Speech
to Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary
of the OAS
by Hon David Kilgour, Secretary of State
(Latin America and Africa)
Bogotá, Colombia, April 30, 1998
It is a pleasure
to be here to celebrate this historic moment
in the life of the OAS, an organization
of which Canada is very proud to be a member.
In the name of our Minister of Foreign Affairs
and the Government of Canada I wish to congratulate
the OAS for fifty years of collective action
in the Americas. I would also like to extend
my thanks to the Secretary General of the
OAS, Mr. César Gaviria, and to our
hosts, the President of the Republic of
Colombia, Mr. Ernesto Samper, and the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Camilo Reyes, who
took the initiative of bringing us together
in Bogotá to celebrate this great
occasion.
Ten days
ago our leaders came together in Santiago
for the Second Summit of the Americas. How
opportune it is that Foreign Ministers can
now come together so soon after the Summit
to discuss the new strategic directions
for collective action that our leaders set
at Santiago. There is a clear convergence
between the agenda which our leaders defined
and the work of the OAS. As the primary
forum for inter-governmental dialogue in
the Hemisphere, the OAS and Inter-American
institutions are taking on, and indeed must
continue to take on, increasing responsibility
for the implementation of commitments made
by our leaders at the Summit of the Americas.
We must make it a common goal to avoid duplication
where feasible, and to cooperate where practical,
integrating mandates and objectives collectively.
This 50th Anniversary commemoration is an
important first step in linking the activities
of the OAS and its inter-American institutions
with the goals of the Summit of the Americas.
I am hopeful this will lead to a new union
of cooperation and common purpose among
us.
Throughout
its first fifty years, the OAS can be proud
of its numerous accomplishments. Canada
takes special note of some of these achievements:
The Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights has acted as
a beacon in the defence of human rights
in the region through its independent and
effective work since its inception in 1960.
It is my hope that we will continue to work
together to strengthen the Commission, while
at the same time ensuring its independence.
The OAS is the only multilateral organization
in the world that proclaims in its Charter
the promotion and protection of democracy
as an essential purpose of the Organization.
The universal acceptance that the Unit for
the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) enjoys
today among all OAS member states shows
that democracy in the Hemisphere is now
established as an area for collective action.
OAS member states showed world leadership
by their almost unanimous support for the
Ottawa Treaty to seek a total ban on the
production, stockpile and transfer of anti-personnel
landmines by the year 2000.
The Hemispheric Anti-Drug Strategy and the
steady progress in its implementation by
member states as coordinated by the Inter-American
Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), along
with the Inter-American Conventions Against
Corruption and Trafficking in Illicit Firearms
have constituted ground-breaking multilateral
cooperation, to counteract serious threats
to democracy.
The newly reformed Inter-American Council
for Integral Development (CIDI), along with
specific programs run by other OAS bodies,
such as the Inter-American Children's Institute
(IACI) and the Commission on Women (CIM),
have contributed to poverty reduction and
to the improvement of social conditions
of the more vulnerable individuals of the
region.
Work within the OAS on a Convention to Eliminate
All Forms of Discrimination Against Persons
with Disabilities will hopefully be able
to set enforceable and achievable standards
for the equitable treatment of persons with
disabilities.
Finally,
the OAS Trade Unit has played and will continue
to play an important role in making a Free
Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) a reality.
Without the diligence and analysis of the
Trade Unit, our leaders and our trade ministers
could not have come together in San José
and in Santiago to launch these vitally
important negotiations. Canada will rely
on the Trade Unit, along with the Trade
Negotiating Committee, to assist us in ensuring
that the next 18 months sets the course
for successful negotiations on the FTAA.
As we look forward to the next fifty years,
the Canadian Government is committed to
promoting awareness of the OAS and the benefits
it brings within Canada. Canada believes
that joint action among member states of
the Hemisphere ensures lasting solutions
to the challenging problems confronting
all nations of the Americas. Canada continues
to view the OAS as a locus where governments
– and by government I include several
arms of government – not strictly Foreign
Ministries, can come together with experts
from civil society to debate issues that
we will confront in the next century. These
will include specific human security concerns
such as the destruction of landmines stockpiles,
demining, and the rehabilitation of landmines
survivors; halting the proliferation of
small arms; stemming the illicit drug trade;
and continuing the struggle against corruption,
money laundering and terrorism.
These concerns
will also include broader issues such as:
- Education,
which is the determining factor for the
political, social, cultural and economic
development of our citizens.
-
The strengthening of representative democracy.
Canada is supportive of increasing contacts
with civil society, both within national
and international fora.
-
Respect for and promotion of human rights.
Canada commends the recent appointment of
a Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression,
within the framework of the OAS. We also
applaud the efforts of the IACHR to establish
closer linkages with national institutions
such as ombudsmans offices aimed at the
promotion and protection of human rights.
Canada will continue to work with the countries
of the hemisphere to promote more widespread
understanding of and respect for human rights.
- Peacebuilding. Both Canada and the OAS have
special value to add through approaches
that build consensus and work with civil
society, particularly at the local level.
-
The eradication of poverty. Although positive
growth has been shown in the past several
years, overcoming poverty and reducing income
disparities continues to be the greatest
challenge confronting the hemisphere.
Sustainable and equitable development. We
must continue to work to strengthen efforts
aimed at environmental protection as a basis
for sustainable development, and, at the
same time, combat all forms of discrimination
in the hemisphere.
In addition to these ongoing concerns, we
will also be challenged by new, as yet unforeseen
concerns, threats and scourges that will
arise in the next century. The OAS must
ensure that it remains abreast of all of
these matters, and that members states remain
vigilant against any erosion of the gains
made over the past 50 years.
In order
for the OAS to be responsive to the new
inter-American agenda and to be relevant
to the people of the hemisphere, it will
be necessary to reform OAS structures through
the modernization of its administration
and procedures. In every committee and commission,
Canada will seek institutional strengthening
and renewal. We know, however, that multilateral
institutions such as the OAS are only as
strong as the commitment of their member
states. Reform will only be realized with
our active and unconditional support. The
OAS, and all other inter-American institutions,
needs the leadership, vision and political
will of all member states to make the institution
relevant. This includes giving the multilateral
institutions of the hemisphere the resources
to do what we ask of them – particularly
the resources that the terms of our memberships
oblige us to provide.
This hemisphere
is without question one of the world's most
dynamic regions politically, economically
and culturally – a region where Canadians
keenly want to contribute and derive benefit.
In fact, when Canada became the 33rd member
of the OAS on January 8, 1990, it made a
new and lasting commitment to the Western
Hemisphere. As an organization, we have
overcome tremendous difficulties in the
final years of the 20th century. In a very
real way, the next century will be that
of the Americas. We are convinced that with
the assistance of its member states, the
OAS can apply all its energy in taking up
the challenges of the new millennium. Through
cooperation, flexibility, and adopting clear,
fundamental values and a desire to involve
civil society and other international stakeholders,
we can have a great influence. More than
ever before, it lies within our power to
make the hemisphere more stable, peaceful
and prosperous. Canadians are pleased to
inaugurate this new era by welcoming to
their country the representatives of the
Americas for the 30th General Assembly in
the year 2000, and for the Third Summit
of the Americas.
Mr. Secretary
General, my fellow Ministers, colleagues,
we have a lot of work to do. The people
of the Americas are relying on us to convert
our good will and our good intentions into
concrete and noticeable progress. Let us
pursue our common objectives and individual
goals with diligence and creativity. Thank
you very much!
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