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Looking
Ahead to 2007
As
2006 draws to a close, the Summit of the Americas Secretariat now
looks forward to 2007 and the significant work that lies ahead in
the Secretariat’s and the OAS’ efforts to facilitate the
implementation of the Mandates of the Fourth Summit of the
Americas, in coordination with the Heads of State and Government,
multilateral agencies and civil society, as well as to initiate
coordination with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad &
Tobago in preparation for the Fifth Summit of the Americas in
2009. Much of this work will be carried out during 2007 at a
host of events and activities throughout the Hemisphere and
involving a diverse set of actors committed to the realization of
regional cooperation via the Summits of the Americas Process.
Four Ministerial Meetings are
currently scheduled for 2007, including the Fourth Ministerial
Meeting on Agriculture and Rural Life to be held in Antigua,
Guatemala in July; the Fifteenth Inter-American Conference of
Ministers of Labor, scheduled for September 11 – 13 in Port of
Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; the Fifth Inter-American Meeting of
Ministers of Education, and the Ministerial Meeting on Tourism
will also be held at locations and times to be determined. The
Ministerial Meetings make up an important part of Summits Process
as they constitute a valuable opportunity for Member States and
Governments to revise and evaluate the achievements and
challenges in the implementation of mandates, as well as to
identify and consider those regional challenges that may be
addressed at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in 2009.
The first ordinary meeting of the Summit Implementation
Review Group (SIRG) for 2007 will be held during the first
quarter of the year, at which the SIRG members will report on the
activities implemented in 2006 to ensure that the mandates and
commitments related to the various priority and Ministerial areas
made by their governments at the Summits of the Americas are
being carried out in their respective national agendas. In
addition, this SIRG meeting will serve to open a joint dialog
among the SIRG, the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG), and the
host country of the Fifth Summit, Trinidad & Tobago.
The JSWG, comprised of twelve
member institutions whose expertise span the range of Summit and
Inter-American issues, will hold its first meeting of the new
year in February in preparation for the ordinary SIRG meeting to
be held in March described above, as well as to meet for the
first time with representatives of the Government of the Republic
of Trinidad & Tobago in their capacity as the Chair of the Fifth
Summit of the Americas. The JSWG, whose main purpose is to
coordinate and report on follow-up activities of their
institutions for the implementation of Summits mandates, will
redouble its efforts in 2007 to explore ways to more closely
integrate their efforts with the SIRG process and the other
members of the JSWG. In addition, the Group will consider
additional methods for reporting on progress made in the
implementation of Summit Mandates.
Throughout 2007, the Summits of the Americas Secretariat
will continue its efforts to ensure that civil society groups
participate in and present their recommendations in those events
and thematic areas relevant to the Summits Process and other
inter-American priorities. The first such event will be the
Consultation Session with Civil Society on Social Determinants of
Health, sponsored by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)
to be held in Bahia, Brasil in February.
Beginning with the Ninth Meeting of the Working Group to
Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples in January, and continuing with subsequent
meetings in 2007, the Summits Secretariat will continue its work
on the commitment made at previous Summits of the Americas to
finalize and adopt the Declaration.
The General Assembly of the OAS will take place from June
3-5 in Panama City, Panama. This event will serve as the setting
for the XVII Ministerial Meeting of the SIRG, at which both the
Member States and the JSWG will present reports on the progress
made in the implementation of Mandates of the Fourth Summits, as
well as present for discussion, in a high-level forum, regional
priorities and challenges to guide the establishment of themes
for the Fifth Summit of the Americas.
2007 promises to be significant year for the Summits Process
as the substantial work to implement existing mandates continues,
while preparation for the Fifth Summit of the Americas gets under
way. The Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the OAS would
like to take this opportunity to extend its warmest wishes for
the Holiday Season and throughout the New Year.
For more information on upcoming events and
activities related to the Summits of the Americas process as they
become available, please visit the
Calendar of Events on the
Summits of the Americas Information Network.
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