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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
OAS Photo
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The
Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today
approved a declaration in support of the government of Haiti following
the country's decision to hold legislative and municipal elections
before the end of the year, during a regular meeting held at the
headquarters of the hemispheric institution in Washington, DC.
The
Council welcomed the will of the executive branch of Haiti and other
political stakeholders to hold legislative and municipal elections in
2014 under the terms of the El Rancho Accord. In the declaration, the
Council expressed its "solidarity with the Haitian people and their
right to take part in periodic, free, and fair elections.”
The
Council also expressed its support for "the process of national dialogue
underway, which contributes to the stability of democratic institutions
and the consolidation of the rule of law in Haiti.” The declaration
also urges all branches of government and stakeholders to continue said
process of national dialogue and to implement as a matter of urgency the
provisions of the El Rancho Accord. The full text of the statement can
be read here.
The
Interim Representative of Haiti, Edmond Bocchit, thanked to OAS General
Secretariat and all member states for adopting this declaration.
"President Michel Martelly and the Haitian cabinet have supported a
process of dialogue in an inclusive and democratic manner to act
accordingly. Today’s support of the electoral process is something we
value," said the Haitian diplomat.
In another agenda item, the
Council took note of the report of the Alternate Representative of
Venezuela and Chair of the Informal Working Group on the review of the
mandates of the General Committee, Carmen Velasquez. The representative
of Venezuela said that the Working Group received a total of 171
mandates and of those it decided, after two meetings and various
consultations with the different areas of the Organization and the
member state delegations, that 122 current mandates and five procedural
ones fell within the purview of the General Committee. Of the remaining
44, the Working Group determined that they were repetitive or
duplicative or that they had expired or been fulfilled.
The
Council also approved a series of reports related to the classification
process of mandates and agreed to transmit them to the Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP) in order that this committee
develop a single set of recommendations to guide future processes of
political prioritization and the Strategic Vision on the mandates of the
Organization.
The Council also agreed to designate the U.S.
citizen Christopher Flaggs to fill a vacancy on the Board of External
Auditors until December 2014, after the departure of James Millette.
Currently, Flaggs serves as Deputy Chief Financial Officer of the State
Department.
At another point on the agenda, the body approved the invitations
presented by the General Secretariat to more than 500 organizations of
various kinds to participate in the 44th Meeting of the General Assembly
to be held in Asuncion, from
June 3 to 5.
For
his part, the Permanent Representative of Mexico, Emilio Rabasa, made
mention of the Third-CARICOM-Mexico Summit, and the Fourth Summit of
the Association of Caribbean States, held in the Mexican city of Mérida,
noting that this "will allow for the promotion of integration processes
and regional cooperation" and recalling that the OAS is being
represented at the meeting by its Secretary General, José Miguel
Insulza.
During the meeting, representatives from Haiti, Guyana
(on behalf of CARICOM), Argentina, Venezuela, Canada, Bolivia, and
Mexico took the floor. In addition, the Permanent Observer of France,
and a representative of the Observer Mission of Spain spoke.
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.
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