AG/RES. 2171 (XXXVI-O/06)
FOLLOW-UP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANDATES OF THE
DECLARATION OF MAR DEL PLATA AND THE PLAN OF ACTION
OF THE FOURTH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 6, 2006)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
HAVING SEEN resolution AG/RES. 2091 (XXXV-O/05), “Support for and Follow-up to the Summits of the Americas Process,” which took into account the decision of the member states to hold the Fourth Summit of the Americas;
CONSIDERING:
That the Fourth Summit of the Americas was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on November 4 and 5, 2005;
That the Heads of State and Government adopted the Declaration of Mar del Plata and the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas, with the commitment to fight poverty, inequality, hunger, and social exclusion in order to raise standards of living and to strengthen democratic governance in the Americas;
That the Heads of State and Government assigned the right to work, as articulated in human rights instruments, a central place on the hemispheric agenda, recognizing the essential role of the creation of decent work in achieving these objectives;
That the Summits of the Americas process and the initiatives and mandates adopted at the First Summit of the Americas (Miami, 1994), the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 1996), the Second Summit of the Americas (Santiago, 1998), the Third Summit of the Americas (Quebec City, 2001), and the Special Summit of the Americas (Monterrey, 2004) have established political, economic, and social priorities for the Hemisphere that determine the inter-American agenda;
That the Organization of American States (OAS) is the foremost political forum for dialogue and cooperation among the countries of the Hemisphere, and that the Heads of State and Government recognized its central role in the implementation and follow-up of the Summit mandates;
That, in Mar del Plata, the Heads of State and Government instructed the General Secretariat to continue to act as technical secretariat to the Summits process and to provide support to the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG), ministerial meetings, and specialized conferences, to coordinate the participation of civil society, and to ensure the dissemination of information on the commitments made as part of the Summits process; and
That the Heads of State and Government instructed the member institutions of the Joint Summit Working Group, under the coordination of the OAS, to support the follow-up and implementation of the Summits of the Americas and to assist in the preparations for future Summits; and
RECOGNIZING the importance of the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) of the Permanent Council of the OAS, in the efficient, timely, and appropriate follow-up and implementation of the activities entrusted to the Organization as a result of the Summits of the Americas,
RESOLVES:
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To reaffirm the mandates and commitments adopted by the Heads of State and Government in the Declaration of Mar del Plata and the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas.
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To urge member states to implement, promote, and disseminate the commitments made in the Declaration of Mar del Plata and the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas.
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To encourage the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system, as well as agencies within the United Nations system and other institutions participating in the Joint Summit Working Group, to assign priority to implementation of the initiatives contained in the Declaration of Mar del Plata and the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas and to report regularly to the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) on the progress made in implementing the adopted mandates and commitments.
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To instruct the General Secretariat to carry out, promote, and disseminate the initiatives and commitments adopted at the Fourth Summit of the Americas that were entrusted to the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Declaration of Mar del Plata and the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas.
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To instruct the General Secretariat to coordinate with the other OAS organs and entities and with the institutions of the Joint Summit Working Group in following up on the commitments and mandates established in the Declaration of Mar del Plata and the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas.
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To instruct the CISC to present to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh regular session, through the Permanent Council, a follow-up report on implementation of the mandates of the Fourth Summit of the Americas.
AG/RES. 2172 (XXXVI-O/06)
INCREASING AND STRENGTHENING CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION
IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
AND IN THE SUMMITS OF THE AMERICAS PROCESS
(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 6, 2006)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
HAVING SEEN the Annual Report of the Permanent Council to the General Assembly on the activities of the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (AG/doc.4548/06 add. 3);
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT resolution AG/RES. 2092 (XXXV-O/05), “Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities and in the Summits of the Americas Process”;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALSO the Guidelines for Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities, approved by the Permanent Council in resolution CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) and endorsed by the General Assembly in resolution AG/RES. 1707 (XXX-O/00), which establish that, “[i]n order to bear fruit, civil society participation must be oriented by a clear and yet flexible regulatory framework. Such flexibility is achieved by way of periodic review of participation in OAS activities. These Guidelines thus represent a further step toward enhancing civil society participation in OAS activities”;
TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION the Strategies for Increasing and Strengthening Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities, adopted by the Permanent Council in resolution CP/RES. 840 (1361/03) and subsequently endorsed by the General Assembly in resolution AG/RES. 1915 (XXXIII-O/03), which requested “the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) to follow up on these strategies; to evaluate their implementation; and, if appropriate, to propose amendments to them or new mechanisms for increasing and strengthening participation by civil society organizations in OAS activities”;
CONSIDERING that the Summits of the Americas process encourages full participation by civil society and that, in the Declaration of Nuevo León, the Heads of State and Government undertook to institutionalize meetings with civil society and with the academic and private sectors;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the Declaration of Mar del Plata recognized the pivotal role the Organization of American States (OAS) plays in coordinating civil society participation in the Summits process;
UNDERSCORING the efforts made by the host country of the Fourth Summit of the Americas, in coordination with the OAS General Secretariat through the Summits Secretariat, to encourage, promote, and facilitate civil society participation in the preparatory activities for the Fourth Summit of the Americas and at the Summit itself;
CONSIDERING that Article 6 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter states that “[i]t is the right and responsibility of all citizens to participate in decisions relating to their own development. This is a necessary condition for the full and effective exercise of democracy. Promoting and fostering diverse forms of participation strengthens democracy”;
NOTING the establishment of the Specific Fund to Support the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities and in the Summits of the Americas Process, by resolution CP/RES. 864 (1413/04), to support participation by civil society organizations in OAS activities, including the dialogue of heads of delegation of member states, the Secretary General, and civil society organization representatives, which has been included on the draft schedule for regular sessions of the General Assembly as a regular activity before the inaugural session, as indicated in resolution AG/RES. 1915 (XXXIII-O/03);
NOTING WITH SATISFACTION the recommendations and the dialogue stemming from the Special Meeting of the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities: “Good Governance and Development in the Knowledge-Based Society,” held on May 3, 2006, which included broad participation by civil society organizations of the Hemisphere;
RECOGNIZING the importance of participation by civil society organizations in strengthening democracy in all member states and the significant contribution they can make to the activities of the OAS and of the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system;
RECOGNIZING ALSO that civil society participation in OAS activities should take place in a context of close collaboration between the political and institutional bodies of the Organization; and
NOTING the establishment of the OAS Department for the Promotion of Good Governance and particularly the Participation and Civil Society Section, which is charged with promoting the role of civil society and citizen participation in the strengthening of democratic governance,
RESOLVES:
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To reaffirm the commitment of the member states to continue strengthening and implementing mechanisms for civil society participation in the Summits of the Americas process and in the activities of the Organization of American States (OAS), as well as the willingness of the Organization to implement concrete actions designed to achieve the effective participation of civil society in the Summits process and the OAS.
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To instruct the Permanent Council, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), and the General Secretariat to continue, in coordination with all organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS, to facilitate the implementation of the Strategies for Increasing and Strengthening Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities, adopted by the Permanent Council in resolution CP/RES. 840 (1361/03), and endorsed by the General Assembly in resolution AG/RES. 1915 (XXXIII-O/03), “Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities.”
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To continue to actively support and promote the registration of civil society organizations and their participation in OAS activities, and in its organs, agencies, and entities.
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To instruct the General Secretariat to present a report that includes the best practices for civil society participation developed by other regional organizations, in order to facilitate a study on models of participation that could be used in the OAS and the Summits of the Americas process.
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To renew its invitation to all member states and to permanent observers and other donors, as defined in Article 73 of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat and in other rules and regulations of the Organization, to contribute to the Specific Fund to Support the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities and in the Summits of the Americas Process, in order to support participation by civil society organizations in OAS activities, including the dialogue of heads of delegation with the Secretary General and with representatives of civil society organizations.
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To continue to urge member states to:
a. Participate in the dialogue of heads of delegation with representatives of civil society organizations in the context of General Assembly sessions and in the Summits of the Americas process; and
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Continue their efforts, both domestically and multilaterally, to expand opportunities for participation by civil society organizations in OAS activities and in the Summits of the Americas process.
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To encourage member states to continue reporting on existing procedures and regulations regarding consultations with civil society, to allow for an exchange of experiences and best practices among the member states.
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To recognize the efforts of the host countries of the thirty-sixth regular session of the General Assembly and the Fourth Summit of the Americas to work together with the General Secretariat and with civil society organizations to facilitate and organize their participation in the dialogue of heads of delegation, in accordance with resolution CP/RES. 840 (1361/03); and to encourage future hosts to continue to build on these traditions.
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To instruct the General Secretariat to continue to support member states that so request in their efforts to increase the institutional capacity of their governments to receive, absorb, and act on civil society input and advocacy, including, when possible, through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
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To instruct the General Secretariat to carry out the activities referred to in this resolution within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.
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To instruct the General Secretariat to report to the Permanent Council before the thirty-seventh regular session of the General Assembly on the implementation of this resolution.
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