OAS AND COLOMBIA LAUNCH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS PROCESS FOR 2012
The Organization of American States (OAS) and the government of Colombia on Thursday launched a process towards the Summit of the Americas 2012 with the first meeting of the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG), held at OAS Headquarters in Washington, DC.
(PressZoom) - The Organization of American States (OAS) and the government of Colombia on Thursday launched a process towards the Summit of the Americas 2012 with the first meeting of the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG), held at OAS Headquarters in Washington, DC.
The meeting, hosted by OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and co-chaired by the Vice Minister of Foreign Relations of Colombia, Clemencia Forero Ucros, was attended by representatives from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the International Organization for Migrations (IOM), the International Organization of Labor (IOL) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). All international organizations in the JSWG expressed their full support to the Colombian hosts of the Summit.
The Secretary General stressed the importance of an early start to preparing the Sixth Summit of the Americas, barely six months after the Fifth Summit took place in Trinidad and Tobago. “It is very important, because I feel we are launching the real work of the Summit,” he said.
Secretary General Insulza highlighted the need for “countries and international organizations to turn the Summit into a process, and not just an event”. The full preparations towards the Summit are essential, because the goal must be “developing the fundamental issues affecting the region and make sure that our Heads of Government and State can take the appropriate decisions,” he added.
Vice Minister Forero said that it is “a great responsibility and a great honor” for Colombia to host the Summit. “We want to host the Summit in a very coherent and transparent manner. We hope that all institutions represented can help us identify topics and put those topics into a conceptual context.”
“The host country has the leadership, but it cannot do it all by itself,” she said. “We are willing to hear your views, and more than that, we are counting on your help, your academic experience, and we hope to have your technical support,” she added.
At the start of the work towards the Summit, Vice Minister Forero also had a meeting with the Steering Committee of the Summit Process, with the attendance of representatives from all the host countries of previous Summits of the Americas.
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