SPEECH OF JOSE MIGUEL INSULZA, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE
OAS FOR THE MEETING WITH THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Strasbourg, 7 May 2009
Ms. Marta Vilardell Coma, Chairwoman of the Minister's
Deputies,
Secretary General, the Right Honorable Terry Davis
Ambassadors, representatives of our own Member States and
Permanent Observers of the OAS
Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my honor to be here today in this city of the crossroads
addressing this august body, and sharing with you information
on the priorities and challenges in the Americas, as well as on
the work of the Organization of American States.
A few months ago, the Washington and Latin American and
Caribbean communities had the privilege of welcoming
Secretary General Terry Davis to the House of Americas. I am
very pleased to be here following on the steps of our technical
mission that spent the day yesterday working with colleagues at
the Council to further deepen the relationship between our
organizations. In this global world, we are all too aware that we
share common problems that need to be addressed jointly if we
are to find solutions to the most pressing problems, and create a
better world for all promoting justice, democracy, peace and
prosperity.
And ladies and gentlemen, we have a lot in common. Both
organizations were created within a year of each other and each
one represents the interests of approximately 800 million
people.
The structure of the organizations is similar in that we are both
composed of member states, the OAS with 34 and the Council of
Europe with 47. The political bodies that mandate the work of
our organizations are alike.
We both collaborate with
Permanent Observers that support and endorse our work. Many
of the Member States of the Council of Europe are Permanent
Observers of the OAS. Likewise, a few of the OAS Member
States are Permanent Observers in the Council of Europe.
Founded in 1948, the Organization of American States (OAS) is
the Western Hemisphere's principal political multilateral forum
for strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, and
confronting shared problems such as poverty, terrorism and
insecurity, illegal drugs and corruption.
Through its unique convening power, the OAS is able to provide
leadership in the inter-American system by bringing together the
34 Member States from this Hemisphere; 60 Permanent
Observers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa; as well
as sister international organizations and specialized agencies to
give political momentum to critical issues in the Hemispheric
agenda. With diverse cultures and four official languages —
English, Spanish, Portuguese and French — the OAS reflects the
rich diversity of the hemisphere’s peoples and cultures.
I have organized the OAS General Secretariat to carry out the
programs and policies set by our political bodies concentrating
our work in four specialized areas: Political and Democratic
Affairs; Human Rights; Multidimensional Security; and Integral
Development.
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Democracy
The work that we undertake in the inter-American community
cannot be understood without having in mind the particular
attempts of each State in the resolution of national problems,
and in the way in which we confront issues as a collective body
devoted to the principles of the Charter of the OAS, of the InterAmerican Democratic Charter, and the legal instruments in force
within the juridical environment of the continent.
Upon adoption of the Inter-American Democratic Charter in
2001, the region sent a unequivocal signal that we will cling to
the Rule of Law, assure the separation of powers, respect human
rights and fundamental liberties, champion the highest levels of
transparency and citizen participation in the decision-making
process, counting on a system strengthened by political parties
and the deepening and enriching of a democratic culture.
The Inter-American Democratic Charter reinforces the
hemispheric commitment to democracy and provides a very
powerful message: “The Peoples of the Americas have a right to
democracy and their governments have an obligation to
promote and defend it.”
The Charter specifies the elements that are considered essential
to representative democracy and the definition of mechanisms
for multilateral action and collective guarantees to preserve
democratic institutions. These include: respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms; access to and exercise of power in
accordance with the rule of law; the holding of periodic, free,
and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal
suffrage, as an expression of the sovereignty of the people; a
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pluralistic system of political parties and organizations; the
separation of powers and independence of the branches of
government; transparency in government activities, probity and;
responsible public administration on the part of governments;
respect for social rights and freedom of expression and of the
press; the constitutional subordination of all state institutions to
the legally constituted civilian authority; and respect for the rule
of law on the part of all institutions and sectors of society.
The General Secretariat of the OAS uses various resources to
promote democracy in the region. These include: Electoral
Observation Missions; the Inter-American Convention against
Corruption; Strengthening the Legislative Branches and Political
Parties; and protecting democratic institutions by identifying
and analyzing potential or existing risks to democracy; helping
member countries prevent, manage, or resolve crises; and
assisting them in overcoming disruptions in democratic
practices, as it did in Bolivia, Ecuador, Haiti and Nicaragua.
Human Rights
The Inter-American Human Rights System promotes justice and
provides recourse to people in the Americas who may have
suffered violations of their human rights. The twin pillars of the
system are the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
(IACHR), created in 1959 and based in Washington D.C., and the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights, established in 1979 and
located in San José, Costa Rica.
The work we do in relation to the strengthening of the InterAmerican Human Rights System has to do with facilitating access
to all to this system; promoting the universality of all the interAmerican juridical instruments; ensuring the implementation of
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decisions of the Court and the follow-up of recommendations of
the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and assuring
the financial autonomy of both institutions.
The Commission receives, analyzes and investigates over one
thousand individual petitions annually to find justice after
having exhausted all local remedies. Since 1959, more than
12,000 cases have been processed.
Another important activity of the Commission is the work of the
Rapporteurships. Seven special Rapporteurships monitor and
report on human rights conditions of especially vulnerable
groups (Rights of afro-descendants and against racial
discrimination; Rights of children; Freedom of expression; Rights
of indigenous peoples; Rights of migrant workers and their
families; Rights of persons deprived of their liberty; Rights of
women).
I would like to emphasize that the majority of the Member
States have given examples of their collaboration with the
Commission and compliance with the Court, enhancing the
legitimacy of the Inter-American Human Rights System.
Work still needs to be done in the strengthening of these judicial
bodies, the persistent fight against racial and social
discrimination and the creation of opportunities for which all
citizens can enjoy their economic, social and cultural rights.
It is fortunate that Americans count on the San Salvador
Protocol, in effect since 2003, which compliments the American
Convention on Human Rights and recognizes the narrow
relationship that exists between economic, social and cultural
rights and civil and political rights.
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I should also mention the Inter-American Commission of Women
(CIM), which is the principal forum for generating hemispheric
policy to advance women’s rights and gender equality. It is the
first official intergovernmental agency in the world (1928)
created expressly to ensure recognition of the civil and political
rights of women. One of its key achievements has been the
development of the Inter-American Convention on the
Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against
Women, adopted in Belém do Pará, Brazil in 1994, about which,
Secretary Davis, my colleagues from the OAS were sharing
information with your personnel yesterday, since we know you
are involved in a similar effort today.
Multidimensional security
Since its inception, the OAS has used inter-governmental
cooperation to prevent conflicts and promote peace in the
region. The concept of security, once framed largely in
conventional military terms, today must expand its frame of
reference and take into account a range of other evolving
threats such as international terrorism, illegal arms dealing,
trafficking in persons, institutional corruption, and organized
crime. In some countries, poverty, disease and environmental
degradation increase vulnerability and help undermine human
security.
At the Special Conference on Security in 2003, the Member
States adopted the Declaration on Security in the Americas and
stated that "Peace is a value and a principle in itself, based on
democracy, justice, respect for human rights, solidarity, security,
and respect for international law."
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With this in mind, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control
Commission (CICAD) seeks to reduce the production, trafficking
and use of illegal drugs in the Americas through education,
prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programs by training
law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges and by
developing model laws and regulations to address supply and
money laundering. Furthermore, CICAD’s Multilateral Evaluation
Mechanism (MEM) monitors each country’s performance in
fighting illicit drugs using a rigorous, peer-review methodology,
and provides governments with specific recommendations on
how to improve their efforts.
Likewise, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism
(CICTE) is the lead entity for coordinating efforts to protect the
citizens of the OAS Member States from terrorism by
implementing programs in border controls such as port security,
aviation security, fraudulent documents, immigration and
customs, cyber security, terrorist financing controls, counterterrorism legislation training and consultations.
Another important area where the OAS is working to support
security issues is by helping to fight organized crime. For
example, criminal gangs are increasingly associated with
transnational organized crime and are becoming involved in
drugs, arms, and human trafficking. The OAS is supporting
stepped-up law enforcement, and increased implementation of
prevention strategies, including creating job opportunities, and
greater training and educational opportunities for young people.
It also conducts studies, provides training to government
authorities and civil society organizations on the problem of
human trafficking, and provides assistance for the development
of national legislation on this issue. We have and will continue
working with this sister Organization in addressing these issues.
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I should also mention that Public security is a major challenge
today in the Americas. We have to contend with a region with
the highest homicides rates per capita in the world. I called for a
meeting of Public Security authorities last year in Mexico to raise
this problem and to put together a common plan to address this
threat. Of course, this kind of violence is also linked with
poverty and exclusion in our societies, which brings me to talk
about the fourth pillar in our work, integral development.
Integral development
Particularly in these difficult times in which none of us has been
exempt from the impact of the financial crisis, the challenge for
both the OAS and Council of Europe, is to continue seeing that
we protect those who live in conditions of poverty. Confronting
this situation requires structural changes in the international
financial architecture and in our societies bringing forth
programs focused on the most vulnerable and the fight against
poverty.
Recent statistics from the UN Economic Commission on Latin
America and the Caribbean show that there are more than 200
million people in this Hemisphere living in poverty, which
account to approximately 35% of the region’s population.
Moreover, 52 million people in the Americas are under
nourished. The recent positive developments in reducing
poverty in the Americas, as a result of continuing growth in the
last 5 years, could be reversed because of the crisis and could
result in the inability of some countries to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals.
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In promoting development at a political level, the OAS fosters
dialogue and consensus on ways to combat poverty and improve
the level of development in the region. We also mobilize funds
so member states can carry out projects in priority areas, such as
sustainable development, trade and competitiveness, tourism;
education, culture, science and technology; and social
development and employment.
Finally, and in parallel to the Inter-American Democratic Charter,
the OAS member states are working on a Social Charter of the
Americas, which would articulate a hemispheric perspective on
fighting poverty and promoting social equity and inclusion, as
well as economic development.
Having shared with you our challenges, I want to emphasize that
our coming here today reflects the fact that we are a learning
institution, that we care about inter regional collaboration, and
that we look forward to a stronger cooperative relationship
between the Council of Europe and the Organization of
American States in the areas of human rights, fight against
corruption,
terrorism,
governance
and
institutional
strengthening, conflict resolution and prevention, combating
violence against women, and engaging civil society as a critical
stakeholder in addressing the issues raised before. There is
mutual learning in this process, as we found out yesterday.
Without a doubt, we must continue perfecting the cooperation
and legal instruments that we share in the fight against
corruption, terrorism, narco-traffic, organized crime, the
trafficking of persons and crimes, and the integral attention that
we give to the concept of hemispheric security. Yielding to these
threats would mean contributing to the weakening of the
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stability and democratic institutions that we are trying to
preserve daily.
In the area of human rights, a cooperative relationship is already
underway on a range of issues concerning the processing of
individual cases and human rights. The organizations may seek
to strengthen this cooperation in areas such as:
i)
ii)
iii)
Sharing information on strategies aimed at
integrating regional human rights standards and
jurisprudence into national law and policy;
Exchanges of information concerning approaches for
ensuring effective compliance with the decisions of
regional organs of protection; and
Exchanges of working visits, information and joint
participation in meetings and promotional activities
concerning regional human rights protection and
processing
In the fight against corruption, the Organizations will, in
particular, seek to strengthen their cooperative relationship,
principally with respect to international legal cooperation in
areas such as:
i)
ii)
The implementation and follow-up of the InterAmerican Convention against Corruption within the
framework of its follow-up mechanism (MESICIC); and
the Council of Europe anti-corruption standards and
other legal instruments within the framework of the
Group of States against Corruption (GRECO);
Cybercrime, mutual legal assistance in criminal
matters and extradition, and other related legal
matters stemming from the recommendations or the
Meetings of Ministers of Justice or other Ministers or
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iii)
Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA); and the
pertinent Council of Europe mandates and legal
instruments; and
Family law and children’s rights.
With respect to terrorism, the OAS Secretariat of the InterAmerican Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) and the Council
of Europe’s Counter Terrorism Task Force, which supports the
Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Terrorism
(CODEXTER), will enjoy ongoing coordination on all matters
related to terrorism and, regularly attend each other’s meetings
and events. Cooperation exists in the area of security matters.
We should continue to strengthen our cooperative relationship
principally with respect to the following areas: cyber security;
terrorism financing; counter terrorism legislation and
conventions; and border controls, including document security.
In the areas of democratic governance and institutional capacity
building, we believe that our organizations can work together
sharing experiences and resources for improving our electoral
systems, strengthening political parties, facilitating the peaceful
resolution of conflict. The goal is to use this knowledge to
prevent, manage, and resolve political-institutional crises.
Specifically, we should develop projects aiming to fully
implement a political analysis to prevent and respond effectively
to challenges and political situations that could threaten a
democratic system.
Finally, as I mentioned before, we look forward to sharing with
you our experience in the frame of the Inter-American
Commission of Women (CIM), and its key achievements in the
development of the Inter-American Convention on the
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Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against
Women, adopted in Belém do Pará, Brazil in 1994, and its
Mechanism to Follow Up on the Implementation of the
Convention approved in 2004 by the State Parties (MESECVI).
We also look forward to the exchange of best practices in our
involvement of civil society as we ensure their full participation
in the promotion and exercise of a democratic culture.
I once again thank the Honorable Terry Davis for the opportunity
to address the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,
Many thanks
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