At the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development, held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in 1996, the Heads of State and Government decided to promote increased opportunities for groups, organizations, businesses, and individuals to express ideas and exchange information on sustainable development. In that connection, they decided to take into account the recommendations of the Inter-American Seminar on Public Participation, held in Montevideo in 1996, and entrusted the OAS with assigning priority to the formulation of the Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-making. The strategy was intended to promote the exchange of experiences and information among governments and civil society groups on the formulation, implementation, and improvement of sustainable development programs and policies and in high-level meetings.