AG/RES. 2253 (XXXVI-O/06)
(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 6, 2006)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
RECOGNIZING that the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas advocates the development and use of renewable and efficient energy sources as a strategy that promotes sustainable development;
RECALLING:
That the Plan of Action of the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development promotes the most economically and environmentally efficient means of production, transformation, and use of energy, including the introduction of clean fuel alternatives for transportation; and
That resolution CIDI/CIDS/RES. 2 (III-O/02) underscores the urgent need for all member states to put in place measures to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change in the Americas, including the promotion of risk management, renewable energy, and energy efficiency alternatives;
BEARING IN MIND the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol applicable to the states parties thereto;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the technical progress that has resulted in reliable, lower-cost renewable energy and alternative energy systems;
UNDERSCORING that modern utilization of biofuel and other forms of renewable energy affords opportunities to respond to local energy needs by using clean renewable energy alternatives, while simultaneously generating products with great export potential;
RECOGNIZING the efforts of the Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States, through its Renewable Energy in the Americas Initiative (REAI), to support the development and use of sustainable energy throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and to assist member states in the following areas: energy policy and regulatory reform, human and institutional capacity building, the creation of innovative financing mechanisms, and the establishment of regional clean energy networks; and
RECOGNIZING ALSO the efforts of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as a forum for discussing experiences in the field of agro-energy,
RESOLVES:
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To request the General Secretariat to support, within available resources, member states’ efforts to develop sustainable energy plans and to implement measures that foster greater use of clean conventional energy and commercially viable renewable energy, such as wind, geothermal, biofuel, hydroelectric, and solar energy, as well as to adopt policies designed to achieve greater energy efficiency, as a means of better addressing the challenges associated with economic growth and the environment.
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To enhance cooperation between the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and other international and regional organizations in order to:
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Implement renewable energy measures and energy efficiency projects that lower dependence on fossil fuels while promoting the development and efficient use of local natural resources to produce fuels for electricity generation and transportation; and
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Promote increased provision of novel energy services to neglected communities, particularly rural and indigenous communities, as a means of promoting economic development, sustainable management of natural resources, and capacity to deliver community services, including education, health, and agricultural extension services.
AG/RES. 2254 (XXXVI-O/06)
MODERNIZATION AND USE OF ELECTORAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE HEMISPHERE
(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 6, 2006)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
BEARING IN MIND the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), which establishes in its preamble that representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace, and development of the region and that one of the essential purposes of the Organization is to promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention;
GUIDED by the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which includes, among the essential elements of representative democracy, inter alia, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; access to and the exercise of power subject to the rule of law; and the holding of periodic, free, and fair elections based on universal suffrage and secret balloting as an expression of the sovereignty of the people;
RECALLING that, in the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government of the democratic countries of the Hemisphere stated that they would “[c]ontinue to enhance electoral mechanisms, using information and communications technologies where possible, to effectively guarantee the impartiality, promptness and independent action of agencies, tribunals or other bodies responsible for the conduct, supervision and verification of elections at national and sub-national levels”;
NOTING the establishment of the Secretariat for Political Affairs of the OAS General Secretariat and its contribution to the implementation of mandates concerning electoral affairs arising from both the Summits of the Americas and the Organization;
CONSIDERING the reports of the various electoral observation and technical assistance missions, in particular their diverse recommendations on the need to improve electoral processes, which constitutes an important contribution to strengthening democratic institutional systems;
UNDERSCORING the advisability of reinforcing, for these purposes, hemispheric cooperation and the exchange of experiences in the areas of electoral technologies and legislation related to them, with support from the OAS; and
HIGHLIGHTING the dialogue of heads of delegation during the thirty-sixth regular session of the General Assembly on the topic “Good Governance and Development in the Knowledge-based Society,”
RESOLVES:
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To underscore the efforts made by the election officials in the member states to organize and administer elections, for the purpose of increasing the quality and transparency of their electoral processes, including the incorporation of new electoral technologies.
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To underscore the decisive contribution by the Organization of American States (OAS), through electoral observations, advice, and assistance, to the holding of elections and the strengthening and development of electoral institutions and processes in the member states.
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To urge the General Secretariat to support member states that so request, in such a way as to enable their electoral bodies to join together in a horizontal cooperation effort to adopt new electoral technologies under the auspices of the OAS, within the resources available.
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To instruct the General Secretariat, through the Secretariat for Political Affairs, to do more to foster the generation of horizontal cooperation mechanisms for organizing electoral processes, including the adoption of new technologies, in order to assist member states that request such assistance.
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To instruct the General Secretariat to assist member states that so request with training human resources in international electoral observation.
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To underscore the advisability of promoting, for these purposes, cooperation and exchange of experiences in the areas of electoral legislation and technology, with other international and regional organizations.
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To underscore the importance of holding meetings in the framework of the Inter-American Electoral Technology Program (IETP); and to suggest to the General Secretariat that at the next meeting, scheduled for the second half of 2006, it invite high-level officials, so as to encourage an effective exchange of successful practices and technologies in the electoral area.
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To call upon member states, permanent observers, and other donors to make voluntary contributions to the activities proposed to implement and follow up on this resolution.
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To instruct the General Secretariat to include in its activity reports on the promotion of democracy the progress made in carrying out this mandate.
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