of Their Parents
AG/RES. 2134/05, Persons who have Disappeared and Assistance
to Members of Their Families
AG/RES. 2135/05, Support for and Monitoring of Activities
Related to the World Summit on the Information Society
AG/RES. 2138/05, Fourth Biennial Report on Fulfillment of
Resolution Ag/Res
