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IV Summit: Actors of the Summit Process
 


The Summits of the Americas have been consolidated as a transparent, democratic and participant mechanism that has evolved throughout the years creating more opportunities for interaction, solidarity and collective action. Several actors have been involved in the Summits of the Americas Process, who play a significant role in the formulation of new policies and initiatives and in the follow up of mandates approved in the Declarations and Plans of Action. These key actors are: the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG), the Joint Summit Working Group, the Ministerial Meetings, the Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the OAS, the civil society, the private sector and the academia.

 The 34 OAS Member States, represented by their appointed National Coordinators comprise the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG). The SIRG is the political body responsible for following up on Summit mandates as well as the preparation and negotiation of documents that will be approved by the Heads of State and Government of the region. The SIRG meets on average 3 times a year, with at least one of their meetings held at Ministerial level. 

 The Joint Summit Working Group (JSGW) is composed by the following twelve international and inter–American institutions: the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter–American Development Bank (IADB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IIICA), the World Bank (WB), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA). This group of institutions provides support to the countries in preparation for future Summits and provides technical advice to the governments in their area of expertise. The OAS, represented by the Summits of the Americas Secretariat, chairs the JSWG.

 On the other hand, through the Ministerial Meetings, the governments establish common goals in specific themes. In these meetings, the countries share experiences, inform about progress, and establish a plan of action to consolidate common initiatives. The Ministerial Meetings offer the Summit Process continuity and consolidation: their authorities revise the mandates, design policies for the accomplishment of mandates; evaluate the results achieved and adopt new commitments. The relationship between the ministerial meetings and the Summit process is reciprocal, of mutual support and coordination.

 The OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat is the institutional memory and technical secretariat of the Process, supports the countries in follow-up and preparation for future summits; and promotes participation of civil society, private sector and academia in the Summit Process and in OAS activities.

 Finally, the civil society, private sector, and the academia have become fundamental actors within the Summit Process. During the ten years of its existence, the Summit has opened formal and informal spaces of participation so that the civil society can contribute in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of the public policies adopted by the different levels of government. The participation of all these sectors of society is an initiative that has been ratified in various opportunities by the governments and that was institutionalized at the Special Summit of the Americas in Monterrey on 2001.


                                                                                Summit of the Americas Secretariat
                                                                                  Organization of American States

 

   

 

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IV Summit: Actors of the Summit Process
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Preparations for the Fourth Summit of the Americas
    XXXVIII SIRG Meeting
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    Meeting of Health And Environment Ministers of Americas
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Summaries of Summit Related Events
    XXXVII Session of the Inter-American drug abuse control commission (CICAD)
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    Academic Roundtable in the Framework of the XXXV General Assembly of the OAS
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    Private Sector Forum: " Delivering the Benefits of Democracy through Increased Competitiveness"
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Civil Society
    Dialogue between the Heads of Delegations,The OAS Secretary General and Civil Society Representatives, in the Framework of the XXXV OAS General Assembly
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    Caribbean Sub-regional Civil Society Forum: "Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance"
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    Young Entrepreneurs of the Americas: "Forum for the Participation of Civil Society in the Process of the Summits of the Americas"
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Did You know that ...
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Calendar of Events related to the  Summits of the Americas
 
Preparations for the IV Summit:
XXXVIII SIRG Meeting

The XXXVIII meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) took place on June 6, 2005 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with the participation of Foreign Affairs Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the 34 OAS Member States.

In this opportunity, participants made an evaluation of the preparatory tasks for the IV Summit of the Americas that will be held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on November 4 – 5; and exchanged points of view on the documents that the Heads of State and Government will ratify on the theme: “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance.”

Ambassador Rafael Bielsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cult of Argentina opened the session. On his address, Ambassador Bielsa highlighted the important consensuses reached in the Summit Process, and commented on the agreement made to grant employment a central role in the hemispheric Agenda, with the hope to make decent employment a reality throughout the Americas.

Ambassador Bielsa also expressed that the topic of employment exceeds the regional and hemispheric boundaries and turns into a world wide preoccupation, citing examples of recent intergovernmental meetings about this theme.  He also made references to the follow up and implementation of the commitments adopted in prior Summits and suggested the preparation of a report that contains recommendation on how to better follow up mandates.   

The participants of the Ministerial SIRG agreed on the initiative to continue supporting the broad participation of civil society, the private sector, and academics, who have made important contributions to the process and recognized decent employment as means to fight poverty, hunger, and exclusion.

During the session, representatives from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela expressed their support to the Chair and presented their perspectives on what they expect from the Summit and its Declaration

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Hemispheric Workshop on Decent Work
July 11 - 12, 2005
Mexico D.F , Mexico
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Preparatory Meeting for the XIV IACML
July 13 - 14, 2005
Mexico D.F , Mexico
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XXXIX SIRG
July 14 - 15, 2005
Washington, DC
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Caribbean Sub-regional Forum with the Civil Society
July 21 - 22, 2005
Bridgetown, Barbados
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IV Ministerial Meeting of Education
August 10 - 12, 2005
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

*   Forum of Young Entrepreneurs of the Americas
August 10 - 12, 2005
Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Ministerial Meeting of the Western Hemisphere Transportation Initiative WHTI
August 25 - 26, 2005
Guaruja, Brazil

*   Ministerial Meeting of Agriculture and Rural Life
August 30 - Sept 1st, 2005
Guayaquil, Ecuador
To access a complete version of the  Calendar, please click here.
 

Meeting of Health And Environment Ministers of the Americas

Ministers of Health and Environment of the Americas gathered in Mar del Plata, Argentina on June 16-17, 2005 to cement cooperation at the international level between countries and to adopt a formal plan of action to address the growing impacts of environmental-health linkages. As a result of this meeting, the ministers will present a document to the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) in their preparatory meetings to the Fourth Summit of the Americas that will take place in Mar del Plata, Argentina on November 4-5, 2005.

The priority issues of the meeting included children’s environmental health, integrated water resources and solid waste management, and the sound management of chemicals. Civil society representatives participated in the meeting through a document which includes their recommendations given in several workshops, questionnaires and virtual forums. High-level authorities from the World Health Organization, Pan-American Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Organization of American States were also present.

Ministers also discussed the advances and challenges the countries face in achieving the Millennium Development Goals related to health and environment and the search for strategies to strengthen cooperation with other areas such as Labor and Education. For more information visit: http://www.oas.org/hema/english/index_2.htm
 

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XXXVII Session of the Inter-American drug abuse control Commission (CICAD)

The XXXVII Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), under the chairmanship of General José Aníbal Sanz Jiminián, was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on April 26 – 29, 2005. On this occasion, the Commission discussed the advances reached in the fight against drugs in the hemisphere.

One of the most important activities of the Commission during this session was the approval of the national and Hemispheric reports of the Third Round of Evaluation of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM). The national reports, product of the participation of all Member States of the Organization of American States, evaluate the progress in the fight against drugs in each country for the period 2003 - 2004.  These reports were presented to the OAS General Assembly held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June, 2005. Also, considering that the MEM is a mandate of the Summit of the Americas, the approved reports will also be presented at the Fourth Summit of the Americas that will be held in Mar del Plata, Argentina in November 2005.

One of the issues of major expectation for this session was the presentation of the results of the Environmental and Human Health Assessment of Aerial Spray Program for Coca and Poppy in Colombia. This study, published in Colombia in April, was well received by the Commissioners.

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Academic Roundtable in the framework of the XXXV General Assembly of the OAS

The Academic Forum of the Summit of the Americas (AFSA), organized on June 3 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, an Academic Roundtable, to discuss the theme of the IV Summit of the Americas:  “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance” and its relation with the XXXV OAS General Assembly theme “Delivering the Benefits of Democracy.”

At this Academic Roundtable, cosponsored by the Inter-American Network of Academic of Sciences –IANAS-, thirty academics were part of the discussions, with key government officials from the Hemisphere and OAS representatives who shared their points of view related to democracy, economic integration and institutional reforms.

The Academic Forum of the Summit of the Americas (AFSA) was formed after the Special Summit of the Americas held in Monterrey, Mexico in 2004, as a mandate agreed by the Heads of State and Government to ensure a voice for academics in the Summit Process.                  

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Private Sector Forum: “Delivering the Benefits of Democracy through Increased Competitiveness”

The OAS Office of Trade, Growth and Competitiveness organized on June 5th the private sector forum: "Delivering the Benefits of Democracy through Increased Competitiveness" in the framework of the XXXV OAS General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The event was carried out with the support of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. State Department with the purpose of providing private sector perspectives and recommendations on how to address some of the key challenges the states are facing in delivering the benefits of democracy.

The forum was inaugurated by the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, together with, the Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS, Ambassador John F. Maisto; the Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), José Luis Machinea; and the Director of the OAS Office of Trade, Growth and Competitiveness, José Manuel Salazar.

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Dialogue Between the Heads of Delegation, the OAS Secretary General and Civil Society Representatives, in the Framework of the XXXV OAS General Assembly

More than 220 representatives from 133 civil society organizations (CSO) of the Western Hemisphere met on June 5th for the Dialogue with Heads of Delegation and the Secretary General of the OAS to discuss the theme of the XXXV OAS General Assembly held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June 5 - 7, 2005, “Delivering the Benefits of Democracy”.

During the meeting of civil society representatives had the opportunity to present the results of the Civil Society Hemispheric Forum: “Delivering the Benefits of Democracy” held on April 11–12 in Washington, DC. The purpose of the Forum was to stimulate discussion and exchange ideas among civil society organizations (CSO) that actively monitor mandates emanating from the Summits of the Americas and carry out activities related to the topics of the inter-American agenda The hemispheric forum was also an opportunity for civil society to offer recommendations regarding the IV Summit of the Americas to be held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, November 4-5, 2005.

As addressed during the Hemispheric Forum, this Dialogue with the Heads of Delegation, the Secretary General and civil society, which was institutionalized during the XXXIII OAS General Assembly in Santiago de Chile, addressed four main themes: democracy, human rights, multidimensional security and economic development. Heads of Delegations reiterated the important role of civil society in developing and promoting broader democratic policies in each of the countries they represent.

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Caribbean Sub-regional Civil Society Forum:
“Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance”,

 


The Summits of the Americas Secretariat, with the support of the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), is organizing the Caribbean Sub-regional Civil Society Forum: “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance”, that will be held July 21-22, 2005, at UWI Cave Hill Campus in Bridgetown, Barbados. This Sub-regional Forum will provide civil society organizations (CSO) the opportunity to develop, among themselves, their recommendations to OAS Member States on how to address the theme of the Fourth Summit of the Americas.

The purpose of this Forum
is to encourage increased discussions and the exchange of ideas among civil society organizations in the English-speaking Caribbean that monitor the implementation of OAS initiatives, Summit mandates and work in the areas of the inter-American agenda and provide them an opportunity to formalize and compile their recommendations and suggestions for the Dialogue between representatives of civil society and Heads of Delegation during the Fourth Summit of the Americas.

For additional information regarding the Caribbean Sub-regional Civil Society Forum and other civil events, please visit the OAS civil society website at: http://www.civil-society.oas.org.

 

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Young Entrepreneurs of the Americas, “Forum for the Participation of Civil Society in the Process of the Summit of the Americas”

The Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) www.ybiz.net and the YABT Argentina, in cooperation with the Summits of the
 Americas Secretariat, and other national and international partners are organizing the forum: “Young Entrepreneurs
of the Americas: Forum for the Participation of Civil Society in the Process of the Summit of the Americas” (Foro), that
will take place on August 10 - 12, 2005 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

The purpose of this event is to collect the inputs and recommendation of the young people from the OAS Member States
towards the theme of the IV Summit of the Americas, “Creating Employment to Confront Poverty and Strengthen Democratic
Governance.” 

 

In preparation for the Foro, the YABT has provided a set of questions as a base for the recommendations on a broad variety
of issues like: promotion of leadership; competitiveness improvement; educations, training and technologies as a platform for
entrepreneurs, and creation of employment.

 

For more information about the Foro visit: www.ybiz.net/foro.asp or email [email protected]  

 

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Did You know that ….
  • 27.7 million children are employed in economic activities in Latin America, many of them in dangerous conditions. (A)
     

  • More than 60% of the 16.7 million Latin American bourn adults currently living in the United States send money home on a regular basis. These 10 million immigrants remit on average 12.6 times a year, typically $150/200/250 each time. (B)
     

  • El 10% de la población más rica en Latinoamérica recibe el 35.6% del ingreso total, mientras que el 10% de la población más pobre recibe el 1.7% del ingreso total (C)
     

  • In the hemisphere the female unemployment rate is 1.4 times higher than that of men (D)
     

  • According to the Latinobarometro survey the rate of workers worried about being laid off within the next 12 months is 76%,. (E)


(A)
Source: ILO 2004 Labour Overview and Outlook
(B)
   Source:  "Sending Money Home.  Remittances to Latin America From the United States"  IDB May 2004.
(C)
  Source: ILO 2004 Labour Overview and Outlook
(D) Source: ILO 2004 Labour Overview and Outlook
(E)
Source: Latinobarómetro 2004 Una Década de Mediciones. Santiago de Chile
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