OAS Secretary General commits to dialogue and agreements during 40th OAS General Assembly in Peru

Secretary General of the Organization of American States ( OAS ), His Excellency José Miguel Insulza, (right) addressing the formal opening session of the 40th Annual OAS General assembly in Lima, Peru. (Photo is courtesy of the OAS)

ST. KITTS, JUNE 8, 2010 (CUOPM) – Secretary General of the Organization of American States ( OAS ), His Excellency José Miguel Insulza, said today in a speech during the inauguration of the 40th General Assembly of the Organization he heads, that one of the great tasks ahead for him in the next five years of his term, is to work for the development of “a far-reaching, modern and inclusive multilateralism that uses dialogue and agreements, not sanctions, exclusions or divisions, as its main tool.”

During the inaugural ceremony of the 40th General Assembly, attended by a St. Kitts and Nevis delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Sam Condor the Secretary General undertook the commitment to work also “to strengthen democratic governance”; “strengthen our system of human rights”; “seek greater balance between our democracy-building tasks and fostering integral development”; “contributing to multidimensional security placing emphasis on the grave crisis in public security”; and “giving new momentum at the OAS to the issue of gender.”

The top representative of the hemispheric organization expressed his conviction that “these achievements are possible” and asserted being “optimist with respect to the direction of our region.” “I am convinced that our continent is on the way to establishing itself as one of the two democratic regions in the world,” he insisted.

He said that in that immediate future, the OAS has a key role to play. “The way to move forward in these matters is the framework of cooperation, and the conviction that we have a common future with solidarity to share. It is up to the OAS to continue contributing to solve situations of tension and contributing to the solution of crises, and supporting the efforts, agreements and bilateral, sub-regional and international mechanisms that prevent conflicts and peacefully solve controversies,” he said.

Secretary General Insulza highlighted the idea that “our collective work of cooperation, solidarity and peace is huge and grows year after year,” and recalled that the OAS “is the headquarters of the hemispheric legal order and the place where the principles that guide all the States of the region, from the richest and most powerful to the weakest and most vulnerable, are generated and sustained.”

The OAS Secretary General, whose speech came just before that of the President García, included words of thanks to Peru for its role as host country of the 40th General Assembly of the organization, and for the historic efforts of the South American country in support of democracy.