Achievements of the Summits of the AmericasDeclaration of Mar del Plata. Creating Jobs to Fight...

Achievementsof the Summitsof the AmericasProgress sinceMar del Plata

Achievements of the Summits of the AmericaProgress since Mar del Plata

ISBN 0-8270-5094-1

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES17th & Constitution Avenue N.W.Washington, DC 20006 U.S.A.Internet: www.oas.orgEmail: [email protected]

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Secretary GeneralJosé Miguel Insulza

Assistant Secretary GeneralAlbert R. Ramdin

Summits of the Americas SecretariatDirectorCarmen Marina Gutierrez

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Graphic Design of the Cover and Interior PagesClaudia Saidon. Graphic Ideas [email protected]

Achievementsof the Summitsof the Americas

Progress sinceMar del Plata

Report of the JointSummit Working Group

Table of ContentsIntroduction 9

Acronyms 11

Declaration of Mar del Plata 13

Growth with Employment 15

Jobs to Fight Poverty 35

Training the Labor Force 59

Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises as an Engine of Job Growth 67

Framework for Creating Decent Work 75

Strengthening Democratic Governance 83

Plan of Action of Mar del Plata 93

Creating Decent Work 95

Growth with Employment 107

Social Development 125

Strengthen Democratic Governance 147

On behalf of the member institutions of the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG) and in its capacityas the Chair of the Group, the Summits of the Americas Secretariat is pleased to present thiscompilation of individual institutional reports on the implementation of the commitments assumedat the Fourth Summit of the Americas, held in Mar del Plata in November 2005. The SummitsSecretariat would like to extend its appreciation to the Organization of American States (OAS), theInter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Economic Commission for Latin America and theCaribbean (ECLAC), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank Group, theInter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Andean DevelopmentCorporation (CAF), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Central American Bank for EconomicIntegration (CABEI), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International LabourOrganization (ILO), and the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) for their contributionsand collaboration.

The reports compiled here, which highlight the projects, activities, as well as national and regionalinitiatives that JSWG members have implemented since Mar del Plata, clearly demonstrate andreaffirm these institutions’ commitment to serve the citizens of the hemisphere. This Secretariathas dedicated itself to deepening the JSWG’s role as a resource in the Summit process, particularlyin providing support to the preparations for the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad &Tobago in 2009.

Lastly, I wish to underscore that while the JSWG is comprised of institutions with individualmissions and expertise, its members also comprise and represent a group. Indeed, the Summitsprocess offers these members excellent opportunities to work in partnership to advance thedevelopment of the region, and many of these joint efforts are noted in this report. The Summits ofthe Americas Secretariat hopes that the information presented here will serve to further fostersuch collaborations within the Summits of the Americas process.

Carmen Marina GutierrezDirector

Summits of the Americas SecretariatGeneral Secretariat of the Organization of American States

Introduction

Member Institutions of the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG)

OAS Organization of American States

IDB Inter-American Development Bank

ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

PAHO Pan American Health Organization

World Bank World Bank Group

IICA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

CAF Andean Development Corporation

CABEI Central American Bank for Economic Integration

CDB Caribbean Development Bank

IOM International Organization for Migration

ILO International Labour Organization

ICA Institute for Connectivity in the Americas

Acronyms

Creating Jobsto Fight Povertyand StrengthenDemocraticGovernance

Declarationof Mar del Plata

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14 . Report of the Joint Summit Working Group

Plan of Action of Mar del Plata.Creating Jobs to Fight Povertyand Strengthen DemocraticGovernance.

Achievements of the Summits of the Americas. Progress since Mar del Plata . 15

Growth with Employment

In search of sustained, long-term, and equitable economic growth that creates jobs, reduces poverty,eliminates hunger, and raises the standard of living, including for the most vulnerable sectors andsocial groups, and in the framework of national strategies, we are committed to continuing theimplementation of sound macroeconomic policies geared toward maintaining high growth rates,full employment, prudent fiscal and monetary policies, appropriate exchange rate policies, soundpublic debt management policies, and working to diversify economic activity and improvecompetitiveness. At the same time, we will stimulate income growth and better income distribution,increasing productivity, and protecting workers’ rights and the environment. We recognize thatthe appropriate role of government in market oriented economies will vary from country to country.(Paragraph 4)

The work of The Organization ofAmerican States (OAS) in the areaof competitiveness aims atproviding support to memberStates’ efforts to enhance theircompetitiveness and prepare themto better take advantage of thebenefits of trade and integration.One of the main objectives is topromote the exchange of bestpractices, experiences andinnovative approaches, as well asassist member States in theanalysis and adaptation of thosepractices to their national develop-ment needs, with a special atten-tion to the micro, small and mediumenterprises. The activities recentlyimplemented by the Department ofTrade, Tourism and Competitive-ness include “The Critical Path-ways Program for the Small andMedium Enterprises Sector of the

Caribbean,” and a series of work-shops for the private sector,particularly small and medium-sized enterprises: to address theCaribbean Single Market andEconomy in services, competitive-ness in the context of the Free TradeAgreement with the United Statesin Panama, exporting agriculturalgoods in the Dominican Republic,private sector development, andquality and productivity for theSalvadorian private sector.

In connection with the economicagenda of the region, as always,much of the work of the EconomicCommission for Latin America andthe Caribbean (ECLAC) hasconsisted of monitoring economicdevelopments in order to performits role as one of the leading sourcesof comparable information for the

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region. In this connection, ECLAChas published Economic Survey ofLatin America and the Caribbean(August 2006), Preliminary Over-view of the Economies of LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (De-cember 2006) and Foreign Invest-ment in Latin America and theCaribbean (April 2006).

Among the subjects of economicpolicy analysis and technicalassistance provided by the Com-mission, a prominent concern hasbeen how to use the propitiousconditions now prevailing to redu-ce the vulnerability of the region’seconomies, focusing particularly onthe relationship between fiscalpolicy and commodity prices inresource-producing countries, aswell as the link between taxationand equity, especially as regardsthe collection of direct taxes.

The World Bank funded the“Enhanced Competitiveness forInternational Market IntegrationProject for Nicaragua”, which aimsto strengthen the capacity of thePresidential Commission ofCompetitiveness (CPC) to providetechnical leadership and co-ordinate the efforts of governmentagencies, municipalities, theprivate sector, civil society anddonors in the field of competitive-ness.

The Bank’s “Second BusinessProduct and Efficiency Develop-ment Policy Loan for Colombia”,supports policy reforms in threeareas: (a) strengthening competi-tiveness policies by facilitating theimplementation of the Agenda In-terna (region and sector-specificcompetitiveness plans; (b) enhan-

cing quality standards and tech-nological innovation; (c) makingthe financial sector sounder anddeeper. In addition, the “FiscalManagement and CompetitivenessDevelopment Policy Loan for Peru”supports the Government of Peru's(GoP's) reform plan to improve thefunctioning of Peru's public sectorinstitutions and business environ-ment.

To stimulate economic growth, in2006, the Competitiveness SupportProgram (PAC) of the AndeanDevelopment Corporation (CAF)continued to focus on clusterdevelopment and entrepreneurialcapacity building, as well as diss-emination of experience andlessons learned. In the area of clus-ter development, in Colombia, PACpromoted the implementation ofthree initiatives: the first consistedof carrying out a developmentprogram for autoparts suppliers;the second, was the project,Methods for Reinventing your Bu-siness Logistics (MERLIN), whichcenters on logistics developmentfor exporters of perishableproducts; the third project wasdesigned to develop competitiveadvantages in the personal hygieneand cosmetics chain. In Ecuador,PAC contributed to projects forstrengthening supply of furnitureand decorative objects for export,as well as the development,improvement and value-adding offishery products for export.

In Peru, PAC gave approval for aproject to strengthen the paprikachain to enable Peruvian paprikato consolidate its position ininternational markets, in particu-lar by raising product quality. In

Declaration of Mar del Plata.Creating Jobs to Fight Povertyand Strengthen DemocraticGovernance.


Venezuela, approval was given fora project to boost the developmentof providers and distributors inseveral productive chains withexport potential. Furthermore, inBolivia, Peru, and Venezuela, PACpromoted the development ofnational tourism strategies desig-ned to improve quality of service,promote different destina-tions,and raise competitiveness in thesector. In Argentina, PAC providedadvisory services for a review ofthe national urban system for thepurpose of raising competitiveness.

As regards entrepreneurial capa-city building, PAC devoted parti-cular attention to the de-velopmentof a national entre-preneurshipsupport system through univer-si-ties in Bolivia. At the same time, itcontinued with the Entre-preneurial Ideas Competition andthe formation of businessincubators in that country. In Ve-nezuela, in partnership with uni-versities and private business, PACactively contributed to the designand development of the EnterpriseCreation Support Sy-stem in Vene-zuela, an initiative that has provedcritical in promoting entre-preneurial capacity building in thatcountry.

As part of its dissemination efforts,PAC organized the event, CAF Em-prende in Medellin, Colombia,where discussions centered onaspects connected with enterprisebuilding and development of riskcapital funds in the region. The PACdisseminated information about itsactivities at the seminar Exportingto win MERCOSUR [Exportar paraGanar de Cara al MERCOSUR]promoted by Venezuela Competi-

tiva. Other events where PAC waspresent were the First NationalForum for Competitiveness(Panama, May 24, 2006); theInternational Forum on PublicPolicy in Support of SME (Montevi-deo, October 23 and 24, 2006); theIbero-American Seminar on SMEGlobalization and Competitiveness(Chile, October 26, 2006); and theCentral American Entities andInstitutions Fact-Finding Missionto Andalusia (Seville, October 2 to5, 2006).

The purpose of the ResearchSupport Program is to establishsupport ties with researchers in theregion, both to assist them inimplementing their projects and toform an international network ofexperts. Thanks to contributionsprovided by the corporation inthese areas, keep partnerships havebeen successfully set up with otherthink tanks in the region, such asECLAC, Corporación de Estudiospara Latinoamérica (CIEPLAN),and the Fernando HenriqueCardoso Institute, among others. In2006, the program centered on theissues of diversification andproductivity; the role of clustersand foreign direct investment inthe creation of new exports; and theimpact of different policies on bu-siness productivity. It alsoundertook studies, inter alia, onexperiences in export diversi-fication in various Latin Americancountries.

In 2006, the activities carried outby the Corporate GovernanceProgram continued to focus on thedevelopment of conceptual contri-butions and rules, as well asdissemination, implementation,

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and measurement of progress in theapplication of corporate gover-nance good practices in the region.In this connection, CAF publishedthe Corporate Governance Guide-lines for Non-Listed Companies,and made available a corporategovernance practices evaluationsoftware application to interestedparties. It also continued to providesupport for public and private-sec-tor institutions in the region to ca-rry out local-level projects. Thus,CAF was directly involved inseveral awareness raising events,including international seminarson the topic in the cities of Caracas,

La Paz, and Cartagena. Further-more, a number of four-day train-ing workshops on implementationand evaluation of corporategovernance guidelines were heldfor consultants in the cities ofBogota, Caracas, La Paz, Lima, andQuito with the purpose of dissem-inating information about theirapplication in companies in theregion. In addition, a second stageof support was initiated for imple-mentation of the Guidelines for anAndean Corporate GovernanceCode (LCAGC) in 10 new state-owned and private companies inthe region.

We emphasize the importance of the participation of the business sector in achieving our objectives.We recognize, in particular, that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, providers of goodsand services, constitute a fundamental component for economic growth, job creation, and reductionof poverty and social inequality in our countries.(Paragraph 5)

Regarding the support to thepromotion of public-privatepartnerships, the OAS has activelyengaged the private sector in theSummit of the Americas, GeneralAssembly and Ministerial meetingsin the context of the OAS PrivateSector Forum. Recognizing the rolethat the private sector plays as asource of growth and employment,the OAS works to further therelationship with this sector byorganizing the OAS Private SectorForum that meets before the OASGeneral Assemblies and theSummits of the Americas, with thepurpose of promoting public-private dialogue as well as concre-te initiatives linked with the inte-gral development agenda of theHemisphere. The Third OAS Pri-

vate Sector Forum “Inter-AmericanPublic-Private Partnership forCompetitiveness and Job Creationin the Knowledge Society” wasorganized in conjunction with theGovernment of the DominicanRepublic, Private Sector of theAmericas, CONEP-DominicanRepublic and business leadersfrom the Western Hemisphere inthe Dominican Republic on June 2-3, 2006, in the context of the XXXVIOAS General Assembly. Theconclusions and recommendationsof the Forum were communicatedto the Governments of the Hemis-phere in the context of the Dialoguebetween the Heads of Delegation,the OAS Secretary General andPrivate Sector Representativesbefore the OAS General Assembly,on June 4th, 2006.



The Conference “CompetitivenessAgenda for the Americas: Contri-butions of the Private Sector to theDevelopment of the Hemisphere”was organized in conjunction withPrivate Sector of the Americas andthe Caribbean-Central AmericanAction, on December 4th, 2006,within the framework of the 30thC-CAA Annual Conference inMiami, Florida. As an input to thediscussion, the OAS commissionedthe reports “Successful Practices inPublic-Private Partnerships onEducation and Skills Training in theAmericas” and “Best Practices ofPublic-Private Partnerships onEducation and Skills Training in theCaribbean.”

In order to promote the partici-pation of the business sector, in2005 and 2006, the OAS implemen-ted the project, Development ofMicro and Small Enterprises as aStrategy to Generate Employmentand Confront Poverty in the Ame-ricas with sponsorship providedby the Spanish InternationalCooperation Agency (AECI). Themain purpose of the project was to

analyze and identify social de-velopment and employment gene-ration strategies based on microand small enterprise promotion. Inthis framework and to examine theimplications of the specific man-dates of the Fourth Summit of theAmericas in this area, a workingmeeting was held with the SMECongress of the Americas DirectiveCommittee. In addition, the docu-ment, Microenterprise, Poverty,and Employment in Latin Americaand the Caribbean: a WorkingProposal was prepared and presen-ted at a technical meeting thatbrought together ministries of la-bor and of finance, as well asmembers of the Social Network, inorder to examine specific inputsand comments and identifyopportunities for joint action. Thisactivity gave rise to specificthematic guidelines for futurework, such as targeting micro-enterprise from a poverty alle-viation and employment genera-tion perspective, which is wherethe OAS will center its efforts inthis area.

We reaffirm our commitment to the Monterrey Consensus that each country has primaryresponsibility for its own economic and social development through sound policies, promotion ofgood governance at all levels and respect for the rule of law and that, at the same time, theinternational community should support national development efforts. In this context, we reiteratethat trade and investment opportunities are necessary for countries in fighting poverty and intheir development efforts. Also, in this context, we commit to coordinate international efforts insupport of sustainable development policies, to identify secure sources of financing, and to mobilizeresources for development and the fight against poverty and hunger. (Paragraph 6)

As economic and market inte-gration continues, the OAS hasbeen working to better align envi-ronmental protection with econo-

mic development. These effortsinclude identifying opportunitiesderived from trade and investmentthat could benefit the sustainable

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development agenda and alsosupporting countries anticipatehealth and environmental issuesand standards associated withtrade and increased market access,to promote and adopt integratedpolicy recommendations that havesustainable development at thecenter. Some of the initiatives infollow up to this mandate includethe “Environmental Assessmentsand Capacity Building for TradeLiberalization Project in theAmericas”, the “Trade and Environ-ment in the Americas Initiative”and the “Sustainability impacts ofthe Soy Sector in MERCOSUR”.OAS-DSD funding towards mee-ting this mandate is derived fromprojects in the DSD area of Envi-ronmental Law, Policies andEconomics which in 2006 had aportfolio of 10 projects, totalingUS$2.83 million

The OAS supports the efforts ofmember States to promoteeconomic diversification andintegration, trade liberalization,and market access that can lead,through expanded market andinvestment opportunities, toenhanced economic development,job creation, and poverty reduc-tion. In this context, work hasfocused on strengthening thehuman and institutional capacityof member States to participate inthe economic integration and tradeprocesses taking place in the Ame-ricas, to implement and administertrade agreements and to takeadvantage of expanded market andinvestment opportunities.

To this end, the OAS organized re-gional and national trainingcourses, workshops and seminars

on the main issues of the trade agen-da including: the continuation of the“Masters Program in InternationalTrade Policy (MITP)” and a four-week “Certificate in InternationalTrade Policy” for Caribbeangovernment trade officials andprivate sector representatives inconjunction with the University ofthe West Indies (UWI); the Project“Regulatory Reform and ServicesTrade Liberalization in the AndeanCommunity: Telecom and Finan-cial Services;” as well as a series ofseminars on investment andinvestor-state dispute settlement,services exports and intellectualproperty. Taking advantage of thevaluable experience of memberStates in the administration oftrade agreements, the OASprovided support in the design,programming and execution of ho-rizontal cooperation initiativessuch as the “Program on BestPractices in the Administration ofTrade Agreements” initiated in2004 with the support of the Secre-taría de Economía of Mexico. Underthis and other similar programs,participating Latin American andCaribbean countries continued tobenefit from the expertise and bestpractices developed by countrieslike Mexico, Canada, Chile, CostaRica, and the United States in theadministration of dispute settle-ment regimes, sanitary andphytosanitary measures and in-vestment disputes.

In keeping with this mandate, theOAS has worked to coordinateinternational efforts, and to iden-tify and secure sources of financingfor development and the fightagainst poverty and hunger. As acooperation mechanism of the



Inter-American Conference ofMinisters of Labor (IACML), theInter-American Labor Administra-tion Network (RIAL) is an exampleof the foregoing measures, as is thefinancing obtained from theCanadian International Develop-ment Agency (CIDA) in support ofthe efforts of the “Social Networkfor Latin America and the Carib-bean” in the area of knowledgetransfer on how to improve andensure greater access to socialprotection mechanisms in thecountries of the region. (See alsoParagraph 72).

Administration of social funds hasbeen a mechanism in which CAFhas demonstrated competitiveadvantages. Through its adminis-tration and management of theDebt Swap Fund for Social Invest-ment set up between the Kingdomof Spain and the Republic of Ecua-dor (US$ 50 million), CAF promotessocial investment projects ineducation and the Clean Develop-ment Mechanism (MDL) with fundsfrom the bilateral debt that theSpanish government has condonedin favor of Ecuador. In the case ofthe MERCOSUR Educational Fund(FEM) (US$ 650 mil), CAF is tech-nically and financially managingthe first fund created with fundsprovided by the regional bloc toadvance social integration througheducation.

In Colombia, the launch of theDrinking Water and SanitationProgram of the Department of Ce-sar (US$ 42.5 million) marked thestart of a CAF sectoral strategydesigned to promote the region-level management and operation ofdrinking water and sanitationservices under local coordinationand leadership. This approachenables municipal and regionalauthorities to support loans bysecuring them with future profitsand income, facilitating theplanning and implementation ofprojects according to principles ofequity, efficiency, and sustain-ability. The success of the way inwhich the Regional Program in Ce-sar Department was organized andimplemented has earned it thesupport of the Colombian State andled national and departmentalsectoral entities to seek financialsupport from CAF for an invest-ment plan in excess of US$100million that would benefit 24municipalities.

The same territorial approach waspromoted outside the Andeanregion. In this framework, CAFapproved the Municipal AssistanceProgram on behalf of the State ofBrazil, worth US$200 million, thepurpose of which is to promotedevelopment in less-developedareas while ensuring good gover-nance and sound finances.

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We are concerned also to note that poverty is a phenomenon found in all the countries of theHemisphere and that extreme poverty affects millions of people. In that regard, we are committedto intensifying our efforts toward attaining the goals agreed to at the Millennium Summit, especiallythat of reducing, by 50%, the proportion of persons living in extreme poverty by 2015 given the factthat, despite the efforts made by the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, more than 96million people still live in extreme poverty. (Paragraph 7)

In November 2006, ECLAClaunched the report Social Panora-ma of Latin America, which high-lighted the notable economic andsocial performance the region hasrendered in the last four years(2003-2006). This period has beenthe best for 25 years in terms ofprogress with poverty reduction,falling unemployment, improvingincome distribution in severalcountries and an upswing innumbers of jobs.

This positive trend in the region isreflected in the latest poverty andindigence estimates, which show afresh reduction in 2005, for the thirdyear running. According to theseestimates, in 2005, 39.8% of theregion’s population, or 209 millionpeople, were poor and 15.4%, or 81million, were extremely poor orindigent. This represents a drop ofover four percentage points inrelation to 2002, when 44% of thepopulation was poor and 19.4%was indigent.

The Social Panorama also givesprojections of the magnitude ofpoverty for 2006. The number ofpoor and extremely poor isexpected to decrease again, to reach38.5% of the population (some 205million people) and 14.7% (79million), respectively. The reportalso notes that, although the overallprogress in Latin America isencouraging, it must not be

forgotten that poverty figuresremain very high and that theregion still has an immense taskahead.

As regards the commitment tointensify efforts towards attainingthe first of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals deriving fromthe outcome of the MillenniumSummit, that is, to halve theproportion of people living in ex-treme poverty, in the framework ofthe project entitled “Strengtheningthe capacity of Latin America andthe Caribbean countries to fulfil theMillennium Development Goals”,ECLAC has developed a proposedset of goals and indicators forevaluating the particular situationof the Latin American andCaribbean countries in relation tothe Goals and to conductcomparative assessments ofrelevant statistics produced by thecountries and by internationalagencies.

In order to analyse these issues anddiscuss the implications ofmonitoring the MillenniumDevelopment Goals from the pointof view of the region’s nationalstatistical systems, ECLAC orga-nized the Regional Seminar enti-tled “National Statistics Offices andthe Millennium DevelopmentGoals: A new look,” (Santiago, Chi-le, 9 and 10 November 2006). Theaim of the meeting was to discuss



the role of national statistical officesin follow-up to the MillenniumDevelopment Goals and the actionsnecessary to meet monitoringchallenges. The seminar evaluatedthe information available to trackadvances on the Goals in thecountries of the region andproposed supplementary indi-cators in the areas of education,gender and the environment. Thediscussions centred on specificmeasures to enhance the availa-bility of national data and incor-porate these into the reports anddatabases of international agen-cies, and to improve coordinationbetween national statisticalsystems and international agen-cies.

The development objective of the“Bahia Poor Urban Areas Develop-ment Project in Brazil” funded bythe World Bank is to reduce urbanpoverty in a sustainable manner,targeting the poorest and most vul-nerable sections of Salvador, and ofstrategic cities of the state of Bahia,including access to basic services,improved housing, and socialsupport services, and aligned withthe Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).

The World Bank funds the “PovertyReduction and Public ManagementOperation (PRPMO) for Guyana”,which supports the implemen-tation of critical reforms in publicsector Management. In particular,the operation will contribute toimproving the transparency,accountability, and efficiency withwhich public resources are utilized.In addition, the PRPMO will helpimprove the Government's institu-tional capacity to monitor progress

under the PRSP, evaluate theimpact of poverty reduction pro-grams, and improve the statis-ticalinformation for poverty analysisand targeting. Finally, the opera-tion will support actions to streng-then environmental manage-mentand regulations to ensure thesustainable use of Guyana's natu-ral resources.

The Caribbean Development Bank(CDB) focuses its activities on thereduction of poverty in the region.It recently hosted a demographyworkshop to support the work ofachieving the Millennium Deve-lopment Goals (MDGs). In addition,work in the area of povertyreduction is mainstreamed using a“Poverty Prism” and opera-tionalized through three pillars:reducing vulnerability, enhancinglabor capability, and governance.Since the 1990s, the CDB has beeninstrumental in conducting “Coun-try Poverty Assessments (CPAs)”for all of its Borrowing MemberCountries, and assisting them withtheir “National Poverty Stra-tegies”. Also, the CDB published thebook “A New Perspective onPoverty in the Caribbean” to shareexperiences from the region. Incooperation with the Inter-Ame-rican Develop-ment Bank (IDB), aproject on capacity building insurvey design and implementation,dissemination of survey data andbuilding capacity for povertymeasurement and ana-lysis wasdeveloped. The “Basic Needs TrustFund (BNTF)” is the CDB’s flagshipdirect poverty reduction programwhich disburses grants in: edu-cation and day care facilities (44%),water supply systems (26%), roads,drains & footpaths (12%), facilities

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for health and vulnerable groups(12%), skills training (3%),community markets (3%).

The International Organization forMigration (IOM)’s CommunityDevelopment Projects in Guatema-la promotes social investment inthe rural area of Guatemala,benefiting populations living inpoverty and extreme poverty. Todate, more than 53 projects havebeen implemented, of which 13have been concluded. Under theland provision component 4 farmshave been purchased to solveagrarian conflicts between poorrural communities, benefiting 80families. The implementation oftwo land registry projects has beencontinued in two communities,benefiting 260 families. It is

important to highlight that theexecution of the “Project for theConstruction of the Second Phaseof the Instituto Tecnológico Guate-mala Sur” has been started.

In addition, the “SustainableDevelopment Program of BorderPopulations –PRODESFRO” aimsat financing sustainable develop-ment projects in the border zonesGuatemala-Mexico. Started inearly 2006, the project contributedto the construction of an existingroad section including paving of 28kilometres of road. Moreover, IOMis currently working on the cons-truction of two new road sectionswhich will have a total length of 54kilometers.

We recognize that economic growth is a basic, indispensable, but not sufficient, condition to addressthe high rates of unemployment, poverty, and growth of the informal economy. We recognize thatonly countries that have had years of sustained economic growth have successfully reduced poverty.However, in the recent past some countries of the Hemisphere have experienced periods of economicgrowth that did not translate into equivalent employment gains, compounding existing problemsof high income concentration, poverty, and indigence. The challenge is to sustain higher rates ofgrowth with equity and social inclusion, and to generate expanded opportunities, social investment,and social development. (Paragraph 8)

In relation to this resolution, theWorld Bank funded the “Program-matic Development Loan for Gua-temala.” This loan is part of aprogrammatic series of three tofour Development Policy Loans(DPLs) to support the fundamentalsand three main pillars of thegovernment's development plan“Vamos Guatemala”. It focuses onactions aimed at improving thebusiness and investment climate,creating fiscal space for greater so-

cial investment and achieving keymilestones in improving thefiduciary environment. FutureDPL operations are expected tomaintain the focus on the growthagenda (trade, investment climate,public private partnerships, accessto credit by SME), social sectorfinancing, transparency andefficiency in public spending. Theobjective of the “Rural PovertyReduction Project” is to assist theState of Minas Gerais to reduce highlevels of rural poverty.



The World Bank’s “Ceara RuralPoverty Reduction Project forBrazil” will: (1) improve well-beingand incomes of the rural poorthrough greater access to basic so-cial and economic infrastructureand services and support forproductive activities, using provencommunity-driven developmenttechniques; (2) increase the socialcapital or rural communities andcapacity to organize collectively tomeet their own needs; (3) enhancelocal governance by greater citizenparticipation and transparency indecision-making, through stren-gthening of community associa-tions and municipal councils; and(4) foster closer integration ofdevelopment policies, programsand projects in rural areas at thelocal level, by assisting the project'spartici-patory municipal councilsto extend their role in seekingfunding from, setting priorities forand making decisions concerningthe allocation of resources fromother programs beyond the Ban-supported project.

CAF continued to contribute to de-bate on social development in theregion. In particular, discussionworkshops were held on the topicof the Situation of the Rural andAgricultural Sector in AndeanCountries, in order to discuss andestablish a plan of action in the sec-tor for the short and medium terms.Assistance was provided toprograms and projects implemen-ted by the International Fund forAgricultural Development insupport of rural populations in thecountries of the region.

One of the priorities of the 2004-2009 Global Strategy of the CentralAmerican Bank for Economic

Integration (CABEI) is povertyreduction. To that end, the strategyproposes: 1) to generate oppor-tunities that lead to the creation offormal employment; 2) supportcountries in the development ofsustainable solutions for meetingbasic needs in the areas of health,education, and housing; 3) facilitateaccess to credit, promoting theleadership of the bank in the microfinance sector; 4) help to strengthenpublic administration, in particu-lar by local government in pro-grams that enhance their economicautonomy and management capa-city; and, 5) stimulate experienceand knowledge transfer betweenmember countries of the Bank andthe world.

In 2006, CABEI approved US$249.3million for programs and projectson poverty alleviation. Attentionshould also be drawn to otherpoverty alleviation measures, suchas the design of a low-cost housingfacility, agribusiness promotion,the design of a disaster bondscheme, funneling of the funds tomunicipalities in border areas in theframework of the Border ZoneDevelopment Program, and pro-motion of micro, small, andmedium-sized enterprise.

CABEI continue to contribute in2007 to two of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals: Eradicate Ex-treme Poverty and Hunger andEnsure Environmental Sustain-ability. Specifically, the Bankproposes to increasing the numberof beneficiaries of the microfinanceprogram from 148,000 to 250,000,and to improve access for low-income populations to sustainablefinancing mechanisms for homebuyers and home improvement.

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We note with concern the increased intensity of natural and manmade disasters and theirdevastating impact on human lives, infrastructure, and economies in the Hemisphere. We call foraction at the national, regional, and international levels to strengthen disaster managementprograms, including through increased capacity for disaster preparedness, development of earlywarning systems, risk mitigation and post-disaster recovery, and reconstruction and technicaland financial assistance as appropriate, particularly for disaster-prone countries, to reduce theimpact of disasters. We also support efforts under way to explore private and public sectorinvolvement in comprehensive approaches to catastrophic risk insurance. (Paragraph 11)

for the coordination of naturaldisasters management; (d) supportthe follow-up and implementationof the decisions of the Inter-American Committee for NaturalDisaster Reduction (IACNDR); and(e) coordinate the implementation,monitoring and periodic revisionof the Inter-American StrategicPlan for Policy on VulnerabilityReduction, Risk Management andDisaster Response (IASP).

With support of the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank (IDB) and theGovernment of Argentina, the OAScoordinates the “White HelmetsInitiative” to expand and con-solidate execution and financingmechanisms for specialized volun-teers’ participation at the nationaland regional levels in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean tosupport humanitarian assistance,the prevention and response toemergency situations.

In a joint effort with the Inter-national Federation of Red Cross(IFRC) and Red Crescent and theProVention Consortium, the OASwill implement a second phase ofactivities to strengthen the capacityof Red Cross National Societiesworking at the local, national, andregional levels by providing themwith appropriate training tools toprepare com-munities and reduce

In compliance with this mandate,the OAS provides technical adviceto the Joint Consultative Organ( JCO) of the Committee onHemispheric Security and thePermanent Executive Committee ofthe Inter-American Council for In-tegral Development (CEPCIDI) onNatural Disaster Reduction andRisk Management.

To this end, the OAS with supportof Canadian International Develop-ment Agency (CIDA) established in2006 an “Inter-American Networkfor Disaster Mitigation (INDM)” asa mechanism for the sharing andexchange of information, know-ledge and experience in the area ofnatural hazard risk management.The INDM seeks to: (a) assist OASmember States with the sharingand exchange of information,knowledge, and experience on Na-tural Hazard Risk Management; (b)strengthen the planning anddisaster management activities ofthe OAS in order to respond moreeffectively to natural disasters; (c)provide for a mechanism tocoordinate efforts and promotecollaboration among the or-ganizations of the Inter-AmericanSystem, Regional Inter-govern-mental Organizations, Inter-national Organizations, Donors,Banks and Financing Institutions,and National Agencies responsible



their vulnerability to the impact ofdisasters. Between June 2004 andDecember 2005, the OAS and IFRCthrough its Panama RegionalDelegation, supported by theProVention Consortium, imple-mented the community based“Vulnerability and CapacityAssessment (VCA) Methodology”in four Central American countries:Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala andHonduras, developing newcommunity based disaster man-agement tools.

The OAS is collaborating with theInternational Federation of the RedCross and the Red CrescentSocieties (IFRC) in the execution ofthe “International DisasterResponse, Laws, Rules andPrinciples Program (IDRL)” in theAmericas. This program aims toenhance disaster recovery andreconstruction capabilities incollaboration with relevant inter-national and regional institutionsthrough identifying and addres-sing legal and institutional cha-llenges faced by countries of theregion in the area of naturaldisasters management, includingmitigation and assistance.

Finally, in response to the aspectsof this mandate related to exploringprivate and public sector in-volvement in comprehensiveapproaches to catastrophic riskinsurance, the OAS has beencollaborating with the World Bankin their efforts to establish the“Caribbean Catastrophe RiskInsurance Facility”. In particularthe OAS developed a proposaljointly with the World Bank toassess current legal frameworks inthe Caribbean with a goal of

improving the legislative andadministrative framework trig-gered in a state of emergency. Glo-bal best practice will be consideredand a set of recommendations willbe identified for the implemen-tation of clear transparent pro-cedures that enable countries toappropriate and use resourcesefficiently in state of emergencycircumstances. This initiative isexpected to benefit participation ofthe Caribbean Region in the“World Bank Caribbean Catas-trophe Risk Insurance Facility” andwill result in an improvement inmitigation actions, managementand response to state of emergencysituations. The OAS Fundingtowards meeting this mandate isderived from projects in the area ofthe Department of SustainableDevelopment of Management ofNatural Hazards Risk, which in2006 had a portfolio of 9 projects,totaling US$3.50 million.

The IDB is currently working toimprove the capacity for riskmitigation, early-warning, anddisaster recovery and recons-truction in its member countries.In 2006 the Bank continued toimplement its “Action Plan forImproving Disaster Risk Manage-ment (DRM)”. Contributions inDRM were included in the countrystrategy and programming dialo-gue for 10 countries and portfolioreviews for two countries. Disasterrisk indicators were completed fortwo countries and more detailedcountry disaster risk evaluationswere initiated for four countries.Two loan projects and 13 technicalcooperation operations wereapproved during the year. Theimplementation of the “DRM

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Action Plan” will continue in 2007supported by resources from aspecial budget initiative. Contribu-tions to additional country stra-tegy and programming dialogueexercises and portfolio reviews forcountries are expected to take pla-ce. At least 10 new projects areexpected to be financed with non-reimbursable financing of the DPFand the Multi-donor Fund.

Following an extensive consul-tation process, Bank Managementapproved the draft DRM policy inAugust 2006. The Board approvedthe establishment of two newinstruments for non-reimbursablefinancing, the “Disaster PreventionFund (DPF)”, and the “Multi-donorDisaster Prevention Fund”. Aworking group was established toreview other financial instrumentsas well as the Bank’s role in thedevelopment of risk transfermarkets in the region. Meetingswere held with capital market andreinsurance companies. Twodisaster finance events wereorganized 2006; at the IDB’s AnnualMeeting in Brazil, March 2006 andwith the Caribbean DevelopmentBank on budget planning in thecontext of DRM in Barbados, June2006. Two working papers werepublished by on disaster finance.

The draft DRM policy draft isscheduled to be presented to thePolicy Committee of the Board ofDirectors in February 2007 and forthe subsequent approval by theBoard of the Bank. The corres-ponding guidelines will beprepared for the implementation ofthe new policy within six monthsof its approval. The DisasterFinance Working Group is expected

to prepare a white paper on theIDB’s role in risk transfer.

In the area of Regional DisasterPolicy Dialogue, in 2006 the Bankorganized a region-wide DisasterNetwork meeting in Washingtonthat included a special joint sessionwith the Regional Poverty Net-work. Two sub-regional eventstook place in Barbados and Bolivia.The dialogue themes were disasterindicators, budgetary planningand how to put DRM into practiceamong government agencies. Onehemispheric and at least two sub-regional meetings will be organizedin 2007 on topics such as DRM insustainable cities, protection ofcritical infrastructure and localdisaster risk indicators for land useplanning.

One of the four pillars of the Bank’sSustainable Energy and ClimateChange Initiative (SECCI) is climatechange adaptation that is closelyrelated to disaster risk manage-ment. The topic was presented atthe SECCI conference in November2006. Projects will be prepared in2007 to receive financing from theGlobal Environment Funds. Awhite paper document on main-streaming climate change adap-tation will be produced by the DRMgroup.

A new Internet platform, includinga DRM website to be prepared aspart of the implementation of theCommunication Strategy shouldbe fully functional. At least threestaff training events are expectedto be completed in 2007.

Fortunately, 2006 was relativelyfree of natural disasters in the



region, and ECLAC has taken theopportunity to move forward in thedevelopment of a methodology forassessing needs at the post-emergency stage and a “toolkit” tofacilitate the planning and co-ordination of efforts to reactivatevarious sectors, with a risk re-duction approach.

The World Bank’s Board ofDirectors approved a US$14.2million zero-interest credit fromthe International DevelopmentAssociation (IDA) to four countrymembers of the Organization ofEastern Caribbean States (Domini-ca, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St.Vincent and the Grenadines), andan IDA grant of US$9.0 million toHaiti to support their participationin the Caribbean Catastrophe RiskInsurance Facility (CCRIF). TheCCRIF will enable governments topurchase catastrophe coverageakin to business interruptioninsurance that will provide themwith early cash payment after amajor hurricane or earthquake.Pooling their risk will save theparticipating countries some 40percent in individual premiumpayments.

The IDA credit will provide Domi-nica, Grenada, St. Vincent and theGrenadines and St. Lucia withresources to meet their paymentsof annual insurance premiumsover the next 3 years. The funds willbe disbursed in four installmentsto the CCRIF at the request of eachcountry’s Ministry of Finance.

On February 26, 2007, the WorldBank hosted a donor pledgingconference where Bermuda,Canada, France the United

Kingdom, the Caribbean Develop-ment Bank and the World Bankpledged US$47 million for theCCRIF’s reserve fund. A total of 18Caribbean countries are partici-pating in the CCRIF, which isexpected to become operationalbefore the 2007 hurricane season,which begins in June.

Adopting a preventive vision thatacknowledges the responsibility ofdevelopment actors in the creationof vulnerabilities, CAF created theAndean Regional Program forDisaster Risk Prevention andMitigation (PREANDINO). Since itsinception in 2000, a total of 287national, sectoral, and territorialinstitutions have joined thisprogram, which is organized into73 working groups in which morethan 1500 professionals take part.The overarching aim of theProgram is to support the efforts ofAndean countries to designnational, sectoral and territorialpolicies on disaster risk mitigationand prevention. The Programinvolves more than 161 high-ran-king government officials, and itseeks, by the end of their terms inoffice, to ensure that they havesucceeded in improving institu-tional organization. Institutionalschemes were also developed totake account of the impact ofadverse natural phenomena inplanning. Furthermore, solidtechnical and institutional supportwas provided to encourage theinclusion of disaster risk pre-vention and reduction criteria inlaws and regulations already inplace or in the pipeline; forcollection and systematization ofinformation on hazards andvulnerability, and to raise aware-

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ness among users at the sectoral andterritorial levels.

At present, as a result of PRE-ANDINO, all of the Andeancountries are engaged in thedevelopment of planning ins-truments (Plans or Strategies forDisaster Risk Reduction inDevelopment). At the regional level,included among many otheraccomplishments was the creationof the Andean Committee forDisaster Prevention and Assistance(CAPRADE) and the design of theProgram for Disaster Prevention inthe Andean Community (PRE-DECAN), with financing providedby the European Union (•13.5million) and currently in operationthrough the General Secretariat ofthe Andean Community (CAN).

Recently, since the PREDECAN hasensured the continuity of the workof PREANDINO, CAF has decided toadopt a new approach in its effortsand to move from the planningsupport phase to one in which itprovides the added investment andfinancing necessary to tackle natu-ral disasters threats in the region ina more robust and timely mannerthrough its Natural Disaster Risk

Management Program, whereprevention remains the coreguiding principle.

The CABEI has designed a disasterbond scheme through whichgovernments in the region cansubscribe to these bonds, whichwould lower the risk for inter-national markets and help tomitigate the potential material andhuman costs of acts of nature. Thescheme would benefit the popula-tions most vulnerable and exposedto natural disasters.

The CDB provided technicalassistance, loans, and debt relief tocountries that have naturaldisasters (hurricanes, floods,landslides, beach erosion, etc.) inCaribbean, and works very closelywith the regional bodies such asCaribbean Disaster ResponseAgency (CDERA) to provideimmediate relief in the aftermathof a disaster. Also the “CatastrophicRisk Insurance Initiative” wasrecently launched. Furthermore,the foundation work of “DisasterMitigation Facility of the Caribbean(DMFC)” was completed and fullyintegrated into the CDB’s workprogram.

Sustained economic growth, with equity and social inclusion, is an indispensable condition tocreate jobs, fight extreme poverty, and overcome inequality in the Hemisphere. To achieve theseends, it is necessary to improve transparency and the investment climate in our countries, buildhuman capital, encourage increased incomes and improve their distribution, promote corporatesocial responsibility, and foster a spirit of entrepreneurship as well as strong business activity.(Paragraph 12)

The OAS has been working closelywith several countries in the regionto assist them in improving their

investment climate, and in sodoing, in attracting investmentwith a view to creating jobs. There



is an increasing recognition in theregion that investment-related le-gal and administrative procedures–and the costs and delays asso-ciated with them– can significantlyinfluence the location of firms andtheir resulting productivity. Timeand transparency matter forinvestors –both foreign and local.In view of the establishment of theCaribbean Single Market, and atthe request of members of theOrganisation of Eastern CaribbeanStates, the OAS is providingassistance to these countries increating a more streamlined andinvestor-friendly policy environ-ment, using the “One-Stop Shop”concept as a way to fashion a

vehicle dealing with adminis-trative procedures.

In order to stimulate humandevelopment, the OAS, through itsSpecial Multilateral Fund (FEM-CIDI), provided financing for theproject, “International re-cognitionfor the accreditation systems of thecountries of the Americas tofacilitate free trade in the region.”The aim of the project is to enhancethe accreditation infrastructure ofagents that rate compliance byaccreditation agencies in theAmericas region, in order to lowertechnical trade barriers andfacilitate free trade.

Recognizing that the reduction of inequality and the elimination of poverty cannot be achievedsolely through welfare-oriented social policies, we commit to undertaking comprehensivegovernment policies that institutionalize the fight against poverty. We commit to consolidatingmore democratic societies with opportunities for all, and will promote greater access for our peopleto education, health care, labor markets, and credit. (Paragraph 13)

ECLAC has continued its analyticalactivities, seeking synergiesbetween economic growth and so-cial equity as part of a productivemodernization process that focuseson boosting competitiveness,safeguarding macroeconomic ba-lances and strengthening a par-ticipatory and inclusive form ofdemocracy. The idea at the core ofthis proposal is that the LatinAmerican and Caribbean econ-omies will need to transform theirproduction structures, as well asembarking upon an intensiveprocess of human capital for-mation.

In the social arena, particularimportance has been placed onfostering greater equality ofopportunity by promoting edu-cation and the positive returns ithas for poor households, on add-ressing and working to counteractthe exclusionary dynamics of stru-cturally heterogeneous labourmarkets, using social expenditureto redistribute assets, and on pro-moting the full exercise of citizen-ship, thereby strengthening de-mocracy and laying the politicalfoundations for more inclusivesocieties.

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ECLAC has also helped to introdu-ce the concept of social cohesion asa principle for the comprehensiveguidance of economic and socialpolicy. This has been reflected inpublications, a high-level expertseminar held in Panama, and acontribution to the Ibero-AmericanSummit of Heads of State andGovernment to be held in 2007. Inthe context of these efforts, a bookentitled Cohesión social: inclusióny sentido de pertenencia en Améri-ca Latina y el Caribe (Spanish only)was published in January 2007. Thebook examines some of the

dimensions of social cohesion, inparticular those in which resourcesand political will are needed inorder to bridge gaps in the area ofsocial exclusion and give indivi-dual people a feeling of belongingto society, based on effectiveenjoyment of citizenship and ademocratic ethic. The document isbased on the idea that the socialcohesion agenda for the regionmust take into account both theconstraints and the scope for actionwhich are present in the economic,political and institutional fieldsand which affect its viability.

Taking into account the efforts made in the Hemisphere in the struggle against drug trafficking, wereiterate our support to ensure that alternative development projects contribute to economicgrowth, promote the creation of decent work, and support the sustainable economic viability ofcommunities and families in those countries affected by the presence of illicit crops. (Paragraph 14)

Funding limitations have forced theOAS to rethink how it can bestimplement Summit mandatesrelated to alternative development.The OAS has phased out severalsuccessful but costly pilot projectsthat benefit a relatively small num-ber of people, and instead havebegun to focus its efforts on actionswhere impact will be more broadlyfelt. For example, on the policy side,the OAS has been active in theinternational fora currently deba-ting whether economic develop-ment in drug producing areasshould be addressed in the contextof overall national developmentand not as a separate activity.

The OAS also sees a role for itself inserving as a centre of excellence toshare best practices with andprovide information, technicalassistance and policy advice tomember states and to internationalorganizations, development agen-cies and financial institutions. TheOAS will concentrate on impro-ving its coordination with thenational counterpart agencies inorder to prevent duplication ofefforts and avoid supportingactivities that are isolated fromother similar initiatives.



We express our commitment to the progress of the negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda.We will make every effort to attain an ambitious and balanced outcome at the Sixth World TradeOrganization Ministerial Conference, which will lead to a successful conclusion of the Doha Roundin 2006 based, inter alia, on the principle of special and differential treatment for developingcountries. We remain committed to achieving substantial progress on all elements of the DohaNegotiations, in order to gain, in particular, greater access to markets for our exports, the eliminationof all forms of agricultural export subsidies, and a substantial reduction of trade-distorting domesticsupport. We remain committed to achieving an ambitious outcome to the negotiations and to thefull and effective implementation of the Work Program related to small economies. Our objective isto expand our trade, as a means of boosting growth and our capacity to generate more, higherquality, and better-paying jobs. (Paragraph 18.)

To contribute to the strengtheningof the human and institutionalcapacity of member States toparticipate in the multilateral tradenegotiations, the OAS has con-tinued to partner with the WorldTrade Organization (WTO) toorganize the “Annual Multilateraland Regional Trade Issues for theAmericas course”, ongoing since1998, and held, in 2006, in partner-ship with George Washington Uni-versity Law School.

CAF has actively accompanied thetrade talks among the countries ofthe region as part of its role insupport of its shareholders. In thatconnection, the imple-mentation in2006 of the Program in Support ofIncreased Partnership in World

Trade for Latin American Coun-tries” enabled financing to beprovided for five research studieson trade agreements, in particularin connection with agriculture andthe impact of the various nego-tiation scenarios of the Doha Round.In this context, it is important todraw attention to the discussionsheld at the World Trade Orga-nization on the trade facilitationinitiative, where the need wasproposed for regional developmentbanks to play an active role toensure its success. It is also worthmentioning the event held in San-tiago, Chile, in conjunction with theTrade Division of ECLAC, to discussthe research agendas of the twoinstitutions on trade-related issues.

We commit to implementing active policies to generate decent work and create the conditions forquality employment that imbue economic policies and globalization with a strong ethical andhuman component, putting the individual at the center of work, the company, and the economy.We will promote decent work, that is to say: fundamental rights at work, employment, socialprotection and social dialogue. (Paragraph 21)

ECLAC produced the documentSocial Panorama of Latin America2006, which examines the changesin the main labour-market in-dicators and compares trendsrecorded in the period 1990-2002with those for the last three years(2003-2005). It is concluded that theupturn in employment and, partly,in wages seen in the more recentperiod has not significantly im-proved the quality of new jobs. Italso notes that the current levels ofcoverage of employment-basedcontributory social security sche-mes are insufficient to sustain

progress towards the institution ofa universal pension and retirementscheme in which minimum be-nefits can be properly financed inthe long term.

In order to contribute to theanalysis of labour markets and, inparticular, the concern at both theregional and the global levels overthe issue of employment andunemployment among youngpeople, ECLAC conducted a num-ber of studies on labour-marketintegration for young people.

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We reaffirm our strong commitment to confronting the scourge of racism, discrimination, andintolerance in our societies. These problems must be fought at all levels of government and thewider society. The Inter-American System also has a vital role to play in this process by, amongother activities, analyzing the social, economic, and political obstacles faced by marginalized groupsand identifying practical steps, including best practices, on how to combat racism anddiscrimination. To this end, we support the implementation of the OAS Resolution AG/RES. 2126(XXXV O/05) that led to the establishment of a Working Group in charge of, inter alia, the preparationof a Draft Inter-American Convention Against Racism and all Forms of Discrimination andIntolerance, and lend encouragement to that Working Group to combat racism, discrimination,and intolerance through available means as a matter of the highest priority. We also recall ourcommitment to fully implement our obligations under the United Nations Convention on theElimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.(Paragraph 24)

The Office of the Special Rapporteuron the Rights of Afro-Descendantsand against Racial Discriminationof the OAS engages in activities tostimulate, systematize, strengthenand consolidate measures adoptedby the Inter-American Commissionon Human Rights in that area.From that perspective, the coreobjectives of the Special Rappor-teurship include work with OASMember States for the followingpurposes: to generate awareness ofStates’ duties to respect the humanrights of Afro-descendants andeliminate all forms of racial dis-crimination; analyze the currentchallenges that confront thecountries of the region in this area,formulate recommendations de-signed to overcome obstacles, andidentify and share best practices inthe region in this connection; andmonitor and provide any technicalassistance that member Statesmight request to implement recom-mendations in their domestic lawsand practices.

As part of this activity, theRapporteurship supports theWorking Group of the Committeeon Juridical and Political Affairs ofthe Permanent Council of the OASthat is working on a Draft American

Convention against Racism and AllForms of Discrimination. It iscurrently analyzing the draft andcontributing to the discussions onthe final draft.

The Rapporteurship also supportsthe work of the Inter-AmericanCommission on Human Rightswith respect to Afro-descendantsand racial discrimination in thepreparation of special studies andreports on the rights of Afro-descendants and, furthermore,studies on matters connected withthe elimination of racial discri-mination. In relation to the fore-going, at the 126th regular sessionthe Rapporteurship submitted areport on affirmative action in theAmericas, one on admissibility andanother for publication on racialdiscrimination in the workplace.

The Rapporteurship makes re-commendations to the Inter-American Commission regardinghearings to be granted at regularsessions and takes part in dis-cussions on alleged violations. Atits 124th regular session, theCommission held hearings on ge-neral and specific situations ofhuman rights in various countriesand regions. In the framework of



the hearings of a general nature theCommission received informationon the situation of economic, social,and cultural rights in Brazil.

The Special Rapporteurship alsoworks with parties to reach afriendly settlement of matterssubmitted to the OAS in this area,as well as preparing consultationsand recommendations to memberstates on amendment of standardsand provisions in force on the rightsof Afro-descendants and racialdiscrimination.

The Rapporteurship also accom-panies the Inter-American Com-mission on its on-site researchvisits to countries in the region.During such visits the Office of theSpecial Rapporteur collectsinformation and investigates themain visible problems regardingAfro-descendants and racialdiscrimination; prepares, asappropriate, draft reports onadmissibility, merits, and friendlysettlement; and collaborates in thepreparation of thematic reports onthe situation in countries in theregion and the annual reports to theOAS.

At the 123rd Regular Session of theCommission, the Special Rappor-teur gave a presentation on the“Interagency Consultation on Raceand Poverty in Latin America”,which, apart from the IACHR,included the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank (IDB), the PanAmerican Health Organization(PAHO), the World Bank, the UKDepartment for InternationalDevelopment (DFID), the FordFoundation, and the Inter-American Foundation, as well as

the Inter-American Dialogue thatserves as secretariat to the Inter-Agency Consultation

The OAS also issued a vacancynotice for an Afro-descendentlawyer to work under a grant atthe Rapporteurship for one year.This fellowship is part of thepromotion activities that theRapporteurship carries out toprovide training to Afro-descen-dant lawyers.

The Special Rapporteur also workswith the other Special Rappor-teurships of the Commission inmatters that intersect with Afro-descendants and racial discri-mination and their respectivemandates. With civil society, thework focuses on amplifyingawareness in the region of theguarantees and mechanisms theinter-American human rightssystem offers for the protection ofthe rights of Afro-descendants andagainst racial discrimination. Also,the Rapporteurship maintains adatabase on the most currentinformation received through itsinformal hemispheric networkrelated to the rights of people ofAfrican descent and racial discri-mination in member States orprogress in this matter; promotesthe Inter-American systemthrough its participation ineducation and training activities aswell as seminars, conferences andfora, among others. Finally, theSpecial Rapporteurship works incollaboration with the pertinentUN Bodies, including CERD, theWorking Group of Afro-descen-dants, and the Special Rapporteuron Racial Discrimination.

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The Rapporteurship also partici-pated in different meetings on thisissue in the Americas, including theInternational Conference of Africanand Diaspora Intellectuals held inSalvador, Bahía, Brazil, in 2006. TheRapporteur also attended the Re-gional Conference of the Americason accomplishments and challen-ges in the program of action againstracism, racial discrimination,xenophobia, and related forms ofintolerance held in Brasilia, Brazil.

In the future, the Office of the SpecialRapporteur on the Rights of Afro-

Descendants and against RacialDiscrimination will continue to ca-rry out activities with the States,provide technical support to theWorking Group of the Committeeon Juridical and Political Affairs ofthe Permanent Council of the OASon the Draft American Conventionagainst Racism and All Forms ofDiscrimination; analyze the curr-ent challenges in this regard thatface the countries in the region; andformulate recommendations toovercome obstacles and share goodpractices in the region.

We commit to protecting children from economic exploitation and from any tasks that may interferewith their education and integral development, according to the principle of the effective abolitionof child labor, which is contained in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights atWork (1998). In addition, we will take immediate and effective measures to prevent and eradicatethe worst forms of child labor according to Convention 182 of the ILO (1999). We will strive toimprove access to and the quality of basic education for all children, recognizing that providingeducational opportunities is an investment in the future of our societies. (Paragraph 25.)

Within the framework of itscontinuous labor dedicated to theprotection and defense of the rightsof children and adolescents victimsof economic exploitation in theAmericas, the Inter-American Chil-dren’s Institute (IIN), a specializedorganization of the OAS, hasundertaken actions directly relatedwith the imple-mentation of thisMandate throughout 2006. We firsthighlight among them, the per-manent co-operation and technicalassis-tance given to the NationalCommittee for the Eradication ofChild Labor and the NationalCommittee for the Eradication ofCommercial Sexual Exploitation ofchildren and adolescents of Uru-

guay in the design and elaborationof their respective National WorkPlans, in conjunction with theInternational Labor Organization(ILO) and UNICEF. Secondly, thedevelopment of a preliminarystudy for the creation of an “Inter-American Observatory on theSexual Exploitation of Children andAdolescents”, through the signingof a tripartite agreement withECPAT International and Save theChildren Sweden. Thirdly, theelaboration and presentation of theVII Annual Report to the SecretaryGeneral of the OAS on the Con-dition of the Sexual Exploi-tation ofChildren and Adolescents in theAmericas1, keeping with the OAS

1 This report details the progress made in Member States in fulfilling of the 1996 Stockholm Goals, the 2001Montevideo Compromise and the 2001 Yokohama Declaration.



General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1667 (XXIX-O/99). Finally, theinitiation of the project “IntegralStudy on Legislation an PublicPolicies against Commercial SexualExploitation of children andadolescents in Latin America”, inconcordance with Save theChildren Sweden, the results ofwhich were presented during theVI Meeting of High Authorities onHuman Rights and ForeignMinistries of MERCOSUR –Niñ@Sur Working Group, inDecember 2006, being a concretecontribution from IIN to thisrelevant theme promoted in boththe fields of the OAS (AG/RES. 2240XXXVI-O/06) and MERCOSUR’sAssociated States.

To continue the implementation ofthis Mandate, the IIN will promotea series of measures to combat childlabor and to promote access tobasic education in two comple-mentary fields. In the first field, theIIN will seek not only to reinforceits strategic alliances on a nationaland regional level with govern-ment and civil society actors, butwill also aim to expand co-operation and working relation-ships with other countries andagencies, particularly with the ILOand their “International Programfor the Eradication of Child Labor(IPEC)” in Latin America and theCaribbean. In the second field, theIIN will advocate for greater depthin the knowledge of the character-istics of child labor, its incidence inthe region, and its direct relation-ship with the violation of the rightto education. In order to do so, itwill conduct specific diagnosticsand will elaborate several ins-truments to collaborate with

national governments in facing thisissue. These and other actions,which the IIN can promote basedon its functions and mandates, willhave as their central goal theprotection of children and adoles-cents from all types of economicexploitation in the region, theprogressive elimination of child la-bor, specially in its worst forms, andthe promotion of access to qualityeducation for all.

With respect to this priority area,in the framework of the OAS, theMinistries of Labor have attendedmeetings for discussion andanalysis of the effective abolition ofchild labor. This issue has beentaken up by the meetings of the OASWorking Groups and targeted bythe International Program for theElimination of Child Labor (IPEC).

The OAS also works to supportmember States in their efforts toexpand and improve the qualityand equity of educational oppor-tunities by focusing its efforts inseveral critical areas identified aspriorities by Ministers of Edu-cation: early childhood care andeducation; teacher quality; edu-cation indicators and assessment;and the development of democraticpractices and values througheducation. The OAS concentratesits efforts on policy dialogue, hori-zontal cooperation, and designingand implementing projects toinform and strengthen policies andbuild human and institutionalcapacity. In 2006-2007, the follow-ing was achieved:

Early Childhood Education .Research shows that investmentsin early childhood education canlead to greater success in educa-

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tional achievement and lifeopportunities. To this end the DECworked with member States todevelop and begin executing aproject aimed at strengtheningpolicy and practice to promote asuccessful transition for youngchildren from the family to earlychildhood education programs,and from preschool to primaryschool. Research activities in-cluding a survey of Member Statepolicies and programs areunderway, and an internationalsymposium on the state of the artin attention to children ages zeroto three will be held in Caracas,Venezuela in mid-May 2007. TheOAS, with the support and co-llaboration of the Bernard VanLeer Foundation, is also analyzingpolicy tendencies for attention toyoung children in indigenous, ru-ral and border communities inselected countries. The OAS willbe supporting Colombia in theorganization of the V Meeting ofMinisters of Education, for whichthe topic of early childhoodeducation has been selected as thecentral theme.

Teacher Development andQuality.The quality of education dependsin no small measure on the qualityof classroom instruction andquality of preparation of theteachers at all levels to providethat instruction. The OAS ispromoting both research andcollaboration across teachereducators in member states toarticulate what students areexpected to learn with howteachers are prepared. In colla-boration with universities andgovernments from across thehemisphere, in September 2006 in

Trinidad and Tobago the OASlaunched the “Inter-AmericanTeacher Educator Network andits Teacher Education Portal” tocollect and disseminate newapproaches to policy and practicein this important area, and theOAS continues to support andexpand this network of teachereducators. (www.oest.oas.org/iten )

Education for DemocraticCitizenship.An important purpose ofschooling is to prepare studentsfor civic engagement in a de-mocracy. In 2006, the OAS workedwith Colombia and othermember States to launch the“Inter-American Program onEducation for Democratic Valuesand Practices”, an alliance ofministries and NGOs working toimprove citizenship competen-cies and youth engagementthrough research, professionaldevelopment, and informationexchange.

In the first phase of the “InterAmerican Program” in 2006, acti-vities included the first meeting ofits Advisory Board held April 17-19, 2006 in Bogotá, Colombia; thedevelopment of a Web Portal forthe Program launched in June 2006;a mapping of current policies andprograms in the hemisphere ineducation for democratic citizen-ship; and the organization of an“International Seminar on BestPractices in Citizenship Education”held July 5-7, 2006 in Mexico City.(www.educadem.oas.org)

In 2007 key Program activitiesinclude the organization of the“Inter-American Summit on



Education for Conflict Resolution inOhio”, USA from March 14-17, thelaunching of the new bilingualonline academic journal “Inter-American Journal on Education forDemocracy”, and the continuedimplementation of two distancecourses for educators on teachingdemocratic values and practices inPeru and in the Caribbean.

Educational indicators.Effective decision making re-quires accurate and up-to-dateinformation. For this reason, in2006-7 DEC continued to partnerwith the Public EducationSecretariat of Mexico andUNESCO to implement theSummit-mandated “RegionalProgram on Educational Indi-cators (PRIE)”, to help countriesbuild the capacity to collect,analyze and use internationallycomparable educational indi-cators in their decision-makingprocesses for educational im-provement.

The IOM Regional Office in Lima,along with its partners the IDB andthe offices of the First Ladies of Bo-livia, Colombia, El Salvador andParaguay, are implementing theproject “Regional Prevention of

Trafficking and Smuggling inChildren and Reinforcing theirKnowledge About Sexual Repro-ductive Health”. It aims at com-bating the trafficking of child-renand raising awareness and edu-cating on sexual and repro-ductivehealth issues. Related subjects,such as domestic violence, un-wanted pregnancies, and sexualand reproductive health areincluded.

The 15 month project will make useof best practices of previous countertrafficking experiences in Peru.More than 100 teachers from eachparticipating country will betrained on the subject of humantrafficking. The training is expectedto have a multiplying effect, as thisinformation will trickle down tomore than 4,000 students inprimary and secondary schools.

All participating schools will takepart in a contest with the winnerin each country becoming thenational representative in chargeof transferring the acquiredknowledge. The project also aimsto place the subject of humantrafficking in school programs andon the public’s agenda.

We reaffirm that all migrants, regardless of their immigration status, should be accorded the fullprotection of human rights and the full observance of labor laws applicable to them, including theprinciples and labor rights embodied in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rightsat Work (1998). (Paragraph 26)

In order to promote the rights ofmigrants, the OAS held, in theframework of the Inter-AmericanLabor Administration Network

(RIAL), the hemispheric workshopseminar on “Migrant Workers: Pro-tection of their Labor Rights andLabor Market Programs” in

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November 2006, in Ottawa,Canada, with support provided bythe labor program of LaborCanada. This event brought to-gether 28 Ministries of Labor in theHemisphere, which, together withrepresentatives of the OAS, ILO andInter-American Commission onHuman Rights, shared experiencesand best practices for promotion ofthe labor rights of migrantworkers, as well as specific bilate-ral agreements and programsdesigned to ensure orderly man-agement of migrant flows.

Among the main issues that cameout of the event was the need for

governments to work together toensure transparent and orderlymanagement of migrant labor; theimportance of bilateral or multi-lateral agreements on social se-curity so as to enable the transferof pensions; the impact of remit-tances; awareness raising and com-munication strategies to informmigrant workers of their rights; theurgent need for cooperation bet-ween countries of origin and des-tination of migrants; the coor-dination, law enforcement, inspec-tion, and surveillance roles thatMinistries of Labor are called on toperform in migration management,among other issues.

We will promote decent work for migrant workers in the context of the Declaration of Nuevo Leónand encourage support for the Inter-American Program adopted by the General Assembly inresolution AG/RES. 2141 (XXXV-O/05). Likewise, the state parties to the International Conventionon the Protection of the Human Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Familiesreiterate the importance of its full implementation by the parties. (Paragraph 27)

During 2006, the Inter-AmericanChildren’s Institute (IIN), aspecialized organization of theOAS, actively participated indifferent meetings, conferences andregional forums on the currentcharacteristics of the migratoryphenomenon, its impact on com-munities, homes, and people, andits more preoccupying outlyingeffects, such as the situation ofseparated families, the effect ofremittances, trafficking, and thecondition of extreme vulnerabilityin which the undocumented mi-grants find themselves. In thissense, IIN was present at the “Mee-ting of National Authorities dealingwith Human Trafficking”, held inIsla Margarita, Venezuela, during

which it held a conference on thistopic. Likewise, IIN participated inthe III Conference of ChildwatchInternational’s Latin-Americanand Caribbean Network,“Childhood and Youth: Disloca-tions and Moves”, for which thedocument “Migration: Childhoodand Rights” was prepared. IIN wasalso invited to participate in theediting of the rough draft of thedocument “The Impact of Mi-gration in the Rights of Childrenand Adolescents” for the finalstatement of the III Forum of LatinAmerica’s Childhood and Ado-lescence NGOs, in collabo-rationwith UNICEF, IOM, and the forumorganizing NGOs. Lastly, the Ge-neral Director held the Conference



“Migration: From Solidarity toInsensitivity” during the VIII LatinAmerican Conference of MinistersResponsible for Infancy andAdolescence, entitled “Migrationand its Effects on the Rights ofChildren and Adolescents”, duringwhich IIN also offered technical aidin the organization and develop-ment phases of the event. In allthese instances, IIN tried to intro-duce as the first order of debate themost pressing problems for thechildhood and adolescence of theregion, seeking the exchange ofexperiences from a perspective ofthe rights of children andadolescents. Lastly, we highlightthe general agreement of co-operation signed with the “Pan-American Center against theDisappearance, Exploitation,Treating and Traffic (CIDETT)”, tocarry out joint actions in thismatter, through the prevention,protection and attention of therights of children and adolescents.

CABEI is currently exploring thepossibility of offering a remittanceservice that is more economicalthan the current mechanisms forsending money to the region, as away to help combat poverty andimprove quality of life in CentralAmerica.

In its second phase, the IOM’s“FOINTRA-project (Fortalecimien-to Institucional en la Lucha contrala Trata de Personas en Argentina)on Capacity Building on CounterTrafficking in Argentina” is set toexpand its scope to an additionalfour provinces (Córdoba, Tucumán,Entre Ríos and Neuquén) and toenhance the counter-traffickingsensitizing, training, capacity buil-

ding and information processesthat began with the previous phase.The previous phase of the projectwas implemented between March2005 and March 2006 in fourlocalities (Jujuy, Misiones, SantaCruz provinces and the City of Bue-nos Aires) and reached over 2000beneficiaries.

The capacity-building componentpromotes the creation andinstitutionalization of regional/provincial counter trafficking inter-institutional boards (includingparliamentary representatives, ju-dicial and assistance operators) andprovides technical assistance onprevention, prosecution andpolicy-making related to tra-fficking. The training com-ponenttargets governmental and non-governmental organizations andprovides tools for planning,assessing and implementingcounter-trafficking actions andassistance to victims of trafficking,including the “Train the trainers”program to ensure the independentreplication of training activities forfederal government agencies. Thepublic information component isdesigned to sensitize the public asregards the causes and risks oftrafficking, as well as to strengthenthe knowledge of trafficking as acrime that requires urgent action.

In Venezuela, IOM is working withthe Ministry of Labor to develop amedia campaign to address humanrights of migrant workers and theirfamilies. This mass informationcampaign will inform migrantworkers of their rights and dutiesas well as the institutions obligatedto guarantee their rights. The ge-neral objective of this project is to

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assist in the improvement ofworking conditions and life style ofmigrant workers and their familiesin Venezuela.

At the request of the GuatemalanGovernment, IOM is implementinga project that benefits migrantsand employers, in both thecountries of origin and destination.Through established criteria, IOMassists in the selection, pre-departure and transfer of seasonalagricultural workers from Guate-mala to Canada, and monitors theirreturn. Besides being an efficientmechanism for the recruitment,protection and return of workers,the project provides an alternativeto irregular migration and gene-rates economic benefits to allparties concerned.

IOM published a series of counter-trafficking training modules(Information Campaigns, Returnand Reintegration, Capacity Buil-ding, and Cooperation andNetworking) in English, whichhave been translated into Spanishand French. Adaptable to thetraining group’s specific context,the participant obtains an excellentintroduction to each topic, whichis essential to a comprehensive,rights-based approach to counter-trafficking. The next three topics inthe series currently under develop-ment are: Children, Direct Assis-tance, and Victim Identification andInterviewing Techniques.

The “6th South American Con-ference on Migration (SCM)” washosted by Paraguay in Asunción inthe month of May 2006. Theparticipating South Americanstates discussed and agreed to co-

operate on a number of themesrelated to migration and deve-lopment, including the promotionand respect for the human rightsof migrants and measures tocombat smuggling and traffickingof persons. The outcome of theconference was formally agreed inthe “Declaration of Asuncion” andformed part of the region’scontribution to the UN High LevelDialogue on Migration andDevelopment that took place inSeptember 2006.

In view of the relevance the SixthConference attached to humanrights and in accordance with theDeclaration of Asuncion, IOM Bue-nos Aires arranged a seminar on“The Human Rights of Migrants –the Main Challenges in Argentina”under the auspices of the NationalHuman Rights Secretariat and theLower Chamber’s Commission onHuman Rights. The objective of theseminar was to analyze Argen-tina’s international commitmentsregarding the protection of humanrights and migrants and to providea space for reflection. The next and7th South-American Conference isscheduled to take place in Venezue-la in 2007.

In the MERCOSUR region and inBolivia and Chile, IOM is im-plementing the second stage of a“Project to Counter Trafficking ofChildren and to Prevent ChildPornography”, which will contri-bute to a common approach tocounteract the phenomenon oftrafficking in persons, especiallychildren and to deepen the resultsachieved during the first phase ofthe initiative. The project consistsof two components entailing better



understanding of trafficking bymeans of a “Regional TrainingWorkshop” and the development ofspecific research.

IOM’s “Assistance to Victims ofTrafficking Program (AVOT)” aimsto assist victims of trafficking (VOT)through a multi-pronged strategyincluding: the protection, returnand reintegration of victims oftrafficking. To this end, the “AVOTProgram” employs a mechanism topromptly identify victims, afterwhich the assistance component isimplemented. This component wasconceived as a flexible tool to beadjusted to the peculiarities of eachcase; as such it comprises medicalassistance, psychological support,social assistance (basic consum-ption needs, food, and clothing),temporary shelter, legal advice, andassistance in personal docu-mentation procedures, voluntaryreturn to places of origin in safeconditions and the formulation ofa social reintegration plan.

Reinsertion actions for victims oftrafficking in their countries oforigin are coordinated by theAVOT-team and implemented bylocal counterparts. For example,the formulation and imple-mentation of reintegration plansfor the Paraguayan victims ofsexual exploitation were jointlymanaged with the Childhood andAdolescence Secretariat and theWomen’s Secretariat of Paraguay,and articulation regarding thereturn of victims of labour ex-ploitation and child victims oftrafficking in Bolivia was carriedout through the IOM Office in LaPaz, along with governmental and/or civil society counterparts res-

ponsible for monitoring rein-sertion.

In the tri-border of Paraguay, Braziland Argentina, IOM is raisingpublic awareness and increasingknowledge on the risks andconsequences of trafficking throughdissemination of information.Mainly, the project addressespotential and current victims aswell as relevant Triple BorderNGOs and social stakeholders inview of preventing and dis-couraging trafficking. In this sense,an initial database with keystakeholders involved in counter-trafficking measures has beenprocessed in order to ensure acommon approach and to ensuresustainability once the completionof the project has been achieved.

Country missions under the Regio-nal Office in San Jose, Costa Rica areundertaking many projects toprevent trafficking in persons andto assist the victims of trafficking.In Costa Rica, a “Project to AssistTrafficking Victims in the PacificCoast” has been in full im-plementation since April 2006.Following an IOM report detailingthe dimension of human tra-fficking, its trends and prevalencein the country, the Costa Rican Go-vernment has asked IOM toparticipate in the drafting of a“National Plan of Action to CombatHuman Trafficking”.

Other advances in counter traf-ficking efforts include the signingof a commitment letter by high levelauthorities of key governmentalinstitutions in support of the“National Protocol for the Returnof Victims of Trafficking, especially

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Children and Adolescents”. Addi-tionally conversations are under-way to launch the number of thehotline for migrant children incoordination with the IDB throughthe Ricky Martin Foundation. Anew phase in the fight againsthuman trafficking is also underwayin Costa Rica with the officiallaunching of the “National Coali-tion to Combat Human Trafficking.”

In El Salvador, the “TemporaryShelter for Victims of Trafficking”has been operating since April 2006.It has assisted a total of 60 victimsof trafficking, some of them,particularly foreigners, staying upto 1.5 months. Elsewhere in Cen-tral America, IOM is workingclosely with government officialsand international organizations toimplement its many countertrafficking programs. In theframework of the National CounterTrafficking Coalition, with thesupport of the Judiciary Office of

Nicaragua, the “Protocol for theRepatriation of Children Victims ofTrafficking” was validated by keygovernmental leaders. UNICEF andILO joined efforts with IOM for thislast task with the aim of continuingthe project by training govern-ment officials in applying theprotocol.

In 2005, 18,941 Hondurans werereturned from the United Statesand 20,318 migrants (16,937 men2,860 women and 521 minors) in2006. IOM and its partners meetthe returning migrants at Teguci-galpa and San Pedro Sula Airportsand provide initial assistance suchas shelter or onward transport totheir places of origin, food, medicalcare, clothing, as well as legal andpsychosocial counseling. Theproject also helps those who wishto return to school or to joinvocational training programs,micro-credit schemes, and assistthem in their job search.

We call for an increase in inter-American cooperation and dialogue to reduce and discourageundocumented migration as well as to promote migration processes in accordance with the nationallegal system of each State and applicable international human rights law. We commit to dialoguein order to reduce the cost and facilitate remittances and to increase efforts to combat smuggling ofmigrants and trafficking in persons, in keeping with international instruments of human rights; toprovide for the dignified, orderly, and safe return of migrant, and to invite states to exchange bestpractices on establishing bilateral programs for migrant workers. (Paragraph 28)

For information relating to theOAS’s activities for this mandate,please refer to Mandate 26 of theDeclaration.

Since 2005 the IDB, through itsMultilateral Investment Fund(MIF), has supported several activi-ties that are consonant with

Mandate 28 of the Mar de PlataDeclaration, on migrant remit-tances. These include ongoingefforts to raise awareness of themagnitude and developmentpotential of migrant remittances,to promote competition andthereby lower the costs of sendingremittances, to promote financial



democracy by expanding access tofinancial services and products, togenerate more accurate data onremittances flows, uses andapplications, and industry pra-ctices, and to explore new me-chanisms by which migrants andtheir families can leverageremittances. Since May 2006, theMIF approved a regional project toassist Latin American andCaribbean central banks to adoptgeneral principals for theremittances services. In addition,the MIF has approved 11 additionalremittances projects through ajoint facility with the InternationalFund for Agricultural Development(IFAD).

Also since May 2006 the MIF hascompleted the following studies onremittances: (i) A Survey of LatinAmericans in the U.S., (ii) Study ofBarriers to Entry into the U.S.Financial System for non-MexicanMigrants, (iii) Remittances,Investment and Local Economies inLatin America, (iv) Sending MoneyHome: Remittances to Mexico, and(v) Sending Money Home:Remittances to Paraguay. SinceMay 2006, the MIF has hosted 5conferences on various topicsgermane to remittances; two inWashington, D.C., one in Portugal,one in Brazil, and one in Paraguay.

In 2007, the MIF will conductstudies on remittances in Mexico,Haiti, and between Spain and LatinAmerica. Events are planned inHaiti, Mexico, and Spain. MIF is alsoconducting an “International Callfor Masters Theses and Disser-tations” on the issue of migrant

remittances in 2007, and willexecute a project on intra-regionalremittances and microfinance withthe Microfinance InternationalCorporation (MFIC), as well ascontinuing to co-finance projects onremittances in collaboration withIFAD. MIF is also collaborating onremittance-related issues with theAsian Development Bank, theWorld Bank/Committee onPayment and Settlement Services(CPSS) Task Force on Remittances,the World Bank Task Force on Data,the Inter-Agency Remittance TaskForce, and the Consultative Groupto Assist the Poor (CGAP).

A document entitled “InternationalMigration, Human Rights andDevelopment in Latin America andthe Caribbean” was presented atthe thirty-first session of ECLAC,held in Montevideo, Uruguay, inMarch 2006, and delegationsadopted a resolution on the subject.ECLAC also played an active partin the various preparatory pro-cesses and events for the High-levelDialogue on International Mi-gration and Development, and inother intergovernmental forumssuch as the sixteenth Ibero-Ame-rican Summit of Heads of State andGovernment, at which ECLACmade a substantive contribution onthe subject of international migra-tion. Work also continued on anumber of studies on the role ofinternational migration by highlyqualified people.

For information relating to theIOM’s activities for this mandate,please refer to Mandate 27 of theDeclaration.

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The OAS has actively participatedin events to promote the rights andsocial inclusion of some of the mostvulnerable groups in the Americas.The OAS hosted the Eighth andNinth Meetings of Negotiations inthe Quest for Points of Consensusof the Working Group to Preparethe Draft American Declaration onthe Rights of Indigenous Peoples inDecember 2006 and January 2007,respectively. These meetings ser-ved as a forum for dialogue forrepresentatives of OAS MemberStates and of the Indigenous Caucuson the first through third sectionsof the Declaration, and in so doing,to negotiate consensus on topics ofself-determination, fundamentalliberties, cultural identity, edu-cation, as well as individual rightsand collective rights of indigenouspeoples of the region. The ongoingprocess of consensus building inother topics of the Draft Declarationofficially resumed during the TenthMeeting in April 2007 in Bolivia.

In addition, the OAS organizedconsultations with representativesfrom civil society organizations andindigenous peoples, including a vir-tual consultation to promote publicparticipation prior to the FirstInter-American Meeting of Mi-nisters and High Level Authoritieson Sustainable Development on

December 4-5 in Santa Cruz, Boli-via. The end result was a documentcontaining recommendations fromthese groups, which was disse-minated to the Permanent Missionsof the Member States of the OAS fortheir consideration and subse-quent preparation of the Decla-ration of Santa Cruz.

Within the List of Priority Acti-vities of the Inter-AmericanCommittee on Culture (CIC)approved at the III Meeting ofMinisters of Culture in Montreal,Canada in November 2006, whichwas organized by the OAS, twoactivities were approved withinthe priority topic of ‘culture and therole of indigenous people’. The firstactivity is a workshop for theAmericas developed within theframework of the CanadianSymposium “Preserving abori-ginal heritage: traditional andtechnical approaches”. The secondactivity is a meeting for indigenousorganizations where the objectiveis to develop partnerships on app-roaches to urban indigenouspeoples, sharing information onaboriginal peoples in Canada andother countries and discussing howthe Friendship Centre Movementmodel addresses urban Aboriginalneeds, and how it could be adaptedto other contexts. 2

We reaffirm our commitment to respect indigenous peoples' rights and we commit to successfullyconcluding negotiations on the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The fullexercise of these rights is essential for the existence, welfare, and integral development of indigenouspeoples and for their full participation in national activities. For this reason, we must create thenecessary conditions to facilitate their access to decent work and living conditions that allow themto overcome social exclusion and inequality, and poverty. (Paragraph 31)

2 “Partnership on approaches to urban indigenous peoples between the National Association of Friendship Centres(Canada) and the Organización de Naciones y Pueblos Indígenas en Argentina”. Presented by the Delegation ofCanada. At the Planning Meeting of the Authorities of the Inter-American Committee on Culture. Washington D.C.:OAS (Jan. 16, 2007). CIDI/CIC/RPA/INF.3/07. Though this meeting was initially bilateral, the Delegation of Canadadeclared that it will be opened for other indigenous organization from all of the countries of the Americas to join it.



We affirm our commitment to respect the rights of Afro-descendents and to ensuring their fullaccess to educational opportunities at all levels, and to decent work that will help them overcomepoverty and social exclusion and contribute to their increased participation in all sectors of oursocieties. (Paragraph 32)

Three of the priority topics iden-tified by Ministers of Cultureduring the III Ministerial Meeting,address this mandate, openingopportunities for the future de-velopment of specific OAS activi-ties geared toward afro-descendent

populations in the Americas.

For information relating to the OASactivities for this mandate, pleaserefer to Mandate 24 of theDeclaration.

We will promote integrated frameworks of public environmental, employment, health, and socialsecurity policies to protect the health and safety of all workers and foster a culture of preventionand control of occupational hazards in the Hemisphere. (Paragraph 33)

The OAS has been working withmember states of the region in thedevelopment of a regional app-roach for the sound managementof trade related agro-chemicals.The approach aims to addressimport and export of these che-micals, health and safety issues,occupational health and genderrelated issues, among othermember state priorities that willoverall benefit health and safety ofworkers in the hemisphere.

The OAS provided member statesin the Andean Region with capacitybuilding and policy options toprotect human health and theenvironment and promote sus-tainable development within tradeexpansion. These capacity buildingpriorities and policy options wereidentified through the Environ-mental Assessment and CapacityBuilding for Trade Liberalization inthe Andean Region project that

addressed economic, social andenvironmental impacts of trade,including those affecting workershealth in Colombia, Peru and Ecua-dor.

Through a joint OAS/Pan-Ame-rican Health Organization (PAHO)initiative to address implicationsof globalization and trade forenvironmental health in theAmericas, the OAS also providedpractical recommen-dations toimprove environmental health atthe hemispheric and national level.The initiative looked at therelationship between trade libera-lization and contagious diseases inresource-intensive sectors andanalyzed possible changes orimpacts to public health andenvironmental degradation, inclu-ding case studies of activities, suchas agriculture and aqua-culture,linked to trade and foreign directinvestment (FDI).

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With respect to integration ofenvironmental policy frameworks,in 2006, CAF’s Latin AmericanCarbon Program (PLAC) made itpart of its mission to promote andstimulate clean and alternativeenergies and energy efficiency as anintegral response to the problemsof climate change, throughfinancing for innovative wind,biomass, geothermic, solar, andsmall-scale hydro-power projectswith a low socio-environmentalimpact. Thus, the new PLAC+edemonstrates its aim to continue towork toward the development ofthe GHG market by bothpromoting and providing finan-cing for energy efficiency and cleanand alternative energies.

The new mission of PLAC+e hasmeant diversification of its portfolioof its GHG buyers and theinvolvement, in addition to thegovernments of Spain and Holland,of the private sector and theinternational voluntary sector. Tofurther the promotion of clean andalternative energies and energyefficiency, CAF has created newfinancing mechanisms and servicesboth independently and inpartnership with other entities, thefirst of these initiatives being theCAF-KFW Line of Credit.

ThePLAC+e has identified aportfolio of approximately 16million tons of GHG and hasanother 9 million under evaluation.It has also registered six projectswith the UN and has five others inthe pipeline. PLAC+e has been aworld pioneer in developing theonly methodology to verifyreductions in this connection in thearea of Urban Mass Transport. Ithas also made pioneering meth-

odological contributions in the areaof biodigestors and renewableenergies, which are currentlyavailable at the UN.

In order to build capacity in theregion, PLAC+e has contributed tothe creation and strengthening ofresponsible national authorities, atthe government level, for the KyotoProtocol, through the provision oftechnical cooperation funds. It hasalso provided support for holdingtraining workshops to strengthennegotiating capacity in the regionin connection with the Conventionon Climate Change and the KyotoProtocol. At present, CAF isrecognized in the region as theentity that has arranged discussionand integration forums so thatcountries can negotiate more favo-rable outcomes for regionalinterests and climate change. TheCorporation has held eight of theabove-mentioned workshops and,at the same time, provided supportfor several events to promote thecarbon market organized bydesignated national authorities,interest groups, and associations.

The CAF-KFW Line of Credit is afinancing mechanism that offersrelatively soft conditions designedto stimulate the implementation ofclean and alternative energyprojects and energy efficiencyprograms. The aim, through thisinitiative, is to promote capacitybuilding for countries in the regionto increase the participation ofthese energies in the energy basket,so as to reduce the environmentalimpact caused by the intensive useof conventional energies, in parti-cular through the reduction of GHGemissions that cause climatechange.



The CAF-KFW Line of Credit hasUS$160 million to distribute inbiomass, wind, geothermal, solar,hydropower, and energy efficiencyprojects in the region and is seekingany available additional resources.

In response to the increasing urbanand industrial environmentalpollution faced by countries in theAndean region and the high costsassociated with the implemen-tation of conventional decon-tamination treatments in industrialprocesses in the manufacturingand services sectors, the CleanerProduction Program (PML) wasimplemented in July 2006 in orderto promote preventive measures tobring about a reduction in solid,liquid, and gas waste, energyefficiency, and appropriate use ofraw materials and inputs inproduction processes in large, andmedium-sized, and small industry.In this context, the Program aimsto encourage, through demons-tration pilot projects that can beduplicated in the region, theappropriate and efficient use ofexisting natural and energyresources, thereby averting theenvironmental pollution problemsassociated with industry, while atthe same time promoting com-petitiveness and strengtheningenvironmental and social res-ponsibility.

To carry out that mission, CAF hasestablished close coordination tieswith the different CleanerProduction Centers located in LatinAmerican countries as well as withinternational agencies, such as theUnited Nations Industrial De-velopment Organization (UNIDO),and other public and private

national entities associated withthe productive and environmentalsectors, thereby strengthening thescope of action of companies in aglobal market subject to increasingenvironmental and social demands.

From the beginning, this programhas made significant strides insupport of setting up specificagreements, between the publicsector and industrial companies inthe private sector, in order to meetindustrial decontamination goalsin the framework of the PML. Inaddition, a regional meeting washeld to assess progress and needsin relation to this important issuein the region and efforts havecontinued in the area of ins-titutional strengthening forshareholder countries to help themaccomplish their objectives. At thesame time, CAF has been creatingand designing specialized finan-cing mechanisms for this area,through partnerships to helppromote business opportunitieswith PLAC+e, thereby strengthen-ing its commitment to the environ-ment and industrial development.

The International Center for Tropi-cal Agriculture (CIAT) developedthe web-based application,“Condor Portal,” which ispublished on the CAF web site andthat of its strategic partnerConservation International. Atpresent a comprehensive perso-nalized training program is underway in the use of the Condor Toolthat encompasses more than 230key officials connected with themain infrastructure and environ-mental agencies in the region. Thecurrent version is being updated onthe web platform to make it com-

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patible with existing infrastructuredevelopment needs in the southernhemisphere as a whole, in keeping

with the integration plans to beimplemented in the framework ofthe IIRSA Initiative.

We will strengthen cooperation and exchanges of information in the struggle against chronic diseasesas well as emerging and re-emerging diseases such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, malaria, tuberculosis,avian flu, and other health risks. We commit to fighting the stigma, misinformation, anddiscrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in the workplace and favor their full access toemployment with dignity. We propose to develop crosscutting strategies and cooperationmechanisms, principally within the framework of the World Health Organization (WHO) and thePan American Health Organization (PAHO), to combat these diseases, including the strengtheningand adequate financing of the Global Fund to Combat AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria as well asthe development of national preparedness plans to fight potential pandemics, such as avian flu. Weurge all countries to accelerate the process of ratification of the new international health regulationsand seek to enhance the cooperation mechanisms that would facilitate access to pertinent measuresof prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the population at risk. (Paragraph 34)

In collaboration with PAHO, TheAIDS Institute and the Art CenterCollege of Design, IOM’s MRF Was-hington developed a “HIV and AIDSPublic Information Campaign” thatresulted in the development of threepublic service announcements forthe English-speaking Caribbean.They were validated during the“XVI International AIDS Con-ference (Toronto, Aug 06)” withparticipation from CARICOMYouth Ambassadors. The part-nership experience was presentedin a specialized workshop at the“UN 59th Annual DPI/NGOConference”. The Kaiser FamilyFoundation-Caribbean Broadcastmedia partnership on HIV/AIDSwill support the dissemination ofsome of them.

In addition, IOM held a workshopfor Caribbean Ministers of Healthin Washington, DC. Under the title“Building a Health Strategy forMigrants and Mobile Populationsin the Caribbean”, the workshop

had as objectives to improve theinstitutional knowledge of IOM’swork in the Caribbean and beyond;to exchange views about migrationand health concerns and priorityissues in the Caribbean; to brain-storm about program synergiesbetween PAHO and IOM to betterserve the Caribbean Caucus goals.

In Guatemala, IOM continues towork with Government auth-orities to help improve healthcarefor Migrants. By means of a co-operation agreement signed withthe Ministry of Health, IOM hasexecuted technical engineeringstudies in order to build a hospitalwith capacity for 50 beds. ThisProject contributes to an improvedaccess to health services as well asto an improved living standard forlocal population and Guatemalantemporary migrant workers in theborder zones and the AdjacencyZone between Guatemala andBelize.



Recognizing the need for comprehensive social protection systems, we will examine the forms ofunemployment protection most appropriate and possible for our respective countries. As part of apackage of social safety nets for the unemployed, we also recognize the positive contribution ofunemployment insurance systems in temporarily alleviating the socioeconomic suffering ofindividuals, reducing the need for workers to resort to subsistence activities through precariousjobs and facilitating their reentry into the work force. (Paragraph 35)

Social protection was the mainsubstantive issue addressed at theECLAC session held in Montevideo,Uruguay, in March 2006. In thisconnection, the Secretariatpresented the document “Shapingthe Future of Social Protection:Access, Financing and Solidarity”,which seeks to promote advan-cement towards the constructionof more inclusive societies. Thisdocument affirms that the issue ofsocial protection has now reacheda historic turning point, which callsfor a change of approach in dealingwith the new world order and itsimplications for national societies.The main reason why solidarity-based social protection mechan-isms need to be rethought is thatthe labour market has not demon-strated a capacity for greater in-clusiveness either through thecreation of decent job opportunitiesor through the level of socialprotection contributions. It is im-portant certainly to promotepolicies to create more and betterjobs, but in the short and mediumterms, employment cannot beexpected to serve as the solemechanism for protecting themajority of the population from therisks associated with a possibleloss of income, health problems andageing.

The structural changes reflected inthe current situation call for a freshapproach to social protectionwithin a framework of integralsolidarity that combines con-

tributory and non-contributorymechanisms. A new social covenantmust therefore be formed in whichsocial rights are seen as thenormative horizon and existinginequalities and budgetary res-trictions are the limiting factors tobe addressed. In other words, theethical imperatives that underpina social rights-based covenantmust be reconciled with existingfinancial constraints. Emphasismust also be placed on efficientresource use with a view to ex-panding the coverage and raisingthe quality of services, especially forthe lowest-income sectors of thepopulation.

The proposals put forward in thisdocument are designed to buildbridges between social rights andpolicy guidelines aimed at makingthem more enforceable throughimproved access, better financingand greater solidarity. To this end,the study devotes particularattention to some of the main issuesrelating to social protection, suchas the reform and design of healthand pension systems, taking intoconsideration both labour marketdynamics and the countries’ fiscalcapacities. Programmes aimed atproviding support to society’spoorest groups are also examined.The analyses offered here are thusintended to delineate some of theissues that should be encompassedby a new social covenant foundedupon the right to social protection.

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We recognize the fundamental and unique consultative role of employers’ and workers’ organizationsin shaping employment and labor policies. We undertake to promote and facilitate tripartite dialo-gue in national, sub-regional, and hemispheric frameworks. (Paragraph 37)

The OAS effectively promotestripartite dialogue at the hemis-pheric level through all theactivities of the Inter-AmericanConference of Ministers of Labor(IACML). Indeed, the meetings ofthe Working Groups, hemisphericworkshops, and activities of theInter-American Labor Adminis-tration Network (RIAL), areactively attended by governments,

workers, and employers who havethe opportunity to discuss thevarious issues addressed, reachconsensus, and settle on jointmeasures. The IACML has twoadvisory bodies that represent themain business groups (CEATAL)and trade unions (COSATE) in thehemisphere, which permitsprogress in tripartite social dialo-gue at the hemispheric level.

We recognize the important link between development and culture and we agree that support forculture in its many dimensions contributes to, among other things, the preservation and protectionof national heritage, the enhancement of the dignity and identity of our people, the creation ofdecent jobs, and the overcoming of poverty. (Paragraph 38)

OAS worked closely with theDepartment of Canadian Heritageto organize a successful “III Meetingof Ministers and Highest Appro-priate Authorities of Culture”,whose four priority themes weretaken primarily from Mandate 38of the Mar del Plata Declaration.The Meeting approved a “List ofPriority Activities for 2007-2008”focused on concrete cooperativeactions within these themes.

On the theme of preservation andprotection of cultural heritage, onMarch 21 – 23, 2007, the OAS alongwith the U.S. Department of Stateand the government of Méxicothrough CONACULTA and INAH,hosted the Seminar “Case Studieson the Prevention of IllicitTrafficking and Looting of CulturalHeritage”. This event provided theoccasion for cultural policy makers,

archaeological site and museumadministrators, and customs andjustice-sector officials from Mexico,Colombia, the Dominican Repu-blic, Belize and all of the CentralAmerican countries to share theirpractical experiences in dealingwith this matter within their owncountries as well as on inter-American cooperation. This is thefirst of a series of planned sub-re-gional workshops on the pre-servation and protection of cultu-ral heritage, which intend to resultin concrete cooperation projects toprotect heritage goods and sites.

On the priority topic culture andthe enhancement of the dignity andidentity of our people, on February27 – 28, 2007, the OAS supported asub-regional meeting for theMinisters of Culture of CentralAmerica on “Arts and Culture as a



Strategy to Prevent Social Vio-lence” hosted by the CECC and thegovernment of El Salvador. Thisactivity was aimed at sharingsuccessful experiences on how touse cultural programming as acounterweight to the attraction ofgangs to young people. In addition,the OAS and the CIC are workingwith the Ministry of Culture ofBrazil to develop a “2007 Interna-tional Seminar on CulturalDiversity”. This seminar will allowexperts and policy makers toexchange views and researchfindings on such topics as globali-zation and culture.

On the topic of culture and thecreation of decent jobs and theovercoming of poverty, the OASalong with the Instituto Hondure-ño de Antropología e Historia(INAH) developed a one-weekseminar on December 4 – 8, 2006,where participants were able tolearn about the experience of theHonduran government in theimplementation of the program“Rescue and Promotion of theArtisan, Indigenous and Tra-

ditional Production of Honduras”.In 2007 the President of the CICaddressed the annual meeting ofthe BCIE Board of Governors onhow culture contributes to jobcreation as well as to socialinclusion. Further BCIE-OAS co-operation on this topic will bepursued in 2007.

On the transversal theme of Cultu-ral Information Systems, on April19 – 20, 2007 the OAS along withthe Ministry of Culture of Colom-bia and the Andrés Bello Agree-ment, will host an interagency mee-ting in Bogota, Colombia drawingupon the results from three OASsub-regional workshops on cultu-ral information systems heldduring 2006 -- in Trinidad andTobago (Caribbean sub-region),Mexico (Central American sub-region), and Chile (South Americansub-region). The objective of theinteragency meeting is to design ajoint plan of action that can supportthe strengthening of CulturalInformation Systems in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean.

We underline the importance of the OAS Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on SustainableDevelopment to be held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in August 2006.We encourage theparticipation of member states and we call upon the OAS to continue to support the preparatorywork necessary to make this meeting a success. (Paragraph 39)

In 2006, the OAS successfullycompleted the preparatory processfor the “First Inter-American Mee-ting of Ministers and High LevelAuthorities on SustainableDevelopment” holding 3 work-shops on: integrated water-resource management, risk

sharing, and risk transfer arran-gements of natural disasters whichprovided valuable input to the mi-nisterial agenda and decision-making process. The meetingresulted in the adoption of a minis-terial declaration on sustainabledevelopment and the Inter-

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American Program for SustainableDevelopment (PIDS).

Also in preparation for the Minis-terial, the OAS hosted a consul-tation with the private sector,which provided valuable input tothe ministerial themes.

Additionally, the OAS hosted aMeeting of Experts in Washington,DC which reconvened in SantaCruz to finalize the negotiations ofthe Santa Cruz “+10 Declarationand the Strategic Plan of Action2006 – 2009 – PIDS”.



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We recognize the essential role of life-long learning opportunities, especially technical andprofessional training of our population. Investing in knowledge, skills, capacities, and abilitiesfacilitates access and re-entry to the labor force, supports personal and professional development,and maximizes economic productivity and institutional strengthening. (Paragraph 40)

The goal of the OAS “E-SME Pro-gram” is to provide technical andprofessional training for Small andMedium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).Participating countries in-clude:Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras,Guatemala, Nicaragua andPanama. In each country, pilotprojects were carried out withSMEs (120 in total), to improve theirability to use and benefit fromInternet services and informationand communication technology(ICT). In Guatemala, Nicaragua andEl Salvador, the tools developed inthe framework of the project havebeen adopted by the nationalinstitutions responsible forsupporting SMEs, and will continueto develop skills and training toSMEs beyond the life of the initialproject.

In El Salvador, an entry-diagnosistool for SMEs was developed, tomeasure the use of ICTs throughoutthe business operation. This willguide the National Commission onSmall and Medium Sized Enter-

prises (CONAMYPE) in the deliveryof appropriate technical assistanceto SMEs and measure the use of ICTthroughout business operations.Additionally six courses, pre-viously available only in CDformats, were made available on-line for SMEs using resources fromthe project. This substantiallyincreased the reach of these coursesand the feedback from users toCONAMYPE, which is being usedas a guide for continued improve-ment and course tailoring to SMEs.

In Guatemala, a course previouslydesigned by the Vice-Ministry forSMEs was made available online.The course was tested on SMEsparticipating in the project andcontinues to be operational to date.In Nicaragua, the Department forSMEs (DPYME) of the Ministry ofDevelopment, Industry andCommerce (MIFIC) executed thepilot through a national university,Universidad Americana (UAM).The university designed a “Cer-tificate Program (Diplomado) for

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SME Owners in the Use of ICT inSmall Business”. This certificationwill continue to be offered to SMEsin Nicaragua.

The OAS has provided technicalinput to the Special MultilateralFund of the Interamerican Councilfor Integral Development (FEM-CIDI)-funded Project “Key and La-bor Competencies in SecondaryEducation” currently executed byBrazil, Mexico and Costa Rica toharmonize education curriculawith the needs of the labor market.

The IDB has incorporated andintegrated labor markets andemployment within the “BuildingOpportunities for the Majority”initiative. The “Enterprise Com-pact for the Majority” commits theIDB to supporting greater humancapital investment in the region,integrating human capital morefully in value chains and labormarket operations. Among thecommitments are: an increase inlabor market operations, supportto productivity increases, increas-ing secondary school quality, andaddressing job quality throughreductions in informal jobs (e.g. viaincorporating more workerswithin social security or otherforms of formal insurance.)

The Bank is fulfilling and ad-vancing these commitments undera series of loans and technicalcooperation grants currently inexecution related to labor marketdevelopment that total more thanUS$1 billion. These includecomprehensive labor market loansin Mexico, Panama, Peru and theDominican Republic and newtechnical cooperation grants to

support improved labor capacityin Central America and theDominican Republic related toCAFTA, youth training in theregion, and quality employmentcreation in Colombia. In line withthe Mar del Plata Summitmandates, the Bank is expandingits pipeline and activities in thelinks between education, trainingand competitiveness. In Nicaragua,the emphasis is on training andbasic education and relevancy tothe job market.

As part of its commitments, theBank is advancing as well onresearch and systematic eva-luation of labor market programsas technical input to improve thequality and outcomes of labormarket interventions in the region.The Bank’s Office of Evaluationrecently completed a compre-hensive review of Bank labormarket programs. This evaluationreviews the impact of labor marketprograms financed by the IBD in arange of countries including:Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Chile,Argentina and the DominicanRepublic, assessing the efficiencyand effectiveness of differentinstruments with recommen-dations for future labor marketpolicies and programs. The Bankcompleted the first comprehensiveevaluation of the effectiveness andgender impact of a public employ-ment service using the case ofMexico as well as a series ofresearch studies on the Mexicanlabor market in anticipation of anew phase of the Bank’s labormarkets operation there.

Expansion of the Bank’s labormarkets, employment and com-



petitiveness program is plannedunder the upcoming 2007-8programming and planning cycle.New labor markets analyzes forParaguay are planned as an inputto the new government. A labormarkets and employment di-mension has been incorporatedwithin the Bank’s upcoming“Economic and Social Progress inLatin America and the CaribbeanReport” on social inclusion for Fall2007. The Bank is advancing as wellon an evaluation and genderimpact analysis for Chile, similarto the innovative methodologyused in the case of Mexico. Insupport of improved labor marketand training programs in Hondu-ras and Nicaragua, the Bank isworking on technical cooperationgrants to support both thesecountries.

In keeping with this priority, in2006, CAF launched the Moder-nization Project for Technical andTechnological Education (US$25million), which, also with a terri-torial approach allows an in-novative form of public-privatelinkage. The project encourages thecreation of key partnershipsbetween the productive/businesssector, universities and trainingcenters, civil society organizationsand the authorities, through whichto develop their own ways,consistent with regional and localrealities, to modernize the technicaland technological servicesavailable in the region. Demandexceeded the expectations of theMinistry of Education of Colombia

and, therefore, it is expected thatthe project’s implementation willbe completed in just two years.

In an attempt to establish closer tieswith direct beneficiaries, CAFapproved its first loan to adepartmental authority notsecured by the State. The “Proyec-to Bogotá Una Gran Escuela”[Project Bogota, One Big School](US$ 50 million) is designed toaccelerate the investment efforts ofthe Colombian capital to improvethe quality of education for morethan 60.000 students.

Furthermore, CAF adopted a socialinvestment shielding instrument asa way of helping member states tomeet their debt obligations withoutthat hindering their social spendingplans. This instrument facilitatesaccess for finance ministries tofunding as they meet their goals setin sectoral social spending budgets.In this frame-work, the SecondSupport Program for SocialInvestment in Ecuador (PRAISE II)(US$ 200 million), includes astrategy to ensure the availabilityof resources for the universal-ization of basic education andwidening of access to basic healthservices for low-income groups. Bythe same token, the HabitatProgram pledges funds for thehousing policy efforts of theGovernment of Venezuela andcollaborates in the design of amechanism to facilitate perfor-mance monitoring (US$ 400million).

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We support the recommendations contained in the Declaration and Plan of Action of the FourthMeeting of Ministers of Education, held in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago, August 10-12, 2005.We will strive for quality public education at all levels and promote literacy to ensure a democraticcitizenry, foster decent work, fight poverty, and achieve greater social inclusion. Achieving thesegoals requires a substantial financial investment by our governments and international financialinstitutions. We note with satisfaction the suggestion of the Ministers of Education that ourgovernments explore innovative forms of increasing financing for education with internationalfinancing institutions, such as debt swaps for investment in education. (Paragraph 43)

Plan are summarized under theresponse to Mandate 25, above.Presently OAS is assisting the CIEin preparing the V Meeting ofMinisters of Education, to be heldfrom November 14-16 in Carta-gena, Colombia. That meeting willreview the achievements andchallenges of implementing theDeclaration of Scarborough.

The recommendations emanatingfrom the IV Ministerial Meeting andthe Declaration of Scarboroughbecame the basis for the “2005-2007Work Plan of the Inter-AmericanCommittee on Education (CIE)”, forwhich Department of Educationand Culture (DEC) of the OASserves as Technical Secretariat.Actions and results from this Work

We understand that the potential for developing the capacity of our citizenry and attaining greaterproductivity depends on a well-educated and well-trained labor force. In this sense, we recognizethe advances made in increasing access to education and we reiterate the need to expand coverage,improve quality, strengthen the teaching profession, and improve the efficiency of our educationsystems. We reiterate the importance of incorporating new information and communicationtechnologies in the training of our citizenry to increase their productivity. (Paragraph 44)

For millions of men and women inthe hemisphere who live below thepoverty line, the informationrevolution is still a privilege for thefew. The Institute for Connectivityin the Americas (ICA) is supportinga variety of initiatives thatcontribute to build and improvethe local capacities of the region’sworkforce through the use ofinnovative and low cost tech-nologies. To this end, ICA is sup-porting the implementation of Wi-Fi pilots to connect low-incomecommunities (from the AmazonRainforest to an urban favela inBrazil) and to a regional portal toshare and support efforts on the

subject (WiLAC, www.wilac.net).ICA also provided support to the“Enlace Quiché” project in Guate-mala, to develop training materialsthat combine ICT skill buildingwith practical applications to meetthe needs of rural, indigenouspopulations, in addition toproviding support to the design ofa “Regional Training Model for Ru-ral Women on Citizen Partici-pation (Modemmujer, Mexico)”.

ICA has been actively exploring theissue of Telework, New Forms ofWork and Employment through aregional project aimed atidentifying opportunities in which



the use of ICT will provide meansand solutions to some of thechallenges faced by certain sectorsof the population (such as youth,disabled and elderly) in activelyparticipating in the labour market.

As part of these efforts, ICA sup-ported the “1st Brazilian TeleworkCongress” held in September, 2006,and the “11th InternationalWorkshop on Telework” held inFredrickton, Canada.

We commit to support the improvement of the quality of the teaching of science and we will striveto incorporate science, technology, engineering, and innovation as principal factors in nationalstrategies and plans for social and economic development, for the fundamental purpose of reducingpoverty and generating decent work. In this vein, we support the Declaration and Plan of Actionadopted at the Ministerial Meeting of Science and Technology held in Lima. (Paragraph 45)

The initiative “Engineering for theAmericas” (EftA), which aims atworking with engineering ac-creditation bodies to establishrecognized accreditation systems,was launched to improve thequality of engineering education inthe Hemisphere. Three workshopswere planned to review thesituation and make recommen-dations to improve the current sta-tus of science education. Theworkshops were organized withthe participation of representativesof industry, government and aca-demia. Two of the workshops wereheld in Brazil and the United Statesin 2006 and one in Chile in 2007; afourth one will be held in Argenti-na in 2007. In collaboration withthe OAS and four OAS memberstates, the Permanent ExecutiveCommittee of “EftA” designed aproject to improve the quality ofengineering education in theDominican Republic, Jamaica,Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.The IDB will be the funding agencythrough its Regional Public Goodsprogram.

The OAS supports the National

Institutes of Metrology (NIMs) inthe 34 OAS member states and isnow preparing a plan of expansionfor the year 2007. In collaborationwith the IDB, the OAS will soonimplement a large project toimprove the quality of the me-trology units in Costa Rica, El Sal-vador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ni-caragua, Panama and the Do-minican Republic. The OAS has alsobeen invited, in March 2007, to San-tiago, Chile, to speak on the role ofthe OAS in the reinforcement ofmetrology and its importance inthe regional capacity building.

In collaboration with the GenderAdvisory Board (GAB) of the UNCommission on Science andTechnology for Development andthe UNESCO Chair on Women,Science and Technology in LatinAmerica, the OAS has prepared ajoint four-year program entitled“Advancing the Integration of aGender Perspective in Science andTechnology Policies and Programsin the Americas.”

The OAS has also participatedactively in activities in the region

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that facilitated dialogue andexchanges with advisory groupsand networks in the field,including: a) the “Virtual Programfor Career Development andCapacity Building for LatinAmerica and Caribbean JuniorWomen Scientists,” June 2006; b)the promotion and support of keycivil society organizations duringthe dialogue with civil society inpreparation of the XXXVI GeneralAssembly, particularly through the“Virtual Forum on Good Go-vernance and Development in theKnowledge-based Society,” May-June 2006; c) an internationalsymposium on gender issuesorganized by the UNESCO Chair inBuenos Aires, Argentina, within the“Primer Foro Iberoamericano deCiencia, Tecnología, Empresa y So-ciedad” November 2006; d) the“Global Forum: Building Science,Technology, and EngineeringCapacity for Sustainable Growthand Poverty Reduction,” organizedby the World Bank, the CanadianInternational Development Agency(CIDA), and other entities of theregion, February 2007.

The OAS is currently planning ameeting of the Inter-AmericanCommittee on Science and Tech-nology (COMCYT) to be held inWashington, D.C., in June 2007, atwhich gender issues will be ad-dressed during a special session.

The OAS has established a 3-yearprogram to develop and supportscience journalism in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean.

The understanding of theCartagena Protocol on Biosafetyand its application to GeneticallyModified Organisms (GMOs) andfood safety is fundamental toincrease the Caribbean and LatinAmerica institutional capacity. TheOAS cooperates in this field withthe Inter-American Institute forCooperation on Agriculture (IICA)and is developing a new programon biotechnology that will bepartly financed by Mexico.

ICA is supporting science researchas a response to pre-existing andemerging health threats (such asHIV/AIDS), through mechanismsthat contribute to increase thequantity, quality and availabilityof crucial health information. In thisregard, ICA is supporting inno-vative projects such as “Punto ‘J’,”a portal to educate on Health andHIV/AIDS from youth to youth(www.puntoj.com.pe), as well as toa regional Caribbean initiativetitled “Linkage for Education andResearch in Nursing (LEARN),”responding to the regional chall-enge of ensuring the adequacy andquality of nursing professionals toassist the region in its ability tomeet the Millennium Goals andachieve adequate levels of healthcare provision.



We will continue to increase investment in science and technology, with the participation of theprivate sector and the support of multilateral institutions. We will also intensify our efforts toencourage our universities and higher institutions of science and technology to increase theirlinkages and deepen basic and applied research and promote greater incorporation of workers inthe agenda of innovation. We will facilitate the greatest interaction possible between scientific andtechnological research communities by fostering the establishment and consolidation of advancedresearch networks and synergies among educational institutions, research centers, the public andprivate sectors and civil society. (Paragraph 47)

System (SIM), and fostering thedevelopment of standards andstandard reference materialsacceptable through the Americas.

For further information relating tothe OAS activities for thismandate, please refer to Mandate45 of the Declaration.

The OAS, through its SpecialMultilateral Fund (FEMCIDI), hasfinanced the multi-national project“Metrology for the Americas,”which is coordinated by the USNational Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST), and centers onstrengthening and consolidatingthe Inter-American Metrology

We recognize that the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights should contributeto the promotion of technological innovation and to the transfer and dissemination of technology,to the mutual advantage of producers and users of technological knowledge and in a mannerconducive to social and economic welfare, and to a balance of rights and obligations. Therefore, wereiterate our commitment to their protection in accordance with the WTO Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. (paragraph 48)

The OAS supports countries in theAmericas in strengthening theirinstitutional and human capacitiesin the area of intellectual propertyrights (IPR) so that they are able toimplement and administer tradeagreements, design public policiesin view of best practices andinnovative approaches in othercountries, and take advantage ofthe benefits of broader markets andincreased investments. The OAShas promoted horizontal co-operation in IPR among countriesin the Hemisphere to share thepractical experience of countriesfacing the challenges of adaptingtheir legislation, administrative

procedures and institutionalinfrastructure.

The OAS program for capacity-building on intellectual propertyhas included support to Peruvianefforts to identify and prioritizeneeds in the IPR in the context oftrade agreements, dialogues withthe Colombian private sector andcivil society in copyright andrelated rights, addressing thechallenges of modernization of theIPR regime in Ecuador, as well as amulti-country exercise to exchangebest practices and experiences onthe implementation of intellectualproperty provisions in tradeagreements.

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We will promote and support actions to facilitate the participation of small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) in domestic markets and international trade. We will support the SME Congressof the Americas and encourage wider participation in this initiative. We stress the importance ofopening new markets for SME goods and services. (Paragraph 51)

With financing supplied by the SMEDevelopment and Investment Fund(FIDE), CAF continued to providesupport for capital strengtheningand innovation in small andmedium-sized enterprises in theregion in 2006. In the course of theyear, six new operations wereapproved, taking the total to 14operations in 10 countries. Throughinvestment in funds in Brazil andArgentina, CAF increased itsportfolio of risk capital investmentstargeting technological andagroindustrial SMEs. It alsoprovided support for the creationand implementation of an IntegralEnterprise Support Program inCosta Rica, which offers financingfacilities to SMEs at different stages

of development. The Corporationalso encouraged the generation ofalternative SME financing me-chanisms by granting a line ofcredit to Financiera Desyfin in Cos-ta Rica and through investment inFondo Compass in Peru; both faci-lities offer invoice discounting andfactoring services to this businesssegment. CAF also supported thegeneration of alternative energysources by approving a loan for aproject in Colombia to producebiodiesel from African palm oil.This project would also have astrong social impact by enablingthe reintegration of demobilizedcombatants of the autodefensasparamilitary groups.

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For information relating to the OASactivities for this mandate, please

As regards development of smalland medium-size enterprise, theOAS, through its Special Multila-teral Fund (FEMCIDI), providedfinancing for the project, Supportfor Microenterprises Managed byWomen Food Producers in RuralAreas of the Trifinium Region (Gua-temala, Honduras, and El Salvador)to improve the food and nutritionalinsecurity of families in that region.The project sought to strengthenand develop the technical, manage-ment, and marketing capacities ofmicro enterprises managed bywomen food producers in ruralareas, as well as to transfer newtechnologies to enable them to pro-duce safe and nutritious foods. Oneof the most notable accomplish-ments of the project has been itsability to ensure the availability ofand access to safe foods producedby micro enterprises that areconsistent with the eating habits ofthe population, thus fomenting aculture of healthy eating.

In order to support SME businesscapacity, the Program of Assistanceto Small Hotels in Central America,financed with funds provided byFEMCIDI/OAS, provides directsupport to hundreds of small hotelsthrough in-person and onlinetraining courses created by Pro-

gram (www.centralamericasmall-hotels.com) on aspects such asquality of service, staff qualifi-cations, use of communicationtechnology, hotel management, andenvironmental awareness buil-ding. The Program coordinatorssecured a contribution of US$600,000 from IDB-FOMIN foradditional activities under theProgram. The Program also sub-mitted several project pro-posalsto the World Bank and other inter-national agencies, in order to con-tinue its implementation and pavethe way for its transfer and long-term adoption by the target coun-tries.

Recognizing the important rolethat SMEs play within the region’seconomies, ICA has been activelypromoting the use and integrationof innovative ICT tools as a way ofcontributing to strengthen SME'scompetence as engines of growth.To this end, ICA, in cooperationwith the Inter-American Bank’sKorean Trust Fund and the CentralAmerican Bank for EconomicIntegration (CABEI), launched aproject to enhance the competitive-ness of SMEs in Guatemala, El Sal-vador, Honduras, Costa Rica, andNicaragua by improving their useof digital technologies for business

We are committed to the fight against poverty and inequality and we recognize the contribution tothe economy and to the creation of decent work by productive organizations, in accordance witheach nation’s characteristics, such as cooperatives and other production units. (Paragraph 52)

refer to Mandate 5 of the Decla-ration.

We will foster the development of entrepreneurial skills and technical competence of SMEs, withthe objective of facilitating their entry into new markets, aimed at strengthening SMEs andconsequently increasing employment. (Paragraph 53)



skills development. In the project’sfirst phase, ICA’s local partner, Cos-ta Rica-based Comisión Asesora deAlta Tecnología (CAATEC) assessedthe training needs, availableresources, and e-readiness ofMSMEs in the five countries. In thesecond phase, entitled “Lanz@”,Fundación Omar Dengo hasdesigned and is implementing asustainable training program forthe development of entre-preneurial and citizen partici-pation skills in Central America

ICA is working in partnership withthe Multilateral Investment Fund

of the IDB in the “ICT-4-BUS(Information and CommunicationTechnologies for Business)” pro-gram, aimed at improving thecompetitiveness, productivity, andefficiency of SMEs in region byimproving their business opera-tions and expanding their access tonew ICT solutions and services. Aspart of this project ICA supported“Terra Inka: Tourist Market Access”based in Peru, as well as theBrazilian “SME Metasys” project, acomplete ICT infrastructure solu-tion that provides full access to allservices required in an ICT systemfor SMEs.

We will support the efforts that the multilateral development banks make with the micro, smalland medium-sized enterprises as fundamental factors of economic growth and we will welcomethe increased efforts of the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and other regio-nal development banks to create the enabling environment for strengthening such enterprises.(Paragraph 54)

During 2006, the IDB Groupcontinued to undertake severalactivities to strengthen the competi-tiveness of the micro, small andmedium enterprises (MSME) and toincrease the awareness of the issuesthat directly and indirectly affectthe sector. In accordance to this, theGroup, conformed by the IDB, theInter-American Investment Cor-poration (IIC), and the Multi-late-ral Investment Fund (MIF),embarked on 209 operations, foralmost US$1.8 billions in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (LAC).Among these projects, the Bankchanneled 36 loan operations forUS$1.3 billions aimed at promotinga more favorable business climate,fostering financial democracy, andenhancing the competitiveness of a

variety of economic sectors throughenhancing MSME access to tech-nology, business services and fi-nancing. Furthermore, through the“Social Entrepreneurship Program(SEP)”, it empowered 16 initiativesfor US$11.1 millions aimed atovercoming poverty by creatingbusiness opportunities for poormicro and small entrepreneurs,promoting corporate social res-ponsibility and linking largeenterprises’ activities with thosefrom small producers, to namesome.

The IIC, on the other hand,approved 46 operations for US$337millions to directly or through afinancial intermediary assist thesmall and medium enterprise sec-

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tor and their value chains. Two ofthe projects (US$35 millions) wereregional programs, while theremaining 44 were distributedamong 13 countries.

Lastly, the MIF approved 111projects for a total of US$128.5millions, including 31 (US$42millions) to support the MIFClusters of Projects which allowsfor efficiency gains through thesharing of lessons learned amongthe group of beneficiaries; and 23lines of activity (US$8.5 millions)channeled primarily to fostermicrofinance development in theregion. Besides, the MIF approved12 investment operations, 5 ofwhich promote innovativefinancial services for MSME, andsupported the creation of threeinvestments funds (Argentina,Brazil and a Regional one) to copewith the financial needs of the sec-tor in LAC.

In addition to the operations, theIDB Group strengthened itsknowledge dissemination effortsthrough research studies, theorganization of the “IX Forum onMicroenterprise” (Ecuador) andother activities.

In 2007, the IDB Group willemphasize its support to MSMEactivity, as it understands thereinforcement of the sector as aneffective mechanism to enhance thequality of life of those who inhabitin the region. In this sense, the“Initiative of Building Oppor-tunities for the Majority (OM)”,launched in 2006, is expected tochannel additional resourcesdirected to generating opportu-nities for those defined as the

majority (some 360 million peoplein the region). Last, it is safe tomention that the Bank willcontinue with its knowledgedissemination strategy and willseek for new innovative mechan-ism to promote regional develop-ment. The “X Forum on Micro-enterprise”, which will take placein El Salvador in 2007, will be anexcellent opportunity to assess theIDB institutional strategy onMSME, which primarily focuses onfostering financial democracy,facilitating MSME access to tech-nology, promoting firms for-malization and cultivatingentrepreneurial spirit; and at thesame time will constitute apropitious occasion to better assistan increasing demand forknowledge transfer on the topic.

In 2006, CAF continued toimplement a strategy of broadsupport for micro, small, andmedium-sized enterprises in theregion, through business opera-tions that provide access to capi-tal, as well as initiatives that boosttheir competitiveness. Tradition-ally, the Corporation has grantedloans to entities such as privatecommercial banks and officialdevelopment agencies which, inturn, issue loans to micro, small,and medium-sized enterprises.Also, in order to support theseprivate enterprise segments moredirectly, CAF, in partnership withpublic and private sector insti-tutions, develop custom-madesolutions for sectors with limitedaccess to financing.

With the aim of supporting smallbusiness owners, CAF providesfinancing to microfinance institu-



tions and is the principal multila-teral agency serving this sector inAndean countries. In this con-nection, 2006 saw a surge in thissector in terms both of number ofoperations approved and amountsdisbursed. The portfolio of ap-proved loans closed the year atUS$92.5 million, which representsa rise of 49.6% compared with theDecember 2005 figure (US$61.8million). This growth stemmedfrom several factors, such as theinclusion of new clients, theincrease in the number of lines ofcredit and the securitization ofstock market offerings. At present,the corporations serves 36microfinance institutions in 10countries in the region, the mostsignificant developments being theincorporation in the operationsportfolio of clients in Uruguay andthe operations growth in Mexico.

Furthermore, 2006 saw the firsttime that loans denominated in lo-cal currency (two of them) havebeen approved, structured, anddisbursed. In 2006, capital invest-ments in microfinance institutionswere also given an added boostwith the acquisition of four newholdings: one in Peru, one in Uru-guay, and two in Mexico. In relationto dissemination of best practices,2006 was a notable year in light ofthe active participation of CAF inthe sponsorship of events, such asforums and workshops that en-abled analysis of best practices andtrends in the area of microfinanceat the regional and global level.

CAF developed various alternativefinancing mechanisms to servesmall and medium-sized enter-prise (SME). In Bolivia, the Corpo-

ration contributed funds to the Fon-do Aval Bursátil [Stock MarketCollateral Fund], which issuesguarantees to partially collateralizedebt instruments traded over thecounter by SMEs on the BolivianStock Exchange. CAF also approveda Partial Gua-rantee Line in favorof a micro-finance institution toenable it to increase financing to agroup of between 60 and 80 of itsSME clients with sufficient cashflow to take on further debt butinsufficient additional collateralwith which to secure more thantheir outstanding loans and which,therefore, have difficulty accessingfresh credit to allow them to grow.

Collateral inadequacy is one of theobstacles that limits access to creditfor SMEs. In this connection,countries’ collateral systems, whenmanaged efficiently and sustain-ably, have shown that they have acore role to play in support of SMEs.For that reason, CAF maintains arefinancing line for the NationalCollateral Fund of Colombia andprovides support for a study thatwould facilitate the creation of anational collateral system in Ecua-dor.

In order to reorganize and giveadded momentum to its efforts inthe MSME sector, CABEI approvedits MSME Support Strategy on May27, 2005, with the following lines ofaction: 1) facilitate access for MSMEsto financial services; 2) strengthenthe development of the financialsector that serves MSMEs; and 3)contribute to the business de-velopment, growth and produc-tivity of MSMEs. In carrying outthe first line of action, in 2005 newMSME Support Programs were

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created in order to facilitate thefinancing provided to this sectorthrough financial intermediaryinstitutions.

For the second consecutive year,and through its IntermediationPrograms in Support of MSMEs,CABEI successfully met its goal toagain expand its portfolio in thissector by at least US$100 million,and reached a balance of US$324million, compared to the portfolioof the previous year which re-corded a balance of US$196 million.In order to accomplish this increase,given the returns on its short-termportfolio, the CABEI disbursed atotal of US$223 million in 2006.With the funds it channeled in thisway, the CABEI succeeded inproviding support to 26,069microentrepreneurs, 28,717 smallbusinesses, and 3,897 medium-sized businesses, thereby meetingsits objectives to contribute toemployment generation andpoverty reduction in the region.

Thanks to these efforts, the CABEIhas become the principal source offunding to this sector in the region.Its efforts have been particularlynotable in the microfinance sector,a mechanism by which it channelsfinancing through microfinanceinstitutions to serve entrepreneursin low-income sectors.

The outstanding role that theCABEI has played has also enabledit to become the main conduit ofexternal funding sources interestedin providing support to CentralAmerican MSMEs through CABEI.In this way, in 2006, it was theexclusive intermediary of fundsfrom the German Development

Bank (KfW) (US$19.1 million), inaddition to the funds from theSpanish International CooperationAgency (AECI) previously placed(US$24,8 million). At present it isengaged in negotiations with KfWto channel •20 million tomicroenterprise and small-busi-ness owners, and with AECI tofunnel •10 million to victims ofHurricane Stan and future naturaldisasters. These funds will start tobe channeled in mid-2007.

In addition to the foregoing, andalso in keeping with its first line ofaction, implementation has startedof the Central American Pro-ductive Chains Program designedto inject liquidity into the MSMEsector through invoice discounting.According to forecasts, in the firstfive years it is estimated that aportfolio will be amassed ofUS$268.0 million that wouldbenefit more than 4,500 small andmedium-sized businesses in Cen-tral America.

Furthermore, in keeping with thesecond and third lines of action andwith the need to strengthen andwiden the CABEI intermediationnetwork to funnel more funds toMSMEs, in 2006, approval wasgiven for the Program of Technicaland Financial Cooperation for theMSME Sector, aimed at organizingthe technical assistance fundsearmarked for this business sector.Implementation of this programwill commence in 2007 with non-refundable resources provided byCABEI, KFW (US$1 million in total),and AECI (US$1.5 million).

The CDB has a “Private SectorDevelopment Policy” which has as



its central focus the promotion ofsmall and medium-sized enter-prises. The “Caribbean Tech-nological Consultancy Services(CTCS)” network contributes tostrengthening private sectorcapabilities by linking people whohave business and technicalexperience with businesses thatneed consulting advice andassistance. “CTCS” also contri-

butes to technical and managerialskills of the Region’s smallentrepreneurs, especially youngpersons and women, and promotesgender equity

For information relating to theICA’s activities for this mandate,please refer to Mandate 53 of theDeclaration.

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We are committed to building a more solid and inclusive institutional framework, based on thecoordination of economic, labor, and social public policies to contribute to the generation of decentwork, which must comprise: (Paragraph 55)

A labor framework that promotes decent work and reaffirms our respect for the ILO Declarationon Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its follow-up. We shall continue to strengthenthe application of our national labor laws and promote their effective enforcement;(Paragraph 55a)

Framework for Creating Decent Work

Decent Work has been in thecenterfold of the agendas of the mainUN bodies and the EuropeanCommission, which indirectlyaffect aid-donor and technicalcooperation agendas in theAmericas. The Decent Work Agen-da was adopted by the 2006 High-level Segment of the United NationsEconomic and Social Council(ECOSOC)’s Ministerial Declaration,pushing the Decent Work Agendaas an essential part of povertyreduction in the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. Full em-ployment and decent work was thetheme of recent session of the UNCommission for Social Develop-ment, and in the 2006 Spring andAutumn sessions of the High-levelCommittee of the UN system ChiefExecutives Board (HLCP/CEB). TheCommittee asked International La-bor Organization (ILO) to developa “toolkit” for mainstreaming

employment and decent work inUN system activities, and will bediscussed and approved by theHLCP and submitted for finalendorsement by the ExecutiveHeads, including those of the IMF,the WB and the WTO, at the nextCEB session, hosted by the ILO inGeneva, on 20–21, April 2007.

ILO and the World Bank agreed tojointly conduct two initial countrystudies focused on growth-em-ployment linkages and relateddecent work issues. ILO is workingwith the WB to help effectivemainstreaming of the Core LaborStandards in the Bank’s operations,and is also cooperating with the In-ternational Finance Corporation inthe implementation of its “Perfor-mance Standards on Environ-mentand Social Development”, includinga joint program (“Better Work”)focused on global supply chains.

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“Decent Work Country Programs(DWCPs)” are the main vehicle forILO engagement with the “OneUN” objective in the UN reform. Inthis vein, ILO and UNDP agreed inJanuary 2007 to a common plan ofaction focused on employment-poverty linkages. Countries thatwill be covered are: Brazil, Trini-

dad Tobago, Honduras, Chile, Peru,Costa Rica, and Uruguay (withothers to follow). Broader“DWCPs” are ongoing in Argenti-na, Brazil, Panama, and are nowbeing negotiated with Uruguay,Honduras, Bolivia, Colombia andother countries.

A business climate that attracts investment, fosters new enterprise creation, and promotescompetition; (Paragraph 55c)

The main objective of the IDB’s“Business Climate Initiative (BCI)”is to identify and then reduce oreliminate critical barriers that im-pede the growth-promoting ex-pansion of private sector activitiesthrough legal and regulatorychanges in the institutions andpolicies that affect the investmentclimate.

During 2006, progress wasachieved at the different stages for“BCI” implementation (signature ofAide Memoire, diagnostic work,validation of analysis, action planagreement with stakeholders, andproject implementation andmonitoring).

In addition to the 22 countriesparticipating in this initiative, in2006, Belize and the Province of SanJuan (Argentina) jointed the “BCI”.A new approach focusing on thesub-national level in largecountries (e.g. Brazil, Argentina)was used to address local impe-diments to private sector deve-lopment. Diagnostic work wascompleted for the Province of SanJuan (Argentina). In Brazil, a dia-

gnostic study is underway whichidentifies key business impe-diments that affect its investmentclimate. The study also is lookingat what is preventing the countryfrom developing a “Global Centerof Excellence (GCE)” in the bio-fuelsector and will propose a strategicplan to help overcome thoseobstacles.

In addition, diagnostic studies arein progress for Belize and Barba-dos based on the methodology ofthe World Economic Forum. TheBCI is also financing the completionof a road map for improving busi-ness climate in the Bahamas.

In addition, the Bank completed, inpartnership with the World Bank,the “Business Enterprises Econo-mic Performance Surveys (BEEPS)”for eight countries (Argentina, Bo-livia, Colombia, Mexico, Panama,Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) thatwill be used as basic diagnostic toolfor the BCI as well as for thecountries' private sector develop-ment strategies.

In 2006 several projects were



identified and are now in theimplementation phase. TheProvince of Mendoza (Argentina)has agreed to the “Action Plan” andstarted to implement the prio-ritized actions, through a technicalcooperation for enhancing businessstart-up procedures and licensing.In the Province of Buenos Aires, theMunicipality of Moron is imple-menting a MIF project that willtackle bureaucratic delays instarting up and licensing forbusinesses. In Uruguay the priori-tized actions for the BCI im-plementation were included in thePolicy Matrix of the Policy BasedLoan. This operation was preparedduring 2006 and will be consideredby the Board in January 2007.

Based on the “BCI Action Plans”prepared for the DominicanRepublic and El Salvador, two newprojects entered the pipeline in2006. In El Salvador, the “BCI” willsupport work to improve access forSMEs to government procurement,while in the Dominican Republictechnical assistance will focus onupdating the firm registry system.

Also, a project aimed at definingand implementing a methodologyfor SMEs bank portfolio securiti-zation in Colombia was designedand is in execution.

In Argentina, at the Federal level,the BCI financed the “Peer Reviewof the Antitrust Law, Institutionsand Policies” that was carried outby the OECD and was presented asthe case study for the LatinAmerican Competition Forum co-organized by the Bank and theOECD. Additionally, work financedby the BCI was completed to updatethe business incorporation law inthe Dominican Republic and thenew law was submitted to Con-gress for approval. In Honduras, aninternational consultant wasretained to advice on Business-Government Relations and prepa-red a report for the President ofHonduras to develop a “Govern-ment Agenda for the Private SectorDevelopment”. Finally, a consult-ancy was launched to identifybarriers to linking local firms in theDominican Republic to link toexport value chains.

A public policy framework for integral and sustainable development that can reduce poverty andinequality, advance human health, and protect the environment in harmony with internationalenvironmental agreements to which we are all party, including those that address endangered andmigratory species and wildlife, wetlands, desertification, ozone depleting chemicals, and climatechange; we take note, with satisfaction, of the upcoming United Nations Conference on ClimateChange in Montreal; (Paragraph 55e)

The World Bank’s “Mexico SecondProgrammatic Environment De-velopment Policy Loan Project”will support the second stage of thegovernment's medium-term,outcome-based program to pro-

mote sustainable development. Theoverarching objective of the pro-gram is to balance socio-economicdevelopment with environmentalprotection and improvement.

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In 2006, CAF continued to imple-ment a series of specialized en-vironmental programs thatpromote and support national andregional initiatives for natureconservation and sustainable useof the region’s natural resources, aswell as strengthening the envi-ronmental sector in each sharehol-der country. They include theBiodiversity Program (Bio-CAF),the Latin American Carbon andClean and Alternative EnergiesProgram (PLAC+e), the CleanerProduction Program, the NaturalDisaster Risk Management andPrevention Program, the Sus-tainable Development Program inFinancial Institutions, and otherspecific activities in water man-agement and conservation, andpreservation of environmentalservices for ecosystems. TheCorporation has also contributedto strengthening the environmen-tal sector in its shareholder coun-tries through loans, technical as-sistance for several environmentalinitiatives, and development ofcomputer tools, such as the CondorGeographic Information System,which help increase knowledge ofthe region and sound decision-making that has an impact on thesustainability of the environment.

In the context of the region’senormous biodiversity, CAFcreated the Biodiversity Program(BioCAF), in order to promote thesustainable use of biodiversity andgenetic resources by contributingto sustainable environmentalpractices and a better quality of lifefor people in the region.

To carry out its mission, BioCAFhas implemented a large number

of different activities, includingworkshops, seminars, consultan-cies, publications, and sponsor-ships in the framework of threesubprograms, which include: a)Support for biodiversity negotia-tors in shareholder countries thatparticipate in international forumsand agreements to analyze andnegotiate trade matters that affectbiodiversity-related environmen-tal issues; b) Support for the deve-lopment of markets for biodiversityand genetic resources, such asbiocommerce and biotechnology;and, c) Promotion of conservationinitiatives for ecosystems andspecies, in particular those relatedto CAF operations.

With respect to the first sub-program on support for nego-tiators, BioCAF provides valuableassistance to experts and parti-cipants from shareholder countrieswho take part in negotiations atdifferent international forums.These include negotiationsbetween countries on issuesrelating to biodiversity in theframework of the World TradeOrganization, the World Intellec-tual Property Organization, theConvention on Biological Diversityand Free Trade Agreements. Thesupport of BioCAF has taken theshape of various technicalpublications, as well as orga-nization of technical discussionworkshops attended by differentcountry representatives, includingenvironmental, commercial, andforeign ministry officials. Theworkshops provide an oppor-tunity for participants to shareviews and have served tostrengthen the positions of theregion, in general, and of the



countries, in particular, at thoseforums or to determine ex postcourses of action. The most im-portant publications worth citinginclude, “Elementos para la protec-ción sui generis de los conocimien-tos tradicionales colectivos e inte-grales desde la perspectiva indíge-na” and “Propuesta para un Siste-ma de Certificación de RecursosGenéticos y Lineamientos Técnicos– Apoyo a la Negociación interna-cional de los países miembros de laComunidad Andina en materia deacceso a recursos genéticos y cono-cimientos tradicionales”.

As to the second subprogram,BioCAF has centered its efforts onmarket development throughbiocommerce and promotion ofbiotechnology. Biocommerce hasbeen defined as the array ofactivities to collect and/or produ-ce, process, and market nativebiodiversity (species, geneticresources, and ecosystems) goodsand services according to prin-ciples of environmental, social, andeconomic sustainability. Bio-commerce has become globallywidespread and is protected by theConvention on Biological Diversity,the most important multilateralenvironmental treaty on bio-diversity.

Conscious of the potential of thisactivity, BioCAF has taken a num-ber of steps, creating importantpartnerships and encouragingsynergies with different stake-holders in the region, includingECLAC, the General Secretariat ofthe Andean Community (SGCAN),the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP), the GlobalEnvironment Fund (GEF), and the

United Nations Conference onTrade and Development (UNC-TAD).

Among the activities carried out inthe framework of this subprogramis the project Facilitation ofFinancing for BiodiversityBusinesses and Support for theDevelopment of Market Activitiesin the Andean Region. The projectwas carried out in Colombia, Ecua-dor, Peru, and Venezuela from June2004 to June 2006. Other activitiesimplemented by the subprogram ofsupport for biocommerce andbiotechnology that had a greatimpact include the direct assistanceprovided for consolidation ofNational Biocommerce Programsand the organization and spon-sorship of forums to promoteinvestment in biodiversity pro-ducts and services, such as theBiocommerce Investor Forums inMexico (2002) and Peru (2004) aswell as BioExpo in Colombia (2006).This program has also producedimportant publications, in keepingwith its aim to raise awarenessabout and promote the issue, inparticular, “Biocomercio en laSubregión Andina: Oportunidadespara el Desarrollo y Biotecnologíapara el Uso Sostenible de laBiodiversidad.”

The activities of the third sub-program have sought to supportconservation initiatives withinCAF operations. Thus, funds havebeen channelled to supportconservation of natural areas indifferent countries, including Avila,Guatopo and Canaima NationalParks (Venezuela); Tambopata,Amarakaeri and Titicaca NaturalReserves, and Bahuaja - Sonene

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National Park (Peru); Vilcabamba- Amboró Conservation Corridor(Peru-Bolivia) and the Chaquilla

Bofedales [saturated pasturelands] (Bolivia).

A comprehensive framework for rural and agricultural development, to promote investment, jobcreation, and rural prosperity; (Paragraph 55g)

The World Bank-funded “SecondAgricultural Technology Projectfor Nicaragua” provides ruralhouseholds and communities withbroader access to sustainableagricultural, forestry and naturalresource management services andinnovations, thereby stimulatinghigher agricultural productivity.

In order to ensure a framework foragricultural and rural develop-ment, with the support of IICA, asSecretariat of the MinisterialMeetings on Agriculture and Ru-ral Life of the Americas, theministers of agriculture of thehemisphere, at their last twoministerials (Panama 2003 andGuayaquil 2005) adopted andupdated the AGRO 2003-2015 Plan,as a global multisectoral frame-work built on an inclusive ins-titutional process, the basiccomponents of which are: (i)national teams, each composed ofa ministerial delegate and analternate delegate who support theMinister of Agriculture in theconvocation of a national dialoguewith the participation of thevarious groups concerned withagriculture, as well as in drawing

up a summarized national pro-posal; (ii) a hemispheric forum ofministerial delegates (Group for theImplementation and Coordinationof the Agreements on Agricultureand Rural Life - GRICA), which,based on the summary of nationalproposals prepared by the Secre-tariat, supports the dialogue andthe hemispheric negotiationprocess and builds consensus ondraft ministerial decisions sub-mitted to the Ministerial Meeting;(iii) a Secretariat for the ministerialprocess and its meetings ofdelegates and of ministers, whichfunction is performed by IICA; (iv)a Hemispheric Ministerial Meetingin the framework of the SummitsProcess which is the forum ofagriculture ministers that adoptshemispheric agreements andproposes new decisions neededfrom the Heads of State andGovernment; and, (v) RegionalMeetings of Ministers.

In 2007, IICA proposes to continueto support the consolidation of thisinclusive institutional frameworkfor the sustainable development ofagriculture and rural communitiesin the Americas.



We recognize the vital contributions of Ministries of Labor to the achievement of the objectives ofthe Fourth Summit of the Americas, “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen DemocraticGovernance,” and to the promotion of decent work and policies that encourage investment andeconomic growth with equity. We are committed to strengthening them with the goal of ensuringthat they have sufficient national budgetary and technical resources to carry out their duties in anefficient and effective manner. We call upon our respective Ministers of Labor, working withemployers and workers, to promote professional training and lifelong learning activities so thatworkers may adequately insert themselves into labor markets, to facilitate the skills and theknowledge development of workers and job seekers; to implement policies and programs, such asimproved employment services and access to quality labor market information, that provide forthe efficient functioning of labor markets; and to effectively enforce our national labor laws andregulations.

We encourage the ministers to continue bilateral and multilateral cooperation aimed at capacitybuilding. We also take note of the Declaration and Plan of Action of Mexico and their role in furtheringthe objectives of the Summit. (Paragraph 56)

In follow-up to the 2005 Inter-American Conference of Ministersof Labor (IACML) and in prepara-tion for the 2007 IACML, the ILO isorganizing a Caribbean Ministersof Labour Meeting (15 and 16 May2007, Port of Spain, Trinidad andTobago). This is part of a longstand-ing agreement that the CaribbeanCommunity (CARICOM) Secre-tariat and ILO organize the LabourMinisters’ Meeting in alternateyears. The Meeting of Labour

Ministers will discuss items on theagenda of the upcoming session ofthe International Labour Con-ference (ILC), subjects raised inearly May at the pre-IACML mee-ting in Costa Rica, and the Can-adian-funded workshop in Trini-dad and Tobago (July) focused, interalia, on the labour dimensions offree trade agreements, as part ofpreparations for the IACML, to beheld in Trinidad and Tobago, 11-13Sep 2007.

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Accountability is a key instrument to achieve transparency and efficiency in the use of resourcesadministered by our governments. Fighting corruption is a key aspect of strengthening democracyand economic growth. For this reason, we call upon states to implement the Inter-AmericanConvention against Corruption and participate fully in the Follow-up Mechanism for theImplementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. We stress the importanceof the oversight role of legislatures, as appropriate, in the fight against corruption and the importanceof promoting inter-parliamentary exchanges to encourage the development of national andinternational strategies to fight against corruption. (Paragraph 66)

Currently 33 states are party to theInter-American Conventionagainst Corruption (IACC), and 28states are party to its Follow-upMechanism (MESICIC). The firstround of review within the ME-SICIC framework ended in April2006. The MESICIC Committee ofExperts subsequently published the“Hemispheric Report” whichsummarizes the results of the firstround3. MESICIC’s second round iscurrently in progress, duringwhich all 28 states parties to theMESICIC will be reviewed withrespect to selected provisions of theIACAC4. To promote both the IAC-AC and MESICIC, the GeneralAssembly declared 2006 to be the

“Inter-American Year of the Fightagainst Corruption” AG/RES. 2071(XXXV-O/05). To promote inter-parliamentary exchanges, theOffice of Legal Cooperation hasposted on its website country-specific legislation related tospecific measures of the IACAC5.

The OAS will continue to urgethose OAS member states thathave not yet done so to considersigning and ratifying, ratifying, oracceding to, as the case may be, theInter-American Conventionagainst Corruption and toparticipate in the MESICIC. TheMESICIC second round of reviewwill continue through December

Strengthening Democratic Governance

3 The Hemispheric Report can be accessed at: http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mec_ron1_inf_hemis_en.doc. Toaccess the individual country reports adopted please visit: http://www.oas.org/juridico/spanish/mec_ron1_inf.htm.4 To see the provisions selected for review for the second round please go to: http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic_method_IIround.pdf.5 Please refer to the country links on the far-left column of the following web page: http://www.oas.org/juridico/spanish/Lucha.html.6 To see a schedule of activities for the MESICIC second round please visit: http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mec_sched_2006.htm.

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20086. With regards to inter-parliamentary exchanges, the OASwill continue to facilitate sharingof information by frequentlyadding to the da-tabase on theOffice of Legal Co-operation’swebsite of country-specificlegislation related to the IACAC.

In 2005, with a contribution fromthe Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA), theOAS began a pilot project tosupport the implementation ofrecommendations generated by theCommittee of Experts during thefirst round of Follow-up Mechan-ism for the Implementation of theInter-American Conventionagainst Corruption (MESICIC). Thepilot project consisted of workingindividually with Argentina, Para-guay, Nicaragua and Colombia tocreate a national “Plan of Action toImplement the Committee’s Re-commendations”7. The pilot pro-ject funded by CIDA concluded inDecember of 2006. In August of 2006,the OAS received a grant from theU.S. Department of State to establishan “Anti-Corruption Fund (Fund)”.The purpose of the Fund is tocontinue the work of the pilotproject, and further facilitate theimplementation of recommen-dations generated by the MESICICCommittee of Experts.

On November 20 and 21 of 2006,the Conference of States Parties tothe MESICIC met to review op-eration of the Follow-up Mech-anism. During the meeting, theConference of States Partiesreviewed and revised the text of theInter-American Program for theCooperation in the Fight againstCorruption, which provides theoverall framework for carrying outOAS anti-corruption activities,including the strengthening ofMESICIC.

This year, the OAS will beginworking with OAS member statesunder the auspices of the Anti-Corruption Fund in order to helpimplement the Committee ofExperts’ recommendations fromboth the first and second round ofMESICIC. The OAS will also workto fulfill the directives of Inter-American Program for Cooper-ation in the Fight againstCorruption, which includes, interalia, strengthening MESICIC,promoting exchange of infor-mation between states, takingsteps to promote cooperation onthe recovery of assets, andcontinuing to improve technicalcooperation8.

7 For copies of the national Plans of Action please visit: http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic_cida_project_I_round_en.htm.8 For a copy of the revised Inter-American Program text please visit: http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic_conf_est_parte_II_prog_intam_en.pdf



We will strengthen the timely exchanges of information and the broadest possible mutual legalassistance in order to prevent, combat, and eliminate terrorism, prevent the international movementof terrorists and ensure their prosecution, and, as appropriate, their extradition in accordancewith domestic laws and relevant treaties and conventions. We will cooperate to avoid that anyindividual who participates in the financing, planning, preparation and commission of terroristacts finds safe haven in our countries. (Parapgraph 69)

In the “Port Security Program”, theOAS conducted assessments ofvulnerabilities in port installationsand training needs for port securitypersonnel in Belize, Antigua andBarbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis,as part of the emphasis on enhan-cing security in the nine countrieshosting the Cricket World Cup2007. Based on these assessments,98 officials were trained in Belizeon International Ship and Port fa-cilities in compliance with theinternational standards establi-shed in the “International Ship andPort Facility Security Code (ISPS)”approved by the InternationalMaritime Organization (IMO). Thecontract for assessment andtraining was awarded for fivemajor ports of the DominicanRepublic in 2007. Port assessmentswere conducted in January 2007,and 40 days of follow-up trainingwill be delivered in April/May. Inaddition, bids were received for theGrenada project and a contractorselected in February 2007. Atraining needs assessment for theport of St. George’s, followed bytargeted training, is being plannedfor the second quarter of this year.Later in 2007, the OAS will solicitbids for a port security assessmentand follow-on training for Jamai-ca, Guyana, and the Bahamas. Inanother instance of cooperationwith the Government of Spain, theOAS participated in a “Seminar onPort Management and Security” at

the Spanish training center inCartagena, Colombia.

The “Airport Security Program”experienced the greatest growth inthe last year. More than 600 officialsfrom 18 countries were trainedthrough 31 courses on specialaspects of the security standards ofthe International Civil AviationOrganization (ICAO). The Se-cretariat implemented fully in 2006the training agreement signed in2005 with the U.S. TransportationSecurity Agency (TSA), providedscholarships to various par-ticipants to attend training coursesoffered by ICAO, and funded twoICAO training courses in airportsecurity in Jamaica and Nicaragua.In addition, the Secretariat pre-sented its airport security programin a regional seminar organized bythe Government of Spain at itstraining center in Santa Cruz, Boli-via.

In July 2006 the OAS organized aregional seminar in Miami on“Passports and InternationalTravel Documents and Systems ofIssuance”, in collaboration with theIOM, for 24 English-speakingparticipants from Inter-AmericanCommittee against Terrorism(CICTE) Member States. Theobjective was to improve capacityto detect fraudulent traveldocuments and thereby enhanceborder security and links between

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immigration and border securityagencies, in order to promoteinternational cooperation incombating and controlling fraud.

The lack of funding preventedimplementation of training coursesin 2006 under “Customs andImmigrations” program. However,a new training program wasinitiated with the U.S. Customsand Border Protection (CBP) of theDepartment of Homeland Security.CBP assessed customs and im-migration capacity at ports of entryin Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Grenada,and subsequently conducted fourcapacity-building courses linked tovulnerabilities identified in thosecountries in early 2007.

Under the “Terrorism FinancingProgram”, the OAS contracted forproduction in CD format of aSpanish-language manual onterrorism financing which wasdistributed widely to the FinancialIntelligence Units (FIU) of CICTEMember States and also to othermultilateral and internationalorganizations working on the topic.This constitutes a pioneering effortthat unites legislation, analysis ofdifferent financing methods, earlywarning indicators, case studies,and best practices. This manual hasbeen used in the last year intraining courses organized by theOAS on money laundering. The twoSecretariats formed a partnership,as mentioned above, to organize anew course in Bogota, Colombia, inFebruary 2007 on the specific topicof terrorism financing. Translationof this CD into English for use incourses for English-speakingmember states will be completedin the next few months. Finally, the

OAS participated in a seminar inBuenos Aires, Argentina, onterrorism financing organized bythe Central Bank of the Republic ofArgentina.

The OAS, CICTE, and the UnitedNations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) provided extensivetechnical assistance to CICTEmember states that are reviewingtheir counter terrorism legislationin order to adjust it to theircommitments under the Inter-American Convention againstTerrorism, the internationalcounter terrorism conventions ofthe United Nations, and theresolutions of the United NationsSecurity Council. To date, 22 CICTEmember states have ratified theInter-American Convention—mostrecently, the Government of Uru-guay in February 2007.

The CICTE Secretariat and UNODCorganized a ministerial conferencein Panama in April 2006 and aworkshop in the DominicanRepublic in July 2006. Costa Rica,Mexico, and Uruguay also receivedtechnical assistance. Also underthis program, the CICTE Secretariatand UNODC provided technicalassistance, in coordination withthe Government of Spain, for aseminar to train judges andprosecutors on legal tools andmethods used in prosecuting casesof terrorism.

In April 2006, the OAS togetherwith the Secret Service of the UnitedStates of America, organized aseminar related to cyber-securitycrime and terrorism. Participantsincluded civil servants in areas ofintelligence, police and military of



14 countries of the OAS. Thistraining is an addition to the effortsput forth by CICTE and Ministersof Justice or Attorney Generals ofthe Americas (REMJA) to imple-ment an Inter-American strategyfor cyber-security. The Secretariat’shighest priority under this pro-gram is to help each CICTE MemberState establish a “24/7 NationalComputer Cyber-Security IncidentResponse Team (CSIRT)” and totrain those officials designated bytheir governments to work in theseteams.

The “Inter-American Tourism andRecreational Facilities SecurityProgram (ITRS)” was approved asa pilot project by CICTE in March2006 at its Sixth Regular Session. Ithas already filled an important gapin hemispheric security and had apositive impact on the prepara-tions by the countries hosting theCricket World Cup 2007. During thepilot project, 253 security officialsfrom both the public and privatesectors of 10 English-speakingcountries of the Caribbean receivedtraining.

The OAS entered into a new part-nership with the U.S. DefenseThreat Reduction Agency (DTRA)to provide advanced training inGrenada to security and lawenforcement officials in the touristsector of the host countries. Thisnew course emphasized security,surveys, and risk assessments, interalia, for hotels, tourist sites,buildings, recreational centers andstadiums, and cruise ships. Thissecurity program was presentedby the OAS at the United Nations

Interregional Crime and JusticeResearch Institute (UNICRI)seminar in Cartagena, Colombia inFebruary 2007. As a result, UNICRIhas expressed its interest incoordinating with CICTE and theSecretariat in this growing area oftourism security in order tofacilitate sharing of informationand experiences through UNICRI’ sInternational Permanent Observa-tory (IPO) with other regions of theworld.

The OAS is actively participatingin international efforts againstterrorism together with the UnitedNations and other organizations,such as INTERPOL, the Orga-nization for Security of the Councilof Europe (OSCE), and the cybersecurity and maritime committeesof the Asia Pacific EconomicCommission (APEC).

In order to promote efforts of theCICTE member states to complywith their obligations under UnitedNations Security Council Re-solution (UNSCR) 1540 on weaponsof mass destruction, the Secretariatformed a new partnership with theUnited Nations Regional Office forPeace, Disarmament and EconomicDevelopment in Latin Americanand the Caribbean (UN-LiREC),located in Lima, Peru. TheSecretariat gave two presentationsat a regional meeting organized byUN-LiREC in November 2006. In2007, the OAS will cooperate withUN-LiREC in the organization ofseveral other regional events on thetopic, including a meeting forscientists and academics onimplementation of UNSCR 1540.

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We offer our encouragement to the OAS in drafting the Social Charter of the Americas and its Planof Action, whose principles and objectives will be directed towards the achievement by memberstates of societies that offer all of our citizens more opportunities to benefit from sustainabledevelopment with equity and social inclusion. (Paragraph 71)

Since the negotiations got under-way in September 2005, the OAShas provided technical support forthe activities of the Joint WorkingGroup of the Permanent Counciland the Permanent ExecutiveCommittee of the Inter-AmericanCouncil for Integral Development(CEPCIDI) to prepare the SocialCharter of the Americas and its

Plan of Action. In that connection,background documents wereprepared to initiate the nego-tiations of the draft preamble -asrequested by the policymakingbody- and specific technical inputswere offered to help move forwardwith the consideration of the draftSocial Charter.

National efforts to generate decent jobs and good employment must be supported by internationalcooperation and solidarity. In this context, we will strengthen hemispheric cooperation mechanismsamong our countries within the OAS framework and with other multilateral organizations andfinancial institutions, to ensure an effective use of instruments and resources needed to promotesustainable growth and development. In this regard, we take note with interest of the internationalefforts, contributions and discussions, such as the Action Against Hunger and Poverty, aimed atidentifying innovative and additional sources of financing for development on a public, private,domestic or external basis, according to each country’s national development strategies, to increaseand supplement traditional sources of financing in support of the achievement of internationallyagreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDG´s) and reflectingthe global partnership of the Monterrey Consensus. (Paragraph 72)

When translated to the realm ofICTs, democratic practices andcitizen participation can bestrengthen by the use of these toolsto support and enhance thecollaboration among relevantstakeholders throughout thepolicy-making cycle without thelimitations of space, time, or otherphysical constraints. ICA hassupported a number of initiativesthat address some of the challengesthat affect the provision and citizenaccess to government services inthe region. In collaboration withthe OAS, ICA has supported the

consolidation of the “Network of E-Government Leaders in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (RedGEALC)” (www.redgealc.net),which brings together more than60 e-government leaders from 32countries in the Americas in ahemispheric space for exchangingknowledge, expertise and provensolutions on e-government issues.Increasingly, the “Red GeALC” hasgained an important role in theregion by positioning itself as amechanism to articulate andimplement regional projects andinitiatives in the field, as the regio-



nal workshop “Sharing Canadiane-Government Experiences”(Ottawa, Canada ,March 2006)demonstrated.

“Red GeALC” is now entering itssecond phase of operations withrenewed support from ICA, with amandate to promote the adoption

of ICTs as tools to strengthen citizenparticipation and democraticgovernance in LAC, contributing tothe regional consolidation of e-government strategies through thedissemination of innovativeapplications and the strengtheningof the Network.

We instruct the members of the Joint Summit Working Group, comprised of the OAS, IDB, EconomicCommission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), PAHO, Inter-American Institute forCooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), theWorld Bank, ILO, International Organization for Migration (OIM), Institute for Connectivity in theAmericas (ICA), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Andean Development Corporation(CAF), under the coordination of the OAS, to continue, through their respective activities andprograms, to support the follow-up and implementation of the Declarations and Plans of Action ofthe Summits of the Americas, and of the Declaration and Plan of Action of Mar del Plata, as well asto assist in the preparations for future summits. (Paragraph 75)

In keeping with the mandates andchallenges that come with itsparticipation as an institutionalpartner in the Summits Process,IICA has embarked on an ins-titutional modernization processthat has inevitably required it toplay two complementary roles: (i)a new one, as secretariat of the mi-nisterial process and of the minis-terial meetings in the frameworkof the Summits Process; and, (ii) theconventional –but renovated– roleas an international cooperationagency in line with the newinstitutional dynamic in theAmericas.

As secretariat of the ministerialprocess and meetings on “Agri-culture and Rural Life of theAmericas,” IICA helps to ensure thecontinuity of the ministerialprocess, regional integration in theframework of the ministerial

process, and linkage between theministerial process and theSummits process.

In its remodeled conventional roleas a cooperation agency, IICA hasconsolidated a new cooperationmodel, in which its efforts havebeen redirected through the 34National Technical CooperationAgendas (prepared via a process ofconsultation and dialogue withgovernment authorities, theprivate sector, and the scientificand academic communities). In thisway, IICA is aligning its technicalcooperation activities with the newhemispheric dynamic and theguidelines issued by the ministersin the framework of the ministerialprocess. As expressed in its recentlyadopted Medium-Term Plan, 2006-2010, some of the priority lines ofaction for the Institute’s technicalcooperation activities include

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promotion of trade and com-petitiveness of agribusiness; plantprotection and animal health andfood safety; sustainable manage-ment of natural resources and the

environment; technology andinnovation in agriculture; and,strengthening of rural commu-nities with a territorial approach.



Plan of Action ofMar del Plata

Creating Jobsto Fight Povertyand StrengthenDemocraticGovernance

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To eliminate forced labor before 2010 by strengthening measures and policies, to enable those countriesthat have not already done so to achieve this goal. To this end, promote the creation of national plansof action with the support of the International Labor Organization (ILO). (Paragraph 1)

The ILO’s Member States of theAmericas agreed to launch a“Decent Work Decade” – anHemispheric Agenda based on anagreed menu of 4 general policiesand 11 specific policies to be furtherelaborated at country level, using

mainly Decent Work CountryPrograms (DWCP) under nationalagreements engaging ILO,governments and employers’ andworkers’ organizations and othermultilateral agencies, as appro-priate

To eliminate discrimination against women at work through, among other measures, theimplementation of a range of policies that will increase women’s access to decent, dignified, andproductive work, including policies addressing training and education and protection of the rightsof women, as well as proactive policies to ensure that men and women enjoy equality in theworkplace. (Paragraph 4)

In implementing the mandates ofthe Inter-American Program on thePromotion of Women’s HumanRights and Gender Equity andEquality (IAP), the Inter-AmericanCommission on Women (CIM), aspecialized organization of theOAS, has instituted a processcalled “SEPIA”9 to promote andfollow up on recommendations

made on the integration of a genderperspective in the agendas of Mi-nisterial level meetings, especiallyLabor, Justice, Education andScience and Technology.

As follow-up to these meetings, theCIM Executive Secretary met witha Canadian delegation to exploreopportunities in implementing the

Creating Decent Work

9 Spanish Acronym for Follow-Up to the Inter-American Program.

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mandates of the “Plan of Action ofthe Inter-American Conference ofMinisters of Labor (IACML)”. As aresult, the CIM, in partnership withthe Department of Social Deve-lopment and Employment of theOAS, is preparing a proposal on the

integration of a gender perspectiveinto the policies of labor ministries.The initial phase will result in aresearch document on hemisphericefforts to integrate gender into saidministries.

To carry out actions towards the promotion of the fundamental principles and rights at work anddevelop, together with the ILO, cooperation strategies to be complied with by member countries.(Paragraph 13)

The OAS has included promotionof the fundamental principles andrights at work in all the activitiesof the Inter-American Conference ofMinisters of Labor (IACML) of theOAS. The meetings of the WorkingGroups have analyzed strategiesimplemented by countries in thisarea with the support of the ILO.Promotion of and respect for thefundamental principles and rightsat work are lynchpins of the work

of ministries of labor, as recognizedin the framework of the IACML;accordingly, the activities of theDepartment of Social Developmentand Employment (DSDE) of theExecutive Secretariat for IntegralDevelopment (SEDI), as theTechnical Secretariat of thisConference, will continue toadvance this issue in permanentcollaboration with the ILO.

To promote occupational health and safety conditions and facilitate healthy work environmentsfor all workers, and, to that end, ensure effective labor inspection systems. For this purpose, it isessential to foster strategic alliances between the labor, health, environment and education sectors.(Paragraph 16)

The OAS has worked with PAHOand the ILO to promote theanalysis and advancement ofworker health and safety in theHemisphere. In May 2006, theseorganizations jointly staged theSecond Hemis-pheric Workshop onOccupational Health and Safety(OHS) in San Salvador, which wasattended by representatives from23 ministries of labor in the region,as well as representatives of

workers and employers throughthe Trade Union TechnicalAdvisory Council (COSATE) andthe Business Technical AdvisoryCommittee on Labor Matters(CEATAL), colla-borating occupa-tional health and safety centers(Fundacentro, the Chilean SafetyAssociation, the Health and Safetyin Central America Program(SALTRA), Canadian Center forOccupational Health and Safety



(CCOHS)), and international agen-cies. At the event participants wereinformed about experiences ofeffective labor inspection systemsand cor-roborated the importanceof interagency partnerships forachieving a positive impact in thisarea. Furthermore, as a result ofthe workshop, strategic lines ofaction were adopted on thefollowing issues: OHS managementsystems; mechanisms to stren-gthen OHS Information Systems;and HIV in the workplace. Theselines will serve to implement andguide the work of governments,healthcare and occupational healthand safety centers, and inter-national agencies on each of theissues addressed, through measu-res adopted at the national, sub-re-gional, and hemispheric levels.(See, also, Mandate 33 of theDeclaration.)

The OAS has been working withmember states of the region in thedevelopment of a regionalapproach for the sound manage-ment of trade related agro-chemicals. The approach aims toaddress import and export of thesechemicals, health and safety issues,occupational health and genderrelated issues, among othermember state priorities that willoverall benefit health and safety ofworkers in the hemisphere.

The OAS provided member statesin the Andean Region with capacitybuilding and policy options toprotect human health and theenvironment and promotesustainable development withintrade expansion. These capacitybuilding priorities and policyoptions were identified through the

“Environmental Assessment andCapacity Building for TradeLiberalization in the AndeanRegion Project” that addressedeconomic, social and environmen-tal impacts of trade, including thoseaffecting workers health in Colom-bia, Peru and Ecuador.

Through a joint OAS/PAHOinitiative to address implicationsof globalization and trade forenvironmental health in theAmericas, the OAS also providedpractical recommendations toimprove environmental health atthe hemispheric and national level.The initiative looked at the rela-tionship between trade liberaliza-tion and contagious diseases inresource intensive sectors andanalyzed possible changes orimpacts to public health andenvironmental degradation inclu-ding case studies of activities suchas agriculture and aqua-culturelinked to trade and foreign directinvestment (FDI).

The Fourth Summit of the Americasgave the Pan American HealthOrganization (PAHO) the mandateto collaborate with strengtheningof the Strategic Alliance of Minis-tries of Labor and Ministries ofHealth, Education, and Environ-ment, in order to advance theMillennium Development Goalsand strengthen integration of so-cial policies in the overallframework of development. Inresponse to this mandate, PAHOorganized the panel on Inter-Sectoral Partnership at the 47thDirecting Council last September,which was attended by the ChairsPro Temp of the Inter-AmericanConference of Ministers of Labor;

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of the Meeting of Ministers ofAgriculture, and of the Meeting ofMinisters of Health and Environ-ment. The Secretary General of theOAS, and the Director of PAHOagain signed the commitment tosupport the design of compre-hensive public policies that helpedto accomplish the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, giving particu-lar attention to the more vulnera-ble municipalities in each countrythrough the Faces and Places on theMDGs initiative, which, throughintegrated and synergic activitiesmake health the foundation stoneof development.

PAHO also collaborated with theOAS and the government of El Sal-vador to stage the SecondHemispheric Workshop onOccupational Health and Safety,which was attended by represen-tatives from labor and healthministries of the countries of theAmericas in the framework of thecommitments set forth in theFourteenth Inter-American Confe-rence of Ministers of Labor. Anadvisory council was formed tohold this workshop, composed ofPAHO, the OAS, and the ILO insupport of the Regional Occu-pational Health and Safety Center(FUNDACERSSO). In connectionwith this issue, PAHO launched thehemispheric initiative on thehealth and safety of Health Sectorworkers in the framework of WorldHealth Day and as a PAHO inter-program activity and with theparticipation and support of: WHO,the Ministry of Health of Brazil,

PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centersand Centers of Excellence, the ILO,and the World Bank.

The ILO’s Hemispheric DecentWork Agenda resulting from the XVRegional Meeting (May 2006)stressed as a policy objective: to“make occupational safety andhealth a priority for social actorsin the region” and made it a policygoal that “within ten years (by2015), to reduce the incidence ofoccupational accidents andillnesses by 20%, and doubleoccupational safety and healthprotection for sectors andcollectives heretofore not covered.”

Several activities are beingundertaken in this context with ascope for enlarging and improvingalready ongoing inter-agencycooperation with WHO/PAHO(and possibly IDB/MIF, UnitedNations Environment Program),including: the application of the ILO“Code of Practice on HIV-AIDS inthe Workplace”; the joint “Oc-cupational Safety and HealthNetwork (RSST)” which dis-seminates and exchangesOccupational Safety and Health(OSH) information and experienceamong technical bodies, practi-tioners and researchers in theRegion and beyond (now with 1,617subscribers in 38 countries andlinked with other ILO informationsystems); and the convergence ofOSH statistics on occupational in-juries of protected and unprotectedworkers and related policies.



To criminalize migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, effectively enforce national laws andregulations to confront migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, and strengthen institutionsand the training of professional staff to be better positioned to investigate and prosecute theresponsible parties, undertake prevention initiatives, as well as protect and assist the victims ofthese crimes. (Paragraph 17)

The OAS helped organize the Mee-ting of National Authorities onTrafficking in Persons, which washeld on Margarita Island, theBolivarian Republic of Venezuela,March 14 to 17, 2006, which wasthe first hemispheric forum wherethe countries of the Americas metto deal with issues related traf-ficking in persons. It specificallyfocused on the prevention andpunishment of traffickers, theprotection of and assistance tovictims, the sharing of informationand experiences and on inter-national cooperation. The con-clusions and recommendations of

the meeting were introduced at theVI Meeting of Ministers of Justiceor of Ministers or Attorneys Gene-ral of the Americas (REMJA), heldin the Dominican Republic, April24-26, 2006.

Because of the strong gendercomponent of trafficking inpersons, the CIM Secretariat of theOAS will continue to collaboratewith the Public Security Depart-ment to ensure that a gender pers-pective continues to be integratedinto the work on trafficking inpersons.

To adopt measures to encourage the full and effective exercise of the rights of all workers, includingmigrant workers, as well as application of core labor standards, such as those contained in the ILODeclaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its follow-up, adopted in 1998.Explore ways for the ILO to provide technical advisory services to member states to help themaccomplish that objective. (Paragraph 18)

Outside the Decent Work CountryPrograms (DWCPs) framework inthe Region, ILO’s studies on em-ployment and related technicalcooperation efforts have also beenpromoted separately, including:

“Tripartite Caribbean Employ-ment Forum” - Responding toGlobalization: A decent work ag-enda for the Caribbean in thecontext of regional integration, 10-12 Oct 2006, Barbados (similarforums were carried out earlierfor Central America and theSouthern Cone);

“National Employment Reports”in preparation for the ILO'sTripartite Caribbean Employ-ment Forum - Barbados, Guyana,Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles,Saint Lucia, Suriname;“National Technical and Voca-tional Education and TrainingReports”- To contribute to the re-gional discussion on reformingTVET institutions and accredi-tation systems for improved skillsand enhanced employ-ability inCaribbean Labor Mar-kets – Bar-bados, Guyana, Jamaica, SaintLucia, Trinidad and Tobago;

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The “Transition of JamaicanYouth to the World of WorkReport” prepared by the HumanDevelopment Unit, PIOJ, in coopwith ILO;“Facing the Employment Cha-llenge (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico)”– comparing country ex-perienceon employment and macro-economic policies, as well as otherrecent studies on employment,working conditions and laborrelations, etc.

Both within and outside negotiatedDWCPs, ILO’s ongoing technicalcooperation activities cover avariety of fields, e.g.: labor statisticsand indicators, crisis responseemergency employment schemes,minimum wages, skills develop-ment and training policy, laborinspection and administration, so-cial security, occupational safetyand health (OSH), etc.

To continue strengthening the capacity of the Ministries of Labor to effectively enforce our nationallabor laws and regulations. We will continue to promote cooperation among the Ministries ofLabor, within the context of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML).(Paragraph 19)

In compliance with this mandate,in mid-2006 the OAS launched theInter-American Labor Adminis-tration Network (RIAL), the aim ofwhich is to build up the insti-tutional and human capacities ofthe ministries of labor in the regionthrough horizontal co-operationand technical assistance. The RIALis essentially the cooperationmechanism of the Inter-AmericanConference of Ministers of Labor(IACML) and, as such, its guidelinesand activities originate from thatministerial forum. Less than a yearsince its creation, the RIAL canreport that it has held threehemispheric workshops for ins-titutional capacity building in the

areas of occupational health andsafety, employment services, andlabor rights of migrant workers. Ithas also created a CooperationFund to facilitate direct cooperationbetween labor ministries in theregion, in addition to developingweb pages and virtual commu-nication mechanisms.

The RIAL will continue to act as thedialogue and cooperation mecha-nism of the IACML, in order tostrengthen labor administra-tionsin the Hemisphere. In developingthis mechanism, the OAS willcontinue to work in close colla-boration with the ILO and otherinternational agencies.



To strengthen constructive dialogue on international migration, with a view to full recognition ofhuman rights of migrant workers, reduce their vulnerable conditions at work, as well as advocateeffective compliance of the principle of equality and non-discrimination at work in accordancewith international instruments in this area and, thereby, ensure that migration is an orderlyprocess that benefits all parties and boosts productivity at the global level. (Paragraph 20)

The OAS complies with themandates in this regard throughthe activities of the Office of theSpecial Rapporteur on MigrantWorkers and their Families. Owingto the particular interest expressedby several member states, the Officeof the Rapporteur decided toaddress in its seventh progressreport, included in the 2005 AnnualReport of the IACHR, the issue ofthe obligation of the State of originof migrant workers to protect andensure the human rights of thelatter. The Office of the Rapporteurdetermined that the protection of amigrant worker ’s rights willfrequently depend upon whetherthe diplomatic mission or con-sulate has acted quickly and effec-tive with the authorities of the Statein which the migrant worker islocated.

That is 122nd regular session, theIACHR convened hearings on therights of refugees and immigrantsand the situation of migrant farmworkers.

In 2006, at the 124th regular sessionof the IACHR, the situation ofmigrant workers and their familieswas addressed at three hearings.One was on human rights and na-tural disasters in the hemisphere,and the effects of State actions onthe population of migrant workers.The second was on the situationscreated by Immigration Law No.285-04 in the Dominican Republic,

and its effect on the Haitian-Dominican population. The thirdwas on migrant workers in CostaRica

In the course of the special sessionsheld in Guatemala City, in July 2006,the Inter-American Commissionreceived information on the freetrade agreements and humanrights in Central America, an issuethat also affects migration.

At the same time, the Office of theSpecial Rapporteur has continuedto collaborate in and studypetitions and requests for precau-tionary measures received by theCommission in connection withmigrant workers.

Furthermore, toward the end ofNovember 2006, the Rapporteur, inrepresentation of the IACHR,attended the Workshop “MigrantWorkers: Protection of LabourRights and Labour MarketPrograms.” The event was held inOttawa, Canada, and organized bythe Inter-American Conference ofMinisters of Labor (IACML). Theobjectives of the workshop were topromote dialogue and cooperationamong the Ministries of Labor ofthe Americas on the protection oflabor rights of migrant workersand on migration processesundertaken by States according totheir national legal systems; toshare experiences and programs onthe promotion and protection of

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labor rights of migrant workersand labor market programs, withspecial emphasis on Canada’stemporary foreign workersprogram; and, to identify lessonslearned and key guidelines forfuture inter-American action onthis topic.

At its next session, the Commissionwill devote particular attention tothe study and review of petitionsand cases relating to this topic,analyze situations identified aspriorities, and grant hearings inthat connection.

For further information relating tothe OAS activities for this mandate,please refer to Mandate 26 of theDeclaration.

In the Caribbean, IOM organized itssixth Regional Seminar10 , with thefinancial support of the Govern-ment of the Netherlands Antilles,the United States State Depart-ment, Bureau of Population, Refu-gees, and Migration, and the in-kind support from regional andinternational organizations andexperts, such ECLAC, PAHO, theWB, BCIE, and OECD. Participantsdiscussed the migration anddevelopment link, includingmigrant remittances and migra-tion data; brain drain of healthprofessionals and migrant’s accessto health, and facilitating themovement of persons whilestrengthening border security andpreventing irregular migration andtrafficking in persons.

To strengthen, in cooperation with the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), ILO, and theEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), national capacities to produ-ce statistics particularly focused on labor matters broken down by gender and race. (Paragraph 22)

The Inter-American Commission ofWomen (CIM), a specialized orga-nization of the OAS, at MinisterialMeetings in the areas of Labor,Education, Justice and Science andTechnology, made specific recom-mendations on the gathering ofstatistics disaggregated by sex.

ECLAC has continued to generateadditional gender indicators andprovide on-line data. Working inconjunction with a number of other

organizations of the UnitedNations system, the Commissionhas prepared technical assistanceguidelines for the production anduse of gender indicators with aview to enriching the second roundof national reports for monitoringfulfilment of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals with additio-nal and complementary indicatorsproposed by ECLAC to take intoaccount gender equity in thefulfilment of all the goals.

10 Participants included government officials and experts from Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados,Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti,Jamaica, The Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad andTobago, and Turks and Caicos, and representatives of observer governments and regional institutions.



Under the project “InformationSystem for Indigenous Peoples(SIPI)”, promoted by the Fund forthe Development of the IndigenousPeoples of Latin America and theCaribbean, ECLAC has developedthe System of SociodemographicIndicators for Indigenous Popula-tions and Peoples (SISPPI). Thesemechanisms are geared to contri-buting to access to quality infor-mation resources for and aboutindigenous peoples. The project isdesigned to strengthen intercultu-ral dialogue between the mainactors, to increase the visibility ofthe issue and social heritage ofindigenous peoples and lastly toenable and guarantee their effectiveparticipation in the design ofdevelopment policies and strategiesand in decision-making. Thisinitiative comes in response to thedemand of indigenous organiza-tions and government agencies forrelevant, reliable, timely andquality information on theeconomic, social and culturalrights of indigenous peoples.

SISPPI is based on existing andavailable census information andits overall objective is to design anddisseminate a support tool for theadoption of public policies gearedto diminishing ethno-racial in-equities and fostering thedevelopment of indigenous peoples.To this end, the specific goalsestablished are as follows: (1) todevelop SISPPI using census date,encompassing the populationdimensions and sociocultural areasincluded in population and housing

censuses with an approach thathelps to identify ethnic, genera-tional and gender-based gaps; (2)to validate the conventional in-dicators proposed as well as toimplement progressively a systemof indicators in areas deemedrelevant for the indigenous peoplesthemselves through a participatoryprocess; and (3) to disseminateSISPPI to indigenous organizations,statistical institutes and otherrelevant agencies at the nationaland international level.

ECLAC has started a new projectentitled “Improving CaribbeanHousehold Surveys,” this projectaims to improve the comparison ofsocial statistics produced in theCaribbean region through house-hold surveys. It also seeks to ensurethat the region’s statistics can becompared according to inter-national standards. NationalStatistical Offices and Agenciesfrom 15 Caribbean countries willbenefit from the project that willbe implemented over a two yearperiod.

The measures adopted by PAHOinclude a review of available dataand relational research on health/poverty, urban and rural areas,health/poverty/ethnicity (afro-descendants and indigenouspopulations), identification of needsand action guidelines, and esta-blishment of partnerships with theLatin American and CaribbeanDemographics Center (CELADE)and the PAHO Technical Units.

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To request that the Organization of American States (OAS) continue its technical support in theimplementation of the Inter-American program adopted by resolution AG/RES. 2141 (XXXV-O/05)of the thirty-fifth period of regular sessions of the General Assembly. (Paragraph 23)

The Inter-American Commissionof Women (CIM), a specializedorganization of the OAS, providedinput into the preparatory processfor the elaboration of the “Inter-American Program for thePromotion and Protection of theHuman Rights of Migrants,Including Migrant Workers andTheir Families”11 . In March 2006,CIM was also invited to make apresentation at the Special Meetingof the Permanent Council’sCommittee on Juridical andPolitical Affairs, on the im-plementation of the mandatesassigned to the various organs andentities of the OAS by this program.In addition, this meeting provideda sharing of best practices andactivities conducted since theprogram’s approval and the newproposals on ways to support it.

In addition, research was compiledon work done by organizations,such as ECLAC, the United NationsInternational Research and Trai-

ning Institute for the Advancementof Women (IN-STRAW), and theUnited Nations Commission on theStatus of Women (CSW) on theissues of gender and migration.CIM/OAS, will continue to providetechnical assistance on gender tothe OAS organs that addressmigration issues. As a result, it isexpected that programs andpolicies developed will includeprovisions to protect womenmigrants and their families,especially women heads of house-hold, and to combat violenceagainst women. As a result,information on the human rightsof migrants will be available to theCIM Delegates to facilitate theircollaboration with the organsresponsible for implementingprograms and plans of action onthe issue.

For further information relating toOAS activities for this mandate,please refer to Mandate 26 of theDeclaration.

11 AG/RES. 2141 (XXXV-O/05)



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Plan of Action of Mar del Plata.Creating Jobs to Fight Povertyand Strengthen DemocraticGovernance..


To encourage investment in basic infrastructure having a high positive impact on employment inorder to promote growth and productive employment. (Paragraph 28)

In relation to this mandate, theWorld Bank-funded “Third LaborReform and Social DevelopmentPolicy Loan Project (LaRSDPL III)for Colombia” will: (a) strengthenColombia's social protectionsystem and improve the delivery

of social services, (b) raise humancapital formation, (c) improveemployability, and (d) enhancemonitoring and evaluation systemsfor better transparency, socialoversight, and results managementin the social sectors.

To favor the research, development, and adoption of renewable and efficient energy sources and thedeployment of technology for cleaner and more efficient energy sources, including among them, thosethat foster the intensive use of labor, which, together with the promotion of sustainable development,and addressing climate change concerns, permit the reduction of poverty. (Paragraph 33)

Work in this area includes the WorldBank’s “Rural ElectrificationProject for Honduras” which aimsto achieve greenhouse gas (GHG)reductions through the reductionof policy, informational, financingand institutional capacity barriersthat currently hinder renewableenergy technology (RET) dissemin-ation and market development.The “Brazil Environ-mentalSustainability Agenda TechnicalAssistance Project” supports theGovernment on advancing the paceof reforms supporting the

Programmatic Reform Loan forEnvironmental Sustainability. Its“Mainstreaming Market-BasedInstruments for EnvironmentalManagement Project in Costa Rica”enhances the provision of en-vironmental services significant atthe national and global levels, andsecures their long-term sus-tainability through a scaled-uppayment for environ-mentalservices system in Costa Rica. The“Brasilia Environ-mentally Sus-tainable Project” will meet thegrowing needs of the Federal

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District and the Brasilia Metro-politan Region to reduce regionalinequalities and ensure qualitywater resources. Lastly, the Bank’s“Modernization of the Water andSanitation Sector TechnicalAssistance Project for Mexico” aimsto improve the efficiency of Mexico'swater supply and sanitation sec-tor through strengthening the sec-tor policies at the federal and statelevel; and to develop and de-monstrate replicable models ofsuccessful and sustainable pro-vision of water and sanitationservices.

In order to carry out this mandate,the Investment Strategy and Plan2005-2010 was developed tosupport the development of theenergy sector in Central Americaand it includes an investment planof approximately US$ 13,124million, of which CABEI plans tofinance US$5,200 million over thenext ten years. The areas of em-phasis are the following: Efficientand Rational Energy Use, Di-versification of Energy Sources,Energy Integration, Search forRenewable Sources, Environmen-tal Pollution and Risk, and Insti-tutions. As of December 2006, dis-bursements totaling US$764

million had been approved for diff-erent programs and projects in thesector, with a further US$600million earmarked for approval in2007.

In the area of renewable energy,CABEI and the Federal governmentof Germany negotiated a financialcooperation agreement worth •8million. The funds are to beallocated to the Renewable Ener-gies Program, which is co-financedby the IDB and centers in particu-lar on issues such as energyefficiency and biofuel development.

Furthermore, in conjunction withthe UNDP/GEF, CABEI will initiatethe project Accelerating Invest-ments in Renewable Energy in Cen-tral America, which provides forthe implementation of financemechanisms, such as guaranteefunds for renewable energyinitiatives, that the CABEI willmake available to financial entitiesin the region.

The CABEI intends to consolidateits leadership in the area of financestructuring for energy projects,encouraging the use of newtechnologies, through approval for200 MW generation projects.

To support the implementation of the Ministerial Agreement of Guayaquil in 2005, Agriculture andRural Life in the Americas. (AGRO 2003-2015 Plan). (Paragraph 35)

The IICA provides technicalsupport to Ministerial Delegates bycoordinating all aspects to enablethe progress of the ministerialprocess and, in particular, imple-mentation of agreements at the

national and regional level. In par-ticular, in the 2006-2007 ministe-rial process, the IICA has helped thecountries to move forward withthree strategic lines of action of theHemispheric Ministerial Agree-



ment of Guayaquil 2005: (i)promotion of a national policy foragriculture and rural life; (ii)development of an informationsystem for follow-up andevaluation of national policy, regio-nal policy, and the AGRO Plan; and,(iii) adjustment of the regionalstrategy to the hemisphericframework. In order to guide andassist the countries in the im-plementation and follow-up ofthese agreements, the IICA hasprepared and distributed threetechnical documents: “Mejorandola Efectividad de las Estrategias yPolíticas: Un Instrumento paraAnalistas, Decidores Públicos y Lí-deres de Grupos de Interés de laAgricultura y Vida Rural” [MakingStrategies and Policies MoreEffective: A Tool for Analysts, Go-vernment Decision-Makers, andInterest Group Leaders inAgriculture and Rural Life]; “Pro-moción de una Política de Estadopara la Agricultura y la Vida Ru-ral: Notas Introductorias para unAvance Gradual Inclusivo” [Pro-motion of Public Policy for Agri-culture and Rural Life: Intro-ductory Notes for Gradual Inclu-sive Progress]; and “Sistema de In-

formación para el Seguimiento yEvaluación de Estrategias y Políti-cas para la Agricultura y la VidaRural: Una Propuesta Gradual yModular” [Information System toMonitor and Evaluate Strategiesand Policies for Agriculture andRural Life: A Gradual and ModularProposal]. The IICA also set up aweb site (www.iica.int/cumbres),which contains complete exhaus-tive information on the ministerialprocess since its inception in 2001and, more specifically, its progressin the 2006-2007 period.

Over the remainder of 2007, theIICA will continue to providesupport to countries to ensure thatefforts to implement the mandatecontained in paragraph 35 con-tinue until the Fourth Ministerialto be held in the city of Antigua,Guatemala in the last week in Julyof this year. Based on the newHemispheric Ministerial Agree-ment of Guatemala 2007 that theministers will adopt in the lastweek of July this year, the necessarychanges will be made to continueto support implementation of theaforesaid mandate.

To encourage the exchange of experience with regard to the role of micro, small, and medium-sizedenterprises and access to procurement programs, in the creation of productive jobs, developmentof competitive skills, reduction of the informal sector, and the fight against poverty. (Paragraph 36)

In encouraging the exchange ofexperiences with regard to the roleof Small and Medium SizedEnterprises (SMEs), three workingdocuments have been developedand distributed by the OAS thatassess the current situation of SMEs

in the region, particularly in theiruse of Information and Communi-cation Technologies, as well asinternational best practices in thesupport of SMEs through on linetools and ICTs.

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In the framework of this SMEProgram, National Directorsresponsible for SME support in theregion participated in internationalmeetings, which allowed for theexchange of experiences amonginstitutions and related programs,such as the Inter-American Go-vernment Procurement Program ofthe OAS and the Congress of theAmericas. These specific activitiesincluded:

II SME Congress of the Americas,Mexico, May 2006Inter-American Workshop-Seminar on the CompetitiveParticipation of SMEs inGovernment Procurement,Mexico, May 2006Inter-American Seminar onStrategies for E-SMEDevelopment, Panama, October2006Final Meeting of the II Phase ofthe E-SME Program, Costa Rica,November 2006

In addition, under the Inter-American Government Procure-ment Program of the OAS, aworkshop-seminar was held inMexico to exchange good practices,discuss lessons learned andstrategies that would facilitateaccess to the market for SMEs. Theparticipants of the workshop-seminar included both the officersin charge of government procure-ment and those responsible for SMEsupport in member states. Thisactivity provided a comprehensiveoverview of the barriers faced bySMEs, which have limited its accessto this important market.

In relation to SMEs and publicpolicies, ECLAC has carried outinformation, evaluation, training

and support activities. It hascompleted a survey of the situationof manufacturing SMEs and ofsupport policies in 14 countries ofthe region at the end of the 1990s. Italso supported the creation of aninformation system in Argentinafor analysis of the creation anddestruction of jobs and enterprises,by size, known as the Observatoryfor Employment and BusinessDynamics of the Ministry ofLabour, Employment and SocialSecurity. In 2006-2007 this infor-mation should be used in the designof employment policies based onSMEs at the national and local level.ECLAC also developed a quanti-tative and qualitative method toassess the impact of the SME sup-port programmes of the Found-ation for Economic and SocialDevelopment (FUNDES, Argenti-na). In Brazil, in 2005, in collabo-ration with the Brazilian micro andSmall Business Support Service(SEBRAE), ECLAC designed andcoordinated the implemen-tationof a 400-hour postgraduate courseon the management of localclusters. As for activities to supportnetworks, ECLAC worked on thedefinition and analysis of factors inthe success and failure of networksupport experiences in 12 countriesin the region; a manual for thecreation of horizontal networkswas prepared on the basis oftechnical assistance experiences.

In the context of a project supportedby the German Agency forTechnical Cooperation, ECLACpublished the book “Aglomeracio-nes en torno a los recursos natura-les en América Latina y el Caribe:Políticas de articulación y articu-lación de políticas” (Spanish only),



which shows the steps to be takenin order to initiate or strengthensuch clusters. The experience nowbeing gained will be used in thepreparation of a second manual,aimed at local governments, which

will focus on public and privatesector cooperation, and the de-finition of the most importantaspects of the design of networksupport strategies.

To establish mechanisms to exchange good practices and innovative approaches for the developmentof micro, small, and medium-sized companies, such as the Small and Medium-sized enterpriseCongress of the Americas, and foster greater public and private participation in this Congress.(Paragraph 37)

National Directors responsible forSME support participated in theSecond SME Congress of theAmericas held in Mexico. TheSteering Committee of the SMECongress recognized the import-ance of the Program for the regionand agreed on continuing co-operation and to promote thedevelopment of an Inter-AmericanE-SME Program.

During the Inter-American Seminaron Strategies for E-SME Develop-ment held in Panama, the 11member states represented agreedon the necessity to establish anInter-American Network for E-SMEDevelopment, as a mechanism topromote the exchange of goodpractices and cooperation in thesubject (i.e. Brazil, Costa Rica, Co-lombia, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,Panama and Peru.).

To substantially improve the capacity at the national, regional, and hemispheric levels for riskmitigation; to implement cost-effective and robust early warning systems, and to enhance disasterrecovery and reconstruction capabilities in collaboration with relevant international and regionalinstitutions. To explore with relevant international and regional institutions the coordinateddevelopment of effective public-private catastrophic risk insurance systems. (Paragraph 39)

In response to this mandate, theOAS has been working to enhancedisaster recovery and recons-truction capabilities in collabo-ration improve the capacity for riskmitigation; and to implement cost-effective and robust early warningsystems through the followinginitiatives:

The “Grenada Hurricane ResilientHome Reconstruction Project” aimsat supporting information gather-ing and capacity building and trai-ning necessary for the effectiveimplementation of a hazard-resistant home reconstructionprogram in Grenada. Otheractivities that are being undertaken

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under this technical assistanceproject include: preliminary con-sultations on institutionalarrangements for lending by localbanks, credit risk coverage, andinsurance coverage by localinsurers.

The “Central America EducationSector Retrofit Program” imple-mented with support of CIDA inCosta Rica, El Salvador, Guatema-la, Honduras, Nicaragua, andPanama, to strengthen governance-related activities in the publiceducation sectors, by building thecapacity of public and private-sec-tor stakeholders to adopt ap-propriate building codes andstandards, and ensure their effec-tive enforcement.

2006 saw the preparation for thefirst time of a progress report onthe status of health disasterpreparedness and response in theAmericas. The report was pre-sented and discussed at the 47thDirecting Council of PAHO andidentifies priority areas for co-operation, inter alia, in ins-titutionbuilding, planning, human re-source training, and risk reduction.

PAHO has assembled and traineda Regional Disaster Response Teamcomposed of national and in-ternational professionals with

wide knowledge and experience ofemergency and disaster manage-ment. This multidisciplinary teamincludes experts in crisis coordina-tion, epidemiology, environmentalhealth, health services, mentalhealth, logistics, administration,and vulnerability assessment.

A form was developed for con-ducting a preliminary analysis ofthe safety of health facilities in theevent of disasters. The form wasused in several countries in theCaribbean, Central America andSouth America, as well as Mexico,and there are plans for its ap-plication throughout the Americasas part of the “Safe Hospitals” re-gional strategy. This topic was oneof the areas identified as priorityby the Ministers and High-LevelAuthorities on Sustainable Deve-lopment.

As the agency with responsibilityfor disaster preparedness andresponse of the Inter-AmericanCommittee for Natural DisasterReduction, PAHO has providedsupport to the OAS PermanentCouncil and the OAS Inter-American Council for IntegralDevelopment in developing agen-das for meetings and presentingregional perspectives regardingrisk management and disasterassistance in the health area.

To foster multilateral cooperation from development banks in order to identify and provide financingfor national and regional infrastructure projects, in particular those designed to promote sustainabledevelopment, generate employment, and fight poverty. (Paragraph 40)

The IDB holds a unique place in theregion that allows it to interfacewell with both governments and

businesses. As such, it is workingto intensify its financing of infra-structure activities with the sup-



port from public-private partner-ships. The IDB intends to directUS$12 billion towards infra-structure projects in the regionduring the next five years.

The IDB has identified the lack offunding for project preparation asa major bottleneck for the much-needed scaling up of infrastructureinvestment in Latin America andthe Caribbean. In order to help fillthis gap, in April 2006, the IDBdecided to contribute US$20 millionfor the creation of the “Infrastruc-ture Fund (InfraFund)”. The“InfraFund” is dedicated to assist-ing public, private and mixed-ca-pital entities in LAC in theidentification, development andpreparation of bankable andsustainable infrastructure projectsthat have the potential of reachingfinancial closure. The “InfraFund”,which is administered by the IDB,is open to funding from otherdonors, including governmentsand state and multilateral agenciesas well as private concernsinterested in investing in theinfrastructure sector in LAC. TheIDB expects that its initialcommitment to the “InfraFund”will have an important catalyticeffect in mobilizing additionalresources for the preparation ofinfrastructure projects in LAC.

As of early 2007, the InfraFund hasapproved five projects. Its firstoperation was approved inDecember 2006 with a US$1 millionfinancing towards the creation ofthe “Brazilian Public-PrivatePartnerships Development Fa-cility”. The US$3.9 million facility,which will be co-funded by Brazil’sBanco Nacional de Desenvol-

vimento Economico e Social(BNDES) and the World Bank’sInternational Finance Corporation(IFC) will promote the developmentof concessions and public-privatepartnership projects by financingconsulting services and studiesnecessary to fully develop them.The following are the otheroperations approved by the“InfraFund”: (i) a US$1.5 million toprepare an environmental mana-gement plan for the Bogotá RiverBasin (Colombia); (ii) an operationof US$300,000 for solid wastemanagement and disposal intourist municipalities (Argentina);(iii) US$289,880 to support thedevelopment of an 80MW privatewind project to harness alternativerenewable energy (Panama), and(iv) US$ 363,840 to finance thecompletion of a comprehensive airtraffic and commercial revenuesstudy as well as the developmentof comprehensive engineeringdesigns that will be used for theproject - El Dorado InternationalAirport (Colombia).

IDB’s new “Sustainable Energy andClimate Change Initiative (SECCI)”,launched in 2006, will support theLAC region in its urgent challengeto find economically and envi-ronmentally sound energy options.Its core objectives are to expand thedevelopment and use of renewableenergy sources, energy efficienttechnologies and practices, andcarbon finance in the region, as wellas to promote and finance climatechange adaptation strategies thatreduce the region’s climatevulnerability. “SECCI” will meetthese core objectives by: scaling upBank investments in this area;integrating policy reform and

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removal of institutional barrierswith innovative policy and projectfinancing for market transfor-mation; mainstreaming sustain-able energy investment acrosssectors and refining financing tools;accessing the carbon financemarket to the fullest extent;addressing adaptation needs inexisting capital assets in LAC- andIDB-financed projects as part ofnatural disaster risk management,and collaborating and forming newpartnerships with the public andprivate sectors in LAC, donor agen-cies, and other financial ins-titutions.

The Multilateral Investment Fundhas created a new cluster ofactivities focused on promotingclean energy markets. Thisinitiative will help small enter-prises gain access to clean energymarket opportunities whileimproving their competitiveness.In Latin America and the Carib-bean, energy efficiency and re-newable energy offer greatpotential to reduce the negativeeffects of increasing energy costs.The new MIF cluster will promotenew financial instruments in theclean energy market and assist inthe creation of capacities requiredby smaller firms to serve thismarket. The cluster has alreadyapproved financing for twoprojects to support marketopportunities for clean energy: a$975,000 grant to Fundación Chileand a $600,000 grant to theEcológica Institute to work in ruralareas of Tocantins, Brazil.

The IDB Group has undertakennon-lending activities as effectiveinstruments to provide policy

advice to governments, assistproject identification and design;disseminate information, promotebest practices and create the properenvironment for infrastructuredevelopment. Technical studies andbest practice papers, conferences,seminar and forums are some of theinstruments that the BID uses todisseminate information andcreate awareness of the import-ance of key issues. The dissemi-nation of state-of-the-art know-ledge to promote developmentdiminishes barriers and increasesthe potential for success of the len-ding operations. The following aresome of the most recent activitiesundertaken:

Financial Structuring of Infra-structure Projects in Public-Private Partnerships: An Ap-plication to Water Projects. Thisreport sets out an approach anda set of tools for structuring thefinancing of public-privatepartnership projects, with a par-ticular application to the potablewater and sanitation sector.Cost-Benefit Analysis of Trans-portation Projects Manual. Inorder to support BID countrymembers and Bank project teams,the Bank completed a manualthat will assist them to improvethe quality and design of trans-portation projects.Entre el mercado y el Estado: Tresdécadas de reformas del sectoreléctrico de América Latina(book)Power Sector Reform in LatinAmerica: Accomplishments,Failures and Challenges (paper)Financial Structuring of Infra-structure Projects in Public-Private Partnerships A Tool for



Designing Feasible Structures(technical paper)Electric Sector subsidies in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean:Comparative analysis and policyrecommendations (workingpaper)Private Utility Supply in a HostileEnvironment: The Experience ofWater/Sanitation and ElectricityDistribution Utilities in NorthernColombia, the Dominican Re-public, and Ecuador (Best prac-tices paper)Private Infrastructure: Supportfrom the BID Group 1990-2005(report)

In looking for alternatives toincrease infrastructure financing inLAC, the Bank supports differentactivities. Among them, the Banktogether with its country memberscreated, in 2005, the LAC DebtGroup. This Group of LatinAmerican and the Caribbean DebtManagement Specialists organizesdifferent activities (studies,meetings, training, and datasystems) to support regionalcooperation between countries inorder to create a more homo-geneous framework for the debt andbond markets to contribute toeffectiveness of domestic debtoffices and to reduce the cost of debt.The Group represents also a forumof discussion and policy review andrecommendation in the area of ca-pital market development and lo-cal market financing that have asignificant impact on the possi-bility to finance Infrastructureprojects undertaken in thecountries of the region. BetweenMay 2006 and January 2007, theBank has approved a total ofUS$2.344 billion in infrastructure

projects and almost US$ 1.5 millionin technical assistance operations.

The World Bank has providedfinancing and support fornumerous national infrastructureprojects to stimulate economicgrowth, promote sustainabledevelopment, and improve thequality of life, including trans-portation improvement projects inArgentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicara-gua, Paraguay, and Peru; waterresource infrastructure projects inBrazil, Ecuador, and Guyana; aswell as urban infrastructureprojects in Bolivia and Jamaica.

The CAF Initiative for Integrationof South American RegionalInfrastructure (IIRSA) presents aregional vision of the physical andeconomic integration of the 12South American countries under asustainable and equitable territo-rial development model.

In 2006, the IIRSA continued tomove forward with the imple-mentation of the agenda andinvestment projects on which thecountries had agreed. The EighthMeeting of the Executive SteeringCommittee was held in Quito, Ecua-dor, toward the end of 2006. Thepurpose of the meeting was toanalyze the accomplishments andprogress made during the year, aswell as to approve the plan of actionfor 2007. The plan highlights thedecision of governments tointensify territorial analysisactivities for the review andmobilization of the projectsidentified, including the incor-poration of citizen consultation andparticipation mechanisms as acontribution to development

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planning and investment priority-setting.

As a result of indicative planningactivities, toward the end of 2005,the first South American govern-ments identified a portfolio of morethan 350 projects divided into 41groups belonging to eight inte-gration and development corri-dors. Those corridors encompasssocioeconomic dynamics andproductive investments targetedby the countries concerned. Thisportfolio includes specificinvestment projects in the areas oftransport, energy, and telecom-munications at different stages ofcompletion.

The meeting in Quito was informedof progress in the implementationof 84 projects in the IIRSA portfolio,41 of which have been launchedwith technical and financialsupport provided by CAF. CAF hasgranted approximately US$3,500million to these projects, permittingthe execution of more than US$11,000 million in investments.

In 2007, the governments of theregion will continue to give parti-cular attention to implementationof priority projects in the IIRSAportfolio. For CAF, this entails con-tinuing to move forward with thedevelopment of new financing for-mulas and mechanisms as well asproviding particular support forinstitutional capacity building forthe preparation, evaluation,implementation, and supervisionof infrastructure projects in thecountries involved in the Initiative.The Corporation will also devotespecial attention to management ofthe social and environmental

impact of projects, development ofmechanisms for civil societyconsultation and participation inplanning activities, generation ofopportunities connected with thenew infrastructure, and socio-environmental impact preventionand mitigation.

In addition to the support suppliedto IIRSA, CAF, as a regionaldevelopment promotion agency,continued to support other in-tegration initiatives, funnelingeconomic and financial resources tothe public and private sectors. TheCorporation contributed to thefinancing of strategic projects forregional cohesion, such as thoseconnected with ports, borders,cartography, environment, privatesector participation, a regionalstudies, and pre-investmentsupport. The First-Class PortsProgram, Plan Puebla Panama,GeoSur, the Program of Support forBorder Development and Inte-gration, and the Fund for Promo-tion of Sustainable InfrastructureProjects, among others, are part ofCAF’s contribution in this regard.

In 2006, CAF continued to beinvolved in the InteragencyTechnical Group created by thepresidents of the Mesoamericancountries to implement programsand projects in the framework ofthe various initiatives that com-prise the Plan Puebla Panama. TheCorporation also took part in themeetings of the Executive Com-mittee composed of the presidentialcommissioners for the Plan eachappointed by the president of theirrespective country, as well asproviding financing and technicalcooperation to transport infra-



structure projects in CAF share-holder countries involved in thePlan. The inclusion of Colombia asa legally recognized full member ofthe Plan Puebla Panama will helpstrengthen integration ties withSouth America and broaden thepossibilities of support from CAFfor this regional initiative.

Under the revised and compre-hensive perspective of the de-velopment agenda for LatinAmerica, this year CAF promotedthe Program of Support for BorderDevelopment and Integration,which strengthens among itsmember countries the necessaryplanning and linkage of programsand projects to best harness sharedpotential and opportunities forbinational synergy, therebysecuring the objectives of inte-gration and sustainable humandevelopment in the zones.

In the course of 2006, CAF createdand continued to promote morethan 12 initiatives to support thedesign and launch of BinationalPlans for Border Integration andDevelopment, creation of borderintegration zones among itsmember countries, and thesubregional policies of the AndeanCommunity and MERCOSURcountries in this area to developland use planning, coordinatedplanning, and prioritization of jointprojects on physical integration,economic and productivedevelopment, and social and cultu-ral advancement in border regions.

To meet the needs of the nationalauthorities with responsibility forimplementation of infrastructureprojects, in 2006, CAF made

available to the countries specialfunds to finance the preparation ofstudies and pre-investment works.Thus, in March 2006, CAF approvedthe creation of the Fund for Pro-motion of Sustainable Infra-structure Projects (PROINFRA), thepurpose of which is to finance theadequate preparation, financialstructuring, and evaluation ofsustainable infrastructure projectswith a high impact on regional,national, or local economies andthat make a consistent contributionto integration among the Cor-poration’s shareholder countries.CAF allocated US$ 50 million forthis Fund, which may be used for:

General sectoral studies foranalysis of infrastructure projectsPre-feasibility studies for in-vestment optionsFeasibility and detailed engi-neering studiesEnvironmental and social impactassessments of infrastructureprojectsAdvisory services for projectfinancial structuringAdvisory services on works con-cession and competitive biddingtender processesEvaluation of any special projectsfinanced by CAF that may benecessary during the imple-mentation periodTechnical assistance for creationor strengthening of public in-vestment planning systems andpublic-private participationschemes.

“PROINFRA” will give priority tothose projects that:

have an impact on integrationbetween the country concernedand its neighbors in the regionrepresent an innovative ap-

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proach in the use of financingstructureshelp to develop or strengthen thecountry’s capacity in terms ofplanning, preparation or finan-cing of infrastructure projectshave priority in national or regio-nal development plans; andare within the framework of theCAF support strategy for thecountry in question

In 2006, the Corporation approvedthe allocation of PROINFRA fundsfor several pre-investment ope-rations notable among which werethe Buga-Buenaventura RoadCorridor and the Ruta del Sol RoadCorridor in Colombia; and thedevelopment of a financing me-chanism for small road-buildingconcessions in the Coastal – High-land Network and the RegionalAirports System, in Peru.

With the creation of theInfrastructure Industry StrategicUnit, CABEI has adopted the goalof continuing to serve the sectorthrough new products and ser-vices, which seek, inter alia, toaward financing to the public sec-tor that does not entail debt and toencourage the participation of theprivate sector in conjunction withmultilateral agencies.

The CABEI infrastructure strategywas developed in 2006, initially toserve the following developmentinfrastructure sectors: transport,energy, telecommunications, andwater and sanitation. The secondphase of this process will see theinclusion of “social development,

environment, and information andknowledge” infrastructure. Infra-structure project loan approvalscame to US$544 million in 2006with the value of the portfolio atUS$1,187.88 million.

The aim in 2007 is to implement thestrategy in the hopes of bringing aUS$446.01 million increase theinfrastructure portfolio, with loanapprovals in the order of US$867million and, at the same time, aprogressive private-sector partici-pation increase in the portfolio.

Along with the IDB, the CABEI isan initial investor in and sponsorof the Central American MezzanineInfrastructure Fund (CAMIF), aprivate capital investment fundthat will channel financing throughmezzanine debt instruments tomedium- and large-scale infra-structure projects.

The infrastructure sector is animportant component of the regio-nal initiative Plan Puebla Panama(PPP) and of the efforts that CABEIundertakes to contribute, alongwith its founding member coun-tries, to the creation of conditionsnecessary to improve competi-tiveness, particularly within theDominican Republic-CentralAmerica Free Trade Agreement(DR-CAFTA). As of December 2006,the CABEI had granted financing toprojects under the different PPPinitiatives for a total of US$1,000.36million, 58% of which correspondsto loans in the infrastructure sec-tor.



To promote increased funding and investment in science and technology, engineering and innovation.To request the appropriate multilateral organizations to strengthen technical and financialcooperation activities aimed at pursuing this goal and at the development of national innovationsystems. (Paragraph 41)

ECLAC has continued to work oninformation and communicationtechnologies (ICTs). The Obser-vatory for the Information Societyin Latin America and theCaribbean (OSILAC), created in2003 by ECLAC and the Institutefor Connectivity in the Americas(ICA), has produced two reports onbenchmarking of national actionplans. In addition, in conjunctionwith the national statistical officesand in the context of the StatisticalConference of the Americas of theEconomic Commission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean,OSILAC has managed to identifyand formulate eight key questionswhich were recommended forinclusion in household question-naires, and five key questions forquestionnaires for enterprises in theregion.

ICA is collaborating in the “Know-ledge Economy Project”, a regionalinitiative that offers grants forapplied research that focus onequality and poverty implicationsof the transition to new economicand social models, and contributesto building research networks anda stock of knowledge on the issue.Other initiatives include the “E-Waste in Latin America and theCaribbean Toolkit,” aimed atraising awareness amongcomputer users and the broadpublic on options related to the safedisposal of hazardous personalcomputer components, the “ICT-4-BUS Project (ICT for Business)”implemented in collaboration withthe MIF/IBD, as well as supportprovided to the project “FromWords to Action: ICTs, Youth andGender Equity and to the OrganicAgriculture and ICTs RegionalTraining Workshop” – Caribbean –May 2006 (women-led farming bu-siness training), among others.

To request Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and ECLAC to continuewith their efforts to develop an information system for the follow-up and evaluation of the AGRO2003- 2015 Plan, and the other members of the Joint Summit Working Group to join in those effortsas a contribution to defining goals and indicators for the mandates of the Summit of the Americas.(Paragraph 43)

In collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperationon Agriculture (IICA), ECLACprepared a project profile for amulti-agency effort for the designand updating of indicators to mo-

nitor progress with the AGRO2003-2015 Plan of Action. Theobjective of this four-year projectis to support governments of theregion in monitoring the progressmade towards the vision of the

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AGRO 2003-2015 Plan for each ofthe areas covered and, in particu-lar, to update the documentpresented (in CD format) at themeeting of Agricultural and RuralMinisters of Guayaquil, In August2005, to improve the indicators andpresent updates in 2007 and 2009.

In order to support the nationalefforts of the Caribbean countriesin this area, ECLAC and CARICOM,with support from IICA, organizeda meeting in February 2006 in Portof Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, atwhich a proposal of components forthe information system and theprogress made to date in each of itscomponents was presented. TheCaribbean countries have made anagreement to improve the qualityof their statistics and to selectindicators which are particularlyrelevant for them.

In addition, in conjunction withFAO, ECLAC performed a firstcalculation of the importance ofaviculture and its linkages with theeconomies of the countries in theregion, which was presented by theWorld Bank at the “HemisphericConference on the Surveillance andPrevention of Avian Influenza”.This Conference was held in Brasi-lia in 2005 and organized by IICAand the Pan American HealthOrganization (PAHO).

PAHO participated in the definitionof the goals and indicators for theSummits mandate in the document:Indicators for Plan AGRO 2003-2015 for agriculture and rural lifein the Americas and in thedevelopment of the informationsystem for the monitoring andevaluation of the Plan AGRO 2003-2015.

To complement Plan AGRO andbearing in mind the keyimportance of poultry productionand exports for the economy andfood security in the Americas, toconfront the global threat of avianinfluenza, PAHO and IICAorganized several joint activities,such as the Hemispheric Confe-rence on the Surveillance andPrevention of Avian Influenza heldin Brasilia in 2005; the “SubregionalWorkshop on Avian InfluenzaPandemic Preparedness (Panama,February 2006); ambassador brie-fing sessions at the OAS (Washing-ton, D.C., March 2006), and otherevents.

Furthermore, on the topic of foodsafety, IICA and PAHO jointlyprepared a document on “Perfor-mance, Vision, and Strategy forFood Safety Systems.”

Since last year PAHO has beenworking very closely with theInter-American Institute forCooperation on Agriculture (IICA)to help member states strengthenanimal health, and is activelyinvolved in inter-agency co-operation activities on avian in-fluenza. For example, it developeda proposal for an interagency webpage on avian influenza and otheractivities. Furthermore, in 2006, anagreement was examined with aview to establishing a strategicpartnership between the IICA andPAHO to promote health andprosperity in rural communities inthe Americas, the Memorandum ofUnderstanding for which wassigned by the Directors of the twoinstitutions at a ceremony that wasattended by most of theambassadors to the OAS.



In March 2006, IICA and theVeterinary Public Health Unit metat the PAHO offices in Washington,DC to discuss the two institutions’plans for livestock development inthe Region.

In keeping with this mandate, theIICA, with the support of ECLAC,prepared the document, “In-formation System to Monitor andEvaluate Strategies and Policies forAgriculture and Rural Life: A Gra-dual and Modular Proposal.” Thisdocument sets out the structure ofthe information system based onthe definitions provided by theMinisters of Agriculture in theHemispheric Ministerial Agree-ment on this specific matter. Thedocument also puts forward threebasic considerations and an ad hocstrategy for their development ineach country, in such a way thatthe system can continuously feedinformation to policy shapers(analysts and officials in theexecutive, legislative, and judicialbranches, as well as interest groupleaders). It also permits thecomparison of these developmentswith the mandates of the FourthSummit and the Third Ministerial.

In the course of the 2006-2007 mi-nisterial process, internationalorganizations have been movingforward with the development ofthree components of the infor-mation system: under theleadership of ECLAC progress hascontinued on the development ofthe “Performance Indicators forAgriculture and Rural Life”component; under the coordinationof IICA, the “National Experience”component covers the activitiesthat the countries are carrying out

to implement Plan AGRO 2003-2015 and the challenges that theyhaving counted in the course of thatprocess, based on reports preparedby the Ministerial Delegates; the“Leaders’ Expectations” com-ponent, also coordinated by theIICA, is based on the 2007 NationalConsultation with agriculture sec-tor leaders in the 34 member states,which was carried out using a 20-point questionnaire and a modeldesigned to analyze expectations.

This interagency effort at thehemispheric level has beenrepeated at the regional level,particularly in the Caribbean,where IICA and ECLAC, with thesupport of other regional or-ganizations, are spearheading thedevelopment of the “Plan AGROFollow-up and Evaluation In-formation System and the JagdeoInitiative” (which is the Caribbeanregional strategy).

For the remainder of 2007, the IICAwill continue to provide support forregional and national efforts todevelop the above-mentionedinformation system, seeking, asmentioned in the mandate con-tained in paragraph 43 of the Planof Action of the Fourth Summit,greater involvement from otherinternational agencies.

ICA recognizes that the lack ofreliable statistical data concerningissues related to the InformationSociety in Latin America and theCaribbean (LAC) involves the riskof misallocating valuable scarceresources, which can negativelyaffect the region’s insertion into theinformation economy. With theaim of contributing to the

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formulation of well-informedpublic policies, as well as to the flowof information, knowledge andpolicy recommendations amongkey actors and ICT practitioners,ICA has supported the creation ofregional networks such as“OSILAC”, “DIRSI” and “PROTIC”.(a) “The Observatory for theInformation Society in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean(OSILAC)” was created incollaboration with ECLAC and thesupport of the European Com-mission’s @LIS program, to supportnational administrations in theirefforts to increase the quantity andquality of official statistics relatedto the emerging information society

and economy in LAC. (b) Themandate of “The Regional Dialogueon the Information Society (DIRSI)”is to help achieve pro-poor, pro-market ICT regulatory andgovernance regimes in the region,through the consolidation of a re-gional network for applied policy-oriented research. (c) “The ICTProject Database” provides in-formation resources (databases,maps, experts database and relatedmaterial), that aim to serve as toolsfor ICT practitioners, governments,multilateral and funding agenciesto share best practices, identifyprojects that can be scaled up, andfind gaps, overlaps and potentialsynergies among their activities.

To explore ways for the multilateral development banks to provide more assistance to the poorestand least creditworthy countries as performance-based grants, and expand the multilateraldevelopment banks role in catalyzing private sector investment. (Paragraph 44)

In 2006 the IDB Group, formed bythe IDB, the Inter-AmericanInvestment Corporation (IIC) andthe Multilateral Investment Fund(MIF), reached US$ 1.384 billion inapprovals to non-sovereign clientsestablish a new record for theGroup institutions. IDB Groupefforts helped to finance more thanUS$5 billion in investments in theregion, representing a 100%increase from its historical values.

This level of approvals was theresult of several changes under theleadership of the Private SectorCoordinator that the Groupintroduced to its internal policiessince 2005 in order to invigorate itsactivities with the private sector.This changes included an increase

in December 2005 to the IDB’s len-ding limits per project from US$75million to US$200 million and upto US$400 million for highlydevelopmental projects, theadoption of the “Local CurrencyFramework” in November 2005 tosupport loans in local currency andthe introduction of guarantees inlocal currency in 2006, the pos-sibility to support companies torestructure their debt and theadoption of new facilities like the“InfraFund” (http://www.iadb.org/InfraFund/) to support privateinvestment in infrastructure in theregion. In addition, in August 2006the Bank was allowed to do busi-ness with new clients withoutusing sovereign guarantees,including public companies in the



infrastructure sector and privateentities in all sectors of theeconomy.

During 2007 and 2008 the IDBGroup will continue to strengthenits non-sovereign guaranteed len-ding program. As part of therealignment process currently inthe implementation at the Group,a new Vice-Presidency for PrivateSector and Non-Sovereign Guaran-teed Operations (VPSP) will becreated which will help to increasethe efficiency and effectiveness ofthe Group’s efforts towards theprivate sector. The new VPSP willlead the implementation of severalinternal operational agreementsestablished at the end of 2006 andwill lead further improvements toprocesses, organization andinstruments that are beingevaluated as part of implemen-tation of the Bank’s realignmentprocess.

CABEI is aware of the limited publicsector borrowing and spendingcapacity of its founding membercountries as well as their limi-

tations with regard to directinvestment in infrastructure.

Accordingly, CABEI is providinginnovative services to its foundingmember countries in order tocontinue to support regionalintegration and economic and so-cial development. Thus, it hasinitiated measures designed to offerthe public sector, inter alia,concessions, securitization of flows,public-private partnerships, en-dorsements and guarantees, andmultisectoral programs. To thefinancial sector, CABEI offersmortgage loan portfolio secu-ritization, liquidity lines, factoring,and working capital. To the busi-ness sector it offers, inter alia, loanstructuring services, corporatebanking, subscription and pla-cement of securities, and workingcapital lines.

In 2007, the CABEI intends tostrengthen its development ban-king role, mobilizing capital andinvestment flows toward pro-ductive sectors.

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To foster the development of comprehensive economic and social policies at the national level,principally aimed at employment growth; reduction of poverty, exclusion and inequality; personalskills development; and access to opportunities for integral development. (Paragraph 45)

In 2006, CAF strengthened andreaffirmed its commitment in thesocial sector with a responsive,innovative and comprehensiveapproach and a territorial pers-pective, in order more directly tomeet the needs of less-well-offsegments. This year CAF approvedprograms and projects for morethan US$900 million, in order topartner and boost the socialspending efforts of membercountries, in particular in the areasof water and sanitation, education,health, and urban and ruraldevelopment.

CAF continued to consolidate theSocial Action through MusicProgram. Its recent progress can bemeasured by several recentfestivals held in Guayaquil, Lima,Cochabamba, Santa Cruz de la Sie-rra, Medellin, and Bogota. Theprogram has attracted newstudents in these cities, in particu-lar children, including pupils fromthe Fe y Alegría schools whoreceive voice coaching at the VocesAndinas a Coro workshops. Inaddition, the choral component

was extended to include the slums[favelas] of Río de Janeiro and SaoPaulo, for both teachers andstudents. The Luthería AndeanTraveling Workshop (TIAL) wasconsolidated in Medellín with thecreation of a company that makesmusical instruments, whose firstviolins were declared part of thecity’s cultural heritage. The AndeanTraveling Conservatory (CAI)continued to strengthen training inmusical instruments and orchestradirection for children and youngpeople, as well as launching a newarea of training for children with aview to establishing the Children’sAndean Symphony Orchestra.

The Sports Training Program hasbeen broadened to include activitiesthat help strengthen fundamentalaspects of human development, inparticular through a nutritioncomponent and, in some cases, lo-cal governments have beenincluded in the program. Generallyspeaking, sports projects doimportant work to improverelations in the family andcommunity and act as a preventive

Social Development

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factor against problems of violence.Thus, in the case of Venezuela, theAlcatraz Project widened its scopeof action outside of sports to includetraining in different trades, in orderto contribute to the social rein-tegration of youths enrolled in theproject. By the same token, projectsin Colombia have also targeted theissue of domestic violence andprevention, as well as expandingto other areas. In Peru and Ecua-dor efforts have also centered oninstitution building for counter-parts, and in Bolivia activities havebeen broadened to another area ofthe country. Finally, a basketballand boxing project was launchedin Uruguay.

The Local Opportunity BuildingProgram continued to implementprojects with a multiculturalapproach in the areas of health,education, rural tourism, andculture of saving and investment.In that connection, there has beensignificant progress, inter alia, inprojects such as Randimpak, whichinvolves more than 5000 women inindigenous and peasant farming

communities in the Chimborazozone; Casa Campesina deCayambe; VallenPaz, with morethan 700 cacao-farming families inthe Cauca Valley, who have set upand registered 16 grassrootsorganizations and a second-tierorganization to manage thefinancing and joint marketing ofdifferent products; paria cheesewith cacao producers, access tohealth and education services, andpossibilities for communitysavings and investment; HuauraCommunities Network, or withcommon aspects in terms oforganization, financial culture, andmarketing; the second stage of theBuilding Bridges project waslaunched in Bolivia, whichaddresses the issue of reproductiveand sexual health with Aymaraand Quechua-speaking women.Other initiatives were alsolaunched, such as Sembrando Gasen Bolivia, improving hygiene andnutrition conditions in El Alto, andthe Quechua Project in Peru withMicrosoft to close the digital divi-de in the indigenous population.

To implement – with the support of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) – the “ThreeOnes Initiative: one HIV/AIDS action framework, one national AIDS coordinating authority, andone country-level surveillance and evaluation system” developing primary prevention of HIV/AIDS and strengthening health services for young people and other vulnerable groups, with specialattention to the problem of stigma and discrimination in the labor environment, taking into accountthe ILO Code of Conduct on HIV/AIDS in the workplace. To promote efforts to provide integralprevention, treatment, and care to HIV/AIDS carriers with the aim of providing as close as possibleuniversal access to treatment for all those who need it as soon as possible. (Paragraph 46)

In order to advance the Three Onesinitiative, PAHO is activelypromoting the Universal AccessInitiative announced by the

Secretary General in 2005. It hasbeen acknowledged that regionalspecifics must be taken intoaccount, and PAHO’s work in the



Americas region is guided by theRegional Plan on HIV/AIDS, whichplaces particular emphasis on thehealth sector. PAHO will continueto provide direct support tocountries in order to help themimplement their work plans, andseek to ensure that those plans arecompatible with the goals set downin the Regional Plan, so as to have abroad overview from which toassess progress and gaps.

The Universal Access Initiativedemands intense efforts on the partof the health sector based on threefundamental pillars: a) cleardefinition of the extent, location, andbehavior of the epidemic; b)necessary measures to prevent andeven reverse the spread of theepidemic; and, c) critical measuresto meet the healthcare needs ofpersons already infected.

With respect to the first fundamen-tal pillar, PAHO is coordinatingefforts to strengthen epidemio-logical surveillance systems on alllevels, so as to be able to proposeprevention and control measuresbased on a well-documented --rather than a merely speculative--situation analysis. This will makeit possible to allocate resourcesaccording to evidence-basedepidemiological trends. At present,in addition to a review of reportingforms, PAHO is providing supportto countries through a process ofrefining data collection andanalysis methods to determinehow the HIV/AIDS epidemic affectsthe young.

As regards primary prevention,PAHO continues to collect anddisseminate information about

measures and interventions thathave had a demonstrably effectiveand efficient impact on various at-risk groups. PAHO is a member ofthe Global HIV Prevention WorkingGroup, in which a group of expertsdiscusses developments in the areaof prevention, including biomedicalinterventions (vaccines, drugs,medical-surgical procedures) thatcould help stem the spread of theepidemic.

To assist countries in scaling uptreatment of patients requiringtherapy PAHO is making availableregional guidelines, and adaptingnew guidelines from WHO inseveral areas. These include Regio-nal guidelines for the assessmentof quality assurance, rapid testingand monitoring of drug resistance.All such guidelines are specificallyadapted to the Regional contextthrough various processes,including expert consultations.

Following the second round ofantiretroviral price negotiations inBuenos Aires in August 2005,countries in the Region were ableto access reduced prices for medi-cines and supplies. PAHO’sRevolving Fund for Strategic PublicHealth Supplies is one mechanismthrough which countries canaccess these reduced prices and toassure ongoing technical advice onprocurement and supply chainmanagement.

In conjunction with the OAS, PAHOhas begun a training andsensitization initiative on HIV andhuman rights, with a workshop inJamaica in April 2006. WhilePAHO’s focus is on reducing stigmaand discrimination in the health

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sector, it also actively promotes therevision and updating of legislationto protect the rights of people withHIV and of people who arestigmatized and discriminatedagainst because of their sexualorientation -whether publiclyadmitted or presumed-, genderidentity, and lifestyles.

PAHO has launched an AIDS in theworkplace policy for all the Orga-

nization’s employees and has begunto implement it in a process thatincludes guidance sessions for allemployees at the headquarters andat focal points of agencies andorganizations situated in Washing-ton, D.C. Guidance sessions indifferent countries in the region arebeing carried out in conjunctionwith UNAIDS in the framework ofthe UN Cares initiative.

To initiate immediately, with the support of PAHO, and finalize by June 2006, national plans on thepreparation of influenza and avian flu pandemics in countries that do not have plans. In countriesthat already have plans; these should be implemented immediately according to the January 2005decision of the Executive Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO). (Paragraph 47)

Through mandates from PAHO’sGoverning Bodies as well as fromthe Summit of the Americas in Mardel Plata, Argentina, in November2005, PAHO has been tasked withassisting its Member States in thedevelopment of (National Influen-za Pandemic Preparedness Plans)NIPPPs.

The Director of PAHO created amultidisciplinary Task Force onEpidemic Alert and Response (theEAR Task Force) to advise,coordinate, and monitor allactivities of the Organizationrelated to the planning andimplementation of influenzapandemic preparedness andresponse. All activities of the EARTask Force are framed under thenew mandates set forth by theInternational Health Regulations(IHR) that were adopted in May2005, which stipulate that coun-tries develop, strengthen, andmaintain core capacities to detect,

assess, and intervene to controlevents of international publichealth importance. The inter-programmatic nature of the TaskForce responds to the complexprocess involved in the IHRimplementation and influenzapandemic planning, which requirehighly coordinated efforts from avariety of sectors .

The EAR Task Force has developedthe “Strategic and OperationalPlan for Responding to PandemicInfluenza” (PAHO SOP) to guide theOrganization’s technical coope-ration activities. The PAHO SOPhas been conceived as a livingdocument under constant reviewand revision. The SOP wasreviewed by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) and otherpartners, and their comments havebeen incorporated. The SOPobjectives are to direct technicalcooperation activities to preparethe Region for an influenza



pandemic; to assist countries intheir development of national in-fluenza pandemic preparedness;and to support countries inenhancing the capacity to detectand respond to diseases such as in-fluenza. Technical units across thePan American Sanitary Bureauhave been actively engaged in theprocess, and detailed work plans,including timelines and budgets,have been developed to avoidduplication of efforts and tomaximize resources.

As part of its institutional responseto a pandemic, the Bureau ispreparing to establish anEmergency Operations Center(EOC) at Headquarters for theorganizational coordination andcontrol of health-related responseactivities during emergencies anddisasters in the Region. The EOC isa facility located in the main buil-ding, furnished with the necessarynetworking capabilities, comp-uters, communications, software,and other office equipment toeffectively coordinate PAHO’sintelligence and response inemergency situations. In thiscenter, data and media reports onoutbreaks are collected andanalyzed so as to make decisionson epidemiological events asmandated under the InternationalHealth Regulations. An EmergencyOperations Center is considered avital factor in allowing PAHO towork operationally and efficientlyto bring the whole Organizationtogether to focus on the response topublic health emergencies usingaudio and video conferencingcapabilities for briefings,monitoring, and managementdecisions.

Under the framework of the EARTask Force and with the strategiclines set forth by the PAHO SOP,technical cooperation in influenzapreparedness includes activelypromoting the development ofNIPPPs and supporting MemberStates in this effort. PAHO hastranslated and distributedguidelines to assist the develop-ment of National Plans. Addition-ally, subregional workshops havebeen useful in modeling softwareto estimate the potential impact ofa pandemic based on multiplescenarios. This enables countries toensure the flexibility of theirNational Plans by preparing formany contin-gencies, including aworst-case scenario where thereare neither available vaccines norantiviral medications. As of 16August 2006, all Member States areactively engaged in influenzapreparedness activities; and PAHOhas received draft national plansfor 28 Member States.

PAHO has developed an assessmenttool based on WHO’s Checklist forInfluenza Pandemic PreparednessPlanning to assess National Plans.This tool has already been appliedin four subregional assessmentexercises for multidisciplinarycountry delegations. These work-shops were extremely successful atidentifying areas that needed to bestrengthened and highlighted theneed for further multisectoralcollaboration in the developmentof such plans. Each workshop alsoincluded two tabletop simulationexercises to highlight coordinationissues that may be encounteredduring a pandemic or during thepandemic-alert period. Based onthese exercises, action plans were

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developed to address the needsidentified by the self-assessmentand tabletop simulations.Technical cooperation actions arenow targeted at addressing theidentified needs at the national andsubnational levels.

To this end, PAHO is supporting itsMember States in operationalizingnational influenza preparednessplans at the local level to ensure aneffective response to a pandemic. Ithas been widely recognized that aninfluenza pandemic will be mostintensely felt at the communitylevel. NIPPPs are therefore only asstrong as their local contingencyplans. In order to bridge the currentgap between planning andimplementation, technical coo-peration has been aimed atstrengthening core competencies ofMember States and communities torespond to any public healthemergency, as identified throughthe new IHR.

To ensure the viability of NationalPlans, technical cooperation hasbeen aimed at strengthening thesupporting actions that arerequired in order to operationalizesuch plans. These activities haveincluded the strengthening of earlywarning systems by expandingsurveillance targets, and strength-ening the existing network forvirological surveillance. A newgeneric protocol for influenzasurveillance is currently beingdeveloped in collaboration withthe U.S. Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC) to ensurethat influenza surveillance isharmonized and comprehensivethroughout the Region. Such newguidelines will ensure compliance

with the IHR requirement that asingle case of influenza caused by anew viral subtype be notified toWHO. Also, significant advanceshave been made in virologicalsurveillance as evidenced by theincreased number of countriesperforming influenza virus iso-lation and shipping samples to theRegional Reference Laboratory.This has been a result of the supportthat PAHO, with the collaborationof the CDC, is providing tostrengthen surveillance, laboratorydiagnosis, and funding of sampleshipments. Virological influenzasurveillance has also beenstrengthened through multiplehands-on training in viral isolation,and immunofluorescence, andthrough on-site laboratory techn-ical cooperation by regionalexperts.

PAHO is also working withMember States to assist countriesin their decision to obtain antiviralsand pandemic influenza vaccine,when available. Mechanisms areactively being sought to supplyantivirals to the Region. Anassessment of regional productioncapacity is being carried out, andPAHO is participating in nego-tiations between Brazil and Rocheover technology transfer.

Influenza vaccine is graduallybeing introduced in the Region,and the recommendations of WHOand the Technical Advisory Groupon Vaccine-Preventable Diseasesconcerning the target populationare being adapted. The best use ofvaccines for seasonal epidemicswill help guarantee the productioncapacity needed to respond to afuture pandemic. A survey carried



out by the Immunizations Unitrevealed that influenza vaccinationhas been introduced in the publicsector in 19 countries or territories.In nine of these countries orterritories, vaccination is admin-istered only in the private sector.The formulation used and the timeof the year when the vaccine isadministered vary with thecountry’s geographical location.Twenty-eight countries or terri-tories are planning to extendvaccination into additionalcoverage groups or add influenzavaccine into their immunizationschedules. The target groups varyamong countries; however, mostcountries target the very youngand elderly. Three countries orterritories also vaccinate popu-lations in close contact with birds.Brazil has also included thevaccination of additional at-riskgroups, including indigenous andincarcerated populations.

To prepare the Region for thepossible overburdening of healthcare systems during a pandemic,the Health Services OrganizationUnit has been working withnational counterparts in planningand preparing for the capacityneeded to cope with a surge in thenumber of illnesses and deaths,including intensive care require-ments. With support from Canada,guidelines for the Health ServicesNetwork Response Capacity Planin the event of a pandemic wereprepared and tested in Paraguay.A regional workshop was held inBogota, Colombia, in April 2006 toassist in the preparation of theresponse of health services duringa pandemic. This meeting wasattended by health services

representatives from the Americasas well as experts from Europe,Thailand, and Viet Nam. A collec-tion of documents have beendeveloped and made availablethrough the web, such as bestpractices, national plans, guideli-nes, and lessons learned. A networkof health services experts wascreated to foster information-sharing and to coordinate support.

In order to reduce opportunities forhuman infection, the VeterinaryPublic Health Unit has beenworking on strengthening vete-rinary services and promotingnational plans which integratehuman and animal health.Interagency integration has beenfostered considering the greatimportance of poultry productionand export for the economy andfood security of the Americas. Suchcollaboration has included workwith the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations(FAO), World Organization for Ani-mal Health (OIE), and poultryproducers associations. Also,PAHO and the Inter-AmericanInstitute for Cooperation onAgriculture (IICA) have carried outseveral joint activities such as theHemispheric Conference on AvianInfluenza in Brasília in 2005 andambassador briefing sessions at theOAS in Washington, D.C. PAHO hasalso participated in the interagencyGlobal Frontiers-Trans AnimalBoundary Diseases (GFTADs)initiative that aims to assistcountries in the control of diseaseby strengthening and enhancingnational veterinary services.

Communication and the trans-mission of key, unified messages

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during a pandemic will be anessential part of a coordinatedresponse. PAHO’s technicalcooperation in this area has beenaimed at training officials inoutbreak and crisis communicationand having detailed commu-nication strategies included withinNIPPPs. Several workshops havebeen held in the Caribbean withspecial emphasis on outbreak andcrisis communication. In Argenti-na, a workshop sponsored by theCDC brought together communi-cation specialists from the minis-tries of health, agriculture, andeducation of seven countries forrisk communication training andassessment of national communica-tion plans based on a PAHO-produced communication assess-ment tool. In July, a workshop inWashington, D.C., brought togethercommunication specialists (80participants from 37 countries)from almost every country in theRegion for training in how to trainothers in outbreak and crisiscommunication.

In addition, an interagency meetingwas held at PAHO in July 2006 todevelop an Inter-Agency Commu-nication Framework for Avian andPandemic Influenza in the Ame-ri-cas to set forth a common approachfor communicating with the media,government officials, the privatesector, and the general public aspart of ongoing efforts to preventand prepare for avian and pan-demic influenza. Participants inthe two-day meeting includedrepresentatives of the Inter-American Development Bank(IDB), the UN Economic Commi-ssion on Latin America and theCaribbean (ECLAC), PAHO/WHO,

the United Nations Children’sFund (UNICEF), FAO, OIE, the WorldBank, IICA, the International Regio-nal Organiza-tion for Plant andAnimal Health (OIRSA), the UNSystem Influenza Coordination(UNSIC), the UN InformationCenters (UNICs), and the UN Officefor Coordination of HumanitarianAffairs (OCHA). Several USgovernment depart-ments andagencies also partici-pated in thismeeting.

Influenza preparedness haspropelled further strengthening ofinteragency collaboration. In arecent meeting of UN RegionalDirectors in Panama, influenzapreparedness planning wasdiscussed establishing the lines ofleadership in an effort to garner theexpertise of each organization tomitigate the impact on the Ameri-cas region. Following instructionsfrom United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan, country teamscomposed of UN system agencieshave been established to respondto a pandemic; and PAHO has beendesignated as the UN interagencycoordinator in 22 countries of theRegion.

The Bureau has developed guide-lines and made resources availableto support PAHO/WHO CountryRepresentatives in their function asUN influenza coordinators. PAHOhas also participated in discussionswith UN agencies in Washington,D.C.?UNIC, FAO, World FoodProgram (WFP), Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner forRefugees (UNHCR), and UnitedNations Development Program(UNDP)?to define preparednessand coordination in the event of a



pandemic. PAHO has volunteeredto procure antivirals and othersupplies for the UN system in theRegion. A briefing session for theUN system, in Washington, D.C., on18 September 2006, will cover aplan for continuity of operations forthe UN system agencies as well asany procurement needs.

PAHO has reached out beyond thehealth sector by approaching thinktanks to advocate for the need forinfluenza pandemic preparednessat all levels of government. On 24May 2006, the Center for Strategicand International Studies (CSIS)and the Pan American HealthOrganization (PAHO) cohosted aconference in Washington, D.C.,entitled “Responding to an Influen-za Pandemic in the Americas.” Thisconference featured presentationsby leading experts from around theHemisphere and addresses by theOAS Assistant Secretary-Generaland the US Under Secretary of Statefor Democracy and Global Affairs.The key message emanating fromthe conference was that planningfor preparedness needs to occur atthe national (federal), state (pro-vincial), and local levels, with closecoordination among planners at allthree levels.

PAHO has also coordinated briefingsessions for the US Congress, Inter-

American Development BankBoard of Governors, PermanentCouncil of the Organization ofAmerican States, US StateDepartment, and World Bank. Suchefforts have yielded an interagencyproject on avian and pandemic in-fluenza between PAHO and the IDBand rekindled the possibility forfurther interagency initiatives atthe country level in the LatinAmerican and Caribbean region.

An intense resource mobilizationeffort was undertaken in 2006 forthe implementation of the above-mentioned activities. Funds for in-fluenza preparedness activitieshave been secured from the USAgency for International Develop-ment (USAID), Canadian Inter-national Development Agency(CIDA), CDC, and IDB..

As National Plans are being put inplace, new challenges emerge in theprocess of updating plans andmaintaining them relevant.Another challenge lies in bringingpreparedness to the subnationallevel, engaging practitioners, andconcerned citizens who will becharged with implementing suchplans. Also, further mechanismswill have to be sought to strengthenintersectoral and interinstitutionalefforts.

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To strengthen at the national level the strategy of supervised treatment of tuberculosis, with all ofits components, and extend the coverage of the population at risk; in the same manner, coordinateefforts to reduce malaria in endemic countries and strengthen the fight against classic andhemorrhagic dengue. (Paragraph 48)

Dengue and hemorrhagic dengueremain a serious health problem inour region and the dimension of theproblem surpasses the confines ofthe health sector. PAHO/WHO is,therefore, promoting the imple-mentation of an “Integrated Den-gue Prevention and ControlStrategy,” the aim of which is tostrengthen national programs and,with an integrating vision,promote community engagementand health education, with parti-cular attention to the coordinationof extra-sectoral measures aimed atreducing morbidity, mortality, andthe social and economic burdencreated by dengue outbreaks andepidemics.

At present, National Strategies forIntegrated Dengue Prevention andControl have been prepared in 11countries: Brazil, Colombia, Para-guay, and Venezuela in SouthAmerica; Costa Rica, El Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,and Panama in Central America;and Dominican Republic in theCaribbean. In addition theSubregional Strategy for CentralAmerica was designed with theparticipation of experts from all ofthe countries and members of thePAHO/WHO Working Group onDengue (GT-Dengue).

The Strategies for Peru and Argen-tina, and the subregional strategyfor the MERCOSUR countries areexpected to be ready in the first halfof 2007.

An ongoing effort is needed tomobilize funds to preparestrategies in the countries andsubregions not covered; ensure thefull implementation of thestrategies already developed; andevaluate the results of thestrategies carried out and imple-mentation of national andsubregional agendas throughvalidated instruments. Finally, itis important to work to make theresults sustainable in each country.

PAHO has provided support forcountries’ efforts to extendpopulation coverage of DOTS from78% in 2004 to 88% in recent years,with different results from itsapplication:

Projects on comprehensive man-agement of multi-resistance wereprepared and implemented underDOTS in 12 countries and at presentaround 30 countries are engaged incollaboration activities between TBand HIV/AIDS programs.

The inclusion of private and publichealth care providers in TB controlis being encouraged, and there areplans of action in place based onoperational studies conducted infour pilot countries (Mexico, El Sal-vador, Dominican Republic, andBrazil).

As regards broadening coverage topopulations at high risk from TB,support is being provided forimplementation of DOTS in



corrections centers in 29 countries;work is underway in 11 countrieson the preparation of TB controlplans in indigenous populations;and in two countries there arespecific programs in place forproviding TB care to peri-urbanpopulations

Efforts to reduce malaria havecontinued in the 21 endemiccountries in the region. Thereductions in incidence by morethan 50% in seven countries, alongwith lesser reductions in four othercountries, accomplished between2000 and 2005 have been main-tained. Overall, the region hasrecorded a 9% reduction in inci-dence. At the same time, between2000 and 2005 a 55% reduction wasreported in the mortality rate,which continued to decline in 2006.Efforts to prevent reintroduction oftransmission in malaria-freecountries have had to be reinforcedin the Bahamas and Jamaica wherethere were malaria outbreaks in2006.

In 2006, PAHO made efforts to fulfillthe mandates of member countriescontained in the Resolution on Ma-laria adopted at its 46th DirectingCouncil in September 2005, and inthe resolution on Malaria Controladopted at the 58th World HealthAssembly in May 2005. PAHO

designed, unveiled and dissemi-nated its Regional Strategic Plan forMalaria in the Americas 2006–2010and has encouraged its use to guidethe design of national malaria plansto comply with national, as well asregional and global, commitments.Endemic countries use the guide-lines contained in the Global Mala-ria Program to shape treatmentpolicies as well as making decisionsbased on evidence generated bystudies in the region

As a result of the mobilization offinancial and human resource,there are subregional projects inunderway to combat malaria in theAmazonian countries, as well as inMexico and Central Americancountries. Those projects are beingcarried out by countries in coordi-nation with PAHO. Furthermore,in 2006, seven countries (Bolivia,Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hondu-ras, Nicaragua, and Surinam)continued to implement anti-ma-laria projects financed by the Glo-bal Fund to Fight AIDS, TB andMalaria, and for countries in theAndean region (Colombia, Ecuador,Peru, and Venezuela) launched ajoint project to combat malariaalso financed by the Global Fund.PAHO has provided technicalcooperation to countries forimplementation of national as wellas multinational projects.

To promote efforts to ensure, by 2010, completion of quality primary school education for allchildren, and promote the setting of goals, before 2007, for the completion of quality middle-schooleducation. (Paragraph 49)

As part of its efforts to ensure theeducation of the children of theAmericas, the World Bank-funded

“Support for the Strategy ofInclusion and Quality EducationProject in Ecuador” will contribute

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management of the “Debt SwapFund” for Social Investment set upbetween the Kingdom of Spain andthe Republic of Ecuador (US$ 50million), CAF promotes socialinvestment projects in educationand the “Clean DevelopmentMechanism (MDL)” with fundsfrom the bilateral debt that theSpanish government has condonedin favor of Ecuador. In the case ofthe “MERCOSUR Educational Fund(FEM)” (US$ 650,000), CAF istechnically and financiallymanaging the first fund createdwith funds provided by the regio-nal bloc to advance socialintegration through education.

towards the achievement of theuniversal primary completionMillennium Development Goal(MDG) by strengthening the humanresources management capacityfor enhancing system efficiency, byincreasing the number andimproved distribution of teachers,and, by increasing coverage at thebasic education level in the mostdisadvantaged areas, particularlyat the first grade level.

For the purposes of promotingquality education, administrationof social funds has been a mechan-ism in which CAF has demons-trated competitive advantages.Through its administration and

To strengthen, within national health systems, primary health care actions as a step to preventdiseases and their consequences and reduce morbidity with the purpose of ensuring equal access tohealth services for all people in the hemisphere. (Paragraph 50)

The “Essential Public HealthFunctions and Programs Project forArgentina” funded by the WorldBank aims to increase the coverageof ten prioritized Public HealthPrograms; reduce the population'sexposure to principal risk factorsassociated with collective illness;and improve the stewardship roleand appropriate regulatoryenvironment of the nation's publichealth system.

The PAHO/WHO Working Group(WG) on Primary Health Care(PHC) was created in response tothe recommendations of memberstates for strengthening PHC. Themain function of the WorkingGroup was to advise the Orga-nization on ways to establish a

strengthened vision of the PHCstrategy to confront the challengesposed by the new millennium, inparticular those presented by theMillennium Development Goals(MDGs).

The principal objectives of the WGwere to examine and reaffirm theconceptual dimensions of PHC ascontained in the Alma Ata De-claration; develop operationaldefinitions of concepts relevant toPHC; provide guidance to countriesand PAHO/WHO on how toreorient the Region’s healthsystems and services following theprinciples of PHC. The WG alsoformulated drafting guidelines fora PAHO/WHO position paper anda regional declaration on renewing



PHC that reflects current realitiesand future prospects.

To accomplish the above objectives,the WG held consultations at theregional and national level. It alsostrengthens dialogue with its mostimportant partners, including ci-vil society and nongovernmentalorganizations, universities, pro-fessional associations, and govern-ment, with the aim of buildingconsensus and forging key partner-ships or the progress of PHC acrossthe region.

The technical recommendationsthat came out of the regionalconsultation were included in thedrafts of the Position Paper and theRegional Declaration on PHC, bothof which were presented forconsideration to the 46th DirectingCouncil.

Ultimately, the Regional Declara-tion on the New Orien-tations forPrimary Health Care (Declarationof Montevideo) was approved bythe PAHO 46th Directing Councilin September 2005.

Following the adoption of theDeclaration of Montevideo, severalcountries in the region haverenewed or strengthened theirefforts by seeking to incorporate thevalues, principles, and coreelements of the approach/strategyon primary health care in theirnational health systems. Both theDeclaration of Montevideo and thePAHO/WHO Position Paper onrenewing PHC have become ayardstick on the issue and offer afresh perspective in the debate onhealth sector reform and healthsystem strengthening throughoutthe region.

PAHO/WHO has also continued toprovide technical assistance tocountries on this issue and inten-sified its efforts to disseminate therenewed PHC approach in theregion. Within the Organizationefforts have centered on simplifyingthe PHC approach/strategy in allPAHO technical cooperationactivities. Several Areas/Unitshave adopted or are incorporatingthe PHC approach/strategy in theirplanning process and dailyoperations.

To identify and exchange, within the framework of the OAS, practices in the region regardingpolicies and programs to confront poverty. (Paragraph 52)

The OAS serves as TechnicalSecretariat to the Social Networkfor Latin America and theCaribbean, which brings togethersocial investment funds andministries of social development inthe region in order to promote andshare experience on the fight

against poverty and social de-velopment. For more than 10 years,the OAS has assisted in theorganization of the Network’sannual conferences, the most recentof which was held in Port-of-Spain,Trinidad and Tobago, in 2006. Inaccordance with the decisions

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this two-year project is to improvethe quality and coverage of socialprotection programs in theCaribbean, modeled on thesuccessful experience that Chile hashad with its Puente-Chile Solida-rio program.

Furthermore, in order to promoteand strengthen experience ex-change in the region, the OASworks with the IDB, ECLAC, andWorld Bank to analyze the impactof the use of a rights-basedapproach in social policy designand implementation. Four coun-tries in the region were a chosen ascase studies in the first phase of thisactivity: Chile, Guatemala, Peru,and Uruguay.

adopted, the Department workedclosely with the Chair of the SocialNetwork, occupied by FOSIS of Chi-le, on the programming of co-operation activities to be carriedout in 2007.

As preparations progress for thecoming Annual Conference, to beheld in Belize in 2007, at which thethematic priorities for implemen-tation of cooperation initiatives inthe region will be determined, theOAS will start to implement atechnical cooperation program onsocial protection systems thattargets Caribbean countries, withfinancing chiefly provided by theCIDA of Canada, FOSIS of Chile, andthe OAS. The overarching aim of

To continue to strengthen regional cooperation and the mobilization of resources to advance in thefight against the production, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs and psychotropicsubstances, calling upon the countries of the hemisphere, in cooperation with the Inter-AmericanDrug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), to: develop, implement, and evaluate substance abuseprevention programs, in particular for children and young people, such as “Life Skills”, amongothers; expand the “Program to Estimate the Human, Social, and Economic Cost of Drugs in theAmericas”; and promote support for the integral and sustainable development strategies carriedout by the countries affected by cultivation and production of illicit drugs. (Paragraph 53)

The OAS participated in the “BestPractice Marketing for Communi-ties in Mountainous and/or Drug-Crop Producing Regions Project”promoted by the government ofThailand to generate greaterknowledge about integrated andsustainable alternative develop-ment through a study that ana-lyzed grassroots approaches toresolving problems of marketingagricultural products and identi-fied best practices. Case studieswere made of 4-8 communities ineach of the following countries:

Thailand, Vietnam, China, Afgha-nistan, India, Nepal, Bolivia, Peruand Colombia. A detailed analysisof the case studies focused oncompiling and systematizingexisting knowledge. In 2007, a ma-nual of best practices will bepublished that contains concrete,feasible recommendations on howto organize community-basedmarketing.

The OAS facilitated the partici-pation of representative group ofproducers from Peru and Bolivia in



the “Andean Regional Seminar onMarketing for Alternative Deve-lopment Products” that took placein Bogotá, Colombia on April 3. Theevent was organized by Colombia’sPresidential Agency for SocialAction and International Cooper-ation (Acción Social), the Ministryof Foreign Affairs of Colombia, theEmbassy of France, the Frenchwholesaler Carrefour, the UnitedNations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) and the OAS. Partici-pants presented their approaches,projects and enterprises thatsupport former growers of coca andopium poppies, especially throughalternative development initia-tives.

During 2006, the OAS financed thetraining of 55 field technicians andalso participated in a modelconsortium of seven Peruvianinstitutions for the implementationof 48 farm field schools in Peru,achieving coverage of 2,412hectares. The beneficiaries were1,229 farms belonging to 145communities. In late 2007, theresults will be evaluated to deter-mine their real impact in terms ofcrop yield and quality. Next year,the OAS plans to support theimplementation of farmer fieldschools in Peru, and seek additionalfinancing for implementing thismethodology in Bolivia, Colombia,and Ecuador.

The “Implementation of theGeneralized Land-Use Evaluationand Management (GLEAM) Tool” isa remote imaging-based infor-mation system that permitsgovernments to identify the actualuse of land for both licit and illicitcrops and determine those crops

that can best substitute coca andpoppy, taking into account thegeographic, climatic and economicconditions prevalent. In 2006, theOAS concentrated on broadeningthe use of the “GLEAM” tool to theinstitutions involved in ruraldevelopment in Bolivia. The goalwas to position the “GLEAM”service as a strategic informationsystem specialized in integraldevelopment that permits centra-lization, systemization and dis-tribution of information foroperational support. At the sametime, the system was used to carryout geographic quantification andsoil evaluation for the cultivationof cacao and coffee in the Alto Beniof Yungas region, providingsupport to the Vice Ministry of Cocaand Integral Development withgeographic and spatial informationof the coca-growing region.“GLEAM” also was employed toevaluate the extent of soil de-gradation in the Yungas regioncaused by settlement and cocacultivation. The OAS not onlydirects its efforts towards the areaswhere there are illicit crops orwhere they existed before, but alsofocuses on lands adjacent to illicitcrop zones whose developmentcould inhibit the expansion of illicitcrops and avert the migration ofworkers to areas of illicit crops.

In 2006 the OAS implementedactivities for the fulfillment of andfor the sustainability of the“School-based ‘Life-Skills’ Sub-stance Abuse Prevention Program”including:

Sensitization of governmentofficials, school administrators,teachers, district associations,and supporting agencies about

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the nature of the substance abuseproblem among youth and theimportance of developing andsupporting life skills programs;Formation of a coordinatingcommittee for each country toassess needs, define programgoals, operations, and content(drug council, education ministry,youth development organiza-tions, and community servicegroups);Delivery of training courses forteachers who will deliver thecourse, school principals, Lionsliaisons, and support personnel;Delivery of a new curriculum tostudents in target pilot schools(est. 20 schools in year one, toexpand geographically and acrossgrade levels in subsequent years);Establishment of a multi-levelevaluation process (short-termprocess and long-term outcome),which will be ongoing for the lifeof the program;Sensitization activities for thefamily and community;Adaptation, revision, and finali-zation of curriculum and didacticmaterials;Expansion to new grade levelsand schools in subsequent years.

This prevention program has beenoperating in Belize since 2005 andin Peru, Paraguay and Colombiasince 2006. The program will begin,under the OAS auspices, in Ecua-dor, the Dominican Republic andMexico in 2007-2008. So far, theprogram has trained approxi-mately 800 teachers in the deliveryof the program, and expects to trainanother 800 over the next twoyears. Prevention materials havebeen provided for a total 150schools, grades K-8.

In Colombia, the OAS investmentof US$90,000 has leveraged anadditional US$587,000 for theprogram from the Government ofColombia, Lions Colombia and theUS Embassy in Bogota. The OASwill conduct an independent,scientific evaluation of the programin Peru in 2007 and 2008, using anewly developed “EvaluationToolkit”.

Since early 2006 the OAS has beensupporting the “Culture of Law-fulness (COL)” program in El Sal-vador, which seeks to generateunderstanding and provide criticalthinking skills about the purposeof laws in a society and the needfor the rule of law to prevent crimeand corruption from underminingthem, as well as to internalize theresponsibilities of good citizenship.Thus far, one hundred teachers infifty schools have been trained todeliver the program, and the OAShas provided over 3,000 copies ofsupporting materials to theschools. With its partner, theNational Strategy InformationCenter, a Washington-based non-profit, the OAS plans to implementthe Culture of Lawfulness programon a pilot basis in Costa Rica andHonduras (8-10 schools in eachcountry) in the spring of 2007. It isalso anticipated that Tobago andNicaragua will implement theprogram in the near future.

The OAS is working to graduallyexpand the “Program to Estimatethe Social and Economic Costs ofDrugs in the Americas” to the othercountries in the Hemisphere.Although most countries arecapable of estimating the directcosts of drugs, the cost estimates



have no meaning if the country doesnot possess reliable data on themagnitude of the drug problem.Since cost studies, by their verynature require large amounts ofaggregate data, the OAS hasincorporated the Cost Programinto its broad research develop-ment agenda.

In addition, the OAS is supportingcountries that have carried outbasic cost studies to deepen theirstudies and produce estimates onthe avoidable costs of the drugproblem. The OAS views the costprogram as an integral part of theOAS research program, and willgradually implement cost studiesin the hemisphere as the countriesdevelop their research programs.

The OAS’ goal is to develop solidresearch programs including coststudies in each country in thehemisphere by 2015.

In keeping with the mandate tocontinue to expand the “CostProgram” to other countries in thehemisphere, the OAS has begunworking with additional countriesthat were not part of the pilot study.In addition, the OAS continues towork with the pilot group to helpthem to refine their studies, andexamine the meaning of theeconomic impact within theircontexts. Studies implemented in2006 have not yet been completedand results from these studies willbecome available during 2007.

We recognize the positive results of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria(GFATM) and we reaffirm our support to their activities and goals. We recommend the continuedimportant participation of civil society in the fulfillment of these goals, and we urge the GlobalFund Board to evaluate the eligibility criteria with the intent of addressing middle income countriesin the hemisphere. (Paragraph 54)

In compliance with this mandate,PAHO provided support for thepreparation of 14 Global Fundprojects, 13 of which were appro-ved; furnished technical assistancein the implementation of 13approved Global Fund projects;and participated in the 13coordination mechanisms of thecountries with TB projects

PAHO continues to support projectdesign processes, while at the sametime steering its technicalcooperation to support imple-mentation of ongoing projects. Theexperience has shown that the

adoption by the GF of results-basedfinancing has generated strongdemand for technical advisoryservices in the preparation ofrealistic indicators and effectivefollow-up and evaluation mecha-nisms. PAHO has also assisted inthe design and implementation ofmultilateral finance by the GF,which demand particular atten-tion owing to the governancemechanism required by that agen-cy. Efforts to broaden eligibilitycriteria to include middle-incomecountries have led to a review ofthose criteria, the findings of whichwill be presented at the next Board

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Meeting of the GF. The discussions,by nature, are more policy orientedthan technical and for that reason

the support of the foreign minis-tries is critical to removing thisbarrier to the region’s countries.

To develop, within the framework of the OAS, before 2008, the study of a literacy program, takinginto account successful experiences in order to advance towards the eradication of illiteracy in ourcountries. (Paragraph 55)

By decision of the Inter-AmericanCommittee on Education (CIE), aWorking Group of countries wasformed to advise on how the OAScould best meet this mandate, withthe following countries volun-teering to be part of the WorkingGroup in 2006: Brazil, Venezuela,Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica,Ecuador, United States, Guatema-la, Barbados, Canada, México, Pa-raguay and Uruguay. Given theextensive work being carried outby other international organiza-tions in this field, the DEC carriedout consultations with OEI,UNESCO, CREFAL, and IDB. TheDepartment of Education andCulture (DEC) of the OAS preparedthe base document “OAS LiteracyInitiative” for discussion by theauthorities of the Inter-AmericanCommittee on Education (CIE) at itsFebruary 2007 meeting. At therequest of the member States, theOAS organized a Virtual Forum foruse by member State literacyexperts in order to refine a proposalfor next steps in this area.

CAF’s Vocational Training andHeritage Recovery Programcontinued its strengthening andexpansion process through theforging of new partnerships. A new

regional partnership was conso-lidated with the Spanish Inter-national Cooperation Agency(AECI) in order to strengthen all ofthe workshop schools in theAndean region through training inbasic trades and heritage recovery.At present, CAF provides supportthrough 11 schools in four coun-tries and will incorporate threemore in 2007. Measures were in-tensified in Venezuela through theEscuela del Constructor Popular inthe Municipality of Revenga,which provides training for formeryoung offenders in innovative buil-ding techniques, as well as twoSuperatec Centers in Caracas thatprovide computer and technologytraining for young people. Thepurpose of both projects is to helpyoung people from excludedcommunities to find employment.

These projects have produced solidand successful results that haveenabled initiation of a subsequentphase of development andconsolidation or involvement ofnew actors. Thus, a partnershipwas established with the Ghellabusiness group for the purpose ofimplementing cooperation projectsof an educational and culturalnature in specific areas.



To promote, within the framework of the OAS, the exchange of experiences for the implementationof electronic education programs articulating means, resources, and tools aimed at strengtheningand enriching the educational processes in schools, including the use of new information andcommunication technologies. (Paragraph 56)

The OAS is currently implemen-ting a pilot of a distance educationcourse for educators on teachingdemocratic values and practices, incollaboration with member Stategovernments and civil societyorganizations. The OAS is alsoimplementing a project to translateand adapt the course to the needsof education ministries in theCaribbean. These initiatives formpart of the “Professional Develop-ment Component of the Inter-American Program on Educationfor Democratic Values and Practi-ces”, an initiative of the OAS. (Formore information see www.edu-cadem.oas.org)

ICA has actively supported thearticulation of educational effortsat the regional level throughinitiatives such as (a) “RELPE –Latin American Network ofEducational Portals” (www.rel-pe.org), (b) “Computers for Com-munities” (www.cfc.net), and (c)“FRIDA, the Regional Fund forDigital Research” (www.progra-mafrida.net)

ICA, in partnership with FundaciónChile and the Ministries ofEducation of several countries ofLatin America, launched “RELPE”as a network of national edu-cational portals designed to freelycirculate and share educationalmaterials produced locallythroughout the region. This regio-nal project aims at increasing the

quality and the quantity of locallydeveloped educational material,while improving access in mar-ginalized and remote locations to alarger volume of educationalcontent.

Based on the successful CanadianComputers for School program(CFS), ICA in partnership withIndustry Canada (IC) and the OAS’sExecutive Secretariat for IntegralDevelopment (SEDI), has continuedto support the regional disse-mination of the program, aimed atbuilding local capacity in LACcountries to plan and implementcomputer-refurbishing programsas part of an integrated nationalstrategy for connectivity, digitalliteracy and social inclusion.

“FRIDA, the Regional Fund forDigital Research in the Americas”,is a regional fund for the deve-lopment of ICT research andtechnical skills to promotedevelopment in Latin America andthe Caribbean. This program fundsresearch projects that fulfill one ofthe following objectives: develop-ment or adaptation of new tech-nologies and standards; innovativesocial use of ICT for development;and modernization of publicpolicies and regulations. Theinitiative aims at increasing theknowledge on ICT for developmentand, in doing so empowering localresearch groups.

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To encourage the work now under way in the OAS, to conclude successfully the negotiation of theSocial Charter of the Americas and its Plan of Action. (Paragraph 57)

For information relating to the OASactivities for this mandate, please

refer to Mandate 71 of theDeclaration.

11 En www.educadem.oas.org aparece información adicional.

To call upon the First Inter-American Meeting of Social Development Ministers to be held in ElSalvador, in agreement with resolution AG/RES. 1984 (XXXIV-O/04) of the thirty-fourth period ofregular sessions of the OAS General Assembly, to consider, among others, the progress as regardsthe commitments included in this Plan of Action that pertain to the scope of their competencies.(Paragraph 58)

In a communication sent in March2007, the Government of El Salva-dor withdrew its offer to host theFirst Meeting of Ministers of SocialDevelopment, for which reason theOAS is actively working with

member states to determine a newvenue and the agenda. TheGovernment of Chile recentlyoffered to host the aforementionedmeeting.



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Taking into account the theme of the Mar del Plata Summit and bearing in mind that our concept ofsecurity is multidimensional, to promote through concrete actions, at the national, sub-regional,hemispheric, and global levels, the implementation of the commitments identified in the Declarationon Security in the Americas. (Paragraph 61)

In 2006, CAF continued to im-plement the governance programsthat it has been carrying out at theregional level based on the premisethat it is important is to generatepotential forums to strengthendemocratic governance in coun-tries and strengthen peacefulcoexistence among citizensthrough dialogue and consensusbuilding. The pro-grams, whichare framed under four lines ofaction to do with good governance,incorporate the crosscuttingthemes of ethics in transparencyin government and in citizenadministration, as well as humancapacity building to enhanceimplementation and unders-tanding of the exercise of goodgovernance in the context of eachcountry.

The Governance and PoliticalManagement Program, which hasbeen underway since 2001 inpartnership with George Was-hington University and with localuniversities in Bolivia, Colombia,

Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, hascontinued to carry out its trainingactivities aimed at forming acritical mass of governmentofficials in the region. The broadobjective is to generate a com-prehensive overview of theproblems associated with economicand social development, and thecapacity to articulate that vision inan integral framework of actionthat takes into account technicalelements, negotiation, and political,economic, and social feasibility.The Program lasts eight months ayear. By the end of 2006 theProgram had turned out 3,844graduates in the five above-mentioned countries.

The Leadership for Change Pro-gram, founded on the principle thatthere should be a balance betweenthe different sectors that make up anation –public, private, and civilsociety– seeks to eliminate existingconstraints, pave the way for newgenerations, and stren-gthen therecovery of civic and democratic

Strengthen Democratic Governance

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values in society. The Program,which is taught for eight monthsper year, aims to train naturalleaders, both men and women, inorder to enable them to carry outthe commitment to build a betterfuture in accordance with thereality of their context. By 2006, theProgram had been imple-mentedin four countries (Bolivia, Colom-bia, Peru, and Venezuela) andprovided training to 3,926 leaders,its coverage encompassing 658municipalities overall in thedifferent countries.

The Efficient and TransparentMunicipalities (MuNet) programwas created to provide technicalassistance and training to localgovernments in Andean countries,in order to improve their technicaland administrative capabilities inproviding services through theidentification and transfer of bestpractices and successful expe-riences in e-government and landregistry in similar sociopoliticalcontexts. By the end of 2006, the to-tal number of officials trained in e-government and land registry cameto 614 and municipal coverageacross the region stood at 22 muni-cipalities in e-government and fivein the land registry

The Tools for Governance andConsensus-Building program isdesigned to provide public sectorand civil society actors whointeract on a permanent basis withmembers of the public with toolsand methodologies to buildconsensus and reach betteragreements that satisfy theinterests and needs of the sectorsconcerned. The program is carriedout through four workshops:

negotiation, strategic communi-cation, leadership and persuasion,and strategic relations with thepublic sector. By the close of 2006,the number of participants came to80 persons per country. The pro-gram will continue to be imple-mented in Colombia, Ecuador, andVenezuela.

The First-Class Ports Program isthe result of several years ofcollaboration between CAF and theUniversidad Politécnica de Valen-cia, Spain. The program, based onprevious studies on logistics,competitiveness, maritime trans-port, and the performance of theprincipal ports of South America,aims to improve the quality of portservices. During the first phase ofthe program five ports werechosen for their high volume of con-tainer traffic: Puerto Cabello (Ve-nezuela), Cartagena and Buena-ventura (Colombia), Guayaquil(Ecuador), and Callao (Peru). AQuality Council was set up in eachport with 30 members whorepresent the various associationsand collectives in the portcommunity. The task of the Coun-cils was to analyze the chain ofservices provided by the port anddesign or re-engineer critical pro-cesses

This redesign process led to thedefinition of requirements to be metby the different operators andother members of the portcommunity in order to benefitfrom the right to use the Marca deGarantía. [Seal of Quality]. Thisconsists of a management modelthat offers specific service qualityguarantees to the clients of eachport. With the imminent creation



of the Latin American Associationof Port Quality, a non-profit entitythat will function as the proprietorof the Marca de Garantía in the

region, the necessary institutionalframework will be put in place forthe sustained operation of thisquality management system.

To continue supporting and strengthening the functioning of the bodies of the Inter-AmericanSystem of Human Rights, promoting within the political bodies of the OAS, in the framework of theongoing reflection process, concrete actions to achieve, among other objectives, greater adhesion tothe legal instruments, an effective observance of the decisions by the Inter-American Court ofHuman Rights and due consideration of the recommendations of the Inter-American Commissionof Human Rights, and the improvement of access of the victims to the mechanisms of the system,and the adequate financing of the bodies of the System, including the fostering of voluntarycontributions. (Paragraph 62)

The thematic studies examined bythe Inter-American Commissionon Human Rights (IACHR) at its122nd regular session included theenjoyment of economic, civil, andcultural rights. In this respect, theCommission held a hearing thatemphasized in part the right toeducation in Colombia and a gene-ral hearing on the right to housingin the Americas.

During this session, with a view tothe continued strengthening of itsdialogue with the Caribbean, theIACHR maintained its practice ofmeeting with the PermanentRepresentatives to the OAS ofnumerous Caribbean Community(CARICOM) member states, inorder to discuss human rights andrelated issues of mutual concern.

Further, the Commission adoptedand published its Resolution 1/05in which it reaffirmed theinternational obligation of OASmember states to comply with itsprecautionary measures. In thesame resolution, the Commissionreiterated the ethical and legal

commitment of each Commissionernot to participate in the discussion,investigation, deliberation ordecision of general or specificmatters presented to the IACHR’sconsideration when they are anational of the State underconsideration, in accordance withthe express requirements of Article17 of the Commission’s Rules ofProcedure.

In addition, the Commission,together with the InternationalService of Human Rights and theFaculty of Law of the AmericanUniversity, co-sponsored a trainingcourse for members of civil societyorganizations, in which 16 sixteenhuman rights defenders from 10member states of the OAS parti-cipated.

On April 25 and 26, 2006, theIACHR and the CommonwealthSecretariat co-sponsored a work-shop in St John’s, Antigua and Bar-buda, on the ratification and imple-mentation of international and re-gional human rights instruments.The workshop, convened at the

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invitation of the Government ofAntigua & Barbuda, providedofficials from governments of theCaribbean region with intensivetraining on the importance of fullparticipation in the United Nationsand Inter-American human rightssystems as well as the proceduresinvolved in ratifying and imple-menting international and regionalhuman rights instruments. Over 20government officials from morethan 10 Caribbean states partici-pated.

The IACHR continues annually tohold, within the framework of theCommittee on Juridical andPolitical Affairs, the dialoguebetween the member states and themembers of the Inter-AmericanCourt of Human Rights and theInter-American Commission on

Human Rights on the way theinter-American human rightssystem operates.

At is 126th regular session, theIACHR approved amendments toits Rules of Procedure and to itsrules for the designation of specialrapporteurs, in order to strengthenand increase their effectiveness.

Finally, and in accordance with themandates of the Fourth Summit ofthe Americas, the Second Spe-cialized Course for ForeignMinistry and Government Officialson the Use of the Inter-AmericanSystem for the Protection of HumanRights, was held in San Jose, CostaRica, with the sponsorship of theInter-American Court, the IACHR,and the Inter-American Institutefor Human Rights

To consolidate the Hemispheric Information Exchange Network for Mutual Legal Assistance inCriminal Matters and Extradition, support the actions for the implementation of a strategic planfor the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA), and strengthen the institutional developmentof the General Secretariat of the OAS in these issues, in accordance with the framework of theMeetings of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA).(Paragraph 65)

In order to make progress in theissue of extradition, the Sixth Mee-ting of Ministers of Justice or ofMinisters or Attorneys General ofthe Americas (REMJA-VI) was heldApril 24-26, 2006 in Santo Domin-go, Dominican Republic. At thismeeting, the REMJA recognized theefforts and activities of the JusticeStudies Center of the Americas(JSCA) and encouraged the Centerto continue its valuable work. Inaddition, it recommended that theFunding Plan proposed by the JSCA

be presented for consideration tothe General Assembly and its nextregular session. The Third Meetingof Central Authorities and OtherExperts on Mutual Assistance inCriminal Matters and Extraditionwill be held in Colombia.

With regards to the HemisphericInformation Exchange Network forMutual Legal Assistance in Crimi-nal Matters and Extradition, theOAS has continuously updatedboth the public and private compo-



nents on the Mutual Assistancewebsite. Currently, all 34 memberstates have provided informationfor their respective webpage,which provides an introduction tothat country’s legal system; linksto legislation and model documentsrelated to Mutual Assistance in Cri-minal Matters and Extradition; andlinks to bilateral treaties andmultilateral instruments12. The“Hemispheric Information Ex-change Network” also includes asecure electronic communicationsystem, which has seen an increasein the number of participants in theproject from 17 to 23. Participatingcountries include: Argentina, TheBahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada,Chile, Colombia, Dominica,Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El

Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica,Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Para-guay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Trinidadand Tobago, the United States, Uru-guay, and Venezuela.

With regards to strengthening theinstitutional development of theOAS General Secretariat, thePermanent Council convened the“Special Meeting of the OAS/REMJAWorking Group on Mutual Assis-tance in Criminal Matters andExtradition” in Montreal, Canada,from March 26 to 27, 2007. Thepurpose of this meeting was toconsider how to order the work ofREMJA related to the strengtheningof mutual assistance and extra-dition in the Americas.

To cooperate with solidarity with the Haitian people in their efforts to revitalize the democraticinstitutions, fight poverty, and foster equitable socio-economic development, including, the creationof decent work through, among others, greater support from the international financial institutionsand cooperation agencies, and implement disarmament, demobilization, and reinsertion programs(DDR), with the support of MINUSTAH and the Special Mission of the OAS for the Strengthening ofDemocracy in Haiti. (Paragraph 66)

The OAS Special Mission forStrengthening Democracy in Haitihas been engaged in joint activitieswith the Provisional ElectoralCouncil of Haiti on the develop-ment of electoral systems thatenabled the distribution of identitydocuments to citizens, as well asthe management of vote countingand the attendant transmission ofresults. A mass registration andidentity card distribution cam-paign was carried out for all citi-

zens over 18. Of a total of 4.4 millionpersons, 3.56 million were regis-tered. The registration process,which generated the identity cards,also served for the automaticcompilation of the voters lists thatwere used in both electoralprocesses. The permanence andsecurity of this information willenable Haiti to hold other electoralprocesses in the future without theneed for citizens to re-register.

12 To access the individual country pages, click on any country link on the left-hand side of the following page:http://www.oas.org/juridico/MLA/en/index.html.

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The main purpose of this project isto transfer and lend support to thePermanent Identity Registry, fromthe reopening of its offices until theinstallation of its own identity-card printing system in Haiti, usingfor that purpose the currentinformation technology resourcesalready acquired as well trainedhuman resources.

The project on integration of thecitizen identity card issuingprocess, electoral processes, and theCivil Status Registry, will ensurethat processes are better organized,secure and offer improved servicesto the general population, resultingin more-efficient services andelections. It will also yield vitalstatistics to help the governmentdesign development plans withconsistent and prompt informationfrom the Civil Status and IdentityRegistry, according to region and/or attributes.

The OAS is committed to stren-gthening and developing technicalcapacities to continue the identitydocumentation process and to thecomprehensive moder-nization ofthe Civil Status Registry, strength-ening institutions in order to holdtransparent, participatory and fairelections.

Haiti is one of the PAHO/WHOpriority countries identified forspecial assistance, together withBolivia, Guyana, Honduras andNicaragua. To these ends, exchangeof information and regular high-level meetings within the OAS andPAHO task forces for Haiti took pla-ce during 2006, as well as withinthe Haiti Group of Friends, inwhich PAHO actively participated.

In these opportunities, it wasagreed that a call for systematicinformation-sharing mechanismas a technical cooperation responseto Haitian needs and commitmentto improving coordination withrespect to technical issues andcooperation approaches should bestrongly encouraged.

Within the UN System, PAHO/WHO actively participated in the“UN Transitional Appeal” laun-ched last December 2006 for thestabilization of Haiti.

During 2006, several PAHO/WHOhigh-level missions to Haiti tookplace in order to define a strategicagenda for health developmentjointly with new authorities anddifferent partners. A special sessionon Haiti – “Haiti Day” – was carriedout in September 2006 at PAHOHeadquarters and it representedan opportunity both for the Mini-ster of Health and Population(MoH) and his officials as well asfor external partners to shareviews, achievements, challengesand lessons learnt regarding healthpriorities towards national healthdevelopment in Haiti.

PAHO is working with the MoH aswell as numerous other partnersto restore a functioning healthsystem for the country. PAHO/WHO's network of partners inHaiti, apart from OAS and theinter-American entities, includesthe U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), theCanadian International Develop-ment Agency (CIDA), the IDB, theWorld Bank, the Swedish Inter-national Development Agency(SIDA), the European Commission



(EC), UN agencies, non-governmentorganizations, local healthauthorities and many others.

PAHO/WHO has been responsiblefor the distribution of vaccines andother essential drugs in Haitithrough “PROMESS “and forimplementing several donorfunded projects. Amongst thetechnical issues addressed throughthese grants are: strengtheningemergency disaster response,implementation of a compre-hensive HIV/AIDS care program;regulation and access of essentialgeneric medicines; creating healthyenvironments; basic health careneeds of the most vulnerable andunderserved; support to immu-nization activities; injection safety;and, scaling-up of the strategy forintegrated management ofchildhood illnesses. PAHO/WHO’srecent efforts also included work onboth humanitarian relief andaddressing post-emergency healthconstraints.

PAHO/WHO is also working tostrengthen the “Unités Comm-unales de Santé (UCS)” and systemof regional reference hospitals,applying a strategy of decen-tralized technical cooperation,which has proven successful inother countries for advancing localhealth development. The strategyof decentralized technical co-operation will also be applied toborder areas with the DominicanRepublic. The interdependency ofthe economies and populations inboth Haiti and the DominicanRepublic also demand a bi-nationalapproach in many of the economicand social interventions. This bi-national approach is to be applied

particularly to diseases like mala-ria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

The World Bank’s “Haiti ElectricityLoss Reduction Project” has theobjective to contribute to thesustainable improvement in thequality of electricity services inHaiti to customers and to thestrengthening of the financial andoperational performance of theelectricity public utility (EPH). The“Haiti Community DrivenDevelopment Project” will scale-upthe direct transfer of publicresources to local communityorganizations in poor rural andperi-urban communities. The“Second Economic GovernanceTechnical Assistance Project” willfurther assist the Government ofHaiti in strengthening itsinstitutional capacity in the areasof public sector resourcemanagement and improvedresponsiveness to citizen needs anddemands.

A High Level CDB mission visitedHaiti in January 2007 to exploreareas of focus, following Haiti’sinclusion as a member of CDB in2007. The Bank is currentlyprocessing its first intervention, inconjunction with the World Bank,on education. All of CDB’sinterventions in Haiti will bethrough the Bank’s soft window -the “Special Development Fund(SDF)”. The Bank is using the“Interim Cooperation Framework(ICF)” as the context for its work inHaiti.

IOM’s “Rehabilitation and Sta-bilization Program (PRESE)”(formerly HTI) funded by USAID,has contributed toward the stabi-

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lization of troubled neighborhoodsin six urban centers throughcommunity driven, labor intensiveinfrastructure projects, sports,culture, etc. To date, HTI/PRESE hasgenerated 657,629 person-days ofemployment, and enabled 22,000children in Cité Soleil to return toschool.

IOM’s “Labor Migration Project inHaiti” seeks to significantlystrengthen the capacity of theGovernment of Haiti (GoH) toprovide support and protection toHaitian migrants that regularlytake up short-term wage laboropportunities in neighboringcountries, and provide technicalsupport to the GoH in formulatingbilateral labor migration agree-ments with neighboring countriesthat are host to significant and

growing numbers of Haitian labormigrants. IOM achieved theseobjectives by supporting theformulation of bilateral laboragreements by making availablelegal and migration managementexpertise to guide a GoH consul-tative process that broughttogether relevant Haitian actors,governmental and non-govern-mental alike, to draw on theexperience from previous bilaterallabor migration agreements andformulated a comprehensive legallabor migration managementstrategy. The expected result of thisproject is: significantly enhancedGoH capacity to formulate andnegotiate bilateral labor migrationaccords with countries in theregion that receive large numbersof Haitian labor migrants.

Recognizing the interconnection between democratic governance and the economic and socialdevelopment of our peoples and the theme of the Mar del Plata Summit, we request the politicalbodies and the General Secretariat of the OAS to continue to advance in the effective implementationof the Declaration of Florida, “Delivering the Benefits of Democracy.” (Paragraph 67)

The OAS is focusing on the pre-vention of political-institutionalcrises through the strengthening ofthe Organization’s institutionalcapacity to identify and analyzesituations that could affect demo-cratic governance. It is developinga multiple-scenario analysismethodology that takes intoaccount regional characteristicsthat help prevent political-institutional crises and improve theOrganization’s response capacity.These works are mainly focused ontackling the political aspects ofdemocratic governance, and taking

on initiatives intended to promoteand strengthen democraticsustainability in the region.

In this matter, the OAS has givensupport to countries that have sorequested, in the form of specialmissions. Their principal objectivewas to achieve understandingamong the parties and solvepolitical-institutional crises, facili-tating dialogue among a widespectrum of actors, and seekingconsensus in facing the Hemis-phere’s challenges.



After developing the multiple-scenario-analysis methodology, theOAS will proceed in its implemen-tation utilizing various learnedtechniques, and will continue to

give technical support to SpecialMissions that may occur or arerequested by Member States and/or the Secretary General.

To request the General Secretariat of the OAS to present for the consideration of the political bodiesof the Organization, before 2007, an inter-American program including the exchange of experiencesand best practices to strengthen in our countries mechanisms for the participation and collaborationin governance by civil society organizations, the private sector, and the citizenry at large,specifically in the development of public policy for the generation of employment and the fightagainst poverty, including local governments, in a framework of inclusive social dialogue thattakes into account the vulnerability of the most excluded sectors of our societies. (Paragraph 68)

In order to help fulfill itscommitment to civil societyparticipation, the OAS, throughthe Inter-American GovernmentProcurement Program, supportedthe activities of the “Inter-American Network on Govern-ment Procurement.” This initiativeseeks to improve transparency,efficiency and equity in governmentprocurement practices in theregion. A total of five workshop-seminars were held with theparticipation of high-rankingofficers in charge of governmentprocurement in member states.These workshop-seminars provi-ded opportunities to exchangeexperiences, discuss lessonslearned, and identify specificguidelines of cooperation. Thecountries also agreed to promoteinstitutional cooperation to complywith the Program’s 2007 Plan ofAction.

The Network also identified fivepriority areas of cooperation for thedevelopment of governmentprocurement. Each of these areaswas addressed at the following

Inter-American Workshop-Semi-nars:

Competitive Participation ofSMEs in Government Procure-ment, Mexico, May 2006.Standardization of GovernmentProcurement Practices, CostaRica, July 2006.Professional Development andTraining on Government Procu-rement, Ecuador, September 2006.Strategies for Government Pro-curement Development, Brazil,September 2006.Links between Government Pro-curement and Financial Systems,Paraguay, September 2006III Conference of the Americas onGovernment Procurement, Peru,November 2006.

In addition, the Program’s websitecontributed to the dissemination ofimprovements and developmentsin the area of Government Pro-curement in the Hemisphere, andprovided a mechanism to fostertechnical cooperation initiativesrelated to Government Procure-ment.

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ICA is providing support to regio-nal initiatives that contribute tostrengthening democratic gover-nance in LAC through the use of ICTtools. Supported initiatives in thisarea include the “Impact of ICTs inLocal Democratic Strengthening,Transparency and CitizenParticipation”, a project implemen-ted in the municipality of Peña-lolén, Chile, with the objective ofanalyzing the impact of implemen-ting e-democracy and e-govern-ment strategies at the local level,with emphasis on the use andadoption of ICTs to strengthen

transparency and citizen partici-pation. The “Hemispheric Networkof E-Government Leaders (RedGeALC)”, implemented in colla-boration with SEDI/OAS, hasproved to be an effective me-chanism that continues to besupported by ICA in its secondphase of operations, to share anddisseminate experiences andlessons learned on e-governmentpractices, as a way to promotesynergies, shared learning, andcollaborative actions among theregion’s practitioners.

To encourage, through the OAS, regional training programs in e-government, and promote theexchange of experiences with the countries that have made progress in this field. (Paragraph 69)

The OAS has implemented severalactivities in this area. With a grantfrom ICA, the OAS created the “On-line Course ‘Introduction to theFormulation of Electronic Govern-ment Policies’, whose mainobjective is for participants toacquire and consolidate solidknowledge of the main concepts,benefits and advantages that mustbe present in an E-Governmentstrategy for increased trans-parency, and improved adminis-tration and performance.

Currently the course, available inEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese,has been offered in collaborationwith eight institutions from aroundthe region and to the general public.To date, over 1,880 public officialsfrom Latin America and theCaribbean have participated in thecourse. During 2006, six courseswere offered training 482 public

officials, including the DominicanRepublic’s Presidential Office forInformation and Telecommu-nication Technologies (OPTIC); andthe Universidade du Sul in Brazil.

Plans for 2007-2008 includeoffering the course at least 8 moretimes, six open to the region andtwo in collaboration with inte-rested institutions. In addition,there are plans to adapt andtranslate the course into French sothat it may be offered in Haiti, inboth electronic and traditional textformat.

Another initiative supporting thiscommitment is the “Network of e-Government Leaders of LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (REDGEALC)”, which was createdthrough an initiative from thecountries of the region with thesupport of the OAS, the ICA, as wellas the IDB.



The members of “RED GEALC”,responsible for the advancement ofelectronic government in their res-pective countries, conceived thisnetwork as a supporting tool fortheir daily activities. The sup-porting institutions found in “REDGEALC” the perfect instrument forpromoting horizontal cooperationand joint efforts among LatinAmerican and Caribbean countriesin the field of e-Government. Thenetwork is comprised of 61members from 31 countries.

RED GEALC utilizes the followingmechanisms to facilitate theexchange of experiences:

“Virtual Working Platform”,which offers a content manage-ment tool for the decentralizationof each country’s page content, atraining room, virtual forums,chats, calendar, informationabout e-Government from eachcountry, and an experts database;“Onsite Workshops” focusing onbest practices in e-Government(Chile, Peru, Brazil, Trinidad andTobago, Ottawa, Santo Domingo,Bogotá);Two facilitators (Caribbean andLatin America) responsible fordynamizing the network, respon-ding to countries´ needs andimplementing the working plan;“Horizontal Cooperation Fund(FOCOH)” that finances theexchange of experts;Working groups for multi-coun-try cooperation and coordinationin topics of interest for membercountries. Five working groupsare currently in operation;

Planned activities to furtherpromote the cooperation and

sharing of experiences on e-Government among the countriesof the region include:

“EGobex”. An online clearinghouse of e-Government solutionsowned by the governments of theregion;Different workshops on mobilegovernment, interoperability ande-government legislation.

The “MuNet” program, a jointinitiative of the OAS and theCanadian International Develop-ment Agency (CIDA), supportsmunicipalities in their efforts totake advantage of information andcommunication technologies toincrease efficiency, transparencyand participation in their dailyfunctioning. The program has twocomponents, e-Government andCadastre, both looking atproviding benefiting munici-palities with access to recognizedexperiences and experts in bothareas.

As part of its e-Governmentactivities, “MuNet” offers themunicipalities a comprehensivesupporting package that includes:training to the mayors of theparticipating municipalities; diag-nosis on ICT, transparency andefficiency; training of municipalemployees; consulting to prepare ane-Government strategy; virtualworking space to facilitateexchanges among participatingmunicipalities; and technologicalkits. Currently, 21 municipalitiesfrom 11 countries are benefitingfrom “MuNet” support.

During 2007, with the support ofCIDA, the OAS is planning a second

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version of MuNet e-Governmentthat builds upon the experience andmethodology developed throughMuNet I to set up different nationalMuNets throughout Latin Americaand the Caribbean.

The Cadastre component of the“MuNet Program”, which issupported by the Canadian Inter-national Development Agency(CIDA,) integrates the use ofgeospatial information systems(GIS) to give decision-makers a ane-government tool that enablesupdated cadastre and landproperty registry to be used forbetter planning, increased citizenparticipation and even improvedproperty tax collection.

In addition to the implementationof cadastre and land registry up-dating projects in participatingmunicipalities from Costa Rica,Ecuador, El Salvador and Venezue-la, MuNet provides significanttraining in the incorporation oftechnology to improve cadastremanagement for better governance.

One of MuNet’s training strategiesis the CD based self-study coursein Spanish entitled “CadastreManagement” (Gestión Catastral).The course introduces bestpractices from different countrieson how the latest technologies,specifically geospatial informationsystems (GIS), improve governanceby making cadastre and landproperty processes more trans-parent and more efficient.

Between 2005 and 2006, over 410courses have been distributedamong Latin America’s publicofficials and practitioners through

institutional capacity building andtraining alliances with the Institu-to Geográfico Agustín Codazzi(IGAC) in Colombia, the NationalRegistry Center (CNR) in El Salva-dor, the Mexican Association ofMunicipalities, the InternationalCenter for Training of LocalAuthorities (CIFAL-Atlanta),several of Latin America’s munici-pal associations and individualpublic officials. Plans for 2007-2008include the continued dissemina-tion of the course across the region.

Concerning the promotion of theexchange of experiences ofcountries with successful expe-riences in this aspect of e-govern-ment, another of “MuNet’s”training components includes theorganization of training seminarsfor information and the exchangeof best practices. During 2005 and2006, over 515 copies of CDs contai-ning the proceedings of theseminars and best practicespresented were distributed amongthe regions municipal associationsand public servants.

In June 2006 and in collaborationwith the International Center forTraining of Local Authorities(CIFAL-Atlanta) and the Munici-pality of Quito, a training seminarfor the Andean countries wasorganized. During the seminar,over 30 mayors and cadastredirectors from Bolivia, Colombia,Ecuador, Peru and Venezuelashared experiences, projects andplans. Specific recommen-dationsfrom the seminar, in addition to theadvantages of introducing electro-nic manage-ment tools, under-scored the need for legislation oncadastre and land registry.



Activities for 2007 include theorganization of a similar seminarfor the Central American countries.

Through a strategic alliance withthe Geospatial Software firm ESRI,specialized training in GIS has beenconducted. Cadastre municipalofficials from Guatemala, El Salva-dor, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Vene-zuela participated in a one-weeklong practical training seminar. Inaddition, the OAS has received 200scholarships for ESRI’s specializedGIS on-line training course, ofwhich over 50 have been dis-tributed among officials from sevenof the region’s countries. Plans for2007 include the continueddistribution of these scholarshipson a merit-based strategy that willbenefit over 50 additionalmunicipalities in the region.

As previously mentioned, the ICA,in collaboration with the OAS,supports the “Latin American andCaribbean e-government Network(GEALC network, Phase II,www.redgealc.net)” as a concretecontribution to the achievement of

the Summit mandates in the fieldof democratic governance and thesharing of experiences through theuse of ICT tools. Within thisframework of collaboration andwith the support of the Govern-ment of Canada, both organizationsconducted an internationalworkshop that took place inOttawa, Canada, in March 2006, asa space to promote the regional dia-logue and face-to-face interactionamong more than 40 e-governmentleaders from Latin America and theCaribbean. At the OAS GeneralAssembly, held in the DominicanRepublic in June 2006 on the themeof ‘Governance and Developmentin the Knowledge Society’, “RedGeALC” was granted high recog-nition with Ministers of ForeignAffairs of countries of the regionhighlighting the role of the“Network to Advance the Know-ledge Society in the Region”. Aparagraph devoted to the impor-tance of the Network in theResolution of the General Assemblyis the most recent testimony ofvalue that key regional playersassign to it in the LAC region.

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