|
|
|
|
Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
|
On the occasion of my swearing in as Secretary General of the
Organization of American States (OAS) for a second term, I want to take
this opportunity to thank you all, the staff of this great organization,
for your excellent work over the past five years. By “staff” I am not
only referring to the formal staff members of the OAS, but also to those
who support us as consultants, electoral observers and sub-contractors.
The
OAS has had several important successes in the last five years,
including playing a central role in resolving or mitigating nearly a
dozen political crises in Latin America and the Caribbean; observing
more than fifty electoral processes in the Hemisphere; and improving the
administration and management of the General Secretariat. I believe
that no one can, in good faith, claim that the OAS has been absent from
the debates and actions taken to address the many challenges that our
members have struggled with during these years.
The important
advances that the OAS has made over the past five years are due in large
part to your utilizing your talents and experience to design and
implement meaningful and effective programs and policies for our member
states; as well as to your flexibility and understanding in the face of
the changes and reforms implemented during my first term.
Of
course, we still have lots of work to do over the next five years. I
will continue to push for the OAS to become a genuinely modern and
inclusive multilateral organization. This requires that we maintain our
efforts to: support democratic governance by promoting respect for the
rule of law and institutions; improve the balance between the tasks of
democracy building and those of promoting integral development; tackle
the many challenges to public security, including organized crime, drug,
arms and human trafficking; and give greater attention to the subject
of gender at the OAS.
As you all know, however, the contributions
that the OAS receives from its members are not enough to meet all the
mandates that they have assigned to us. Thus, we will have to make some
tough decisions in the near future if we are to keep the OAS relevant
and effective. We will have some tough times and some good times ahead.
You can be assured that at all times, I will endeavor to be open, fair
and understanding and
will make sure that the rights of everyone are fully
respected.
Sincerely,
José Miguel Insulza
Secretary
General
© Copyright 2010 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
