Sociedad Civil De Honduras ,Lincoln Visita O.E.A. Puente Democratico Africa i las Americas

O.A.S. (Organization of American States) O.E.A .(Organización de los Estados Americanos)

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José Miguel Insulza OAS Secretary General

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José Miguel Insulza OAS Secretary General.

José Miguel Insulza was elected OAS Secretary General on May 2, 2005, and took office on May 26 of that year. The Chilean politician has an accomplished record of public service. At the beginning of his five-year term as Secretary General, he pledged to strengthen the Organization’s “political relevance and its capacity for action.”

A lawyer by profession—he has a law degree from the University of Chile, did postgraduate studies at the Latin American Social Sciences Faculty (FLACSO) and has a master’s in political science from the University of Michigan—Insulza began his career in academia. Until 1973, he was Professor of Political Theory at the University of Chile and of Political Science at Chile’s Catholic University. He also served, until that year, as Political Advisor to the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Chile.

Following the coup that brought General Augusto Pinochet into power, Insulza went into exile for 15 years, first in Rome (1974-1980) and after that in Mexico (1981-1988). In Mexico City, he was a researcher and then Director of the United States Studies Institute in the Center for Economic Research and Teaching. He also taught at Mexico’s National Autonomous University, the Ibero-American University and the Diplomatic Studies Institute, and was the author of numerous publications.

In 1988, after Chileans voted against Pinochet’s continued rule in a plebiscite, Insulza returned to his home country and helped to lead a political movement toward democratic elections in 1990. A member of Chile’s Socialist Party—part of a moderate coalition of democratic parties—Insulza has held a number of high-level government posts. Under the presidency of Patricio Aylwin, Insulza served as Chilean Ambassador for International Cooperation, Director of Multilateral Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Vice President of the International Cooperation Agency.

In March 1994, under the administration of President Eduardo Frei, Insulza became Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs and in September of that year was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1999, he became Minister Secretary General of the Presidency, and the following year he became President Ricardo Lagos’s Minister of the Interior and Vice President of the Republic. When he left that post in May 2005, he had served as a government minister for more than a decade, the longest continuous tenure for a minister in Chilean history.

Born on June 2, 1943, Insulza is married to Georgina Núñez Reyes and has three children: Francisca, Javier and Daniel.

José Miguel Insulza OAS Secretary General

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Firmando Documentos Tratado Africa i las Americas

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José Miguel Insulza OAS Secretary General, and Lincoln Oviedo

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Folder

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Folder

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INTER-AMERICAN DEMOCRATIC CHARTER

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PANEL SPEAKERS

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PANEL

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PANEL

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Democracy Bridge : Defence of Democracy in Africa and the Americas , Documents

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African Union Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions

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O.A.S Photos

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Lincoln and President Don Julio Cabrera of the honduras civil Society

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here we are in a meeting at the O.A.S.
the link here is for this picture at the O.A.S. Website.

http://www.oas.org/Photos/2007/07Jul/06/pages/A_0011.htm

Lincoln and Dr Jose' Alberto Herrera representative of the Argentina civil society

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Lincoln Whit Honduras National Flag at the O.A.S.

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LINCOLN WHIT FRIENDS FRONT ; HONDURAS PERMANENT MISSION , AND ARGENTINA CIVIL SOCIETY

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vice-presidente de Guatemala Eduardo stein

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J. Robert Manzanares Permanent Representative, Organization of American States

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J. Robert Manzanares
Permanent Representative, Organization of American States (Acting)
Term of Appointment: 01/31/2007 to present

Mr. Manzanares is currently the Acting Permanent Representative of the United States Mission to the Organization of American States.

Prior to this assignment, J. Robert (Bob) Manzanares was Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d'Affaires at the U.S Embassy in Spain from 2003 to mid 2006.

Previously, he was Executive Director to the Executive Secretariat of the office of Secretary of State under Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. He also was Executive Director for the Bureau of African Affairs from 1998 to 2000.

Previous positions include: Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Regional Management Officer; Mexico City, Mexico - Management Officer; Reykjavik, Iceland - Management Officer; Tel Aviv, Israel - Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and Management Counselor. Mr. Manzanares also held a number of positions in the State Department: Advance Officer for Presidential international visits during the terms of President Ronald W. Reagan and President George H.W. Bush; Senior Watch Officer at the Operations Center and served at the National Security Council from 1993 to 1994 as Director of Administration.

Born and raised in Colorado, Mr. Manzanares received his Bachelor of Arts from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. He has a Master in Public Administration Degree in City Administration from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado.

Alpha Oumar Konaré presidente de la Comisión Unión Africana And Julio Cabreras President Honduras Civil Society

2007-07-16T23:26:00.001-07:00

Malí

Presidente de la República; presidente de la Comisión de la Unión Africana

Duración del mandato: 08 de Junio de 1992 - 08 de Junio de 2002

Nacimiento: región de Kayes, Malí , 02 de Febrero de 1946

Partido político: ADEMA

Profesión: Historiador y periodista

Crédito fotográfico: © Comisión Europea, 2006/Berlaymont

ResumenFormado en la Escuela Normal Superior de Bamako, enseñó Historia en la Escuela Superior Normal de Badalabougou y en 1974 fue contratado como investigador en el Instituto de Ciencias Humanas de Malí. En 1975 se doctoró en Historia y Arqueología por la Universidad de Varsovia con una disertación sobre el desarrollo de la agricultura en la cuenca superior del río Níger entre los siglos XIII y XVII, período en que floreció un gran imperio malí con capital en Tombouctou.
BiografíaA su retorno a Bamako ejerció de profesor de Historia por cuenta del Ministerio de Cultura y de presidente del Consejo de Museos, hasta mayo de 1978, cuando el jefe del Gobierno militar desde 1969, general Moussa Traoré, le nombró ministro de Juventud, Deportes, Arte y Cultura. En agosto de 1980 Konaré dimitió del Gobierno como gesto de descontento por la perpetuación en el poder de Traoré, que se había estrenado como presidente constitucional en unas elecciones de candidatura única el año anterior. Konaré retornó entonces a sus actividades académicas y se concentró en la promoción de eventos culturales.

En los años siguientes desempeñó también labores periodísticas, siendo editor de la revista Jamana y del diario independiente Les Echos, que fundó en 1984, y consultor en organizaciones internacionales como la UNESCO, el Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) y la Agencia de Cooperación Cultural y Técnica (ACCT). Asimismo, presidió la Asociación Africana Occidental de Arqueología. En 1986 se lanzó a la actividad política con la fundación del Frente Nacional Democrático y Popular, que desde la clandestinidad -el partido de Traoré, la Unión Democrática del Pueblo de Malí (UDPM), era el único legal- se coordinó con otras organizaciones de la oposición democrática.

Dentro del marco legal del régimen, Konaré presidió la Mutua de Trabajadores de la Educación y la Cultura (MUTEC) en 1987 y, de nuevo, el Consejo de Museos a partir de 1989. En julio de 1990 sumó su firma a un llamamiento popular contra la dictadura de Traoré y poco después fundo la Alianza por la Democracia en Malí (ADEMA), una organización política de orientación centroizquierdista que tomó parte en la campaña de huelgas y protestas no violentas contra el régimen.

Luego del derrocamiento de Traoré el 26 de marzo de 1991 en el golpe de Estado del teniente coronel Amadou Toumani Touré, y de la adopción por la junta militar de un cronograma para la adopción de un marco constitucional pluralista, la ADEMA se constituyó como partido el 26 de mayo de 1991 y Konaré tomó parte en la Conferencia Nacional que entre julio y agosto diseñó los instrumentos legales del futuro régimen democrático.

En las elecciones legislativas a dos vueltas del 23 de febrero y 8 de marzo de 1992, la ADEMA se hizo con 76 de los 116 escaños de la Asamblea Nacional abiertos a la libre competición; en las presidenciales del 12 y 26 de abril, Konaré se impuso a su inmediato contrincante, Tieoulé Mamadou Konaté, de la Unión Sudanesa-Reagrupamiento Democrático Africano (US-RDA), con el 69% de los votos. El 8 de junio la junta de Touré entregó el poder a Konaré, que se convirtió, con un mandato de cinco años, en el primer presidente de Malí elegido democráticamente desde la independencia de Francia en 1960. La jefatura del Gobierno, de coalición con la US-RDA y el Partido por el Progreso y la Democracia (PDP), se confió al financiero independiente Younoussí Touré.

A lo largo de sus diez años de Gobierno, Konaré se proyectó como uno de los mandatarios africanos más comprometidos con el desarrollo de su país, que figura entre las diez naciones con más débiles índices de desarrollo humano del mundo, tratando de que fuera sostenido, pero también equilibrado en el esquema de regiones. Diversos programas de desarrollo socioeconómico fueron sufragados conjuntamente por la Unión Europea y por Francia, mientras que el FMI, confiando en la austeridad financiera de la gestión de Konaré y pese a las graves deficiencias en el sistema tributario malí, financió un programa de ajuste estructural cuya primera etapa fue la introducción de un impuesto uniforme al consumo en 1993.

Las expectativas de crecimiento y progreso cobraron ánimo en marzo de 1996 con la pacificación de las áreas norteñas y la acogida por los Movimientos y Frentes Unificados de Azawad (MFUA), reuniendo a tres organizaciones armadas tuaregs, y los combatientes songhai del movimiento Ghanda Koy, que mantuvieron fuertes combates con el Ejército en 1994, a la oferta gubernamental de desarme y reinserción en el Ejército malí. Asimismo, a la recuperada estabilidad territorial se añadieron los ingresos procedentes de las explotaciones auríferas y las excelentes cosechas algodoneras, no obstante el descenso de las cotizaciones mundiales de este producto..

Pero la política económica de Konaré, centrada en los últimos años noventa en la privatización de las empresas públicas, levantó numerosas protestas sindicales, mientras que el predominio de la ADEMA (miembro desde 1996 de la Internacional Socialista), que en febrero de 1994 se quedó sólo en el Gobierno tras romperse un pacto de coalición, fue virulentamente contestado por una oposición muy fraccionada. Las elecciones legislativas del 20 de julio y el 3 de agosto de 1997 discurrieron en un clima bastante tenso por los actos de violencia, las detenciones policiales de opositores y el boicot practicado por 18 partidos, lo que puso en bandeja a la ADEMA una mayoría absoluta de 128 escaños.

En las presidenciales del 11 de mayo Konaré obtuvo la reelección improrrogable hasta 2002 con el 95,9% de los votos frente a Mamadou Maribatourou Diaby, del Partido de la Unidad, el Desarrollo y el Progreso (PUDP), único rival luego de la retirada del proceso de ocho candidatos que habían acusado al poder de organizar los comicios a su gusto y conveniencia.

En el ámbito exterior, Konaré jugó un papel constructivo con sus mediaciones en las crisis de la República Centroafricana y la República Democrática del Congo (entonces Zaire) en 1997. Tropas malíes formaron parte de la Misión Inter-Africana de Monitorización de la Implementación de los Acuerdos de Bangui (MISAB) y de su sucesora en 1998, la Misión de Naciones Unidas para la República Centroafricana (MINURCA), así como en las fuerzas de pacificación (Ecomog) de la Comunidad Económica de Estados del África Occidental (CEDEAO) en Liberia (marzo de 1997), Sierra Leona (septiembre de 1997) y Guinea-Bissau (febrero de 1999).

Precisamente, en 1999 Konaré fue elegido presidente anual de turno de esta organización regional, que en noviembre de 2000 se dotó de su primer Parlamento, con sede en Bamako. Vehemente abogado de las fórmulas multilaterales para hacer arraigar la democracia en la región, fustigó los golpes de Estado perpetrados por los militares en Níger y Côte de I'voire en abril y diciembre de 1999, respectivamente.

Por otro lado, con Konaré Malí fue el primer país en ratificar el Tratado de la Unión Africana adoptado en la 36ª Cumbre de la Organización para la Unidad Africana (OUA) que se celebró en Lomé en julio de 2000, el cual entrará en vigor cuando dos terceras partes de los estados miembros entreguen los instrumentos de ratificación. Además, Konaré tuvo una presencia muy activa en los foros Sur-Sur y Norte-Sur, realizando numerosos viajes a países de África y Europa. Del 18 al 21 de noviembre de 1997 estuvo en Estados Unidos en visita de trabajo.

Paradójicamente, mientras que los progresos en la economía y en la lucha contra la corrupción animaron a los fiadores internacionales públicos de Malí a condonar o reescalonar amplias partidas de la deuda externa (unos 3.000 millones de dólares), el partido del Gobierno se sumió en una grave crisis interna con el enfrentamiento entre el sector oficial encabezado por el primer ministro desde 1994, Ibrahima Boubacar Keita, y los renovadores animados por el ministro de Finanzas, Soumaïla Cissé. En febrero de 2000 Keita fue cesado al frente del Gobierno y en diciembre el grupo de Cissé le ganó la partida por la jefatura del partido y la nominación presidencial para suceder a Konaré en las elecciones de 2002.

Konaré se mantuvo distanciado de estas trifulcas en la ADEMA y flirteó con la posibilidad de enmendar la Constitución para permitir el tercer mandato presidencial consecutivo. Sí abrió en cambio un proceso de reforma constitucional para reforzar los poderes presidenciales y adquirir inmunidad frente a eventuales persecuciones judiciales, pero la falta de apoyos en el arco de partidos, que tacharon de antidemocrática la iniciativa, le obligó a cancelar en noviembre de 2001 el referéndum programado para diciembre.

El laurel de modelo de demócrata africano concedido a Konaré por los países occidentales fue puesto seriamente en entredicho con motivo de las elecciones presidenciales del 28 de abril y el 12 de mayo de 2002. La primera ronda tuvo uno de los escrutinios más caóticos registrados en esta parte de África desde la transición al modelo multipartidista una década atrás, brindando sólidos argumentos a la oposición para las ya tópicas denuncias de fraude.

A la segunda vuelta pasaron el respetado ex presidente militar Toumani Touré y, finalmente, el candidato gubernamental, Soumaïla Cissé, dejando en la estacada a Boubacar Keita, que concurría con su nuevo partido Reagrupamiento por Malí (RPM). La impresión general fue que la maquinaria del poder robó al antiguo primer ministro la oportunidad de batirse con el favorito, Touré, aunque Konaré tampoco se desgañitó pidiendo el voto por Cissé; de hecho, el postulante de la ADEMA expresó su convencimiento de que, privadamente, el presidente apostaba por transpasar la jefatura del Estado el 8 de junio a Touré, y, efectivamente, así sucedió.

El mandatario malí, cuyo último acto fue conceder el perdón presidencial al ex dictador Traoré (quien lo rechazó y continuó de momento encarcelado cumpliendo su condena), se ha despedido con un balance engañoso de su gestión. Aun conservando numerosos seguidores locales, entre la población cunde la sensación de que el antiguo funcionario cultural ha gobernado excesivamente atento a las cuestiones internacionales y para satisfacer a sus socios occidentales, que el país apenas ha progresado desde el comienzo de la democracia y que diez años han sido tiempo suficiente como para imprimir un sensible empujón a los indicadores socioeconómicos, que continúan formado uno de los cuadros más deplorables del mundo.

Maisto, John F. Permanent Representative, Organization of American States

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Ambassador John F. Maisto was nominated by President George W. Bush to be U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States on March 25, 2003. He was sworn in on July 31, 2003. He was named U.S. Coordinator for the Summit of the Americas on July 18, 2003.

Ambassador Maisto served as Special Assistant to President Bush and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs for National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice from January 2001 to April 2003.

Ambassador Maisto was Ambassador to Venezuela from 1997 – 2000, and served as Foreign Policy Advisor at the U.S. Southern Command in 2000-01. He previously served as Ambassador to Nicaragua from 1993-96. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central American Affairs, 1992-93; and Deputy U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States, 1989-92. Earlier, he served in Panama as Deputy Chief of Mission, as Director of the State Department’s Office of Philippine Affairs, and at American Embassies in Manila, San Jose, and La Paz. He was in the U.S. Information Agency in Argentina and Bolivia. He began his career as a Foreign Service Officer in 1968.

A native of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Ambassador Maisto has a B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and an M.A. from the University of San Carlos, Guatemala.

Ambassador John F. Maisto was appointed as Special Assistant to the President and
Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs since January 22, 2002.
Prior to that, Ambassador Maisto was U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela during 1997-2000.
He had been Ambassador to Nicaragua during 1993-1996, and served as Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for Central American Affairs, 1992-93.
Ambassador Maisto began his career with USIA in 1963, when he was assigned to the binational
center in Cordoba, Argentina. After serving as Director of another center, in
Bolivia, he joined the Department of State in 1968. The following year, he became
International Relations Officer in La Paz, followed by an assignment to Washington,
D.C. in the Operations Center, 1971-72.
In the latter year, he became a Special Assistant to the Counselor of the Department.
Next he was Desk Officer for Colombia, 1973-75. He then held two assignments as
Political Officer in San José (1975-78) and Manila (1978-82). In 1982, he became
Deputy Director for the Philippines and then Director of the same office for another two
years. He went to Panama as Deputy Chief of Mission in 1986. He served as Deputy
U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States, 1989-92.
Mr. Maisto received his B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in
1961 and an M.A. from the University of San Carlos, Guatemala en 1962. He speaks
Italian and Spanish.
He is the author of numerous publications, including “Message on International Human
Rights Day”, which was published in several Nicaraguan newspapers last year, and a
chapter in Rebuilding a Nation - - Philippines Challenges and American Policy, 1987.
His honors include Superior and Meritorius honor Awards and Nicaragua’s Pedro
Joaquin Chamorro Award.

Dr. Condoleezza Rice secretary of the State

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Biography of Dr. Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor
On January 28, 2005, President Bush attended
Dr. Rice's swearing-in ceremony as the 66th Secretary of State.
President Thanks Secretary of State Rice at Swearing-In Ceremony
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Dr. Condoleezza Rice became the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, on January 22, 2001.

In June 1999, she completed a six year tenure as Stanford University 's Provost, during which she was the institution's chief budget and academic officer. As Provost she was responsible for a $1.5 billion annual budget and the academic program involving 1,400 faculty members and 14,000 students.

As professor of political science, Dr. Rice has been on the Stanford faculty since 1981 and has won two of the highest teaching honors -- the 1984 Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 1993 School of Humanities and Sciences Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching.

At Stanford, she was a member of the Center for International Security and Arms Control from 1981-1986 (currently the Center for International Security And Cooperation), a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and 2000 Republican National Conventions.

From 1989 through March 1991, the period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union, she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender -- Integrated Training in the Military.

She was a member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula . In addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco.

Born November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, she earned her bachelor's degree in political science, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, the University of Notre Dame in 1995, the National Defense University in 2002, the Mississippi College School of Law in 2003, the University of Louisville and Michigan State University in 2004. She resides in Washington, D.C.

Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin Assistant Secretary General , and Lincoln Oviedo

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Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin Assistant Secretary General

2007-07-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin
- Assistant Secretary General -

Biographies'

Albert R. Ramdin was elected OAS Assistant Secretary General on June 7, 2005, and took office on July 19. The Surinamese diplomat has had a distinguished career in public service at the national and international level, serving before his election to the OAS as Ambassador at Large and Special Adviser to the Government of the Republic of Suriname on Western Hemispheric Affairs.

In Suriname, Ramdin served as Senior Adviser to the Minister of Trade and Industry, where he was intensively involved in restructuring the ministry and implementing an industrial development program. In the mid-1990s, he worked for two years in the private sector before returning to public service when he was appointed Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance.

In 1997, Ramdin became his country’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, and two years later, he was also appointed to serve concurrently as Suriname’s non-resident Ambassador to Costa Rica. As Ambassador to the OAS, Ramdin chaired the Permanent Council (January-March 1998) and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (1999), and coordinated the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ambassadors Caucus during Suriname’s chairmanship of the subregional group.

In 1999, he joined the CARICOM Secretariat as Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, where he was responsible for coordinating CARICOM’s foreign policy and strengthening relations among its member states. He played a leading role in increasing cooperation with the Central American Integration System and the Andean Community. Ramdin coordinated CARICOM’s technical preparations for the Third Summit of the Americas and was instrumental in ensuring that key issues were included in its Declaration and Plan of Action.

In 2001, Ramdin was named Adviser to the OAS Secretary General, with special attention to the Caribbean. He continued his close engagement with the situation in Haiti, dealt with issues of priority for small states, monitored the hemispheric trade agenda and briefed the General Secretariat on Caribbean concerns.

Born in Suriname on February 27, 1958, Ramdin received his education in Paramaribo and in The Netherlands, at the University of Amsterdam and the Free University, where he studied geography of developing countries with a specialization in social and economic problems of smaller economies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Ramdin is married to Charmaine Baksh, a national of Trinidad and Tobago, and they have two children, Kareana Amy and Anu Xsitaaz.

Embajador Frank Almaguer

2007-07-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

Embajador Frank Almaguer
Subsecretaria de Administración y Finanzas
Subsecretario

El Embajador Frank Almaguer se desempeña como Subsecretario de la Secretaría de Administración y Finanzas de la Organización de los Estados Americanos desde 2005. En diciembre de 2002, el Embajador Almaguer concluyó su carrera de más de 30 años con el Servicio Exterior de los Estados Unidos, habiendo llegado a ocupar los cargos más altos, incluyendo el de Embajador en Honduras de 1999 hasta el 2002. Desde el 2002 hasta su último nombramiento en la OEA, el Embajador Almaguer ocupó el puesto de Asesor Principal de la Fundación Panamericana de Desarrollo (PADF); asistió como Delegado de los Estados Unidos a la Reunión Anual de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas; y fungió como Consultor Internacional sobre reformas económicas y sociales.

Antes de asumir su posición como Embajador en Honduras, el Embajador Almaguer ocupó el puesto de Director de Misión para la Agencia Internacional de Desarrollo (USAID) en Bolivia de 1996 a 1999. Durante los años 1991 a 1996, se desempeñó en varias posiciones dentro del USAID en Washington, DC incluyendo Administrador Adjunto de Recursos Humanos (1993 a 1996) y Director de la Misión para el Este de Europa (1991 a 1993). Fue Director de Misión para el USAID en Ecuador de 1986 a 1990; Sub-Director de Misión en Panamá de 1979 a 1983; Director del Cuerpo de Paz en Honduras de 1976 a 1979; y Director Asociado del Cuerpo de Paz en Belice de 1974 a 1976. Durante 1983 y 1986, el Embajador Almaguer se desempeñó como Director de la Oficina de Asuntos Mexicanos y Suramericanos en el USAID en Washington y fue voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz en Orange Walk Town, Belice de 1967 a 1969.

A lo largo de su distinguida carrera, el Embajador Almaguer ha recibido altos reconocimientos por sus sobresalientes servicios, incluyendo: “Presidential Meritorious Award” en 1999 y 1988; el “Superior Honor Award” del Departamento de Estado en 1999; el “USAID Special Act Award” en 1992; el “USAID Distinguished Service Award” en 1989; y el “Meritorious Award” del Cuerpo de Paz en 1979. En 1996 “American University” le otorgó el Premio “Roger W. Jones for Executive Leadership”. En 2002, el Embajador Almaguer recibió dos altos reconocimientos: “Distinguished Career Service Award” del Secretario de Estado y del USAID. Ha sido condecorado por los Gobiernos de Ecuador, Bolivia y Honduras por su sobresaliente servicio en dichos países y está en la lista de “Quién es Quién en América” y Quién es Quién en el Mundo”

El Embajador Almaguer es miembro del “Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs”, “The World Affairs Council of Washington, DC”, “The Inter-American Dialogue”, “The Pan-American Agricultural School Board of Advisors” y “The American Foreign Service Association”. El Embajador Almaguer se graduó de “George Washington University” con una Maestría en Ciencias y Administración Pública y obtuvo su Bachiller en Ciencias Políticas de la Universidad de Florida. El Embajador Almaguer nació en Cuba y creció en la Florida; habla inglés y español. Con su esposa Antoniette tiene dos hijos y tres nietos y residen en Vienna, Virginia.

Dante Caputo Subsecretario Subsecretaría de Asuntos Políticos

2007-07-16T22:36:00.001-07:00

Dante Caputo
Subsecretario
Subsecretaría de Asuntos Políticos

Fecha de nacimiento: 25 de noviembre de 1943 Estado Civil: Casado, tres hijos
Nacionalidad: argentino
País de residencia: Argentina Documento de identidad: L.E. 4.423.656 Pasaporte: D001

Estudios:

Licenciado en Ciencias Políticas de la Universidad del Salvador, 1966
Estudios de postgrado en Relaciones Internacionales en la Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Boston. 1966-1967
Diploma de Estudio Superiores. Universidad de Paris. 1970. Tesis: Estado e industrialización en Argentina 1914-1930
Doctor en Sociología Política. Universidad de París. 1972. Tesis. Estado y alianzas políticas en Argentina 1930-1958. Director de tesis, F, Bourricaud. Jurado, Alain Tourame y Celso Furtado.
Curso de especialización en Informática para la Ciencias Sociales, Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad de París. 1970-71.

Actividad académica:

Profesor de enseñanza secundaría 1962-64
Profesor de Sociología Política. Grado. Universidad del Salvador. 1973-74
Profesor adjunto de Administración Pública. Grado. Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. 1973-74
Profesor adjunto de Sistemas Administrativos. Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. 1973-74
Profesor de Relaciones Internacionales. Postgrado. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes 1996-97.
Profesor de Relaciones Internacionales. Postgrado. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. 1998-1999
Profesor de Relaciones Internacionales. Grado. Facultad de Derecho. Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires. 2000.
Profesor de Teoria Democrática, Universidad de Paris, Sorbonne
Profesor de Sistemas de Seguridad Colectiva. Grado. Facultad de Derecho. Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires. 2000
Investigador en el Centro de Investigaciones en Administración Pública. Instituto Di Tella. Buenos Aires 1972-75
Investigador en el Centro de Investigaciones sobre Estado y la Administración. 1975-83 Director del Centro de Investigaciones sobre Estado y la Administración. 1977-1983. Publicó numerosos artículos en revistas académicas y periódicos. Es autor de: El rol del sector público en el cambio de la sociedad argentina entre 1930 y 1958. Tesis doctoral. Sorbona. París. 1972
El proceso de industrialización argentino entre 1900 y 1930. Instituto de estudios de América Latina. París 1970
El poder militar en Argentina (1976-1981) en colaboración. Verlag Klaus Dieter Vervuert. Frankfurt. 1982
Así nacen las democracias, en colaboración. Emecé. Buenos Aires 1984

Democratic culture and governance. Unesco-Hispamérica. 1992
América Latina y las democracias pobres. Ediciones del Quinto Centenario. Madrid 1992. Frepaso, alternancia o alternativa, con Julio Godio. Corregidor. Buenos Aires. 1996. Argentina en el comienzo del tercer milenio. En colaboración. Editorial Atlántida. Buenos Aires
La democracia en America Latina, 2004, PNUD Director de la publicación Contribuciones al debate de la democracia en América Latina, 2005, PNUD, Santillana. Fundador y Director del Bimestre Politico y económico, Buenos Aires 1981 -1992 Director de la revista argumento político, 1982-1990

Otras actividades y cargos públicos:

Consultor de la Organización de Estado Americanos. Quito. Ecuador. 1975-76 Consultor UNCTAD Lima. Perú. 1977-79
Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Argentina. 1983-89
En noviembre de 1984 firmó el Tratado de Paz y Amistad con Chile. Fue iniciador del grupo de apoyo a Contadora y cofundador del Grupo de Río.
Negoció y firmó los acuerdos con el Brasil y el Uruguay que sentaron las bases para la creación del MERCOSUR.
En 1988 fue electo Presidente de la 43 Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas. En 1989 fue electo diputado Nacional.
Vicepresidente de la Comisión de Relaciones Exterior de la Cámara de Diputados. 1989!93 En diciembre de 1992 el Secretario General de Naciones Unidas lo designó su enviado especial para la negociación de la crisis en Haití. Cargo que ocupó, también representando a la Organización de Estados Americanos.
En 1993 fue designado Representante del Secretario General para Haití hasta 1994. como Sub Secretario General de Naciones Unidas.
En ese lapso negoció el acuerdo de Isla de los Gobernadores para la transición democrática en Haití.

En 1997 fue electo nuevamente Diputado Nacional. Secretario de la Comisión de Relaciones Exteriores de la Cámara de Diputados. Miembro de la Comisión de Defensa de la Cámara de Diputados.
En 1999 fue designado Secretario de Estado para la Tecnología, la Ciencia v la Innovación Productiva cargo al que renunció en febrero de 2001.
Entre 1996 y 2000, vicepresidente del FREP ASO.
Miembro del Consejo de Presidencia de la Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos. Areentina.
A partir de junio de 2001 y hasta setiembre de 2004 fue Director del Proyecto Regional sobre el Desarrollo Democrático en América Latina. Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo.

SPEECHES : US SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE

2007-07-16T22:24:00.001-07:00

US SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE
REMARKS BY US SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE AT THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES/AFRICAN UNION DEMOCRACY BRIDGE FORUM
July 11, 2007 - Washington, DC

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you very much and good morning. Distinguished guests, distinguished fellow members of the platform, I welcome you to the Organization of American States/African Union Democracy Bridge Forum. I want to recognize especially Secretary General Insulza for his excellent leadership of the men and women of the Organization of American States. Thank you very much for your outstanding leadership. I want to thank African Union Commission Chairman Konare and the members of the AU Commission for participating in this important dialogue.

To the entire diplomatic corps from the OAS and the AU, thank you all for coming. I thank all the countries and institutions that are represented here and for the commitment to democracy in Africa, in the Americas, and in the world. As I entered this room, I noticed the busts of the founding fathers of the Americas that are lining the hallway. They tell me it's called the "Hall of Heroes." And it reminded me of all our forbearers, both in Africa and the Americas, impatient patriots who would not accept that their countries could not be made better; not perfect, just better.

It was these men and women who laid the foundations for independence and democracy in our regions. In recent years, in Africa, we have seen a democratic transformation sweep the continent and we have observed many heads of state leaving office voluntarily. In the Americas, we have witnessed the end of military dictatorships and the rise of a new democratic consensus. And in both regions, we have now enshrined our commitment to democracy in visionary documents: the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the newly adopted African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.

We have made these commitments to democracy within our regions and now, we gather to make them between our regions. We make them to each other. That is the great vision that brings us together today, a vision of partnership between the premiere multilateral organizations of Africa and the Americas that grew out of the Community of Democracies. And I want to thank Mali for its chairmanship of that Community of Democracies.

Our challenge now is to use our democratic partnership, Americans and Africans together, to deliver the benefits of democracy to our people. For amidst great progress and the great opportunity in our countries today, there is still great and tragic suffering: citizens who are excluded from opportunities for economic advancement and social justice, citizens who are beginning to wonder whether democracies really can deliver on their rightfully high hopes for a better life.

We must use our democratic partnership to build up, expand, and broaden democratic institutions, institutions that are transparent and accountable to the needs of all of their people. We must fight corruption and protect civil liberties and the rule of law. We must encourage vibrant, civil societies and defend freedom of speech. Through free and fair elections, governments earn legitimacy in the eyes of their people and it is through good governance that they earn people's trust and confidence that life will get better.

Our new initiative to help democracies build good and enduring institutions is the Partnership for Democratic Governance, currently under consideration at the OECD. We support this new global initiative and we appreciate your support of it as well, because we must use our democratic partnerships to reduce poverty and advance social justice in all of our countries. Today's forum is much more than a dialogue on best practices. We're here to work together to meet the greatest development challenges that we face, to join together as democracies, to help meet our people's needs, from housing and health, to good jobs and education.

The democratic governments of Africa and the Americas must liberate the creativity and industry of their people. They must help them seize the opportunities of regional and global trade. It should not be easier to start a rebellion than to start a business. Governments must help, not hinder, the social and economic progress of their people. The right to vote is not enough when men, women, and children lack opportunity, personal security, healthcare and education.

Finally, we must use our democratic partnerships, as well, to support those in Africa and in the Americas and in the wider world, who still struggle for freedom and opportunity. We must support the great people of Cuba who still long for a future of freedom that their government denies to them. We must support the men and women of Zimbabwe who suffer from misrule and long for a better life.

And of course, as fellow democracies, we must remain resolved to end the suffering and end the violence in Darfur. Too many have died, too many women have been raped, and too many children have been torn away from their families. The planned AU/UN peacekeeping force is essential to increasing security for the people of Darfur so that they can begin returning to their homes. We must not let the Government of Sudan continue this game of cat and mouse diplomacy; making promises, then going back on them. It is our responsibility, as principled nations, as principled democracies, to hold Sudan accountable.

We must also rise to our global obligations, lifting our sights beyond our regions and championing the democratic aspirations of all people, in places like Burma and Iraq and Afghanistan. The promise of democracy is not confined to any particular region. It is universal and it is global and our partnership must be as well.

Your countries have learned great and important lessons in your own democratic transitions, and people around the world look to you not only for inspiration, but for cooperation and assistance. Great patriots can determine their countries' future, and we have a responsibility to help those who seek liberty chart a free and better course.

Ladies and gentlemen, those of us gathered here know that democracy is a process. It's a very hard one. Everyday, you get up and you work to put yet another brick in place in the foundation of democracy.

Here in the United States, we firsthand know that our own progress towards a more perfect union has been long and imperfect, and it goes on to this day. As a young girl growing up in segregated Birmingham, I too, and my parents and my neighbors, were frustrated with the pace of democratic and social justice in this country. And we learned what an important difference committed partners can make in the pursuit of democratic ideals.

Now, we are beginning to fulfill a democratic vision together. In centuries past, the peoples of Africa and the Americas met in another way, a more tragic way. We met across a bridge of slavery spanning the Atlantic. The ties that bound our people were literally the shackles and the bindings of slavery. One of our largest shared endeavors was the theft and transport and sale in the Americas of the sons and daughters of Africa, my ancestors among them.

Now, we have a different and hopeful binding - hope binding us together. And we meet here to build these new bridges between us, bridges of liberty and justice and dignity and human rights which transcend all differences of culture and race and religion. Today, we stand here together, united as the force for human advancement through liberty. One day, we will look back at tyranny as we now look back at slavery; as a crime of man, not a fact of nature. And history will remember the new bridge of democracy and freedom that we built together.

Thank you very much.

SPEECHES : ALBERT R. RAMDIN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

2007-07-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

ALBERT R. RAMDIN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
DEMOCRACY BRIDGE: MULTILATERAL REGIONAL EFFORTS FOR THE PROMOTION AND DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA AND AMERICA
July 12, 2007 - Washington, D.C.

Honorable Deborah Mae-Lovell, Chair of Permanent Council,
Dr Dante Caputo, Head of the Political Affairs Department of the OAS,
Your Excellency Abdoulaye Diop, Ambassador of the Republic of Mali and Chairman of the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies,
Distinguished Permanent Representatives,
Distinguished Permanent Observers,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Representatives of international and regional organizations,
Members of the Delegation of the African Union,
Members of the Staff of the OAS,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me start by thanking all of you for attending this closing session of this important conference under the telling title “Democracy Bridge: Multilateral regional efforts for the promotion and defense of democracy in Africa and America”.

In my view and from what I have heard from delegates to this conference, it has indeed been a very fruitful and productive two days. Like several speakers before me, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to already conclude that this forum has been a step in the right direction in support of a new democratic partnership, as Dr. Condoleezza Rice so eloquently stated in her opening remarks yesterday morning.

These last two days of working sessions, sharing of experiences and thematic discussions on the many challenges our continents face have reaped numerous ideas on how to move forward and build on the progress made so far, and strengthen the collaboration between the two regions.

Not only do we share similar challenges, but also many of our member states are bound by history, in particular by the transatlantic slave trade. It is therefore symbolic and of historic significance that this meeting is being held in the year that we all commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Let me reiterate our support, recognition and appreciation to Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and the African Union, in particular, to President Alpha Oumar Konare, as Chair of the African Union Commission for envisioning this historic event, which has brought representatives of distinct and yet similar continents together for the first time in a multilateral setting to engage in a focused dialogue on the promotion and defense of democracy - - a principle that we at the OAS hold dear.

Let me at the outset reaffirm that the leadership of this Organization stands ready to continue our engagement with our African counterparts in pursuit of our collective efforts to strengthen and operationalize regional instruments, such as the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Undoubtedly, many of our future joint efforts will work toward strengthening, promoting and consolidating democratic governance in our regions to the benefit of the citizens of Africa and the Americas.

Many of you may not know, but this joint initiative started almost five years ago, in this same building, with a special meeting between the Ambassadors of the African continent to the United States and the Permanent Representatives of the Organization of American States. Today, I am pleased to recognize the historic work of the convener of that initial meeting, the distinguished Ambassador of Grenada, Ambassador Denis Antoine, who was then Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OAS. Subsequently, he successfully canvassed support to have some African countries become Permanent Observers to the OAS. Ambassador Antoine, you have put us on a path which is not only historic, but also, as President Konare reminded us in his visionary statement yesterday, a most critical one in overcoming current and future challenges in order to more effectively and efficiently provide the peoples of both continents healthy, safe and prosperous lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen, when we listened to the main presentations yesterday morning during the opening session all the speakers recognized the progress made in terms of democracy, elections, rule of law and human rights. Implicit in those statements was the recognition that the strengthening and consolidation of democracy must continue to be nurtured and must remain a priority as states work toward achieving the ideals of democracy that have been enshrined in many of our constitutions.

During the course of these discussions, it became clear that there is consensus that while progress has been made, nation states, be they developed or developing, still face challenges such as poverty, inequality, and social exclusion, among other areas, which can undermine the positive efforts in building democracies and peaceful societies in both continents.

We all know the problems many in our continents encounter every day and sometimes every hour.

I do not need to remind you that while you traveled safely to this conference, millions in Africa and in the Americas do not have that privilege and often are exposed to direct threats to their families and themselves.

I do not need to remind you that while you had a decent breakfast this morning, after having slept in a comfortable bed under a roof, many millions of people in our continents did not sleep in a bed or under a roof, did not wake up and enjoy a refreshing bath followed by a meal. Instead, they woke up to the knowledge that they would face another day in which they will struggle to survive to the next day.

Under these circumstances of misery, social exclusion and discrimination, democracy cannot flourish. The priority or concern of these hundreds of millions who struggle merely to survive will not be the lofty ideals of democracy.

We therefore cannot afford to close our eyes to these realities. While I believe that efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, to promote the rule law and to defend human rights are of critical importance, in my view it is also clear that these efforts cannot be an end in themselves. They are, in my view, the necessary and critical foundations on which states can build their ability and capacity to respond to the needs of their citizens in a transparent and equitable manner, and in so doing build peaceful communities and viable economies, which can provide a safe living and working environment, and equal access to opportunity.

In this context, we note that regional governance is becoming more and more important, not only in light of the cross-border nature and the impact of many of the challenges our countries are facing, but also because we have progressed in our collective efforts in the Americas and in Africa, we have created what I call “a set of instruments and legislation”, which requires regional governance mechanisms in order to apply these new forms of supra-national collaboration.

The “Community of Democracies” initiative has proven to be an excellent example of the growing international architecture of collective institutions and nation states working together to enshrine both the principles of democracy and human rights and has underscored the legitimacy of international action to promote them.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the ever evolving dynamics in international diplomacy and the relations between states demand from all of us at all levels a more comprehensive understanding of the changing nature of global politics. In my view, the building of strategic alliances and partnerships between all regions of the world is therefore of significant importance and provides possibly one of the most effective mechanisms for response to the changing global world and to the impact of new initiatives undertaken in the areas of trade, development and finance.

We must recognize that the time has come to strengthen collaboration among regional organizations as well. I am convinced that this is more relevant today than ever before, given the context of a more structured approach in the United Nations System and the consultations organized by the Secretary General of the UN with heads of regional organizations in the last several years.

This historic meeting between the the OAS and the AU and should constitute the first of several, not only between the Organization of American States and the African Union and, but also between CARICOM, as well as other regional organizations, like the Central American Integration System, the Andean Community and the AU.

I strongly believe that for democratic values and principles to take root in our societies, we need to empower the youth while we protect the children. Education should therefore become a critical element of any policy geared to enabling our peoples to live up to their full potential. If we prepare the next generation, a solid foundation for peace, security and well-being will be laid, our institutions will be strengthened and our communities will flourish.

One of the most significant outcomes of the 2001 meeting at the OAS with high-level representatives from 16 regional and multilateral organizations from around the world, government officials, academic and civil society experts on the promotion and defense of democracy was a proposal for a action agenda to advance cooperation among regional and multinational organizations.

Over the last two days, we have begun to fulfill that action agenda but in order to pursue and fully implement more enhanced inter-institutional cooperation, closer coordination and improved communication will be critical in the coming years.

It is clear from the recent discussions that most, if not all of us, agree that a combination of good governance, accountability, rule of law, sound economic policies, a strong, transparent and professional public service and an engaged citizenry constitute the foundation for democratic strengthening and consolidation of economic growth.

It is also important to continue to ensure full respect for fundamental rights and freedoms; incorporate greater emphasis on peace and stability into the democratic paradigm; cultivate real partnerships between the public and private sectors, and between government and civil society; as well as with communities of distinct ethnic, social and economic backgrounds.

I believe that establishing democratic partnerships on the basis of equality, mutual respect, tolerance and solidarity is as important as establishing economic partnerships based on the same principles.

Member states of both organizations should consider whether the time has not come to consider the convening of a meeting of both regions at the highest political level - - that is an Americas-Africa Summit, to be able to translate these noble objectives and intentions into real action to the benefit of both regions in the areas of trade, economy, security, health, and other areas.

An Africa-Americas Summit could provide a valuable platform from which to build this democratic partnership between our regions; with a targeted, realistic and executable action agenda.

To be able to achieve our discussed objectives and initiatives, we need the full commitment of all actors in society, especially from the political leadership to create the most optimal environment in society to build consensus, mitigate conflict and facilitate wealth creation. It is in this climate that democracy can flourish and be strengthened and deepened, beyond the formalistic legal and institutional frameworks.

In this regard, I applaud the Ambassador of Mali on his announcement of the decision to focus the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Communities of Democracy on the topic of democracy and development. The time has come to call upon ourselves as representatives of the international community to simultaneously address political and developmental priorities, as mutually reinforcing priorities in our societies.

Finally, we should be mindful that for democracy to be truly meaningful, the fruits of democracy must also nurture and feed the social and economic well being of our citizens. Expectations in both Africa and the Americas are high. Let us therefore not fail those in dire need, those hundreds of millions who are in search of a better future for themselves and their children. We have here a challenge and an opportunity. We have the responsibility to rise to both.

Thank you.

SPEECHES : JOSÉ MIGUEL INSULZA, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

2007-07-16T22:11:00.001-07:00

JOSÉ MIGUEL INSULZA, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
OPENING SESSION OF THE SEMINAR DEMOCRACY BRIDGE: MULTILATERAL REGIONAL EFFORTS FOR THE PROMOTION AND DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA AND AMERICA
July 11, 2007 - Washington, DC

Convergence between Africa and the Americas is as necessary as it is inevitable. Uniting us is the presence in the Americas of millions of persons of African descent who are fully integrated – politically, socially, and economically – into our societies. We are proud of the fact that these persons of African descent constitute a majority of the population of the Caribbean, well over one third of the population of Latin America, and an active and prominent minority in North America. Their presence enhances our diversity and enriches our culture.

We are also bound together by common challenges and issues.

It is these issues and challenges that we wish to examine at the meeting we are inaugurating today, in the hope that we can build a bridge of democracy between our two continents. I take this opportunity to thank the Governments of the United States and Portugal who have contributed decisively to its accomplishment.

This is not our first bridge-building effort. Back in 2001, under the auspices of the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies, the Organization of American States organized a meeting with representatives of the African Union in this same city to analyze “The Role of Regional and Multilateral Organizations in the Promotion and Defense of Democracy.”

At that meeting, we were able to establish an agenda of actions for regional and multilateral organizations that included concrete instruments for strengthening democracy. Participants also explored new areas of inter-institutional assistance and cooperation and underscored the need to work hand in hand with civil society.

In the time that has elapsed between that meeting and this, our regional organizations have made significant efforts to endow our States with clear and definitive concepts and guidelines regarding democracy and its institutions. As of today, we will have the opportunity to discover, examine, and share the outcomes of those efforts, especially those expressed in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, signed by the governments of the Americas in 2001, and in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, signed in January 2007.

The concept of democracy agreed upon by the American States and which they decided to build into the Inter American Democratic Charter is clear, extensive and demanding. It includes requirements rooted in the very formation of a democratic government, but also a set of values proclaimed as “essential” or “fundamental” to any exercise of democracy.

For a government to be democratic, according to the Inter-American Democratic Charter, it is not enough for it to be a majority government elected in totally valid elections. In addition to the pre-conditions (periodical, free, and fair elections and secret balloting), the Charter posits “essential” conditions related to two further political categories: the form of organization of the State – i.e., a constitutional regime comprising representative democracy, the rule of law, independence of the branches of government, a pluralist system of political parties, transparent and responsible government, and subordination to legitimate authority – and respect for citizens’ fundamental rights, that is to say, human and social rights, freedom of expression and of the press, and citizen participation.

After establishing that democracy and economic and social development are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, the same Charter makes clear that poverty and illiteracy, among other social issues, detract from the development of democracy. In that framework, it commits governments to promoting and observing economic and social rights and to respecting the rights of workers. It also resolutely condemns any form of discrimination, pointing out that its total elimination strengthens democracy and citizen participation. The last article of the Inter-American Democratic Charter commits signatory states to promoting the full and equal participation of women in the political structures of society.

Mention of our achievements in the field of democracy and freedom would not be complete without mentioning our system for the protection and promotion of human rights. We are proud of our Interamerican Commission, Court and Institute of Human Rights. These three institutions are the centerpiece of a vigorous and independent system, that has made essential contributions to the protection of lives, freedoms and fundamental values in more troubled periods of our history. Our aim is to make this system fully universal in our region and to achieve full compliance for its decisions.

Despite these statements of values and commitments, we are not yet fully satisfied because we consider that without progress on the economic and social fronts it is not possible to preserve and broaden a democracy that truly lives up to the expectations of citizens. We believe that unless we make an effort to move beyond just “political citizenship” to attain what we call “social citizenship,” we run the risk of all our definitions and democratic declarations ending up as vacuous platitudes repeated in meaningless speeches.

Dear friends: These are some of the themes we want to revise with you. For that reason is so satisfactory for me to welcome, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States, the distinguished authorities, experts, and governmental representatives of the African Union, as well as the representatives of nongovernmental organizations in both Africa and the Americas, participating in this meeting.

Together with you, we hope not only to explore the opportunities opened up for us by the regional legal instruments we have developed in recent years, but also to examine specific aspects of our activities, such as the strengthening of democratic institutions, the protection of human rights, electoral observation, and other activities.

We are sure that, thanks to your efforts, this meeting will help pinpoint concrete ways to stimulate and reinforce regional mechanisms for the support and defense of democracy, both in Africa and in America.

Thank you very much and, once again, welcome.

Jessica Grebeldinger, Civil Society Coordinator O.E.A O.A.S., Lincoln Oviedo Honduras civil society Director in the U.S.A.

2007-07-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

INFORMATIVE BULLETIN FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

2007-07-16T21:51:00.001-07:00

DEMOCRACY BRIDGE: MULTILATERAL REGIONAL EFFORTS FOR THE PROMOTION AND DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA AND AMERICA

July 11-12, 2007, OAS Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

INFORMATIVE BULLETIN FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

1. Venue

The Democracy Bridge: Multilateral Regional Efforts for the Promotion and Defense of Democracy in Africa and America will be held on July 11-12, 2007 at OAS Headquarters (Hall of the Americas, 17th St. and Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.).

The agenda for the event and more detailed information are available from the OAS civil society website (www.civil-society.oas.org).

2. Coordination of Civil Society Participation

The OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat and the Secretariat for Political Affairs (SPA) are coordinating civil society participation in this meeting. For further information please contact:

Jessica Grebeldinger, Civil Society Coordinator
Summits of the Americas Secretariat
Organization of American States
1889 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Tel. (202) 458-3554 / 3127
Fax (202) 458-3665
E-mail: summitcso@oas.org

Gastón Aín, Senior Specialist
or
Wendy K. Martínez
Secretariat for Political Affairs (SPA)
Organization of American States
1889 F Street, NW
Washington DC 20006
Tel. (202)-458-3703
Fax. (202)-458-6250
E-mail: WMartinez@oas.org

Invitation Letter

2007-07-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

Organización de los Estados Americanos
Organização dos Estados Americanos
Organisation des États américains
Organization of American States

June 20, 2007

Dear civil society representative,
The Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the OAS Secretariat for Political Affairs (SPA) will hold a Meeting entitled “Democracy Bridge: Multilateral Regional Efforts for the Promotion and Defense of Democracy in Africa and America” on July 10-11-12, 2007 at OAS Headquarters (Hall of the Americas, 17th and Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.).
The "Democracy Bridge" meeting will bring together the African Union (AU) and the Organization of American States (OAS) to analyze issues related to democracy, human rights, and conflict resolution. The Meeting is being held in the framework of the Community of Democracies (CD), an association of democratic states committed to supporting and strengthening democracy worldwide. Participants of this meeting will include government experts and representatives, officials of the African Union (AU) and the OAS, academics, and civil society representatives. This meeting will pay particular attention to the newly approved African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and take notes of lessons learned from the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
The meeting format will consist of plenary addresses and panels and "breakout sessions" devoted to specific sub-topics, including the topics of strengthening democratic institutions and promoting democratic values, electoral observation, political dialogue and conflict prevention, the protection and promotion of human rights, and civil society and multilateral organizations.
Civil society organizations that would like to participate in the Democracy Bridge meeting must send a communication to the Summits of the Americas Secretariat confirming their attendance via email (summitcso@oas.org) or fax (202.458.3665).
For more information, please view the agenda of the Democracy Bridge: Multilateral Regional Efforts for the Promotion and Defense of Democracy in Africa and America.
Best regards,

Summits of the Americas Secretariat
Organization of American States

DEMOCRACY BRIDGE

2007-07-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

DEMOCRACY BRIDGE: MULTILATERAL REGIONAL EFFORTS FOR THE PROMOTION AND DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA AND AMERICA

OAS Headquarters, 17th and Constitution
Washington, D.C.

July 10, 11 and 12, 2007

JULY 10, 2007
Closed working session between the members of the
Organization of American States and the African Union
chaired by Chairperson Alpha Konare, African Union
Commission and Jose Miguel Insulza,OAS Secretary General.
OAS Headquarters, Main Building.
Office of the Secretary General – Conference Room
15:30 – 17:00
Public Signing Ceremony
Hall of the Heroes
OAS Headquarters, Main Building
Signing of a “Statement of Intent to Cooperate” between the African Union Commission and the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States.
17:30 – 18:00
Reception hosted by the OAS Secretary General in honor of President Alpha Oumar Konare and the delegation of the African Union
Aztec Patio
OAS Headquarters, Main Building
18:00 -20:00

JULY 11, 2007
Registration and distribution of materials
Hall of the Americas

9:15-9:45
WELCOME/INAUGURATION
Hall of the Americas

Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General, Organization of American States.

Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairperson, African Union Commission.

Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State.

Deborah Mae-Lovell, Chairperson, OAS Permanent Council and
OAS Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda.

Abdoulaye Diop, Ambassador to the United States, Embassy of the Republic of Mali, Chairman, Convening Group of the Community of Democracies.

10:00-10:30
KEYNOTE ADDRESSES
Hall of the Americas

Promoting Democracy in Latin America and Africa: From
Rhetoric to Reality

Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General, Organization of American States.

Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairperson, African Union Commission.
10:30-11:30
PLENARY PANEL DISCUSSION
Hall of the Americas

The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the Inter-American
Democratic Charter: Origins, Application and Challenges Ahead

Julia Dolly Joiner, Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union Commission.

Humberto de la Calle, former Permanent Representative of Colombia to the Organization of American States.

Moderator and Commentator: Jean-Louis Roy, President of Rights and Democracy, Canada.
11:30–12:45
DISCUSSION
Hall of the Americas
12:45–13:30
LUNCH
Aztec Patio 13:30– 14:30

THEMATIC BREAKOUT SESSIONS
(Open to public and CSO) 14:30 – 15:45
Breakout Session #1: Strengthening Democratic Institutions and Promoting Democratic Values.

German Quintana, Director, OAS Department of Modernization of the State and Governance. Jean Michel Arrighi, Director, OAS Department of International Legal Affairs.

Emile Ognimba, Director for Political Affairs, AU Commission.

Breakout Session #2: Electoral Observation

Elizabeth Spehar, Director, OAS Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation.

Ambassador J. K. Shinkaiye, AU Commission.

Breakout Session #3: Political Dialogue and Conflict Prevention.

Victor Rico, Director, OAS Department of Democratic Sustainability and Special Missions.

El Ghassim Wane, Conflict Management Division, AU Commission.

Breakout Session #4: Protection and Promotion of Human Rights.

Victor Madrigal, Senior Adviser, Commission of Human Rights (ICHR).

Nega Girmachew Lulessa, Legal Officer and Secretary to the African Commission Working Group on Indigenous Communities/Populations. African Commission on Human & Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).

Breakout Session #5: Civil Society and Multilateral Organizations

Mariclaire Acosta, OAS Office for Civil Society Affairs.

Andrea Sanhueza, Participa (Chile).

Mr Akere Muna, Coalition of African Chapters of Transparency International and President Federation of Pan African Lawyers Barrister-at-Law (Cameroun).

Coffee Break 15:45-16:00

THEMATIC BREAKOUT SESSIONS. Same panels and structure.
(Au Commission and OAS General Secretariat Officials only)

16:00-17:30

JULY 12, 2007

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES
Hall of the Americas

Building a Democracy of Citizenship

Eduardo Stein, Vice President of Guatemala.

Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, former president of Cape Verde.

Dante Caputo, Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs,
Organization of American States.

Said Djinnit, Commissioner for Peace and Security,
African Union Commission.
9:00 – 10:00
DISCUSSION
Hall of the Americas
10:00 – 10:30
From Santiago to Bamako: Democracy Promotion within the
Community of Democracies Process

Introduction, Dante Caputo, OAS Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary, Democracy and Global
Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
10:30 – 11:00

PLENARY PANEL DISCUSSION
Defending and Promoting Democracy: Regional Organizations and Universal Norms

Hannah Forster, Chair, Africa Democracy Forum.

Colin Granderson, Assistant Secretary General,
CARICOM Secretariat.

Abdoulaye Diop, Ambassador to the United States, Embassy of the Republic of Mali, Chairman, Convening Group of the Community of Democracies.

Moderator: Edward R. McMahon, Research Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Vermont.
11:00 – 12:00
DISCUSSION
Hall of the Americas 12:00:12:30
CLOSING REMARKS
Amb. Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General, OAS.
12:30-13:00

Central Main Entrance to the O.A.S.

2007-07-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

HERE WE HAVE 2 GOOD FRIENDS :
1)President of the Honduras Civil Society; Licenciado Julio Cesar Cabrera.
2)Representative of the Argentina civil Society: Dr.Jose` Alberto Herrera.
at the main entrances at the O.A.S. O.E.A.

SOUTH AMERICA VIEW of the O.A.S.

2007-07-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

North America view of the O.A.S. WASHINGTON D.C.

2007-07-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

view of the O.A.S. O.E.A. Front Above

2007-07-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

LA ORGANIZACIÓN DE LOS ESTADOS AMERICANOS Y LA UNIÓN AFRICANA PROMUEVEN LA COOPERACIÓN BIRREGIONAL

2007-07-16T15:12:00.001-07:00

LA ORGANIZACIÓN DE LOS ESTADOS AMERICANOS Y LA UNIÓN AFRICANA PROMUEVEN LA COOPERACIÓN BIRREGIONAL
10 de julio de 2007

El Secretario General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), José Miguel Insulza, y el Presidente de la Comisión de la Unión Africana (UA), Alpha Oumar Konaré, suscribieron una Declaración de Intenciones sobre temas de Cooperación que destaca iniciativas conjuntas entre ambos organismos con el fin de promover, fortalecer y preservar el sistema democrático en los dos continentes.

La suscripción se realizó en el marco del encuentro birregional denominado “Puente Democrático: Iniciativas Regionales Multilaterales para la Promoción y Defensa de la Democracia”, que reúne por primera vez en la historia a representantes gubernamentales de alto nivel, diplomáticos, académicos y miembros de la sociedad civil de ambas regiones con el objeto de analizar el rol que cumplen la OEA y la UA en la promoción de la democracia.

My Firts Official Visit to the O.A.S. O.E.A , was At Honor to Represent the Civil Society

2007-07-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sociedad Civil De Honduras FPOSC en El Puente Democratico America-Africa O.E.A. (O.A.S)

“Puente Democrático: Iniciativas Regionales Multilaterales para la Promoción y Defensa de la Democracia”, que reúne por primera vez en la historia a representantes gubernamentales de alto nivel, diplomáticos, académicos y miembros de la sociedad civil de ambas regiones con el objeto de analizar el rol que cumplen la OEA y la UA en la promoción de la democracia.