SPECIAL JOINT WORKING GROUP OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL AND THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE STRENGTHENING AND MODERNIZATION OF THE OAS

OEA/Ser.T/VII
GETC/FORMOEA-101/99 rev. 5
25 May 1999
Original: English

DISCUSSION PAPER
THE OAS AND CIVIL SOCIETY

(Approved by the Special Joint Working Group at its session held on May 25, 1999)

Dear Ambassador Mercader:

In accordance with the decision of the meeting of the Special Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) on the Strengthening and Modernization of the OAS held on March 11, 1999, attached please find a set of proposals regarding the implementation of AG/RES. 1539 (XXVIII-O/98), "The OAS and Civil Society" drafted through informal consultations with the participation of the delegations of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The proposals include a draft resolution for the next meeting of the General Assembly and a Progress Report that contains specific recommendations on the various mandates covered by AG/RES. 1539. A set of Guidelines for Civil Society Participation in OAS activities is attached to the Progress Report. Taken together, we feel that these documents can provide a comprehensive response to the General Assembly on civil society issues and address many of the concerns raised by delegations in the Special Joint Working Group during the two previous meetings held on the matter.

We submit these documents as a basis for negotiation in the framework of the Special Joint Working Group. I would like to underline in this regard that this does not imply the co-sponsorship or endorsement of the draft proposals by the participating delegations. We trust that you will be able to circulate these documents attached to this letter in the four official languages in a timely manner in order to be able consider them at the earliest possible time in the Special Joint Working Group.

Sincerely,

Peter M. Boehm
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada

THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES AND CIVIL SOCIETY
DRAFT RESOLUTION

The General Assembly,

Recognizing the increasingly important role of civil society organizations in public life in all Member States of the Organization of American States,

Also recognizing the significant contribution of civil society organizations to the activities of the Organization of American States and its organs and related agencies throughout the Inter-American system, and in specific technical cooperation projects,

Having seen the resolution of the Permanent Council "Status of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the OAS" [CP/RES.704 (1129/97)], the report by the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the Permanent Council on the Status of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the OAS (CP/doc.2946/97) and the Standards on Cooperative Relations between the Organization of American States and the United Nations, its Specialized Agencies, and Other National and International Organizations [AG/RES.57 (I-O/71],

Recalling that, in the Plan of Action of the First Summit of the Americas, held in Miami in 1994, leaders declared that "A strong and diverse civil society, organized in various ways and sectors, including individuals, the private sector, labor, political parties, academics, and other non-governmental actors and organizations, gives depth and durability to democracy;"

Also recalling the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, which noted that the OAS could serve as a forum for the exchange of experiences and information on the formation of responsible and transparent, non-profit and other civil society organizations, and entrusted the Organization to promote appropriate programs to foster greater participation of civil society in public affairs,

Recognizing that AG/RES. 1539 (XXVIII-O/98) instructed the Permanent Council "to examine ways to increase the degree to which appropriate non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations may become more closely involved in, and contribute to, the activities of the Organization , and ways to implement the tasks entrusted to the OAS in the Santiago Plan of Action with respect to civil society,"

Bearing in mind that the Special Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) on the Strengthening and Modernization of the OAS has held substantive discussions on the implementation of AG/RES.1539,

Considering that the General Assembly requested the Permanent Council to present a progress report on the implementation of AG/RES.1539;

Bearing in mind the progress made on the draft Guidelines for Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities, in particular those related to Chapters I, II, III, IV, and VI, attached to the progress report of the Permanent Council on the fulfillment of resolution AG/RES. 1539 (XXVIII-O/98), prepared by the Special Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) on the Strengthening and Modernization of the OAS.

1. Welcomes the progress report of the Permanent Council on the implementation of AG/RES. 1539 (XXVIII-O/98)^/.
2. Resolves to establish within the Permanent Council a Committee on Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities, composed of all the member states of the Organization.
3. Instructs the Permanent Council to prepare, by way of that Committee, and bearing in mind the attachment to the report presented by the Permanent Council, guidelines for civil society participation in OAS activities, for adoption before December 31, 1999.
4. Thanks the Secretary General for complying with the requests set out in resolution CP/RES. 704 (1129/97), in particular the preparation of a register of NGOs with which the OAS has relations.
5. Requests the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly on the implementation of this resolution at its thirtieth regular session.

DRAFT PROGRESS REPORT OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 1539

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The implementation of General Assembly resolution 1539 was discussed in three meetings of the Special Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and CIDI on the Strengthening and Modernization of the OAS, established in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1603. The issue was also discussed in a series of informal consultations among several Member States.
2. Written contributions to the discussions were presented by the Delegation of Brazil (GETC/FORMOEA-65/98) and, jointly, by the delegations of Argentina, Canada, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States (GETC/FORMOEA-80/99).
3. The discussions took into account the existing legal basis on the establishment of cooperative relations between the Organization of American States and the United Nations Organization, its Specialized Agencies and other national and international organizations, as set out in the Norms annexed to General Assembly Resolution 57. Articles 13 to 22 of the Norms specifically address the relationship with non-governmental organizations distinguishing between general and special cooperative relations. It was recalled that, in the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, the governments noted that the OAS might serve as a forum for the exchange of experiences and information, enabling the member states to promote civil society participation by developing principles and recommendations for encouraging the formation of responsible, transparent, nonprofit organizations within institutional frameworks. In this process, the governments will draw upon existing initiatives that promote increased civil society participation in public affairs, such as relevant and successful experiences of the national councils for sustainable development and the Inter-American Strategy for Public Participation, among others. They also entrusted the OAS with encouraging support among governments and civil society organizations and promoting appropriate programs to that end.
4. An acknowledgement was also made of previous discussions on the status of non-governmental organizations in the OAS in the framework of the Working Group of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the Permanent Council. The Working Group, which met between 1994 and 1997), recognized the valuable contribution of NGOs to the Organization and concluded, in its report (CP/doc.2946/96), that the existing norms, although of a general nature, permitted NGO participation in OAS meetings and therefore did not require modifications.
5. Pursuant to the above-mentioned Report, the Permanent Council adopted CP/Res.704. The Special Joint Working Group took note of the fact that the requests to the Secretary-General on the presentation of proposals regarding the elaboration of practical guidelines to ensure the coherence and enhancement of relations between the Secretariat and NGOs have not yet been complied with.
6. It was also noted that the Secretariat has not yet complied with requests to present a list of NGOs with which the Organization has established special relations and that participate in program implementation on behalf of the OAS or joint projects and that contribute technical, administrative or financial resources to the Organization.
7. The participation of civil society organizations in the work of various organs and entities of the Inter-American System was also acknowledged. Specific mention was made of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), the Pan-American Health Organization, the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), and the Inter-American Development Bank.
8. Similarly, the Inter-American Public Participation Strategy established by the Bolivia Summit on Sustainable Development as well as civil society participation in the framework of the negotiations on the establishment of a Free Trade Zone of the Americas, were identified as positive examples for OAS efforts in that regard.
9. Throughout the discussions, the priority interest of Member States in civil society issues, in particular those identified in General Assembly mandates and recommendations, was clearly demonstrated.
10. Member States also acknowledged the evolving nature of civil society and its existing and potential contributions to the work of the Organization.
11. While there was consensus on the importance of enhancing civil society participation, Member States expressed a wide variety of points of view on the practical approaches toward achieving this objective. In this regard, concerns were raised by some member states about the scope and nature of greater civil society participation, its financial implications, the need for representation of civil society organizations from all Member States, and their participation in activities related to all issues in the OAS and Summit agendas. Others felt that responses to these issues could be satisfactorily provided through an appropriate mechanism.
12. In the process of fulfilling General Assembly mandates, it was recognized that the experience of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, which in 1996 revised existing arrangements for consultative relations with non-governmental organizations through its resolution 1996/31, could be a useful one for the Organization of American States.
13. The Joint Special Working Group recognized that, taking into account that the Organization of American States' relationship with civil society organizations is manifold, and given the varied nature of the mandates contained in General Assembly Resolution 1539, the response of the OAS should address the full range of matters addressed in Resolution 1539.
14. In this regard, the Special Joint Working Group concluded that the response to General Assembly Resolution would have to address the following issues:

a. Measures to increase the degree to which appropriate non-governmental and civil society organizations may become more closely involved in, and contribute to, the activities of the Organization:

1. Relations between the General Secretariat and civil society organizations;
2. Participation of civil society organizations in technical cooperation projects and programs.
3. Participation of civil society organizations in meetings of intergovernmental bodies.

b. Measures to implement OAS-related mandates of the Santiago Plan of Action:

1. The OAS as a forum for the exchange of experiences and information on the formation of responsible and transparent, non-profit and other civil society organizations;
2. Promotion of appropriate programs to foster greater participation of civil society in public affairs.

II. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

15. In its examination of General Assembly Resolution 1539 and based on the discussions and recommendations of the Special Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and CIDI, the Permanent Council reached the following conclusions and recommendations, to be implemented by the relevant organs and by the General Secretariat, as appropriate: Measures to increase the degree to which nongovernmental and relevant civil society organizations may become more closely involved in, and contribute to, the activities of the Organization.
16. The relationship between the OAS and civil society organizations is not a new phenomenon. There is a tradition of cooperation with civil society organizations in the implementation of technical cooperation projects, and certain organizations have been consulted on occasion in specific or technical areas. The Organization derives its mandate to work with the United Nations, its Specialized Agencies and other national and international entities from the Charter itself (Articles 57c, 57d, 91d, 95d, and 112h), and in the statutes of the councils.
17. Civil society organizations can make significant contributions to the work of the Organization. They can introduce additional knowledge and information in the decision-making process; they can raise new issues and concerns to be subsequently addressed by the Organization; they can provide expert advice in areas where they are the main actors; and they can contribute greatly to a consensus-building process in many areas.
18. Given the evolution of the role of non-State actors in public life and their increasing role at the national, regional and international level - trends recognized both by the OAS and the Summit of the Americas – ways and means should be identified to enhance existing norms and practices in order to adapt to these new phenomena.

Relations between the General Secretariat and civil society organizations

19. The General Secretariat should develop strategies to strengthen its ties with civil society organizations in order to benefit from their potential contributions in the fields of resource mobilization, operational activities, research and information outreach, and advocacy.
    The General Secretariat should attempt to ensure that geographical location or ability to dispose of funds of the different civil society organizations interested in participating in the activities of the Organization shall not be an impediment to balanced representation.
20. In this regard, the Department of Public Information and the OAS National Offices are encouraged to take advantage of the positive role that civil society organizations in all Member States can play in the dissemination of information related to OAS goals and programs and in publicizing and gathering support for campaigns carried out by the Organization.
21. A crucial link to civil society organizations is the OAS Web site, considering that the advance of modern information technologies and their frequent use of the Internet make them primary beneficiaries of its offerings. Measures should be undertaken by the General Secretariat to further strengthen the usefulness of the Web site and to facilitate civil society organizations' access to OAS-related information.
22. The General Secretariat should also work toward ensuring the effective dissemination of OAS publications and newsletters of special interest to civil society organizations, particularly in cases of limited access to the Internet and other electronic information technologies.

Participation by civil society organizations in technical cooperation projects and programs

23. Participation of civil society organizations in operational activities relating to cooperation program design, funding, and implementation should be strengthened. This is an aspect in which civil society organizations based in developing countries can play a key role.
24. In order to facilitate this objective, the General Secretariat is requested to inform the relevant inter-governmental organs (CIDI, Permanent Council) with respect to the participation of civil society organizations in projects, programs and other activities, as well as to maintain an up-dated list of organizations with which the Organization has established special cooperative relations.

Participation by civil society organizations in meetings of intergovernmental bodies

25. Although existing arrangements regarding the public nature of OAS meetings permit the presence of civil society organizations, it is recognized that the work of the Organization would benefit from the existence of clear guidelines and criteria regarding the scope and nature of civil society participation in intergovernmental meetings.
26. In this regard, it would also be useful to further clarify the relations between the Organization and civil society organizations through procedures which clearly set out criteria for participation and the responsibilities and obligations associated with it.
27. The arrangements set forth in the attached document, "Guidelines for Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities," are intended to achieve these objectives, through the creation of an accredited status for civil society organizations; the establishment of a Permanent Council Committee on Civil Society Participation to oversee its implementation; and the definition of rules of participation in intergovernmental meetings.
28. The arrangements set forth in the attached Guidelines complement and do not modify the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly (Article 10.b); or the Norms of Specialized Inter-American Conferences (Article 11).

Measures to implement OAS-related mandates of the Santiago Plan of Action.

25. In its review of the OAS-related mandates of the Santiago Plan of Action, the Permanent Council concluded that their implementation would be an ongoing process, which, to be effective, requires close cooperation with Member States as well as appropriate coordination with the mechanisms for reviewing the implementation of Summit of the Americas agreements.

The OAS as a forum for the exchange of experiences and information on the formation of nonprofit and other civil society organizations that are responsible and transparent

25. The Permanent Council concluded that the OAS can play a useful role as a forum for the exchange of experiences and information on the formation of responsible and transparent, non-profit and other civil society organizations. To strengthen this role, the Permanent Council recommends the convening of OAS seminars on the issue or, as appropriate, of special meetings of the Permanent Council or its relevant committees both in headquarters and throughout the hemisphere.

Promotion of appropriate programs to foster greater participation by civil society in public affairs.

25. Member States are encouraged to establish and/or strengthen efficient communication systems or consultative mechanisms with civil society organizations which allow for the exchange of information and proposals regarding their interests and priorities as they relate to the OAS agenda.
26. Member States with relevant experience in this area are encouraged to exchange information with other Member States, through the OAS, if deemed appropriate.
27. The Permanent Council recognizes that, to achieve the objectives set out in paragraph 32, the OAS, with the appropriate financial support of the Inter-American Development Bank, could offer advice/assistance to Member States that request it, in particular on the establishment of coordination mechanisms that facilitate contacts between governments and civil society organizations

Introduction

The following guidelines complement the norms on cooperative relations between the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Organization and its Specialized Agencies, and other national and international organizations, approved by the General Assembly through resolution AG/RES. 57 (1-O/71), in particular, its Chapter V, related to Non-Governmental Organizations. The purpose of these guidelines is to steer and facilitate participation by civil society in the activities of the OAS, without prejudice to application of the norms already in force in the organization.

Principles to be applied in the accreditation of civil society organizations

1. The organization^/ shall be concerned with matters falling within the competence of the OAS.
2. The aims and purposes of the organization shall be consistent with the spirit, purposes, and principles of the OAS Charter.
3. The organization shall undertake to support the work of the OAS and to promote knowledge of its principles and activities, in accordance with its own aims and purposes and the nature and scope of its competence and activities.
4. The Committee on civil society participation, the establishment of which is considered in Section II of this report, in considering applications for accredited status, should ensure, to the extent possible, participation by civil society organizations from all Member States, in order to help achieve a just, balanced, effective, and genuine involvement of civil society organizations from all regions.
5. Regional, subregional and national organizations, including those affiliated to an international organization which already has accredited status, may be admitted provided that they can demonstrate that their program of work is of direct relevance to the aims and purposes of the Organization of American States and, in the case of national organizations, after consultation with the Member State concerned. The views expressed by the Member State, if any, shall be communicated to the non-governmental organization concerned, which shall have the opportunity to respond to those views through the Committee.
6. The organization shall be of recognized standing within its field of competence, shall be representative in nature, and shall have appropriate mechanisms for reporting to its members.
7. The organization shall have an established headquarters, with an executive officer. It shall have a democratically adopted constitution, a copy of which shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, and which shall provide for the determination of policy by a congress or other representative body, and for an executive organ responsible to the policy-making body.
8. The organization shall have a representative structure.
9. The basic resources of the organization shall be derived in the main part from contributions of the national affiliates or other components or from individual members. Where voluntary contributions have been received, their amounts and donors shall be faithfully revealed to the Committee on Civil Society Participation. Where, however, the above criterion is not fulfilled and an organization is financed from other sources, it must explain to the satisfaction of the Committee its reasons for not meeting the requirements laid down in this paragraph. Any financial contribution or other support, direct or indirect, from a Government to the organization shall be openly declared to the Committee through the Secretary-General and fully recorded in the financial and other records of the organization and shall be devoted to purposes in accordance with the aims of the OAS.
10. The granting, suspension, and withdrawal of accredited status, as well as the interpretation of rules and decisions relating to this matter, are the prerogative of member States exercised through the Permanent Council and its Committee. A civil society organization applying for accredited status shall have the opportunity to respond to any objections being raised in the Committee on Civil Society Participation before the Committee takes its decisions.
11. In recognizing the evolving relationship between the Organization of American States and civil society organizations, the Permanent Council will consider reviewing these arrangements as and when necessary to facilitate, in the most effective manner possible, the contributions of civil society organizations to the work of the Organization of American States.
12. The arrangements for accreditation shall not accord civil society organizations the same rights of participation as are accorded to member states, permanent observers, and entities and organs of the inter-American system.
13. Arrangements should not be such as to overburden the intergovernmental organs of the OAS or transform them from policy-making and action-oriented bodies, into a general forum for discussion.
14. Decisions on accreditation should be guided by the principle that accreditation is granted, on the one hand, to enable the Council or one of its bodies to secure authorized information or advice from organizations having special competence in the subjects for which consultative arrangements are made, and, on the other hand, to enable international, regional, subregional, and national organizations that represent important elements of public opinion to express the views of their members. Therefore, arrangements for accreditation of a particular organization should relate to fields in which that organization has special competence or interest.

Part II

15. The Permanent Council shall establish a Committee on Civil Society Participation comprised of all member states of the OAS.
16. The functions of the Committee shall include the following:

1. The Committee shall be responsible for regular monitoring of the evolving relationship between civil society organizations and the Organization of American States and for recommending, if requested, amendments to these arrangements;
2. The Committee shall consider applications for accredited status by civil society organizations, and shall make recommendations thereon to the Council;
3. Organizations with accredited status shall submit to the Committee, through the Secretary General, every year, a brief report on their activities, specifically as regards the support they have given to the work of the OAS. On the basis of its findings upon examination of the report, the Committee may recommend to the Permanent Council such changes in the status of the organization concerned as it deems appropriate. However, under exceptional circumstances, the Committee may ask for such a report from an individual organization with accredited status, between the regular reporting dates;
4. The Committee shall consider matters concerning civil society organizations that may be referred to it by the Permanent Council;
5. The Committee shall examine funding issues related to participation by civil society organizations in the Organization of American States;

Part III

Procedure for obtaining accredited status

17. A civil society organization interested in obtaining consultative/accredited status shall submit a request in writing to the Secretary-General, who shall refer such requests to the Civil Society Committee, through the Permanent Council. The request should:

1. State the organization’s reasons for requesting accreditation;
2. State the areas of interest of the OAS in which it expects to participate;
3. Attest to the fact that the organization has been in existence for at least two years;
4. Include the following documents:

1. Charter or Constitution;
2. A list of member organizations or affiliates, if any;
3. The most recent annual report or equivalent document;
4. An institutional mission statement;
5. Financial statement, including sources of public- and private-sector funding;
6. A statement of how the organization’s primary activities substantially relate to and support the purposes and principles of the OAS

18. The Permanent Council shall rule on requests for accreditation, according to recommendations made by the Committee on Civil Society Participation.

Part IV

Suspension and withdrawal of accredited status

19. Upon periodic examination of the participation of civil society organizations at the OAS, based on reports submitted in accordance with Article 16.C and on other pertinent information, the Committee on Civil Society Participation shall have the authority to recommend to the Permanent Council the suspension or withdrawal of accreditation of any organization that is shown to have:

1. Engaged in acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the OAS;
2. Engaged in activities which are criminal or fraudulent in nature;
3. Failed to make a positive or effective contribution to the work of the Organization, as reflected in the reports submitted pursuant to paragraph 16.C; or
4. Stopped submitting reports.

20. The Permanent Council may suspend accreditation, on the recommendation of the Committee on Civil Society Participation. Such suspension shall be for a time specified by the Permanent Council, but in no case shall be for a period greater than three years. An organization whose accreditation has been suspended may apply to the Permanent Council, through the Committee, for reinstatement following the expiration of the period of suspension.
21. The Permanent Council may also withdraw accreditation from any organization. An organization whose accreditation has been withdrawn may request reinstatement from the Permanent Council three years after the date of the withdrawal.
22. The Secretary General shall inform the accredited organization in writing prior to any decision being made to suspend or withdraw accreditation, and provide a reasonable opportunity for the organization to submit comments.

Part V

Attendance and participation of civil society organizations in OAS meetings

23. The Secretariat shall make available in a timely manner to accredited organizations information concerning the schedule of open meetings, primarily through the OAS website.
24. The provisional agenda of the Permanent Council, of CIDI, and of its subsidiary bodies shall be communicated to accredited organizations in a timely manner.
25. [OAS meetings governed by the Rules of the Procedure of the Permanent Council are public unless otherwise declared closed by the Chairman, in accordance with Article 39 of those Rules of Procedure.]
26. [Organizations with consultative/accredited status may designate authorized representatives to sit as observers at public meetings of the Permanent Council, of CIDI, and of its subsidiary bodies.]
27. Written statements relevant to the work of the Permanent Council and of CIDI may be submitted by accredited organizations on subjects in its agenda which these organizations have a special competence. Such statements shall be circulated by the Secretary General to Member States.
28. Accredited organizations may submit written statements to the OAS on matters related to the purposes and principles of the Organization. These statements shall be addressed to the Secretary General. The Secretariat shall distribute written statements from accredited organizations in their entirety, and in the original language to the member states, as long as such statements do not exceed 2,000 words. Statements in excess of 2,000 words shall not be distributed automatically to the member states. Such statements should, however, be accompanied by a summary, which the Secretariat shall distribute. Any member state may request that the Secretariat distribute in their entirety statements in excess of 2,000 words to all member states.
29. In the case of meetings of expert groups and working groups of the Permanent Council or of CIDI, accredited organizations which have a special competence in the issue under discussion are entitled to receive relevant documentation in advance and to make an introductory statement of an expository nature (which can be circulated in advance to Member States in accordance with paragraph 28, subject to the approval of the meeting. Subject to such approval, a concluding statement at the end of consideration of the issue may also be made. Accredited organizations may not participate in the course of debate and negotiation among Member States.
30. In the case of meetings of the Committees of the Permanent Council or of CIDI, accredited organizations may, with the approval of the relevant Committee, circulate written statements in advance and make an introductory statement during the initial discussion of an agenda item, under the same conditions as described in paragraph 29. This privilege will not apply during consideration of draft resolutions or decisions.
31. [Once an accredited organization has made a presentation at the working group/expert group level or in a committee of the Permanent Council on particular issue, it may not do so again during consideration of that issue by the Permanent Council.

Nevertheless, an accredited organization, with the permission of the Chair of the Permanent Council and in consultation with the member states, may make a presentation to the Permanent Council regarding an issue on which it has already made a presentation at the expert group, working group, or committee level.]

Part VI

Responsibilities of the Secretariat

32. The Secretary General shall be authorized , within the means at his disposal, to offer civil society organizations in consultative/accredited relationship facilities that include:

1. Prompt and efficient distribution of such documents as shall in the judgement of the Secretary General be appropriate;
2. Access to the press documentation services provided by the Secretariat’s Office of Public Information;

33. The Secretary General is requested to comply with the requests contained in CP/RES. 704 (1129/97), "Status of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the OAS."
34. The Secretary General is requested to disseminate this document widely, through proper channels, to facilitate the involvement of civil society organizations from all member states of the Organization of American States.