Summits of the Americas Newsletter

September 2008 | Summits Online | Español

IN THIS NEWSLETTER: SIRG - II Meeting | See also: Social Development Ministerial - Civil Society - Virtual Platform

Message from the Director

David Morris, Summits of the Americas Secretariat

The three concepts embodied in the theme selected by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for the Fifth Summit of the Americas, “Securing Our Citizens’ Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security, and Environmental Sustainability”, will be at the heart of the discussions of our Heads of State at a particularly important time for inter-American relations. The draft Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain, the initial version of the document that will be signed by the Heads of State of the Americas at the Fifth Summit, was presented at OAS headquarters on July 24th. This presentation marks the beginning of an intensive process of negotiation, consultation, and dialogue that will culminate at the Fifth Summit in Port of Spain on April 17-19 2009.

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Presentation of Draft Declaration Kicks Off Fifth Summit Negotiations

Host country, Trinidad and Tobago, to convene four negotiating sessions in Fall 2008.

On July 24, 2008, the Second Regular Meeting of 2008 of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) was held at OAS headquarters in Washington DC. At this meeting, the Draft Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain was presented by Ambassador Luis Alberto Rodriguez, Coordinator of the National Secretariat for the Fifth Summit of the Americas and Special Envoy for the Americas of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This presentation marked the starting point for the negotiation of the Declaration of Commitment which will be adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the OAS member States at the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

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Social Development Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Social Protection and Democratic Governance

On July 9 and 10, 2008, the Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development of the OAS Member States gathered in Reñaca, Chile, on the occasion of the First Meeting within the framework of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, entitled: “Social Protection and Democratic Governance in the Americas”. At this high-level meeting, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continue efforts to comply with the mandates of the Summits of the Americas with respect to social development, especially through the use of existing inter-American mechanisms to share experiences on social protection systems, conditional cash transfer programs, and efforts to combat poverty and inequality.

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Hemispheric Forum Channels Civil Society Recommendations for the Fifth Summit Process

More than 120 civil society representatives gathered in Miami, Florida, USA on May 1-2, 2008 for the Civil Society Hemispheric Forum, which was held within the framework of the preparatory process for the Fifth Summit of the Americas. The purpose of this Forum was to encourage discussion and the exchange of ideas among civil society organizations that are involved in the follow up and implementation of Summits of the Americas mandates and that work in the areas of the inter-American agenda. The Forum provided an opportunity for civil society representatives to discuss the main themes of the Fifth Summit, as set forth in the Concept Paper “Securing Our Citizens’ Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability,” and formalize and compile recommendation and suggestions for the consideration of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago as it elaborated the Draft Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain.

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Virtual Platform to Engage Summit Stakeholders

Within the next two weeks, the Summits of the Americas Secretariat, in coordination and cooperation with the OAS Department of Human Development, through the Educational Portal of the Americas and with support of the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) / International Development Research Centre (IDRC), will officially launch the Summits of the Americas Virtual Platform (SVP). The Summits Virtual Platform is an on-line tool designed to facilitate on-going communication and complement the face-to-face consensus-building activities among the relevant stakeholders of the Summits of the Americas Process through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Through the SVP, the Summits Secretariat will carry out a series of virtual consultations and dialogue in key thematic areas within the framework of the preparatory process for the Fifth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, from April 17-19, 2009.

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Other Events

June 2, 2008
Meeting at the Ministerial Level of the Summit Implementation Review Group held in the Context of the 38 OAS General Assembly
Medellin, Colombia

June 11-12, 2008
Inter-Ministerial Meeting on Health and Agriculture
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

July 8, 2008
Contribution of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu to Sustainable Development and Food Security in the New International Context
San Jose, Costa Rica

July 28-29, 2008
Preparatory Meeting for the Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Science and Technology
Washington, D.C.

August 1, 2008
Meeting of Ministers of Education and Health to Prevent HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean
Mexico City, Mexico

 

Upcoming Events

 
 
September 2-6, 2008
Eighth Conference of Ministers of Defense of the Americas
Banff, Canada

September 18-19, 2008
Third Regular Meeting of 2008 of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG)
Bridgetown, Barbados

September 29 - October 3, 2008
48th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization
Washington, D.C.

October 7-8, 2008
First Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas
Mexico City, Mexico

October 27-28, 2008
Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Science and Technology
Mexico City, Mexico

November 19-21, 2008
Fourth Meeting of Ministers of Culture
Barbados

Complete Calendar of Events »

 


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