The Department of
International Affairs coordinates civil society participation in OAS
activities and manages the
registration process of civil society organizations in the OAS,
coordinates the activities regarding the participation of civil society
in the Summit process, and provides technical support to the
Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society
Participation in OAS Activities (CISC).
The OAS, through the
Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society
Participation in OAS Activities (CISC), the General Secretariat, and
the Summits of the Americas Secretariat, has developed a number of
initiatives to create opportunities for participation and discussion
and to report on Summit policy developments in the inter-American
system. For example:
· Regional
forums/discussions organized by CSOs, with technical support from the
OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat, to afford opportunities for
policy-making and for implementation and follow-up to the Summit
mandates.
· Presentation of
proposals and recommendations resulting from a series of national and
regional consultations held by CSOs on topics on the hemispheric
agenda, covering social, political, economic, and cultural issues.
· Establishment
of strategic networks of CSOs, governments, and inter-American and
international organizations to exchange information and provide
feedback on implementation and follow-up of the Summit mandates.
·
Institutionalization of discussions between CSOs and high-ranking
national officials from ministries of foreign affairs to exchange views
on policy design and fulfillment of mandates.
· Holding of
special meetings with civil society during meetings of the Summit
Implementation Review Group (SIRG) to exchange information on the
Summit process.
The OAS performs its
functions through its organs, entities, units, and specialized
organizations, in whose different programs and projects the CSOs can
participate. The Organization has established three mechanisms to
facilitate CSO participation in its activities: registration, special
invitations, and cooperation agreements.
Registration, as set
out in Permanent Council resolution CP/RES. 759 (1217/99), “Guidelines
for the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS
Activities,” provides CSOs with an opportunity to be part of the
hemispheric network of organizations working in the various thematic
areas of interest to the member states and to have access to
information on political, economic, and social processes under way in
the OAS, which are part of the inter-American agenda.
The second mechanism
for participation is a special invitation to a meeting, special
conference, or ministerial-level meeting. Under this option, the CSO
would send a letter indicating that it wished to participate in a
meeting or special conference. Should its request be approved, the
organization in question would be granted observer status and be
classified as a special guest.
Cooperation
agreements were established by resolution AG/RES. 57 (I/O-71),
“Standards on Cooperative Relations between the Organization of
American States and the United Nations, Its Specialized Agencies, and
Other National and International Organizations.” The OAS, through its
General Secretariat and its departments, offices, and technical
secretariats, concludes cooperation agreements on the development and
implementation of activities in all work areas of the Organization.
For more information
regarding civil society participation in OAS activities, please
contact:
Department of International Affairs
17th Street & Constitution, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Tel.: 202.458.6072 Fax: 202.458.6319
Email: civilsociety@oas.org
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