First Ministerial Meeting of 2010 of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG)

The first 2010 Ministerial Meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) was held on June 8th in Lima, Peru within the framework of the Fortieth OAS General Assembly, chaired by Clemencia Forero Ucrós, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia and National Coordinator for the Summits of the Americas Process. Among other issues, the Vice Minister renewed Colombia’s support for the Inter-American System, for the Summits of the Americas Process, as it is a vital instrument of dialogue and political reflection, and for the Sixth Summit, to be convened either on the 14th and 15th or the 21st and 22nd of April, 2012. These dates are pending confirmation from the newly elected President of Colombia who will assume power on August 7th, 2010.

In his speech, the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, reiterated that the Summits of the Americas Process is a principal priority for the OAS in its superior role of defining the Inter-American agenda. Insulza also emphasized his support for the Summits of the Americas Secretariat (SAS), which collaborates with the activities of all stakeholders involved in the Process, such collaborations include: working with all Member States in the SIRG and in the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society participation in OAS Activities (CISC); coordinating preparatory activities for the process of the Sixth Summit, under the leadership of Colombia; maintaining active links with multilateral institutions associated with the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG); offering tools of support for Member States in their efforts to report on the implementation of the commitments made at past Summits such as the Summits of the Americas Follow-Up System (SISCA); continuing its efforts to strengthen the link between the Summits Process and the process of Inter-American ministerial meetings; and by promoting the participation of social actors in the Summits of the Americas Process.

In his final remarks at the SIRG, the OAS Secretary General introduced and officially launched the Summits Virtual Community (SVC). The SVC is an online platform designed, created, and managed by the Summits of the Americas Secretariat. The SVC utilizes Web 2.0 tools to foster the consultation, participation, and interaction of social actors and other stakeholders interested in the Summits Process and in the Inter-American system, as well as to strengthen the dialogue between Member States and stakeholders involved in the Summits Process.

The Summits of the Americas Secretariat also announced the advances of SISCA since its inception in January 2010. Of particular emphasis were the presentations and workshops held in Colombia, El Salvador, and Trinidad and Tobago on the use and implementation of the System. Additionally, the SAS announced its plans to develop a methodology to bring together the necessary elements that will facilitate the preparation and presentation of annual National Reports, taking into account the services that SISCA already offers. This methodology will be finalized within the framework of the CISC meetings in order to be presented at the next regular meeting of the SIRG (tentatively scheduled for the end of 2010).

In the high-level dialogue, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs stressed the need to work together to: politically strengthen the Summits Process to the benefit of the OAS and to achieve the objectives of a positive Inter-American agenda; ensure consistency of mandates in order to make them more concrete; define the structure of the Process in hopes of achieving its institutionalization within the OAS in order ensure a link with the OAS programs, as proposed several years ago in this forum; enhance coordination with the institutions of the JSWG; ensure the availability of required human and financial resources; and to support Colombia in its capacity as chair and host of the Sixth Summit.

For access to the complete report of this meeting and the presentations, please visit: www.summit-americas.org/sirg_meet_2010.html

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