Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – June 9, 2025.
The Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), in collaboration with the Chair of the Summit of the Americas Process, the Government of the Dominican Republic, organized a discussion on the X Summit Process, aimed at civil society organizations and social actors from across the Americas.
This event took place on June 9, 2025, both virtually and in person in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Its goal was to delve into the central theme of the X Summit: “Building a Secure, Sustainable, and Shared Prosperity Hemisphere,” its relevance to the region, and the importance of participation by civil society organizations and social actors throughout the hemisphere. The roadmap of activities leading up to the X Summit, to be held in December 2025 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, was also presented.
The event was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and featured a main panel including Ambassador Rubén Silié Valdez, Vice Minister of Multilateral Foreign Policy and National Coordinator of the Summit Process for the Dominican Republic; Néstor Méndez, OAS Assistant Secretary General; Maria Celina Conte, Director of the OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat; Ambassador Mayerlyn Cordero Díaz, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the OAS and Deputy National Summit Coordinator; Josefina Stubbs, Director of Regional Integration and Coordinator of the X Summit of the Americas Forums for the Dominican Republic; and Luis Esteban de la Torre Ribadeneira, OAS Representative in the Dominican Republic.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Silié reaffirmed: “For the Dominican Republic, the hosting of the X Summit of the Americas and its side events—such as the Civil Society and Social Actors Forum—is of great importance. These topics allow us to maintain a strategic perspective in generating recommendations and delivering concrete results in the dialogue between civil society, social actors, and high-level government representatives. We invite you to share your perspectives and proposals aligned with these issues.”
Assistant Secretary General Méndez emphasized that this edition of the Summit is taking place at a crucial moment for the hemisphere and must respond with concrete actions to shared challenges. He stressed that the success of the Summit will largely depend on its legitimacy, which is built through genuine social participation. “There can be no security without democracy, nor development without social justice,” he stated, while calling for stronger regional integration based on dialogue, shared responsibility, and social cohesion.
Director Conte, during her remarks, underscored that civil society participation is not an add-on, but an essential condition for the success of the process. “Building a secure, sustainable, and shared prosperity hemisphere requires the vision, experience, and transformative energy of those working in local communities and territories,” she said. She highlighted civil society’s historical role as a defender of democracy, promoter of rights, and builder of peace, as well as its position as a strategic partner in the formulation and implementation of hemispheric solutions.
More than 300 representatives of civil society organizations and social actors participated in this gathering, both in person and virtually, engaging in dialogue and expressing their concerns. The event concluded with an open dialogue session that underscored the importance of collective participation in the hemispheric agenda.
Finally, the Summits Secretariat called on social organizations throughout the hemisphere to register, stay informed, and actively participate in all stages of the Summit Process, to ensure that the X Summit of the Americas genuinely reflects the aspirations, concerns, and proposals of the region’s people. The Secretariat also reaffirmed its commitment to a participatory and inclusive process and encouraged social organizations to remain actively engaged in all sector activities leading up to the X Summit of the Americas.
