Follow-up and Implementation System (SISCA) Presented to Member States

During the 5th Summit of the Americas, held in Trinidad and Tobago from April 17 to 19, 2009, the Heads of State and Government embarked upon a new era of inter-American relations. The Summit underlined the importance of a process that began 15 years ago. Now, more than ever, with a renewed commitment toward the Summits Process, the need for and utility of a follow-up system is evidenced; such a system would allow the Member States of the OAS to tackle, in a comprehensive manner, the collective commitments reached throughout the various Summits of the Americas.

The 5th Summit of the Americas set a new tone in hemispheric relations, harmonizing the development of collaborative and multilateral initiatives expected to produce long-term results. Now is the appropriate moment to begin the important stage of implementation.

In this spirit, the Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) had the pleasure of presenting an initial proposal for a Summits of the Americas Follow-up System on Mandates during a Ministerial SIRG which convened in the context of the 39th General Assembly of the OAS, which took place in early June of this year in Honduras. The proposal included a comprehensive analysis of the Summits process and an overview of the mandates emanating from this process, which began in 1994. The follow-up system offers the Member States a variety of useful tools in order to promote, support, and strengthen the inter-American agenda, and seeks to facilitate the implementation of the commitments reached in the Summits by Member States.

The follow-up system is a mechanism that provides the Member States with the tools necessary to facilitate the achievement of the goals established by the mandates, with a vision toward ensuring that these commitments are measurable in the long and medium term by means of results oriented management. The system attempts to implement a new methodology for mandate follow-up with the intention to modernize and optimize the processes that involve all the stakeholders of the Summits of the Americas.

Progressively, the results of the Summits have acquired a guiding character for the countries. Our governments view these results as a strategic guide that can shape many of their actions.

The management of results-based mandates plays an important role in generating information for decision making of the governments, particularly in relation to the continuity of their policies and in the identification of necessary resources for their implementation. By providing greater efficiency in the processing of information and systematization of results, SISCA serves as a useful tool in promoting greater transparency and efficiency in the follow-up process.

SISCA is an effort to facilitate the implementation of the commitments reached in the Summits, offering Member States a variety of appropriate tools in order to promote, support, and strengthen the inter-American agenda during this critical period of our shared history.

Accordingly, we are presented with a significant opportunity, not only for institutional strengthening, but, above all, for the exercise of democracy.

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