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27th Model OAS General Assembly for High Schools (MOAS HS)

FINAL BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS

Organization of American StatesWashington, D.C.

INDEX OF APPROVED RESOLUTIONS IN THE 27TH MOAS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS - DECEMBER 3-6, 2008

General Committee

Number Title Country School Page

GC-1-1Promoting Democratic Values through Education

Argentina Mercy High School – MD 9

GC-1-2Promoting Democratic Values on the Youth of the Hemisphere through education, special programs and Regional Initiatives

Guatemala Midland Senior High School – TX 13

GC-1-4Promoting Democratic Values on the Youth of the Hemisphere through education, special programs and Regional Initiatives

Jamaica Colegio Gustavo H. Machado - Venezuela

21

GC-1-6Promotion of Democratic Values of the Youth of the Hemisphere through the creation of the youth gang data analysis committee

México Saint John’s School – PR 23

GC-1-7

The Development of a common base of understanding of migration management in the region and the preservation of migrants’ basic human rights.

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Rondout Valley High School - NY 30

GC-1-8Increasing the participation of youth in democracy and supporting the declaration of Medellin

Brazil Georgetown Preparatory School -

MD34

GC-1-9

Promoting Democratic Values on the Youth of the Hemisphere through education, special programs and Regional Initiatives

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines


GC-2-2

The Phenomenon of Migration: Towards the development of a common base of understanding of migration Management in the region and the preservation of migrants’ Basic human rights.

Canada The Madeira School – VA

40

WG-2-3 The Phenomenon of Migration: Towards the development of a common base of understanding of migration Management in the region and the preservation of migrants’ Basic human rights.

Argentina Mercy High School – MD

44

Chile Rondout Valley – NYDominican Republic

Pan-American Student Forum of Texas – TX

Panama Washington International School -

2

DC

WG-2-5

A Joint resolution to create a committee on the safety and protection of migrant communities and an Inter-American Bill of Rights for Migrant Workers.

Antigua & Barbuda

Midland Senior High School - TX

49Nicaragua Nicolet High School -

WISuriname Washington

International School - DC

GC-New Topic

Declaration on the Right of Agricultural Landowners in Latin America

Paraguay Wilmington Friends School - DE

53

First Committee: Juridical and Political Affairs


I-1-1Cooperation among OAS Member States to combat trafficking in persons

Canada The Madeira School – VA 57

I-1-2 Cooperation among OAS Member States to combat trafficking in persons

Chile Rondout Valley HS – NY 60

I-1-3 Combating the Trafficking in persons Argentina Mercy High School – MD 64

I-1-5 Renewal of efforts to reduce the scourge of Human Trafficking in the Hemisphere

Brazil Georgetown Preparatory School – MD 68

I-1-6 A Resolution to Combat Child Trafficking in the Americas

Nicaragua Nicolet High School – WI 72

I-1-7

Combating Human Trafficking through the Education of youth and the Promotion of International standards concerning education

Ecuador North Country MOAS Delegation – NY 75

I-1-8

A Proposal for the Voluntary presentation of Anti – Trafficking in Person information and warnings to schools across Dominica and the Caribbean

Dominica Springfield Township High School – PA

78

I-1-14Proposal to increase awareness of trafficking of minors in the Hemisphere through a Public Relations Committee

Mexico St. John’s School - PR80

I-2-1Modernization and use of electoral technologies in the hemisphere

Panama Washington International School -

DC85

3

I-2-2Creation of an election oversight committee for Promotion of Democracy in the Western Hemisphere

St. Lucia Georgetown Preparatory School – MD 87

I-2-3The Implementation of Electronic Pollbooks to improve electoral processes in the Hemisphere.

St Vincent & the Grenadines


I-2-4Modernization and use of electoral technologies in the hemisphere

Trinidad and Tobago

St. Stephens and St. Agnes - VA 94

Second Committee: Hemispheric Security


II-1-2

Addressing illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons to promote confidence and security building in the Americas


Rondout Valley High School – NY 98

II-1-3Confidence building and international security techniques in the OAS Member States


II-1-5Improving Hemispheric Capability for the peaceful resolution of conflict and provision of security through education and mediation

Ecuador North Country MOAS delegation – NY 105

II-1-6 Security Building in the Americas through the Elimination of Terrorism


II-1-7 Building confidence and increasing security through financial security

Chile Rondout Valley High School – NY 112

II-1-8Convention of transparency in Inter – American conventional weapon purchase

Dominica Springfield Township High School – PA 116

II-2-10Natural Disaster Reduction, Risk Manager and Assistance in Natural and other disaster situations


II-2-11Participation of Caribbean and other Nations to aid Caribbean nations in the wake of natural disasters

St. Lucia Georgetown Preparatory School –

MD123

II-2-12 Risk Management and Assistance in natural and other disaster situations

Chile Rondout Valley High School - NY 125

II-2-13Natural disaster reduction, Risk Manager and Assistance in Natural and other disaster situations


4

II-2-14Resolution to create new agencies to respond to natural disasters in a timely manner

United States Wilmington Friends School - DE 130

II-2-15

Proposal for the improvement and construction of public facilities in order to meet standards that will withstand hurricanes

St Kitts & Nevis Trinity School of Midland - TX 133





Trinidad and Tobago

St. Stephens and St. Agnes School - VA 139


Honduras Lycee Rochambeau - MD 141

WG-2-10

Proposal for the creation of the Inter- American Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention

Mexico St. John’s High School – PR

144Nicaragua Nicolet High School –

WI

Brazil Georgetown Preparatory School -

MD

WG-2-18

Natural disaster reduction, Risk Manager and Assistance in Natural and other disaster situations

Suriname Washington International School -

DC

148Jamaica Colegio Gustavo Machado – Venezuela

Dominican Republic

Pan-American Student Forum of Texas - TX

Third Committee: Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities; and Inter-American Council for

Integral Development - CIDI


III-1-1The Role of Regional Trade Agreements in Promoting growth and Prosperity in the Western Hemisphere

Dominican Republic

Pan-American Student Forum of Texas – TX 154

III-1-2Increasing Trade with small island developing states as a road to prosperity

St. Lucia Georgetown Preparatory School –

MD 158

5

III-1-3The Role of Regional Trade Agreements in Promoting growth and Prosperity in the Western Hemisphere

Honduras Lycee Rochambeau - MD 161

III-1-4The Inclusion of the CARICOM nations in CAFTA DR in order to reduce tariffs and taxes on regional trade and thus increase economic growth in member states.

St Kitts & Nevis Trinity School of Midland - TX

164

III-1-7Report of the Role of regional trade agreements in promoting growth and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere


III-1-8Increasing civil society participation in the summits of the Americas process

Brazil Georgetown Preparatory School –

MD169

III-2-2

Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society participation in OAS activities; and Inter-American Council for Integral Development – CIDI.

Jamaica Colegio Gustavo H. Machado – Venezuela 173

III-2-5The Participation of Civil Society organizations in the summits of the Americas process

Antigua and Barbuda

Midland Senior High School – TX 175

III-2-7

Participation of Human Rights Groups in the Summit of the Americas process in order to increase the protection in inclusion of human rights activists within their borders

Mexico St. John’s School - PR

179

III-2-9

Promoting Democratic Values on the youth of the hemisphere through education, special programs and regional initiatives.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines


Fourth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary Affairs

Number Title Country School

IV-1-2Program Budget of the Organization for 2009, and Quotas and Contributions of Member States


IV-1-6 Funding from Indigenous Products Nicaragua Nicolet High Schools – WI 190

IV-1-7Proposal to generate income within the OAS by means of ensured corporate bonds

St Kitts & Nevis Trinity School of Midland - TX 193

IV-1-9 General Funding and Involvement of Corporation

Ecuador North Coutry MOAS Delegation - NY 195

6

IV-1-11 Administrative and Budgetary Affairs Jamaica Colegio Gustavo H. Machado – Venezuela 197

IV-1-12 Leasing space in the OAS Building for Fundraising

United States Wilmington Friends School - DE 202

IV-2-1 Quotas and Contributions of Member States

St. Vincent & the Grenadines


IV-2-4 Emergency quotas assessment review due to international financial crisis

Mexico St. John’s School - PR 206

IV-2-5Encouraging the timely payment of Quotas

Brazil Georgetown Preparatory School –

MD209

IV-2-7Improving Efficiency and Sustainability in Organization of American States’ Activities

St Lucia Georgetown Preparatory School –

MD213

IV-2-8Resolution to reduce annual quotas demands through the establishment of an annual OAS marathon fundraiser.

Paraguay Wilmington Friends School – DE 216

IV-2-9

Program-Budget of the regular fund of the Organization of American States 2009, Quotas assessments and contributions to FEMCIDI for 2009

Antigua and Barbuda

Midland Senior High School – TX

219

WG-1-10

New Approaches to increase contributions for OAS specific funds from members and observers countries.

Canada The Madeira School – VA 222Dominican

RepublicPan-American Student

Forum of Texas-TX

7

27th Model OAS General Assembly forHigh Schools (MOAS HS)

General Committee


8

GC-1-1

Promoting democratic values through Education

General Committee Topic No. 1 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the Delegation of: Argentina

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN:

Article III of the OAS Charter which states that Member States are “Convinced that

representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace, and

development of the region”;

Article 1 of the Inter-American Development Charter, which states that “The peoples

of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to

promote and defend it”;

Article 12 of the Inter-American Development Charter, which states that “Poverty,

illiteracy, and low levels of human development are factors that adversely affect the

consolidation of democracy”;

Article 13 of the Inter-American Development Charter, which states that “The

promotion and observance of economic, social, and cultural rights are inherently linked to

integral development, equitable economic growth, and to the consolidation of democracy in

the states of the Hemisphere”;

Article 28 of the Inter-American Development Charter, which states that “States

shall promote the full and equal participation of women in the political structures of their

countries as a fundamental element in the promotion and exercise of a democratic culture”;

and

AG/DEC. 57 (XXXVIII-O/08), which recognizes, “The importance of youth

participation in political activities and public life, including the electoral process, as a key

aspect for the promotion and exercise of a democratic culture”,

9

RECOGNIZING:

That all the rights and obligations of Member States under the OAS Charter

represent the foundation on which democratic principles in the Hemisphere are built;

That education is fundamental for the youth of the hemisphere, and that an inclusive,

quality education sets students up for a healthy, successful, and productive future; and

That, in the Santiago Commitment to Democracy and the ministers of foreign affairs

expressed their determination to adopt a series of effective, timely, and expeditious

procedures to ensure the promotion and defense of representative democracy, with due

respect for the principle of nonintervention,

CONSIDERING:

That, in the Declaration of Mexico, adopted at the Third Meeting of Ministers of

Education, held in Mexico City from August 11 to 13, 2003, the ministers recognized “the

importance of instilling democratic awareness, culture, and values in the present and future

generations, and of the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter…”;

That in the Declaration of Mar del Plata of the Fourth Summit of the Americas, the

Heads of State and Government they stated that they will strive “for quality public education

at all levels and promote literacy to ensure a democratic citizenry, foster decent work, fight

poverty, and achieve greater social inclusion”;

That education is an effective way to promote citizens’ awareness concerning their

own countries and thereby achieve meaningful participation in the decision-making process,

and reaffirming the importance of human resource development for a sound democratic

system;

That the fight against poverty, and especially the elimination of extreme poverty, is

essential to the promotion and consolidation of democracy and constitutes a common and

shared responsibility of the American states; and

That the substantive theme of the thirty-eighth regular session of the OAS General

Assembly is “Youth and Democratic Values,” which points to the importance of promoting

opportunities for youth to participate in a meaningful way in political, economic, and

cultural affairs,

10

RESOLVES:

1. To thank all Member States that continue to support quality, unbiased education and

youth programs that support the principles of democracy on which the OAS was

founded.

2. To thank all delegates and other OAS representatives who have worked tirelessly to

promote quality, inclusive education for all people and protect the democratic rights of

all citizens in this hemisphere.

3. To encourage all Member States to work to reduce social and cultural barriers that

sometimes make schools inaccessible to citizens, especially girls, minorities, and rural

inhabitants, in order to provide literacy in the hemisphere, which aids in the strengthening

and maintaining democracy.

4. To suggest that each Member State review their current curricula to ensure that they

include a relevant curriculum promoting democratic values, provide a well-educated and

skilled teaching staff , and provide quality educational opportunities including:

a. Courses on civic and political education

b. leadership opportunities within the school.

c. Participation in debate and simulation exercises such as the Model OAS,

Model UN, and congressional or parliamentary models among others.

d. Attendance to lectures on current political issues

e. Extracurricular activities that promote grass-roots and community activities.

5. To urge all Member States to create student-parent education classes on democratic

values and participation.

6. To add a link on the OAS webpage with an online pamphlet which:

a. will contain important information on the democratic values and the

importance of participating in democracy.

b. will be available in the four languages of the OAS: Spanish, French, English

and Portuguese.

c. will be formatted such that they may be printed off for distribution.

11

7. To fund all of these measures through the OAS Voluntary Fund, the OAS Monetary

Fund, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and through

contributions from individual Member States.

Approved for form and substance:

(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories: 1) Nicaragua

2) Antigua & Barbuda

3) Mexico

4) St Vincent & the Grenadines

5) Bolivia

12

GC-1-2

PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC VALUES ON THE YOUTH OF THE HEMISPHERE

THROUGH EDUCATION, SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND REGIONAL INITIATIVES

General Committee

Draft Resolution presented by the Delegation of Guatemala Item No. 1 of the Agenda


REAFFIRMING:

The commitment of the Member States to strengthen and promote in the youth of the

Hemisphere the values, principles, and practices of a democratic life, including liberty and

progress, respect for human rights in their universality, indivisibility, and interdependence,

and the rule of law, pursuant to the Charter of the OAS and the Inter-American Democratic

Charter;

RECOGNIZING the right of young people to actively participate and fully in the

political, economic, and social spheres of their countries; and reaffirming our commitment

to combating poverty, hunger, and social exclusion and to promoting social cohesion, to

improve the overall living conditions of the peoples of the Western Hemisphere;

BEARING IN MIND that the Inter-American Democratic Charter emphasizes the

importance and proposes the promotion of fundamental democratic values, principles, and

practices, in order to foster a democratic culture among new generations;

13

CONSIDERING the central role of the OAS in the promotion of a democratic

culture in the Hemisphere consistent with the principles, practices, and values of the OAS

Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, paying special attention to the

development of programs for the education of children and youth as a means of promoting

and guaranteeing the permanence of democratic values, principles, and practices, including

liberty and social justice;

BEARING IN MIND the agreements, mandates, and commitments set forth in the

resolutions and declarations adopted by the OAS General Assembly, and the declarations,

commitments, and plans of action adopted by the Summits of the Americas, related to the

issue of youth and democratic values;

RECALLING:

That in the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago,

Chile, in April 1998, the Heads of State and Government committed to develop

“democratic culture at all levels, in order to teach individuals ethical values, a spirit of

cooperation and integrity. To that end, the participation of teachers, families, students and

outreach workers will be stepped up in their work related to conceptualizing and

implementing the plans for shaping citizens imbued with democratic values”;

14

That in the Declaration of Nuevo León of the Special Summit of the Americas, held

in Monterrey, Mexico, in January 2004, the Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the

hemispheric commitment to democracy and continued to reiterate the importance for

democratic governance of political training and leadership development of young people;

and

That in the Declaration of the Fourth Summit of the Americas, held in Mar del Plata,

Argentina, in November 2005, the Heads of State and Government recognized, among other

things, the importance of facilitating the integration of youth into the labor market and of

expanding coverage and improving the quality of information services and career

counseling, as well as the importance of creating opportunities to facilitate access by youth

to decent work; and that in the Plan of Action of said Summit they committed to reducing

youth unemployment and significantly lower the percentage of young people who neither

study nor work;

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION:

That the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond,

adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 50/81, of December 14,

1995, identifies as priority areas education, employment, hunger and poverty, health,

environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time activities, girls and young

women, and the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in

decision-making;

15

The need to strengthen initiatives to ensure that the gender perspective is integrated

into policies, programs, and projects targeted at youth;

That the promotion of democratic values, including freedom and social justice, as

well as the development of knowledge, capacities, and relevant abilities in the young people

of the Americas, are essential for their effective integration into the political, economic, and

social spheres;

The importance of designing public policy with the joint participation of families

and society in order to provide young people with opportunities to develop fully into

productive adults, including the design of programs for training, initial employment, and

participation in the economic, social, and cultural development process; and

The potential of youth as people imbued with principles and values, and with skills and

abilities, capable of shaping more free, just, and democratic societies;

RECOGNIZING:

The importance of youth participation in political activities and public life, including

the electoral process, as a key aspect for the promotion and exercise of a democratic culture;

The importance that youth be able to select their training and education on the basis

of the exercise of their fundamental freedoms;

the Hemisphere can affect their development for the rest of their lives;

16

That poverty and social exclusion constitute obstacles faced by a large number of

young people in the Hemisphere and that, therefore, economic and social development that

offers equality of opportunity, justice, and social inclusion is essential in order to lend

dignity to human beings;

That free and independent media are fundamental for democracy and for the promotion of

pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of thought and expression, and to facilitate dialogue and

debate, free and open to youth and all other segments of society, without discrimination of

any kind;

That the mass media have an important role to play in educating young people in a

spirit of peace, tolerance, justice, freedom, and mutual respect, so as to promote human

rights, and the right of young people to access to information from independent, plural, and

diverse sources; and

RECALLING that the Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values

and Practices was adopted at the Fourth Meeting of Ministers of Education within the

framework of CIDI (Inter-American Council for Integral Development), held in

Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago, from August 10 to 12, 2005, in order to promote a

democratic culture through education, both formal and non-formal;

BEARING IN MIND:

17

The work carried out by the Inter-American Children’s Institute, particularly the

promotion of democratic principles, values, and practices;

The OAS Youth Symposium “Empowering the Future Leaders of the Americas,” and the

special meeting of the Permanent Council, held on September 19 and 20, 2007, respectively,

at OAS headquarters, which were decisively supported by youth participants of the

Hemisphere; and taking note of the views expressed to the Permanent Council by the

participants;

That 2008 marks the 16th anniversary of the Ibero-American Youth Organization,

the 23rd anniversary of the International Youth Year (IYY), declared as such by the United

Nations, the 13th anniversary of the United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth,

and the 10th anniversary of the OAS Program for the Promotion of Democratic Leadership

and Citizenship (PROLIDEM);

That 2008 has been designated “Ibero-American Youth Year” within the framework

of the XVIII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, to be held in San

Salvador, El Salvador, which will focus on the central theme “Youth and Development”;

and

UNDERSCORING that the Lecture Series of the Americas was created by the Permanent

Council of the OAS to promote democratic principles and values in the countries of the

Hemisphere, through conferences on topics related to the hemispheric agenda, such as

democracy and social development; and

18

HIGHLIGHTING the Model OAS General Assembly (MOAS), carried out for the

purpose of promoting, among youth, democratic values and a better understanding of the

Organization as the main political forum of the Hemisphere,

RESOLVES:

1. That a young citizen practiced in democratic values can potentially

strengthen relations among the peoples of the Hemisphere, based on mutual respect,

cooperation, the acceptance of diversity, tolerance, and peace.

2. That respect for and the protection and promotion of human rights and

fundamental freedoms of young people in the Americas are essential for the

consolidation of democracy and the development of our peoples.

3. That to build free and responsible public opinion among youth it is

necessary to promote and defend freedom of thought and expression, including the

freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas, as well as freedom of the

press, and to support the access of youth to uncensored information and political

debate.

4. The importance of promoting the design of strategies, programs, and

policies that involve young people in activities that take their interests and needs into

account.

19

5. The importance of coordinating with the academic sector on developing

initiatives for programs and projects for youth.

6. The importance that productive organizations, in accordance with each

country’s characteristics, such as cooperatives and other forms of production, can

have for youth, bearing in mind the contributions of these organizations to the

economy and to the creation of decent jobs.

7. To create the Youth Lecture Series of the Americas as a means of

fostering democratic principles and values among the young people of the

Hemisphere in this regard:

a. Broadcast by means of radio transmission the Youth Lecture Series of the

Americas four times a year, once in January, April, August, November

b. To have this transmission received by schools in the Hemisphere and

broadcast to the student body

c. To make these four lectures one hour in length and occur during the

school day

Approved for form and substance:_______________________________(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories:

1. Antigua & Barbuda

2. Colombia

3. St Kitts & Nevis

4. St Vincent & the Grenadines

20

5. Bolivia

21

GC-1-4

Promoting Democratic Values on the Youth of the Hemisphere Through Education,

Special Programs and Regional Initiatives

GENERAL COMMITTE Topic No.1 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution Presented by the Delegation of Jamaica

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

CONSIDERING:

That the Inter-American Democratic Charter affirms that the primary task of the

Organization of American States is the dissemination of democracy and its values;

REAFFIRMING:

The compromise that the Members States have of promoting and assuring the efective

pratice of democracy; and

CONSIDERING:

That in the action plan of the III Summit of the Americas, the contries acknowledge that

Education is the key to strengthen democratic institutions, to promote the development of

human potential, equality and understanding among our peoples, and that it has a positive

influence on economic growth and on poverty reduction. These commitments and the

Hemispheric Action Plan on Education of the Third Summit of the Americas contain

mandates which shall be executed by the countries with the support of the Organization of

American States

RECOMMENDS:

22

1. Recommends to the members states the creation of a new curriculum that is based on

the democratic values starting from primary education and concluding in secondary

education in order to expend their importance, its principles, its history, and how to

use it as a way of development for the improvement of life quality. And propose to

the Inter American Committe on Education the assitance in the development of the

program.

2. To propose to the States Members the desing of a “Democratic Education Project”,

to the young public. This project may have essential aspects about democracy such

as Political Tolerance, Power Management Divide, Citizen supremacy, state rights,

and Civil Society. The Democratic Educacion Project should be financially

supported by Transnational Private Enterprise committed to global development,

having the current social role (Social Enterprise Responsability) of private

departments as a basis.

Approved for form and substance: _____________________________________(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories:

1. Argentina

2. Venezuela

3. Ecuador

4. El Salvador

5. Honduras

23

GC-1-6

PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES OF THE YOUTH OF THE HEMISPHERE

THROUGH THE CREATION OF THE YOUTH GANG DATA ANALYSIS

COMMITTEE

General Committee Topic No. 1 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution presented by the delegation of Mexico

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY;

HAVING SEEN:

Article 16 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter which states that “education is

key to strengthening democratic institutions, promoting the development of human potential

and alleviating poverty”;

The Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile,

in April 1998, where the Heads of State and Government committed to, “improve the

quality of education, promote and strengthen democracy and the respect for human rights,

deepen economic integration and free trade and eradicate poverty and discrimination”;

The Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit of the Americas, held in Mar del Plata,

Argentina, in November 2005, where the Member States committed, “to reduce youth

unemployment and significantly lower the percentage of young people that neither study

nor work,” and to “strengthen our efforts in the development of specific policies for

24

training, vocational training, reinsertion into the educational system and promotion of

access of young people of either gender to their first job”;

The Article 47 of the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) which

indicates that, “The Member States will give primary importance within their development

plans to the encouragement of education…oriented toward the overall improvement of the

individual, and as a foundation for democracy, social justice, and progress”;

The Article 3 of the Charter of the Organization of American States, where Member

States agreed that, “equality of opportunity, the elimination of extreme poverty, equitable

distribution of wealth and income and the full participation of their peoples in decisions

relating to their own development are, among others, basic objectives of integral

development”; and

Recalling AG/DEC. 57 (XXXVIII-O/08) “The Declaration of Medellín: Youth and

Democratic Values,” in which the Member States made a, “commitment to promote a

favorable economic, social, and cultural environment, enabling young people to develop

fully,” and in which Member States also established the promotion and design of programs

and policies “that involve young people in activities that take their interests and needs into

account…and…that focus on prevention and emphasize their full reintegration into society

through, among other things, rehabilitation support services and education policies;” and

CONSIDERING:

25

That in the draft final report (CICAD/PDJT/doc.5/05) of the “Meeting on

Transnational Criminal Youth Gangs: Characteristics, Importance and Public Policies”, held

in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, from June 16 to 17, 2005, and sponsored by the Inter-

American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), participating Member States:

1. made an emphasis on addressing the issue of youth gangs through the prevention of

criminal activity by the improvement of socio-economic conditions and through the

rehabilitation of former gang members,

2. noted that is necessary to implement and strengthen public policies in education and

crime prevention in order to prevent and eradicate youth gangs,

3. stated that training activities and community work are of utter importance in

developing values of family, self-esteem and protection which ultimately facilitate

the social insertion of minors;

That the Executive Summary: Decent Work & Youth of the Fifth Summit of the

Americas, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, in April 2009, stated that

1. there are 22 million young people in Latin America that neither study nor

work,

2. of the 6 million young males who do not engage in study nor work, a large

number are engaged in illegal forms of subsistence, and all are at a high risk

situation,

3. the rate at which juvenile delinquency in the region increases is escalating at

appalling rates; and

26

That the “Decent Work in the Americas: An Agenda for the Hemisphere for 2006-

2015,” proposed by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a subdivision of the

United Nations, in the Sixteenth American Regional Meeting, held in Brasilia, in May 2006,

aimed to reduce by half the percentage of young people above 14 years of age who neither

study nor work,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the representatives from Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador,

United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama for attending the

Meeting on Transnational Criminal Youth Gangs, held in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, from

June 16 to 17, 2005, and for their efforts in approaching the youth gang problem.

2. To urge the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CSH) to create the Youth Gang

Data Analysis Committee (YGDAC) with the purpose of creating an informational network

between Member States who wish to control and mend the youth gang phenomenon.

a. Each Member State will provide YGDAC with available data regarding the

following:

i. Measures executed by the Member State or organizations that have

been effective in preventing or reducing youth gang activity.

ii. The number of existing youth gangs, as well as estimates of the

amount of youth involved in gang activities.

iii. Crime rates of areas where youth gangs are found.

iv. Any statistics pertaining to the youth engaging in study or work.

27

v. Poverty rates.

vi. Rates of youth homelessness.

vii. Rates of drug use and trafficking.

viii. Any other statistical information relating to the formation and

existence of youth gangs.

3. To recommend that YGDAC hold annual meetings with the Member State’s officers

in charge of centers of planning, analysis, and information for combating crime with the

purpose of analyzing the collected data in order to better understand how and why youth

gangs form, and discussing means to combat the rise of violence amongst the youth.

4. To request the Permanent Council and the CSH to include the youth gang topic in

the agenda of discussion of the regular sessions and to provide the information collected by

the YGDAC to the representatives of each country, who will regard the youth gang

phenomena according to the expertise of the YGDAC.

a. In the meeting on the youth gang topic, interested Member States will discuss

the establishment of a system of centers run by local communities aimed at

targeting the youth gang phenomena through:

i. Activities aimed at teaching moral values

1. Sports

2. Arts & crafts

3. Character building seminars

4. Group reading sessions

28

ii. A rehabilitation program aimed at the psychological assistance and

reintegration of former gang members

1. This program will serve as a resource for gang members who

no longer want to be involved in gang activities.

2. If necessary, this program will provide the individual with

access to government protection programs.

b. Member States should consider the areas with the highest youth gang rates as

potential sites for the centers.

5. To adopt and develop the following goals:

a. To fully establish the YGDAC by 2011.

b. To hold the first annual committee meeting in the year 2012.

c. To include the youth gang topic in the agenda of the 43rd regular session.

d. That interested Member States discuss the creation of youth gang centers in

the 44th regular session.

e. That the Member State’s dedication and commitment to combating the youth

gang phenomenon is evident by 2015.

6. To consider requesting funds from the World Bank, the Inter-American

Development Bank and other organizations that advocate for the improvement of education

in the Americas as sources to fully fund the youth gang centers.

7. To call upon the Organization of American States for the necessary funding for the

YGDAC.

29

Approved for form and substance: _____________________________________


Cosignatories:

1) Nicaragua


3) Mexico


5) Bolivia

30

GC-1-7

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMON BASE OF UNDERSTANDING OF

MIGRATION MANAGEMENT IN THE REGION AND THE PRESERVATION OF

MIGRANTS’ BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS

Committee: General Item No: 1 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: St. Vincent and the Grenadines


RECOGNIZING:

That in the Inter- American Democratic Charter under article 9 it is stated that the

elimination of all forms of discrimination, especially gender, ethnic and race discrimination,

as well as diverse forms of intolerance, the promotion and protection of human rights of

indigenous peoples and migrants, and respect for ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in

the Americas contribute to strengthening democracy and citizen participation;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT:

That in the Inter-American Democratic Charter created by the OAS, it is also stated

that the promotion and protection of human rights is necessary for a democracy and in turn

an OAS member;

That law dealing with illegal immigrants differs throughout the hemisphere;

That inconsistent immigration codes could result in the unfair treatment and

violation of migrants’ human rights.

31

STRESSING:

That immigration between member nations presents a serious issue that must be

dealt with affectively;

The importance of creating a clear and coherent hemispheric code dealing with

migration.

REITERATING:

The profound concern over the wellbeing and integrity of the migrants of the

individuals and nations throughout the western hemisphere;

That upholding the right of migrants will in turn encourage prosperity and peace in

the hemisphere;

That human beings have the right to have their human rights upheld.

RECOGNIZING WITH SATISFACTION:

The organization of PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) and its work to

coordinating actions with several regional and multilateral organizations to develop specific,

migrant-sensitive programs to deal with this pressing issue;

Those member nations who have taken an initiative to uphold the rights of migrants

in their respective nations.

RESOLVES:

1. To disclose to the member nations of the OAS during the Fifth Summit of the

Americas, which will be held in Trinidad & Tobago in 2009, how the violation

32

of migrants human rights is a serious issue in our hemisphere that must be dealt

with both affectively and in a timely fashion.

2. To create a committee entitled the Committee On Protection Of Migrants

Essential Human Rights (COPOMEHR) within the Inter-American Commission

on Human Rights (IACHR) so that it could create a hemispheric code that

would:

a. Ensure that all migrants’ basic human rights are observed and protected.

b. Ensure that during the process of migration, migrants will be treated

equally under the code established by COPOMEHR.

c. Ensure the safe and consistant flow of migrants within the hemisphere.

3. To invite interested nations to send human rights specialist to join the committee

to ensure equal representation.

4. To request that the OAS grant the committee permanent observers.

5. To encourage all member nations to follow the code created by COPOMEHR as it

will in turn lead to a broader and more sound form of both social and economic

prosperity.

6. To initiate seed funding for COPOMEHR through the IACHR budget.

7. To urge all interested nations of the hemisphere and NGO’s to support a voluntary fund to

support the budget of COMPOMEHR.



Cosignatories:


33

2. Chile

3. Panama

4. Dominica

5. Dominican Republic

34

GC-1-8

INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH IN DEMOCRACY AND

SUPPORTING THE DECLARATION OF MEDELLÍN

General Committee Item No. 1 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Brazil


HAVING SEEN:

AG/RES. 2320 (XXXVII-O/07), “Inter-American Program on Education for

Democratic Values and Practices,” which states that the OAS should “instruct the Inter-

American Committee on Education (CIE) to follow up on implementation of the Inter-

American Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices”; and

AG/RES. 2423 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Inter-American Program on Education for

Democratic Values and Practices,” which reiterates “the importance of the Inter-American

Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices” and noted that the Program

will help “strengthen democratic culture” and “promote active and genuine participation by

young people in the decisions that affect them”; and

The Declaration of Medellín (AG/DEC. 57, XXXVIII-O/08) and its “commitment to

promote formal and non-formal education in democratic values and practices in order to

develop knowledge and skills among the young population to prepare them for life in a

democratic society and the full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms”;

and

35

Article 2 of the Charter of the OAS, which declares that “to promote and consolidate

representative democracy” is one of the primary mandates of the OAS; and

CONSIDERING:

The importance of youth participation in democratic governance, and particularly in

elections;

The unique challenges to poll access faced by rural voters, especially young rural

voters; and

The progress of the OAS in recent years in ensuring fairer and more transparent

elections through its electoral observation missions under the Department for Electoral

Cooperation and Observation under the Secretariat for Political Affairs; and

REMEMBERING the central and critical role of the OAS in promoting and

increasing democracy throughout the Hemisphere,

RESOLVES:

1. To congratulate member states of the OAS on their efforts to enhance

democratic participation in the hemisphere.

2. To reiterate that high voter participation is a top priority of OAS member

states.

3. To encourage member nations to bolster voter registration efforts through

a. Increasing civil society participation in voter registration efforts, and

36

b. Exploring registration by mail initiatives with an eye towards

increasing registration among rural voters, especially young rural

voters.

4. To increase the standardization of electoral observation processes among

member states to ensure fair voting in all member states through:

a. Increasing the number of OAS electoral observation missions

under the auspices of the Department for Electoral

Cooperation and Observation, and

b. Encouraging the Department for Electoral Cooperation and

Observation to expand the use of young citizens as poll

observers in its electoral missions, enhancing and improving

both democratic participation and electoral transparency.

5. To urge member states to increase their contributions to the specific

fund of the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation to fund

the mandates of this resolution.

Approved for form and substance: ____________________________________(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories: 1. St Lucia2. Guatemala3. Peru4. Antigua & Barbuda5. Canada

37

GC-1-9

PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC VALUES ON THE YOUTH OF THE HEMISPHERE THROUGH EDUCATION, SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND REGIONAL

INITIATIVES

Committee: General Item No: 1 of the Agenda Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

and Dominica


HAVING SEEN:

Article 2b of chapter one "Nature and Purposes" of the OAS charter and Resolution AG/DEC. 57 (XXXVIII-O/08) "DECLARATION OF MEDELLÍN YOUTH AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES"; and

Resolution AG/RES. 2252 (XXXVI-O/06), "Access to Public Information: Strengthening Democracy";

CONSIDERING:

That the democratic equality present within the OAS is essential to the development in the hemisphere;

BEARING IN MIND:

That the OAS charter states that "The OAS will continue to carry out programs and activities designed to promote democratic principles and practices and strengthen a democratic culture in the Hemisphere";


That the Inter-American Democratic Charter states that the exercise of democracy promotes the preservation of human rights; and AG/RES. 2344 (XXXVII-O/07) which states that "It is the right and responsibility of all citizens to participate in decisions relating to their own development and is a necessary condition for the full and effective exercise of democracy. Promoting and fostering diverse forms of participation strengthens democracy"; and

38

That all member states have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, without discriminating against backgrounds of any single individual or member state regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems; and recognizing that democracy is a universal value and there is no single model of democracy; and all member states should be open minded towards different approaches toward the advancement of democracy in all other different member states;

NOTING:

That under the universal declaration of Human Rights, article 26 section one, "Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit”;" and

That democratic education is essential in order to maintain the values of the OAS which includes promoting democratic values in the western hemisphere,

RESOLVES:1. To encourage member nations to develop curriculums in schools in which students

will learn about democratic values.

2. To create a working group that would report to the General Secretariat to create a

curriculum about democracy which may apply to any country that is willing to

participate, which would be funded by voluntary contributions based off of how

many nations choose to participate in this program and how important they deem

this program as a whole.

a. To have the working group be made of several delegates and teachers from

any democratic country willing to participate in this event, not limited to

member nations in the OAS.

b. To have the working group meet for a period of two months to create an

initial curriculum about democracy and its importance in the western

hemisphere and then given an additional two months to fine tune the

curriculum.

c. To have the curriculum be integrated into every country that is willing to

accept it by any method that they deem fit.

i. To have two parts of the curriculum, the first part being made out of

the collaboration of the delegates and teachers who chose to

39

participate in the working group and to have a second part at the

discretion of each member nation according to their respective

democratic and educational systems.

3. To have the first part of the curriculum include the values of law, fair elections,

universal suffrage, and pluralistic systems of parties and separation of power.


Cosignatories:

1. Peru2. Trinidad & Tobago3. Ecuador4. Panama5. Bolivia

40

GC-2-2

THE PHENOMENON OF MIGRATION: TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A

COMMON BASE OF UNDERSTANDING OF MIGRATION MANAGEMENT IN THE

REGION AND THE PRESERVATION OF MIGRANTS’ BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS

Committee: General Committee Item No: 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Canada


HAVING SEEN:

The presentation by the Canadian Expert in the Special Meeting of the Working

Group to Prepare an Inter-American Program for the Promotion and Protection of the

Human Rights of Migrants Including Migrant Workers and Their Families held on

September 30 and October 1, 2004; and

RECOGNIZING:

The Inter-American Democratic Charter which reaffirms “that the promotion and

protection of human rights is a basic prerequisite for the existence of a democratic society,

and recognizing the importance of the continuous development and strengthening of the

inter-American human rights system for the consolidation of democracy”;

That immigration provides a number of benefits ranging from enrichment of cultural

diversity to contributions to economic development; and migration is a natural phenomenon

that can have positive impacts for both individuals and states;

41

That the Charter of the Organization of American States declares that “economic

cooperation is essential to the common welfare and prosperity of the peoples of the

continent”; and

That there is a distinct difference between migrants (itinerant workers who travel

from one area to another in search of work) and immigrants (a person who migrates to

another country, usually for permanent residence) and that these two groups should not be

confused,

RESOLVES:

1. To encourage all members of the OAS to adopt a Seasonal Workers Program

that would allow migrant workers entry into the member country for a specific time period

each year to be decided on by individual countries to fill labor shortages in various sectors

of the economy;

a. The initiative would be based on the existing Canadian Seasonal

Agricultural Workers Program run jointly with the governments of

Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and the

Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (Grenada, Antigua,

Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the

Grenadines, and Montserrat

b. The program would be run by member states to insure that:

i. The migrant worker has obtained employment in the member

state and can provide proof of employment.

42

ii. The migrant workers are treated humanely and fairly

according to the member states’ laws and employment

practices.

iii. The migrant worker honors the terms of the program.

2. To urge member states to permit migrant workers the option to apply to

individual governments to continue working in the state only if they have found legitimate

work that requires an extension of time allowed.

3. To urge member states to use this program as a means of encouraging and

promoting legal migration and immigration.

4. To encourage member states to fund this comprehensive program by re-

directing the funds they already expand in a similar direction towards this means by

allowing their embassies to direct this effort as they are already responsible for granting

visas.

5. To encourage member states to establish a Memoranda of Understanding

(MOU) with other states in order to establish an understanding of the objectives of the

seasonal worker program as applicable under the individual governments, each countries

terms and steps involved, and each party’s role in aiding the process. The institutional

arrangements would allow workers to enter each country legally under governmental

supervision and are designed to safeguard them from exploitative practices often associated

with private labour contractors and illegal migration.

43

a. This agreement would ensure cooperation between member states.

Approved for form and substance:(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories:

1) Nicaragua


3) Mexico


5) Bolivia

44

GC-2-3 (WG)

THE PHENOMENON OF MIGRATION: TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A

COMMON BASE OF UNDERSTANDING OF MIGRATION MANAGEMENT IN THE

REGION AND THE PRESERVATION OF MIGRANTS’ BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS

General Committee Item No. 2 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution presented by the Delegations of Argentina, Chile, The Dominican

Republic, and Panama

THE GENERAL ASSSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN:

The American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man which states that “The

American states have on repeated occasions recognized that the essential rights of man are

not derived from the fact that he is a national of a certain state, but are based upon attributes

of his human personality”, and additionally declares The Right to Residence and Movement,

and The Right to recognition of Juridical Personality and civil rights which protect a man’s

ability to assert his rights regardless of whether it is his home nation or not;

The previous measures of the Organization of American States (OAS) enacted to

promote and protect the human rights of migrant workers and their families, specifically;

Resolution AG/RES 2289 (XXXVII-O/07), “The Human Rights of All Migrant

Workers and Their Families”;

Resolution AG/RES. 2356 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Migrant Populations and Migration

Flows in the Americas”; and

45

Resolutions AG/RES. 2248 (XXXVI-O/06), AG/RES. 2326 (XXXVII-O/07) and

AG/RES. 2356 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Migrant Populations and Migration Flows in the

Americas”;


That at the request of the Permanent Mission of Belize (CP/INF.5564/07 corr. 1) and

in accordance with resolution AG/RES. 2326 (XXXVII-O/07), the Permanent Council,

during its October 24, 2007 meeting, elected to establish the Special Committee on

Migration Issues, designed to analyze migration flow, and its subsequent issues, while

taking into account the relevant provisions of international human rights law;

The proposals from the Special Forum on Migration Issues conducted by the

Permanent Council of the OAS on April 17, 2008, which included measures to improve

work conditions of migrant laborers, and to produce information and data dealing with the

migration of healthcare personnel;

That migration flows will likely increase as a result of various social, economic,

political, and demographic factors, particularly migration resulting from sub-regional

integration efforts; The Declaration of Nuevo León, at the Special Summit of the

Americas, expressed the importance of communication and cooperation among countries of

origin, countries of transit, and receiving countries to ensure the human rights of workers;

and

Advisory Opinion OC-18 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which

holds that a person’s migratory status may not deprive him of human rights, including those

related to labor; and

46

REITERATING the pertinence and necessity of continuing the discussion of the

causes of human migration, regular and irregular, and its impact on member states,

especially as it relates to migration flow in the Americas,

RESOLVES:

1. To express gratitude to the Special Committee on Migration Issues (CEAM) for its

research on, among other topics, remittances, healthcare, communications, security,

human trafficking, human rights, demographics, and labor for/of the migrant

populations.

2. To urge Member States who have not yet done so, to establish a special system of

agencies that will monitor migration and emigration in order to safely preserve the

human rights of migrant workers’ and their families.

A. These agencies will be divided into three general sections: temporary,

permanent, and humanitarian (refugees).

B. That each of these agencies be responsible for collecting information on

the status of protecting migrants, basic labor rights and human rights, to

ensure that migrants are receiving proper, humane treatment.

C. That each agency submit an annual report to the governments of each

individual Member State and to the International Organization for

Migration (IOM).

47

3. To recommend that the Special Committee on Migration Issues (CEAM) work in

conjunction with other important international organizations such as the

International Labor Organization (ILO), the Economic Commission for Latin

America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Pan American Health Organization

(PAHO) to provide technical assistance to Member States in their effort to

implement their proposed system of agencies and to trace migrants.

4. To urge the CEAM in working with Member States in the implementation at this

proposed system at agencies to compile a report on the national migrant policies at

Member States and submit the report through the Permanent Council, to the next

regular session of the General Assembly.

5. To request that the CEAM also submit a report to the Permanent Council regarding

its work with the ILO, ECLAC, and PAHO as it provides technical assistance to

Member States in the implementation of this proposed resolution.

6. To encourage a special session to be held to discuss the possible implementation of

regional policies regarding migration including the possibility of a visa accepted

throughout the hemisphere to minimize human trafficking and undocumented

migration while encouraging controlled legal migrant flows between nations.

7. To request funding for the efforts of the Special Committee on Migration Issues

(CEAM) from the Regular Fund of the OAS, as well as from other resources that

may be obtained through the Resource Mobilization Committee, based on OAS

48

approved proposals, from donors such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the

World Bank, and the OAS Permanent Countries.



Cosignatories:

1. Suriname


49

GC-2-5 (WG)

A JOINT RESOLUTION TO CREATE A COMMITTEE ON THE SAFETY AND

PROTECTION OF MIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND AN INTER-AMERICAN BILL OF

RIGHTS FOR MIGRANT WORKERS

Committee: General Item Number: 2 of the Agenda

Draft Joint Resolution Presented by the delegations of: Antigua and Barbuda

Nicaragua

Suriname


RECOGNIZING:

The importance of Article 9 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter which states

that “The elimination of all forms of discrimination, especially gender, ethnic and race

discrimination, as well as diverse forms of intolerance, the promotion and protection of

human rights of indigenous peoples and migrants, and respect for ethnic, cultural and

religious diversity in the Americas contribute to strengthening democracy and citizen

participation.”;

REMEMBERING:

That the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights recognizes that the essential

rights of the human individual are not derived from the fact that a person is a national of a

certain state, but are based upon attributes of the human personality;

EXPRESSING SATISFACTION IN:

50

Resolution AG/RES. 2356 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Migrant Populations and Migration

Flows in the Americas” and the effect it has on the sharing of migration information through

the Special Committee on Migration Issues (CEAM);

Resolution AG/RES. 2289 (XXXVII-O/07) “The Human Rights of all Migrant

Workers and their Families” and its position in protecting immigrants from racism,

discrimination, xenaphobia and providing equal access to all public services;

CONSIDERING:

The need to constantly improve upon approaches that insure the rights of migrant

workers and their families due to constantly changing economic, social and political factors

which create fluctuation is migrant patterns;

That immigration is principally a matter of poverty in the sending country; therefore

we must approach the issue by improving the quality of life and create more jobs in those

sending countries;

BEARING IN MIND:

That each member state in the Organization of American States (OAS) functions as

countries of origin, countries of transit, and countries of reception of immigrants; and

EMPHASIZING:

That every migrant has an obligation to follow the laws and respect the culture of

sending, transition, and receiving nations,

RESOLVES:

1. To recognize the adoption of the Work Plan of the CEAM, at the meeting of

March 13, 2008.

51

2. To encourage the CEAM to continue to fully engage states in the process of

planning and executing activities.

3. To reaffirm AG/RES. 2289 (XXXVII-O/07) and the actions it takes to help

prevent xenophobia and racial discrimination.

4. To ask the CEAM to improve currently existing monitoring mechanisms and to

develop more mechanisms for monitoring migration, the characteristics of the

migrants, their living conditions, income levels and professions.

5. To strongly condemn all acts of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and

related forms of intolerance against migrants with respect to, but not limited to,

access to employment, professional training, housing, instruction, health

services, social services, and services to the public.

6. To form the Committee for the Safety and Protection of Migrant Communities

(CSPMC) whose primary purpose shall be to document discrimination against

migrant communities, as reported by (1) an OAS employee, (2) the diplomatic

mission of any member state, (3) a non-governmental organization, (4) local

political leader, and/or (5) a concerned citizen.

7. To instruct CSPMC to draft “The Inter-American Bill of Rights for Migrant

Workers” by the XLIII (43rd) General Assembly of the OAS.

8. To direct CSPMC to present to the General Secretariat every 6 months a list of

areas of reported abuse and present a plan to investigate these instances.

9. To further direct the General Secretariat to prepare a report to present to member

states in which the reported incidents occurred.

10. To request that this report urge member states to reevaluate their visa programs

to help make them easier to use and decrease the amount of undocumented

immigration.

52

11. To request funding for CSPMC operations from the Inter-American Commission

on Human Rights and from OAS member states.

.

Approved for form and substance:_____________________________________

Cosignatories:

1. Argentina

2. Trinidad & Tobago

3. Peru

4. Canada

5. Colombia

53

GC-NEW TOPIC

DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF AGRICULTURAL LANDOWNERS IN LATIN

AMERICA

Committee: General Committee Item No: ______ of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Paraguay


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 1728 “Strengthening and Revitalizing Ties Between the Inter-

American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and Other OAS Organs to Address

Agricultural Issues of Hemispheric Concern;” and

Resolution AG/RES. 1756 “Resolution Fund for Peace: Peaceful Settlement of

Territorial Disputes;” and

Resolution AG/RES. 213/00 “Guidelines for Fund for Peaceful Settlement of

Territorial Disputes in the Americas;” and

Resolution AG/RES. 2363 “Social Charter of the Americas: Renewal of the

Hemispheric Commitment to Fight Poverty in the Region;”

CONSIDERING:

That companies have been consistently seizing citizens’ land across Latin America,

which has led to an increasingly armed struggle in many Member States;

That many Latin American countries do not keep reliable registries of land titles;

54

That fellow Member States Venezuela, Argentina, and Uruguay are at odds with

other Member States, such as Brazil, due to disputes over land and ethanol production;

That fellow Member States Ecuador and Peru have had past disputes over land

boundaries that have resulted in wars with many casualties;

BEARING IN MIND:

That the rights of agricultural landowners in Latin America are in jeopardy, and the

resulting conflicts do not benefit and Member States;

RESOLVES:

1. To encourage Member States to be more respectful of the rights of

agricultural landowners and take immediate action to end the conflicts.

2. To create an organ within the OAS to oversee the registration of land titles in

all Member States, and oversee the peaceful resolution of land disputes.

a. The function of this organ will be to create an organized system for

registering land titles, and to foster greater responsibility for the

implementation of proper registering techniques in Member States.

b. The organ will also oversee any foreign land purchases between

Member States (between their companies as well as citizens) to

ensure that citizens, especially poor land holders, are not taken

advantage of.

c. Each Member State will appoint one representative to the organ.

d. This organ will report back to the OAS regularly to demonstrate its

efficiency.

55

3. To request seed funds $1,000 from the World Bank to support the organ

being formed.

4. To urge all Member States to adopt said resolves in order to protect the rights

of landowners and to protect poor land holders from exploitation in all

Member States.

Approved for form and substance: _ _


1. Venezuela2. Chile3. Ecuador4. Peru5. United States

56

27th Model OAS General Assembly forHigh Schools (MOAS HS)

First Committee


57

I-1-1

COOPERATION AMONG OAS MEMBER STATES TO COMBAT

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

Committee: Judicial and Political Affairs Topic No.1: of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Canada


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 2019 (XXXIV-O/04), “Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in

Persons; Especially Women, Adolescents and Children”;

Resolution AG/RES. 2118 (XXXV-O/05), “Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in

Persons”;

Resolution AG/RES. 2256 (XXXVI-O-06), “Hemispheric Efforts to Combat

Trafficking in Persons: Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of National

Authorities on Trafficking in Persons”; and

CONSIDERING:

That Article 3 of the “Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in

Persons Especially Women and Children” established in 2000 by the United Nations; and

That the Protocol defines trafficking in persons as the “recruitment, transportation,

transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other

forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a

58

position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving payments of benefits to achieve the

consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation,”

RESOLVES:

1. To encourage Member States to condemn all forms of trafficking in all OAS nations

in order to protect the human rights of the victims.

2. To request the establishment of a monitoring group in each OAS nation which would

intensify efforts to investigate, prosecute and convict offenders of trafficking in

persons in that country, and improve coordination among national and provincial

governments on law enforcement, victim services, and data collection, to be funded

by NGOs.

3. To increase public awareness of the serious consequences of trafficking through the

OAS member States educational programs and campaigns that will inform

communities about the grueling lives of victims of trafficking and how trafficking

works.

4. To request funding for education programs from NGOs or through a voluntary fund

to which individual nations can contribute.

5. To urge Member States who have not yet done so, consider the ratification of the UN

Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women

and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational

59

Organized Crime, as the Protocol aims to prevent and combat trafficking in persons

and clearly defines what trafficking is in a way that is applicable to all OAS states.



Cosignatories:

1. Peru

2. Paraguay

3. Argentina

4. Trinidad y Tobago

5. Chile

60

I-1-2

COOPERATION AMONG OAS MEMBER STATES TO COMBAT

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

First Committee Topic No. 1 of the agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Chile


HAVING SEEN:

Article 44 of the OAS Charter which states, “The Member States…agree to dedicate

every effort to the application of [the principle that]…all human beings, without distinction

as to…social condition, have a right to…liberty, dignity, equality of opportunity, and

economic security”;

CP/RES. 915 (1587/07) which urges Member States to “to prevent, punish and

eliminate all contemporary forms of slavery”,

AG/RES. 2348 (XXXVII-O/07) which “encourage[s] member states to take the

necessary measures to implement, as appropriate, the conclusions and recommendations of

the First Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons”,

AG/RES 2118 (XXXV-O/05), and AG/RES. 2019 (XXXIV-O/04) on Hemispheric

efforts to combat trafficking in persons;

61

The Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of National Authorities

on Trafficking in Persons, held on Isla Margarita, Venezuela, from March 14 to 17, 2006,

that called for “the governments’ commitment to improve their capacity to identify,

investigate, prosecute, and punish those responsible for trafficking in persons, especially in

women and children, and to provide due assistance and protection to the victims”;

BEARING IN MIND:

That poverty, inequity, and social exclusion in the Hemisphere are factors that increase the

vulnerability of persons, especially women and children, in becoming victims of traffickers,

who often belong to organized criminal groups that operate at both domestic and

transnational levels;

That the increase in trafficking in persons in the Hemisphere is a crime against

humanity, and its economic, social, and human repercussions;

DISGUSTED THAT:

“Chile is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children

trafficked for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and labor exploitation” according

to the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report of 2008;

RECALLING:

The second edition of the Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons, distributed by

the United Nations Office Against Drugs and Crime which states “Economic hardship,

conflict, crime and social violence, natural disasters and other such pressures create a

62

desperate situation for millions of people and make them vulnerable to various forms of

exploitation and enslavement”;

AWARE:

That poverty is among the underlying causes of human trafficking; and

RECOGNIZING WITH SATISFACTION:

The efforts of Member States to combat trafficking in persons; and recalling the

commitment by our governments to strengthen regional and international cooperation in

fighting this serious crime, which is usually a manifestation of transnational crime,

RESOLVES:

1. To continue to encourage Member States to take the necessary measures to

implement, as appropriate, the Conclusions and Recommendations of the First

Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons.

2. To strongly recommend that the Member States who have yet to do so utilize the

second edition of the Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons to its fullest

potential in order to combat and prevent trafficking in persons.

3. To urge those Member States who have not yet done so to evaluate their current

laws regarding trafficking in persons.

4. To strongly urge Member States to criminalize actions related to trafficking such

as, but not limited to:

63

a) Attempting to commit the crime of trafficking

b) Participation as an accomplice to trafficking in persons

c) Organizing or directing others to commit trafficking

5. To further urge the Member States consider other initiatives and actions geared

toward preventing trafficking in persons, prosecuting its perpetrators, and

protecting and assisting its victims.


Cosignatories:

1. Canada

2. Venezuela

3. Dominica

4. Peru

5. Mexico

64

I-1-3

COMBATTING THE TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

First Committee Topic No. 1 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution Presented by the Delegation of: Argentina


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 2019 (XXXIV-O/04), “Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in

Persons Especially Women, Adolescents, and Children” which urges Member states to

collaborate in order to protect and assist victims of trafficking and to prosecute the

perpetrators of trafficking;

Resolution AG/RES. 2256 (XXXVI-O/06), “Hemispheric Efforts to Combat

Trafficking in Persons: Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of National

Authorities on Trafficking in Persons” which requests “the Permanent Council to continue

through the Committee on Hemispheric Security, and to consider this topic taking into

account its comprehensive and crosscutting nature.”;

Resolution AG/RES. 2348 (XXXVII-O/07), “Hemispheric Cooperation Efforts to

combat the Trafficking in Persons and Second Meeting of National Authorities on

Trafficking in Person” which states that the problem of human trafficking should be

approached with the implementation of the “Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish

65

Trafficking in Persons supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational

Organized Crime.”;

“Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons supplementing the

United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime” which states that

“effective action to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, especially women and

children, requires a comprehensive international approach in the countries of origin, and “to

punish the traffickers and to protect the victims of such trafficking by protecting their

Internationally recognized human rights”;

CONSIDERING:

That the increase in trafficking in persons in the Hemisphere is a crime against

humanity and has economic, social and human repercussions;

That children, particularly those living in low socio-economic situations, are often

victimized by Human Trafficking;

That those living in countries with internal conflicts have a greater risk of being

victimized by human trafficking;

That gender inequality in a society and or culture lead to social, political and

economic inequality for women, leaving them particularly vulnerable to poverty thereby

susceptible to being victimized by Human Trafficking;

66

That trafficking, though it may be an underground operation, is visible through

faulty government policies, especially those related to the rights and treatment of migrant

workers, which place certain groups at greater risk of abuse;

That human trafficking negatively impacts on lab workers rights and creates an

endless cycle of poverty and illiteracy that stalls the economic development of countries

where human trafficking occurs;

That according to President Bush’s speech to the United Nations in 2003, each year

an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 human beings are bought, sold or forced across the world’s

borders; and

That Article 35 of the “Rights of Children” affirms that “State Parties shall take all

appropriate national, bilateral, and multilateral measures to prevent the abduction of, the

sale of, or the traffic in children for any purpose or in any form.”

RESOLVES:

1. To thank all Member States for their efforts to collaborate internationally to

combat the trafficking in persons in the Hemisphere.

2. To commend the Permanent Council and Committee on Hemispheric Security

for their continued efforts to combat Human Trafficking in the Hemisphere.

67

3. To encourage all Member States to create a National Trafficking Committee in

each country that would be responsible for the following:

a. Recording cases of trafficking electronically, by location, gender, and

age, thereby identifying areas that highly susceptible to trafficking and

members of the population at risk of becoming victims of this crime

b. Establishing a safe zone for reporting cases of trafficking in areas that are

prone to trafficking such as airports, and loose borders.

c. Report trafficking data to the Permanent Council and Committee on

Hemispheric Security.

4. To urge that Member States take a comprehensive and international approach to

punishing traffickers and protecting the human rights of trafficking victims.

5. To encourage Member States to look for funding to combat, prevent, and

eradicate Human Trafficking in their territories from the World Bank and the

Inter-American Development Bank.

Approved for form and substance: _________________________________ (Signature of Faculty Adviser)

Cosignatories:

1. St Kitts & Nevis

2. Colombia


4. Canada

5. United States

68

I-1-5

RENEWAL OF EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE SCOURGE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

IN THE HEMISPHERE

First Committee ` Item No: 1 of the Agenda



HAVING SEEN:

AG/RES. 2348 (XXXVII-O/07), “Hemispheric Cooperation Efforts to Combat

Trafficking in Persons and Second Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in

Persons,” which states that “poverty, inequity, and social exclusion in the Hemisphere are

factors that make people, especially women and children, more vulnerable to becoming

victims of traffickers”; and

CONSIDERING:

AG/RES. 2432 (XXXVIII-O/08) “Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual

Exploitation and Smuggling of and Trafficking in Minors,” which affirms “the importance

that all children of school age have access to education, and the importance of programs that

foster retention of the student population in the school system and prevent their dropping

out;” and

69


AG/RES. 2240 (XXXVI-O/06), “Combating the Commercial Sexual Exploitation

and Smuggling of and Trafficking in Children in the Hemisphere,” which states that

“ensuring success in the fight against the commercial sexual exploitation of children and

against the smuggling of and trafficking in children in the Hemisphere calls for a global

approach in which all factors contributing to the problem, including poverty and social

exclusion, may be addressed”, and

RECALLING:

The Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), in which is stated, “that

the education of peoples should be directed toward justice, freedom, and peace,” and

encourages the “strengthening of the civic conscience of the American peoples, as one of

the bases for the effective exercise of democracy and for the observance of the rights and

duties of persons”

RESOLVES:

1. To reaffirm the importance of human rights and the commitment of the OAS and its

member states to protecting and upholding the human rights of all inhabitants of the

hemisphere.

2. To congratulate the Special Committee on Migration Issues and the Secretariat for

Multidimensional Security on their valuable contributions to the fight against human

70

trafficking.

3. To note with satisfaction the establishment of the "Inter-American Program for the

Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Smuggling of

and Trafficking in Children," and to urge the Inter-American Children's Institute

(IIN) to direct the Program to submit an annual report detailing the progress made by

each member state to the eradication of trafficking in children.

4. To express its thanks to Interpol for its development of the Interpol Child Abuse

Image Database, and to encourage the participation of member states in this

program.

5. To instruct the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security to develop a plan for the

establishment of an international database of human trafficking criminals, and to

work closely with Interpol and other relevant international bodies in this endeavor.

6. To urge the INN to keep the rehabilitation of child victims at the center of its

endeavors regarding child trafficking, in order to rebuild the capacity of victims to

operate as productive members of society.

7. To recognize that job creation is among the best protections against poverty, and

thus against human trafficking as well.

71

8. To facilitate dialogue between private sector actors and governmental actors,

particularly ministries of labor and education or their equivalents, with the goal of

increasing job creation in the hemisphere as a protection against trafficking.

8. To instruct the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security and the INN to report to the

Thirty-ninth Regular Session of the General Assembly in Honduras in 2009 on the

implementation of this resolution.



Cosignatories:

1. Paraguay

2. United States

3. Panama

4. Honduras

5. Mexico

72

I-1-6

A RESOLUTION TO COMBAT CHILD TRAFFICKING IN THE AMERICAS

First committee Topic number 1 of the agenda

Draft resolution presented by the Delegation of Nicaragua


HAVING SEEN:

Article 34 of the Charter of the Organization of the American States, which lists as

one of its objectives, “Fair wages, employment opportunities, and acceptable working

conditions for all”;

Resolution AG/Res.2028/XXXIV/O/04 adopted by the General Assembly of the

Organization of American States on the Inter-American Program of Cooperation for the

Prevention and Remedy of Cases of International Abduction of Children by one of their

Parents;

The Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN) publication “PUBLIC POLICIES

AND CHILDREN’S HUMAN RIGHTS General Comments Committee on the Rights of the

Child,” November 2007, which states that “ They include the obligation to establish national

legislation; administrative structures; and the necessary research, information, data

compilation and comprehensive training activities to support such measures”;

73

RECOGNIZING that human trafficking, specifically child trafficking, in the Americas is

motivated by financial incentive through forced labor that goes largely unseen or ignored;

NOTICING the lack of specific data on child trafficking from member states and the proper

dissemination of data among member states in a uniform manner;

UNDERSTANDING that most of the child trafficking in the Americas occurs with the goal

of forced sexual labor; and

CONSIDERING that the vast majority of countries in this hemisphere are doing their best to

combat such trafficking but are helpless to do so given the vastness of the issue and the lack

of means and resources to do so effectively,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the IIN for its work in attempting to stem the growth and spread of the

problem of child trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and especially forced

sexual labor in the Hemisphere.

2. To further commend member nations that have made significant steps toward

combating child trafficking and forced child labor.

74

3. To establish the Inter-American Observatory for the Accountability of Child

Trafficking (IOACT), under the supervision of the Department of Public Security

(DPS), and which will be funded by the DPS.

4. To define the IOACT as an organ of the DPS that will collect data from all member

nations regarding child trafficking and forced sexual labor.

5. To further define the IOACT as an organization that will then summarize and issue

recommendations to both the Directing Council of the DPS and the General

Assembly of the Organization of American States.

6. To strongly encourage each member nation to cooperate directly and fully with the

IOACT as a show of good faith and commitment on the issues described above.

7. To strongly encourage all member nations to report to the IOACT bi-annually on

the subject of child trafficking and forced labor.

Approved for form and substance: ________________________________

Cosignatories

1. Venezuela

2. Honduras

3. St. Lucia

4. Paraguay

5. Peru

75

I-1-7

COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

THROUGH THE EDUCATION OF YOUTH AND THE PROMOTION OF

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS CONCERNING EDUCATION

Second Committee Topic No. 1 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution Presented by the Delegation of Ecuador


HAVING SEEN:

Article 3l. and n. of the Charter of the Organization of American States, which

“proclaims the fundamental rights of the individual without distinction as to race,

nationality, creed, or sex;” and which also reaffirms that “the education of peoples should be

directed toward justice, freedom, and peace”;

Article 106 of the Charter, which states that “There shall be an Inter-American

Commission on Human Rights, whose principal function shall be to promote the observance

and protection of human rights”;

AG/RES. 1948 (XXXIII-O/03), which states that a focal point would be created to

facilitate information exchange and the efforts of member states that request to prevent and

combat trafficking in persons, especially women, adolescents, and children”;

76

AG/RES. 2019 (XXXIV - O/04), which urges member states to adopt national

mechanisms for the prevention and combating of the crime of human trafficking;

CONSIDERING:

That human trafficking is associated with increasing amounts of organized crime

and represents a large human rights violation and global health risk, which involves, but is

not limited to, forced labor and the sexual exploitation of peoples, a majority of whom are

women and minors;

That education is an effective means of national communication and is the most

efficient way of teaching youth about human trafficking including means of prevention,

current actions to reduce the number of victims, and its prevalence in the world today.

RESOLVES:

1. To urge member states to organize seminars to be held in educational facilities and

conducted by experts on the trafficking of persons throughout the hemisphere.

2. To promote international standards, through the OAS Department of Public Security

Section Against Transnational Crime, on the education of children in regards to human

trafficking and the tactics employed by traffickers including fraud and coercion.

3. To fund the promotion of these standards by requesting monetary assistance from

government-related agencies that are concerned with the issue of human trafficking and

desire to contribute funds.

77

Approved for form and substance: _______________________________________


Co-Signatories:

1. Venezuela

2. Peru

3. Honduras

4. Colombia

5. Bolivia

78

I-1-8

A PROPOSAL FOR THE VOLUNTARY PRESENTATION OF ANTI

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS INFORMATION AND WARNINGS TO SCHOOLS

ACROSS DOMINICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Committee: FIRST COMMITTEE Item No:___1___ of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: Dominica


RECOGNIZING:

That Dominica and the other Caribbean nations have a very high tourism rate, which

is therefore vulnerable to human trafficking;

NOTICING:

That trafficking is considered an increasing problem in the western hemisphere;

BEARING IN MIND:

That the OAS, with resolutions 1948 and 2019, are strengthening the attempt to

minimize and combat human trafficking through the establishment and appointment of an

anti-TIP coordinator;

NOTING:

That human trafficking includes commercial sexual exploitation, which frequently

victimizes children below the age of 18 years;

79

RESOLVES:

6. To make information about the dangers of human trafficking

available to citizens and tourists in the forms of brochures and/or television broadcasts and

radio broadcasts.

7. To educate the population about human trafficking in schools

and other venues via assemblies with the purpose of decreasing the rate of growth of human

trafficking by informing younger citizens before they become victims; the presentation

would be given by volunteers, reducing the need for external funding.

8. To improve awareness by all manners affecting all member

states’ citizens and tourists.

9. To spread information between all OAS member states,

thereby improving international unity and cooperation between member states.

10. To encourage NGOs to provide funding for the educational

programs.


(Signature of Faculty Advisor)Cosignatories:

1. St Kitts & Nevis2. Bolivia3. Venezuela4. Chile5. Colombia

80

I-1-14

PROPOSAL TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF TRAFFICKING OF MINORS IN

THE HEMISPHERE THROUGH A PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE

FIRST COMMITTEE Item No.: 1 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution Presented by the delegation of: Mexico


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 2432 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Prevention and Eradication of

Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Smuggling of and Trafficking in Minors”, Resolution

AG/RES. 2409 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Observations and Recommendations on the Annual

Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights”, Resolution AG/RES. 2348

(XXXVII-O/07), “Hemispheric Cooperation Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons and

Second Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons”, The Inter-American

Children’s Institute “Action Plan 2007-2011”; Resolution CD/ RES. 10 (82- R/07) “Inter-

American Program for the Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual Exploitation

and Smuggling of and Trafficking in Children,” and Article 106 in the Charter of the

Organization of American States.

Resolution AG/RES. 2407 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Strengthening of Human Rights

Systems Pursuant to the Mandates Arising from the Summits of the Americas”, Resolution

AG/RES. 2411 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Strengthening of the National Human Rights Systems of

the Member States and Support for the Work of Defenders of the People, Defenders of the

Population, and Human Rights Attorneys or Commissioners (OMBUDSMEN)”, Resolution

AG/RES. 2433 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Promotion of and Respect for International Humanitarian

Law”,

81


Combat Trafficking in Persons and Second Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in

Persons”, which states that “poverty, inequity, and social exclusion in the Hemisphere are

factors that make people, especially women and children, more vulnerable to becoming

victims of traffickers, who often belong to organized criminal groups operating at both

domestic and transnational levels”;


Combat Trafficking in Persons and Second Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in

Persons”, which states that “the increase in trafficking in persons in the Hemisphere, is a

crime against humanity, as well as its economic, social, and human repercussions”;

Resolution CD/RES. 10 (82-R/07), established the “Inter-American Program for the

Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Smuggling of and

Trafficking in Children,” entrusted the Director General of the Inter-American Children’s

Institute with developing a joint work proposal within the framework of that initiative, and

supported the creation of an Observatory on this matter;

Resolution AG/RES. 2409 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Observations and Recommendations

on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights”, which

emphasizes observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council on the Annual

Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights;

Article 106 of the Charter of the Organization of American Sates indicates, “There

shall be an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, whose principal function shall be

to promote the observance and protection of human rights and to serve as a consultative

organ of the Organization in these matters”; and

82

The Action Plan 2007-2011 of the Inter-American Children’s Institute “proposes to

define approaches, policies, and strategies, as well as a way of searching for the best

management and quality of results for the benefit of children's well-being and rights. Doing

so also involves the development and/or strengthening in the Member States of a stable and

healthy political, regulatory, technical, social, and economic support ensuring the

enforcement of children's rights and moving forward in order to innovate the Institute by

means of a sustainable and participatory management based on the governance required for

such enforcement.”

CONSIDERING:

The Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of National Authorities

on Trafficking in Persons, held on Isla Margarita, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on

March 14 to 17, 2006, which states, “the governments’ commitment to improve their capacity

to identify, investigate, prosecute, and punish those responsible for trafficking in persons,

especially in women and children, and to provide due assistance and protection to the

victims”;

That efforts to raise public awareness are needed to reduce consumer demand for the

sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography;

An increase in public awareness of the trafficking in children would inform the

general public of atrocities being committed against children in the hemisphere and provoke

public outrage whether through advertisements or demonstrations. This would then make

trafficking in children a commonly known issue, and in turn easier to combat;

The importance of the Inter-American human rights system, whose organs have

competence to promote the observance of human rights in all Member States in accordance

83

with the commitments undertaken by each state, and which operate in a manner subsidiary

to national jurisdictional systems;

The Declaration on Security in the Americas, adopted at the Special Conference on

Security, held in Mexico City in October 2003, in which the Member States condemned

transnational organized crime, since it constitutes an assault on institutions in our countries

and negatively affects our societies, and renewed the commitment to fighting it by

strengthening the domestic legal framework, the rule of law, and multilateral cooperation,

respectful of the sovereignty of each state; and

The security of the states of the Hemisphere is affected, in various ways, by

traditional threats and by new threats, concerns, and other challenges of diverse types, such

as transnational organized crime, as well as by the growing complexity and diversity of the

activities of organized criminal groups;

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador,

Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, which have extended

open and permanent invitations to the IACHR to visit those states.

2. To congratulate the Inter-American Children’s Institute on its progress in combating

trafficking in children and promoting children’s rights.

3. To invite Inter-American Children’s Institute representatives to make reports every 3

years outlining what can be changed to better combat trafficking of children in that

state.

4. To urge the Inter-American Children’s Institute to create an International Public

Relations Committee to increase public awareness of trafficking in children.

84

a. Increasing awareness through an educational campaign including: Public

Service Announcements (PSA) commercials, flyers, billboards, radio

advertisements, and other forms of media (magazines, newspapers, etc.)

b. Actions of a Public Relations Committee would be most effective if started in

areas where trafficking in children is most common, raising awareness and

allowing for families and communities to be informed of the practice and

take measures to prevent it.



1. Jamaica


3. Nicaragua

4. St. Kitts & Nevis


85

I-2-1

MODERNIZATION AND USE OF ELECTORAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE HEMISPHERE

Committee: First Topic No. 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolutions presented by the delegation of: Panama


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution CP/CAJP-2151/04, “Observations and recommendations on the Annual

Report of the Inter-American Juridical Committee”; and

Resolution AG/RES. 2337 (XXXVIII-O/07), “Modernization and Use of Electoral

Technologies in the Hemisphere”; and

CONSIDERING:

That the Modernization and use of electoral technologies of a Hemisphere is costly,

but necessary in the present day society, thus requiring finances from every desired country

to modernize;

RESOLVES:

1. To gain support from the General Secretariat to amongst member states

adopt new technologies in the electoral process of the OAS member states in order to speed

the voting process and encourage voter participation, within available resources, under

patronage of the OAS.

86

2. To encourage the OAS to implement a forum in which member states can

exchange their experiences in the use of technologies in order to speed up the modernization

process.

3. To instruct the General Secretariat to work to foster the adoption of new

technologies, and to assist member states requesting adoptive assistance.

4. To request member states, permanent observers or other international

organizations to fund this resolution.

Approved for form and substance: __________________________________________

(Signature of Faculty Adivsor)

Cosignatories:

1. Guatemala

2. St Lucia

3. Honduras

4. Ecuador

5. Venezuela

87

I-2-2

CREATION OF AN ELECTION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

FOR PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

1st Committee Item No: 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Saint Lucia



Article 18 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which calls upon the

Permanent Council to “arrange for visits or other actions” to member states “in order to

analyze” possible disruptions in the democratic process; and

Article 19, which considers the continued disruption of the democratic process, “an

insurmountable obstacle” to a government’s “participation in sessions of the General

Assembly”; and

RECALLING:

The words of Alpha Oumar Konare, former chair of the African Union Commission

from 1992-2002, who argued that a partnership in democracy, consistent and unrestrained,

is necessary for peace and prosperity, at “Democracy Bridge: Multilateral Regional Efforts

For The Promotion And Defense Of Democracy In Africa And America”, a joint meeting of

the African Union and the Organization of American States; and

88


Resolution AG/RES. 1080 (XXI-O/91), “Santiago Commitment”, which called for

the OAS to resolve any “sudden or irregular interruption” in a country’s democratic process;

and


Resolution AG/RES. 1707 (XXX-O/00), which established that in order for a nation

to be successful, “civil society participation must be oriented by a clear and yet flexible

regulatory framework” and that such framework “is achieved by way of periodic review of

participation in OAS activities”; and

NOTING:

The Declaration of Mar del Plata, which recognized the importance of coordinating

civil society participation within the Organization of American States; and

CONSIDERING:

The conclusions of the "Democracy Bridge" meeting of July 2007, among them that

“democracy is not seen as a system but more as a universally shared value that both national

and international actors have a responsibility to preserve. Regional and international

organizations have ensured that their mission is to protect the democratic values, including

the full rights of citizens and freedom that democracy provides as well as safeguarding the

social, economic and political spheres”; and

RECALLING:

89

Resolution AG/RES. 2327 (XXXVII-O/07), “Promotion and Strengthening of

Democracy: Follow-up to the Inter-American Democratic Charter,” which was used as the

basis for the Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation of the Secretariat for

Political Affairs for the OAS,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend Argentina, Paraguay, Guatemala, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,

the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad, and the United States for their

exemplary conduct in their recent national elections.

2. To encourage all member states to hold consistent elections, and to allow ample

time to inform a population that an election is going to be held.

3. To create a multilateral committee of six member states charged with oversight

of all member nation’s elections, and

a. That these members will hold seats for six years, with seats staggered for

a new member every year;

b. That members on the committee will visit every nation during their

national elections, and be granted full diplomatic immunity and complete,

unrestricted access to all election sites;

c. That this committee will present an election report to the General

Assembly at least once a year;

d. That if a super majority of the committee holds a vote of no-confidence

in a nation’s election, the committee can request to the General Assembly

that that nation’s vote in the General Assembly be temporarily suspended

until the committee agrees to reinstate it;

90

e. That this committee be given a tenure of ten years, to be extended an

additional five if they should hold a vote of no-confidence in a nation’s

election.

4. To request nations to increase their contributions to the Specific Fund for

Strengthening Democracy to fund the mandates of this resolution.



Cosignatories:

1. Brazil


3. Uruguay

4. El Salvador

5. Peru

91

I-2-3

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC POLLBOOKS TO IMPROVE ELECTORAL PROSESSES IN THE HEMISPHERE

Committee: First Item No: 1 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: St. Vincent & The Grenadines


HAVING SEEN:

The OAS charter which states “that representative democracy is an indispensable

condition for the stability, peace, and development of the region;”

The Inter-American Democratic Charter which states that "The peoples of the

Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote

and defend it."

UNDERSTANDING:

That, in democracies, voting is a right that all citizens (except felons and minors)

enjoy;

That voting should be as efficient and simple as possible to ensure that every

citizen’s vote may be cast for the candidate of their choice, and electronic voting systems

greatly increase both efficiency and simplicity;

92

RECOGNIZING:

That any electoral inaccuracy may lead to the misrepresentation of the people by an

officer they did not elect. So any improvement to the voting systems in place would only

strengthen our democracies;

That many electronic voting systems are much more efficient and accurate than

paper ballots. However electronic voting systems are viewed by the public as unreliable and

vulnerable to fraud.

That every country and region is unique in its voting problems. Countries may want

to analyze and determine their own requirements to improve their electoral systems. and that

a mixed approach will be the best way to tackle them. A combination of paper ballots and

secure electronic machines may be considered by member states.

RECALLING:

The American presidential election of 2000 in which faulty voting apparatuses

changed the outcome of an election. Senior citizens in the crucial battleground state of

Florida had complications with their ballots which resulted in their ballots not being

counted. This fiasco proved to be decisive in winning George W. Bush the election (even

though Al Gore won the popular vote.)

RESOLVES:

1. To create an agency, the Hemispheric Electronic Pollbook Implementation

Agency (HEPIA,) to:

a. Increase awareness of the benefits of electronic pollbook technology.

93

b. Work with the governments of member nations to increase the level of

electronic pollbook usage (as modeled by Brazil.)

2. To initiate seed funding for HEPIA through the Secretariat for Political Affairs.

3. To invite interested nations and NGO’s to support a voluntary fund to support

the budget of HEPIA.

Approved for form and substance: ______________________________


Co-Signatories:

1. Brazil

2. Canada

3. Venezuela

4. Mexico

5. Chile

94

I-2-4

MODERNIZATION AND USE OF ELECTORAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE

HEMISPHERE

First Committee Topic No. 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: Trinidad and Tobago


RECALLING:

Article 2, Section B of the Charter of the OAS, which states that one of the essential

purposes of the OAS is “To promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due

respect for the principle of nonintervention”; and

Article 23 of The Inter-American Democratic Charter, which states that “Member

states, in the exercise of their sovereignty, may request that the Organization of American

States provide accessory services or assistance fro strengthening and developing their

electoral institutions and processes, including sending preliminary missions for that

purpose”; and

CONSIDERING:

The necessity of legitimate elections for maintaining the authority of government

and upholding the principles of democracy; and

The key role of modern electoral technologies in maintaining and improving

transparency in both national and local elections; and

95

AWARE:

Of the controversy surrounding recent elections in some member states; and

NOTING:

The principle of nonintervention as a cornerstone of the relationships between

member states,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the actions of the Electoral Management Body (EMB) in the

implementation and use of new technologies in the electoral process in order to improve and

enhance their electoral systems.

2. To urge member states to request the deployment of electoral observation

missions to prevent and resolve disputes during electoral processes.

3. To encourage national and local governments of member states to introduce

measures, such as the adoption of new electoral technology, to improve the transparency of

elections.

4. To strongly urge, should member state’s election results be seriously

disputed, the government of the member state to determine the causes of the recall election

and find solutions to solve the problem in future elections, which may be solved by the use

of new technologies in their electoral processes.

96

5. To request funding from member states to provide means to carry out the

above resolutions.



Cosignatories:

1. United States

2. St Lucia

3. Bolivia

4. Canada

5. Chile

97


Second Committee


98

II-1-2

ADDRESSING ILLICIT TRAFFICKING IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS TO PROMOTE CONFIDENCE AND SECURITY BUILDING IN THE AMERICAS

Second Committee Topic No.1 of the agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: St. Vincent and the Grenadines


RECOGNIZING:

Article 2h of the Charter of the Organization of American States, which declares the

obligation to achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons;

HAVING SEEN:

The Annual Report of the Permanent Council to the General Assembly, particularly the

sections on matters assigned to the Committee on Hemispheric Security (AG/doc.4598/07

corr.1) in regards to illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons;

RECALLING :

Resolution AG/RES. 2270 (XXXVII-O/07) in which member states re-affirmed that

“confidence and security-building measures and transparency in defense and security

policies contribute to increasing stability, safeguarding hemispheric and international peace

and security, and consolidating democracy”;

99

BEARING IN MIND:

The fact that illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons poses a severe threat to the

security of the Western Hemisphere due to its thriving black market which provides

weapons to terrorist groups, drug traffickers, gangs, and other criminal organizations;

NOTING:

The CARICOM-U.S. Initiative to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light

Weapons and their pledge to enhance regional cooperation to prevent, combat, and eradicate

the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons in the region; and

The Declaration on Security in the Americas, and its efforts to combat the illicit

manufacturing and trafficking of firearms by destroying excess stocks of firearms

designated by each State, securing and managing national stockpiles, and regulating

firearms brokering;

REALIZING:

That both legal and illicit weapons are readily obtainable on the international markets, and

are easily mastered by untrained and unprofessional persons, including children;


That the Annual report of the Permanent Council to the General Assembly particularly the

sections on matters assigned to the Committee on Hemispheric Security (AG/doc.4598/07

corr.1) in regards to illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons issued on 2007 states

100

that of the 49 major conflicts that have broken out since 1990, light weapons were the only

arms used in 46, producing 20 million refugees, 24 million displaced persons, and resulting

in the deaths of 4 million people;

AWARE:

That since 1990, the annual cost of humanitarian assistance has increased drastically;

CONSIDERING:

The efforts made by the member States in response to the Declaration on Security in the

Americas including the suggestion that the Committee on Hemispheric Security meet

periodically as the “Forum for Confidence and Security-Building Measures” in order to

review current standards and implement new measures when necessary; and

ACKNOWLEDGING:

That illicit trafficking of light weapons is a severely prevalent issue for CARICOM member

states,

RESOLVES:

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1. To commend the states involved in the Declaration on Security in the Americas,

and the CARICOM-U.S. Initiative to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and

Light Weapons for their brave efforts towards this goal.

2. To request the OAS Committee on Hemispheric Security to call a meeting of the

Convention during 2009, encouraging the participation of all state parties to:

a. Discuss the current regulations and standards regarding current trade of

weapons,

b. Further investigate the progress and results of the CARICOM-U.S. Initiative,

and

c. Expand the CARICOM-U.S. Initiative to include all member states willing to

participate in a new initiative which will further the task of preventing illicit

trafficking of weapons.

d. Decide on a title for the proposed initiative.

3. To request that the Convention reports to the XXXIX OAS General Assembly:

4. To request the General Secretariat to contact the World Bank, to request the

elaboration of funding mechanisms and economic assistance programs to assist member

states in implementing this resolution.

1. Brazil2. Chile3. Honduras4. Antigua & Barbuda5. Canada

102

II-1-3

CONFIDENCE BUILDING AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY TECHNIQUES IN THE OAS MEMBER STATES


Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: Canada


REMINDING:

That under Article 2 of the Charter of the Organization of American States, one of

the essential purposes of the Organization is to strengthen peace and security in the

Hemisphere; and

HAVING SEEN:

Resolutions AG/RES. 1607 (XXIX-O/99), AG/RES. 1749 (XXX-O/00), AG/RES.

1799 (XXXI-O/01), and AG/RES. 1881 (XXXI-O/02) on the INTER-AMERICAN

CONVENTION ON TRANSPARENCY IN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS

ACQUISITIONS;

Resolution AG/RES. 2382 (XXXVIII-O/08), INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION

ON TRANSPARENCY IN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS ACQUISITIONS; and

REITERATING:

Considering that the Governments of Canada has a fervent commitment in

encompassing strong, secure and efficient borders;

103

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION:

That the Governments of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador,

Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela have deposited their

instruments of ratification or accession, bringing to 12 the number of OAS member states

that are states parties to the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional

Weapons Acquisitions; and

CONSIDERING:

That confidence- and security-building measures contribute to enhancing security,

safeguarding peace, and consolidating democracy in the Americas, as well as to building

transparency, dialogue, and trust in the Hemisphere,

RESOLVES:

1. To urge member states to continue promoting transparency in defense policy

with regard to modernization of the armed forces, including changes in their structure and

composition, the acquisition of equipment and material, and military expenditures, and by

considering the Guidelines on Developing National Defense Policy and Doctrine Papers,

adopted by the Permanent Council.

2. To encourage member states to create military partnerships similar to the

North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) that Canada created with the United States.

104

3 To assist other member states in the creation of border protection

organizations similar to the Canadian Border Service Agency and the U.S. Customs &

Border Protection.

4. That the funding of above stated border protection organizations (BPO) shall

be through the governments of member states and would have funding from member states

capable of supporting those states in need of assistance.


Cosignatories:

1. Colombia

2. Brazil

3. Dominica

4. El Salvador


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II-1-5

IMPROVING HEMISPHERIC CAPABILITIES FOR THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT AND PROVISION OF SECURITY THROUGH

EDUCATION AND MEDIATION


Resolution Presented by the Delegation of: Ecuador


HAVING SEEN:

Articles 2a. and 2c. of the Charter of the Organization of American States, which

states as two of its fundamental purposes “To strengthen the peace and security of the

continent,” and “To prevent possible causes of difficulties and to ensure the pacific

settlement of disputes that may arise among the Member States”;

Articles 3i. and 3n. of the Charter, which affirms as two of its essential principles

that “Controversies of an international character arising between two or more American

States shall be settled by peaceful procedures,”;

RECALLING:

That the General Secretariat through the Department for the Promotion of

Democracy has worked in the areas of peaceful conflict resolution and mediation between

member states; and

Through the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security coordinates cooperation

among the member states to fight theats to national and citizen security;

CONSIDERING:

That the peaceful resolution of conflict is in every member state’s best interest;

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That in order to foster change in member states, the OAS should not only think

short-term, but also long-term;

That the careful education of the youth is the most important key to instill an anti-

violence thought process when dealing with the peaceful resolution of conflict in the

entirety of the citizens of all member states,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy for their success in

providing support and peacefully healing wounds caused by internal conflicts.

2. To commend the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security for their efforts in

Mitigating the harmful effects pertaining to hemispheric security, including terrorism

and its related manifestations, the use and abuse of narcotic drugs and pshychotropic

substances, and related crimes, and public security;

3. To instruct the Ministry of Education to encourage the career of mediation by:

a. Providing scholarships to students furthering their education through a

University who are interested in the subject of mediation by seeking

sponsorship from non-profit organizations.

b. Providing volunteer and internship opportunities to students.

c. Raising awareness in students of the career of mediation.

4. To instruct the Ministry of Education to educate students in member states about

mediation as a better means of conflict resolution by:

a. Further instructing teachers in the subject of History; specifically regarding

resolution of conflicts.

107

b. Recommending that the OAS make this issue a part of the Inter-American

Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices and the Inter-

American Teacher Education Network.

5. To instruct the Ministry of Education to, at their next meeting, allow representatives

from Member States to discuss methods of implementation in their own educational

systems.

Approved for form and substance:_________________________________(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Co-Signatories:


2. Panama

3. Honduras

4. Brazil

5. El Salvador

108

II-1-6SECURITY BUILDING IN THE AMERICAS THROUGH

THE ELIMINATION OF TERRORISM

Second Committee Topic No. 1 of the

Agenda

Draft Resolution Presented by the Delegation of Argentina


HAVING SEEN

Resolution AG/RES. 1650 (XXXIX-O/99) “Hemispheric Cooperation to Prevent,

Combat, and Eliminate Terrorism” which states the absolute rejection by the people and

governments of the Americas of terrorist acts and activities, which endanger democracy and

the security of the states of the Hemisphere, also the inherent right of individual and

collective self-defense in accordance with the Charters of the Organization of American

States and the United Nations;

Resolution AG/RES. 1840 (XXXIX-O/02) “Inter- American Convention Against

Terrorism” which states that terrorism is a serious criminal phenomenon, which is of deep

concern to all Member States;

Resolution AG/RES. 2170 (XXXVI-O/06) “Support for the Work of the Inter-

American Convention Against Terrorism” which states the need to “confront terrorism

through sustained cooperation, with full respect for the obligations that international law

imposes, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and

international refugee law”; and

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Resolution AG/RES. 2249 (XXXVI-O/06) “Extradition of and the Denial of Safe

Haven to Terrorist: Mechanism for the Cooperation in the Fight Against Terrorism” which

states the importance of cooperation among law enforcement authorities and of international

cooperation on criminal matters, including mutual legal assistance and extradition, in the

fight against terrorism, as well as the importance of observing the international instruments

adopted by the member states, in particular the Inter-American Convention against

Terrorism;

CONSIDERING:

Terrorism by definition is premeditated, politically motivated violence or non violent

acts perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents;

this act of violence strictly infringes on human rights and ethics and further poses and

extreme threat to all Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS); and

The Inter- American Convention and Member States alike have to combat not only

traditional terrorism but new changes that require more complex solutions, and security

needs to become more efficient and consistent throughout the Americas to not only protect

all Member States;

RESOLVES:

1. To recognize the OAS for the establishment of the Inter-American Convention

Against Terrorism and the support that has been given thus far to prevent, combat,

and eliminate terrorism, and to further urge member states to continue to support the

Convention and its future proceedings.

2. To urge all Member States to fully participate in the Inter- American Convention

Against Terrorism in the pursuit of solving current and future problems can be

resolved, and so no Member State has to suffer the brutal inhumane acts of terrorism.

110

3. To encourage member states to promote better communication through local,

national, and international authorities with the use of an electronic alert system; this

would prevent violators and suspects from having the time or ability to flee arrest

and to consider to:

a. Immediately alert those in charge of National Security in a particular

Member State and boarding Member States of the risk and reasons a criminal

is wanted if they have the potential to flee.

b. Send an alert to all police departments and army personal within each

affected Member State so there is an adequate understanding of the danger of

this offender and so the offender is efficiently apprehended.

4. To instruct Inter American Convention Against Terrorism to complete a thorough

and comprehensive background check on every person appointed to operate and

monitor the system, these people must also allow themselves to become subject to

random observation and oversight by the convention at anytime.

5. To encourage all Member States to more closely monitor cash flow across borders

through more comprehensive and transparent record keeping and report of

suspicious activity to the electronic alert system so that no individual or group may

retain the finances necessary for terrorist activities.

6. To encourage all Member States to deny refugee or asylum status to any person

suspected or found guilty of involvement of any kind in any terrorist plotting or

activity.

7. To urge all Member States to extradite persons suspected of terrorism back to the

place where the crime was committed.

111

8. To fund these measures and any additional or unexpected cost with money from the

OAS Monetary Fund and Voluntary Fund, the World Bank, and the Inter-American

Development Bank (IADB).

Approved for form and substance: ___________________________________

Cosignatories:

1. Canada

2. Brazil


4. El Salvador

5. Guatemala

112

II-1-7

BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND INCREAING SECURITY THROUGH FINACIAL SECURITY

Committee: Second Topic No. 1 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution as presented by the delegation of Chile


HAVING SEEN:

Article 2a. Of the Charter of the Organization of the American States, which

proclaims one of its essential purposes “[is] to strengthen the peace and security of the

continent”; and

Chapter IV Fundamental Rights and Duties of States, Article 15 of the Charter of the

Organization of American states, which proclaims “the right of each state to protect itself

and to live its own life and does not authorize it to commit unjust acts against another state”;

NOTING:

CICAD’s 2003-2004 Multi-Lateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) Hemispheric

Report of Evaluation of Progress in Drug Control, which concludes that the number of

convictions and seizures for money laundering is extremely low, due in part to legislative

and operational deficiencies, and that anti-money laundering systems in the hemisphere

require substantial improvement;

AG/RES. 2098 XXXV-O/05 which states that “Observations and Recommendations

on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission,” which

113

urges member states to incorporate the provisions of the Inter-American Drug Abuse

Control Commission’s (CICAD’s) Model Regulations concerning Laundering Offenses

Connected to Illicit Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Offenses (Model Regulations);

RECOGNIZING:

OEA/Ser.K/XXXVIII CES/DEC.1/03 rev. 1 (28October 2003) “Declaration on

Security in the Americas” states “Considering that the Declaration of Bridgetown

recognized that security threats, concerns, and other challenges in the hemispheric context

are of a diverse nature and multidimensional scope, and that the traditional concept and

approach should be expanded to encompass new and nontraditional threats, which include

political, economic, social, health, and environmental aspects”;


That the transfer, exchange, and investment of illicit proceeds of money from drug

trafficking, other illegal activities such as terrorism, corrupt officials, individuals,

businesses, and members of organized crime, creates a challenge to law enforcement and

can jeopardize financial systems and trade and;

UNDERSCORING:

Chile’s prominent obstacle of embezzlement and fraud, ranked the 10th worst out of

58 countries, which creates a lack of confidence in the Chilean economic system, such as

114

lack of investment, under which the economy suffers greatly, inflation which is also a very

prominent economic hardship on Chile’s society and;

CONSIDERING:

The possibility of danger to a State due to money-laundering ventures initiated by

dangerous persons, drug trafficking organizations and or terrorist groups;

RESOLVES:

1.) To commend CICAD’s Anti-Money Laundering Unit (AMLU) and their efforts to

decrease money-laundering in the hemisphere.

2.) To encourage educational training for bankers, in reporting suspicious transactions.

a.) To instruct AMLU to create, host, and invite bankers to attend a web seminar,

where they will be informed of all the tell-tale signs of money laundering, and

how to prevent and stop money laundering within the banking system, this web

seminar will be available to bankers at all times, via a link on the OAS website.

i.) If bankers are unable to obtain Internet access, they can request a paper

copy of the seminar, via mail.

b.) To urge the Anti-Money Laundering Unit (AMLU) to distribute knowledge

of the web seminar, as well as the web seminar, to the OAS and its affiliates by

any means they deem fit.

c.) Funding for the educational training for bankers initiative will come from

public donations and from the World Bank and its affiliates.

3.) To suggest that the Anti-Money Laundering Unit (AMLU) keep fully aware of all

new money-laundering techniques, this is to be done by:

a.) Instruct that anti-money laundering task forces to report annually to CICAD's

Experts Group to Control Money Laundering on:

115

i.) The progress achieved through the implementation of CICAD's Model

Regulations in each region.

ii.) Any new money-laundering techniques discovered over the one year time

period, such as Internet fraud, e-banking, and

b.) Any findings of new money laundering methods discovered over this one

year time period are to be posted on the web seminar website, to keep bankers

aware of new money laundering techniques.



Cosignatories:


2. El Salvador

3. Panama

4. Peru

5. Brazil

116

II-1-8

CONVENTION ON TRANSPARENCY IN

INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS PURCHASES

Committee: Second Committee Item No: 1 of the

Agenda

Draft Resolution presented by the delegation of: Dominica

THE SECOND COMMITTEE,

HAVING SEEN:

The Annual Report of the Permanent Council to the General Assembly

(AG/doc.4698/07 corr. 1), specifically regarding the section on the Inter-American

Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions;

BEARING IN MIND:

That one of the guiding purposes of the Organization of American States noted in its

Charter is to achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons, which will enable it to

devote the largest amount of resources to the economic and social development of the

member states (Article 2, Section h);

That the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons

Acquisitions recognizes that, in accordance with the Charter of the Organization of

American States and the Charter of the United Nations, member states have the inherent

right to individual and collective self-defense;

ACKNOWLEDGING:

That transparency is the keystone of every international organization;

117

CONSIDERING:

Those present at the Second Summit of the Americas (Chile, 1998) and the Third

Summit of the Americas (Canada, 2001) pledged to promote transparency in defense and

security matters to promote greater understanding and cooperation among government

agencies involved in security and defense issues through such means as increased sharing of

defense policy, doctrine papers, and personnel and information exchanges;


Resolution AG/RES. 2110 (XXXV-O/05), which states, “openness and transparency

in the conventional weapons field contribute to building mutual confidence, reducing

tensions, and strengthening regional and international peace and security;”

Resolution AG/RES. 2246 (XXXVI-O/06), which states, “That at the Fourth Summit

of the Americas, in November 2005, the Heads of State and Government reiterated their

commitment to the objectives and purposes contained in the Declaration on Security in the

Americas and called for continued implementation of the Declaration;” and

NOTING:

The Governments of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador,

Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela have ratified the

Convention,

RESOLVES:

1. To continue promoting an environment conducive to arms control and the limitation

of conventional weapons, making it possible to devote a larger amount of resources

118

to the economic and social development of the member states, which is an essential

purpose set forth in the Charter of the Organization of American States.

2. To invite all member states which have not already done so to consider signing,

ratifying, and/or acceding to the Convention.

3. To urge member states to continue to implement confidence- and security-building

measures which contribute to transparency, making a step forward in strengthening

hemispheric peace, trust, and security.

4. To reaffirm commitment to the principles of the Inter-American Convention on

Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions and other related instruments

applicable at the global, regional, and subregional levels.

5. To request a database using annual reports and notifications of weapons trade and

defense measures be created for the benefit of the states in the Convention. By

carrying out this task, those involved may request support from the Inter-American

Defense Board, within the framework of the Board’s Statutes.

6. To request that the Permanent Council, through the Committee on Hemispheric

Security, meet annually to consider the functioning and application of the

Convention.

7. To invite states, non-states, permanent observers, regional and international

organizations, and civil society organizations interested in transparency of weapons

acquisitions to consider offering technical assistance to states which request

contributions to support activities related to the application of the Convention:

119

Approved for form and Substance __________________________________ (Signature of Faculty Member)

Cosignatories:1. Brazil2. Canada3. El Salvador4. Colombia5. Bolivia

120

II-2-10

NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND ASSISTANCE IN NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTER SITUATIONS

Committee: Second Committee Topic No. 2 on the Agenda

Draft Resolution Presented by the Delegation(s) of: Argentina


HAVING SEEN:

AG/RES. 2314 (XXXVII-O/07), “Natural Disaster Reduction, Risk Management,

and Assistance in Natural and other Disaster Situations,” which speaks of, “the importance

of urgently reducing the vulnerability of Member States to natural hazards through the

development of national natural disaster reduction strategies”;

AG/RES. 2184 (XXXVI-O/06), “Natural Disaster Reduction, Risk Management, and

Assistance in Natural and other Disaster Situations,” which reaffirms the importance of “the

development of domestic natural disaster reduction strategies, mutual assistance, technical

cooperation, land-use planning, and improvement of building codes”; and

AG/RES. 2114 (XXXV-O/05), “Natural Disaster Reduction, Risk Management, and

Assistance in Natural and other Disaster Situations,” which urges “land-use plans to reduce

the impact of natural hazards”;

CONSIDERING:

121

That natural disasters from 1992-2001 caused over 622,000 deaths, and affected

more than two billion people, and resulted in more than 446 billion United States dollars of

damage;

That natural disasters can cause an unstable economic climate to develop;

That landslides, a preventable natural disaster, can be caused by logging, clear

cutting, or “slashing and burning” which loosen soil;

That logging can cause natural disasters like, serious droughts and flash floods

which destroy buildings, roads, and crops, causing economic and social instability;

That the roots of trees and plants help to prevent the loosening of soil and bedrock,

this loosening cause a disaster to occur;

That the burning of forests leads to higher greenhouse gas concentration in the

atmosphere and accounts for one third of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions which

counties are trying to decrease,

That deforestation leads to soil erosion and an increase of runoff which can

contaminate clean water which can be devastating to a community,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend all Member States on their continued effort to help prevent natural

disasters, promote natural disaster preparedness, and to rebuild after natural

disasters.

2. To encourage all Member States to pass country wide laws prohibiting logging in

areas prone to landslides.

3. To suggest the OAS to support Member States that pass laws prohibiting the

removal of trees in areas:

122

a. Prone to landslides.

b. Where the tree population has been decimated by logging, “slash and

burn,” or clear cutting and further decimation would be detrimental to the

surrounding community.

4. To encourage Member States to make laws requiring logging and construction

companies to plant trees in place of where trees have been removed.

5. To suggest that all Member States ensure that large multi-national companies, as

well as local and national companies abide by these laws by using internal law

enforcement and mechanisms.

6. To suggest that the Member States request any necessary funds from the

International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Approved for form and substance: _________________________________(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories:

1. Jamaica

2. Venezuela

3. Bolivia

4. Brazil

5. St. Lucia

123

II-2-11

PARTICIPATION OF CARIBBEAN AND OTHER NATIONS TO AID

CARIBBEAN NATIONS IN THE WAKE OF NATURAL DISASTERS

Second Committee Item No. 2 of the Agenda



HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 2314 (XXXVIII-O/07), "Natural Disaster Reduction, Risk

Management, and Assistance in Natural and Other Disaster Situations", which noted the

accomplishments of the Inter-American Committee on Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) and

the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA);

Declarations AG/DEC.45 (XXXV-O/05) and AG/DEC. 55 (XXXVII-O/07)

“Coordination Of Volunteer In The Hemisphere In Response To Natural Disasters And The

Fight Against Hunger And Poverty – White Helmets Initiative”, which established the

White Helmets Initiative to mitigate the effects of natural disaster; and

Resolution AG/RES. 2182 (XXXVI-O/06) “Adoption of the Amended Statutes of

the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction”; and

CONSIDERING

The efforts of organizations such as Inter-American Emergency Aid Fund, National

Emergency Management Office, Department of Disaster Management, and The Department

of Emergency Management; and

The devastating impact that natural disasters can have on citizens of all member

states, and in particular citizens of the Caribbean states; and

124

The need not only for recovery assistance measures but also for preventative and

preparatory measures designed to lessen the impact of natural disasters.

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the activities of IACNDR in mitigating the effects of natural

disasters on the states of the hemisphere.

2. To direct the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development to work with

the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, in order to gain a more complete

understanding of the effects global climate change on the states of the Caribbean,

and by asking the CCCCC to incorporate the views of, and coordinate its actions

with the CDERA.

3. To instruct the Permanent Council to create the Special Fund for Mitigating

the Effects of Natural Disasters in the Hemisphere, and to solicit donations from

each member state, and in particular from Caribbean states for the purpose of

coordinating between the Executive Secretariat, and the CCCCC.

Approved for form and substance: _________________________________________

Cosignatories:

1. Brazil

2. United States

3. Argentina

4. Venezuela

5. St. Vincent & the Grenadines

125

II-2-12

RISK MANAGEMENT, AND ASSISTANCE IN NATURAL AND OTHER

DISASTER SITUATIONS

Second Committee Topic No. 2 of the agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Chile


HAVING SEEN the statement by the secretary general in November 2000, during a

special meeting of the Committee on Hemispheric Security, covering the wide range of

security-related issues confronting the Hemisphere, which states that natural disasters and

phenomena are seen as major threats to the national and economic security of many island

nations;

Part 2, Chapter XIII, Article 94 of the Charter of the Organization of American States,

stating the purpose of achieving integral development and eliminating poverty;

the World Disasters Report 2005 from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red

Crescent Societies calling on agencies to focus more on exchanging information with the

people they seek to support;

RECALLING That the White Helmets Initiative deals with the alleviation of issues

caused by natural disasters through recovery, reconstruction, and development;

NOTING The Declaration of the Mar Del Plata of the Fourth Summit of the

America(Argentina, 2005), in which heads of state and governments reaffirmed their

commitment to increase concern towards natural and man made disasters which further

emphasizes the importance of the White Helmets Initiative;

126

REITERATING the importance of the White Helmets Initiative in the western

hemisphere to the relief of natural disasters to member states whose domestic governments

are incapable of managing these cases by themselves;

RECOGNIZING the measures that the ISDR (International Security for Disaster

Reduction) is taking to help raise community awareness regarding the need for disaster

prevention;

UNDERSTANDING that natural disasters are a major cause of poverty;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the cost of disaster damage is now 15 times higher

than it was in the 1950s;

that the number of disasters has grown from fewer than 100 in 1975 to more than 400 in

2005;

that approximately 2.6 billion people were affected by natural disasters over the past ten

years compared to 1.6 billion the previous decade; and

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the White Helmets Commission for its outstanding efforts and

accomplishments.

2. To commend the meteorological institutes located in countries frequently

exposed to natural disasters for the vital roles they play in helping to record and

predict the impacts of natural disasters.

3. To urge member nations to adopt and enforce legal requirements that address

the securing of homes, boarding up of windows, clearing of loose debris, etc.

4. To encourage the member states:

a. To emphasize natural disaster awareness in school curricula based on

127

regional needs, such as hurricane instruction in the Caribbean.

b. To initiate public practice drills.

5. To create a working group in the Committee on Hemispheric Security under the

jurisdiction of the Permanent Council, for the purpose of;

a. Developing and publishing multilingual brochures, pod casts, and public

service announcements on how to be prepared for and act during such

situations.

b. Calling upon the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation

(WHISC), which emphasizes democracy and human rights, for funding of the

production of natural disaster risk management curricula and materials.

c. Asking for additional financial support through voluntary

contributions from member nations.

Approved for form and substance: __________________________


1. Jamaica

2. Honduras


4. St Kitts & Nevis

5. Mexico

128

II-2-13

NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND ASSISTANCE IN

NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTER SITUTIONS


Draft resolution presented by the delegation of Guatemala


HAVING SEEN:

Article 31 of the Charter of the Organization of American States which denotes that "Inter-

American cooperation for integral development is the common and joint responsibility of Member

States. It should include the economic, social, education, cultural, scientific, and technological fields,

support the achievement of national objectives of Member States, and respect the priorities established

by each country in its development plans";

Article 37 of the Charter of the Organization of American States which specifies that "The

Member States agree to join together in seeking a solution to urgent or critical problems that may arise

whenever the economic development or stability of any Member State is seriously affected by

conditions that cannot be remedied through the efforts of the State";

CONSIDERING:

That the natural disasters are unavoidable catastrophes that happen worldwide. That

vulnerability to natural disasters ought to be reduced when it is possible; and

That vulnerability has already been reduced through the use of hazard warning

radios, in the six states of the United States that require the use of radios. and radios are

being implemented in all public schools; that the system will include all types of hazards

and the radios will be area-specific,

RESOLVES:

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1. To encourage Member States to apply this system to public school or in the center of any town

so the population will be warned and informed of any incoming natural disaster.

Radios will be implemented in all public schools; and to make the system well aware of all types the of

hazards and to make the radios area-specific.

2. To request funding from the special Multilateral fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral

Development (FEMCIDI) in order to assist the implementation of radios in a public forum in Member

States.

Approved for form and substance: _____________________________________________


Cosignatories:

1. Colombia

2. St Kitts and Nevis

3. Argentina

4. Peru


130

II-2-14

RESOLUTION TO CREATE NEW AGENCIES TO RESPOND TO

NATURAL DISASTERS IN A TIMELY MANNER

Committee: Second Committee Item No 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: The United States

The General Assembly

HAVING SEEN:

The Recommendations of the Committee on Hemispheric Security on natural disaster

reduction and risk management CP/CSH-718/05

The Report by the Department of Sustainable Development on the First Meeting of the

Inter-American Network for Disaster Mitigation CP/CSH/INF. 70/07

The Report of the First Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster

Reduction (IACNDR) September 24, 2007 - Washington, D.C CP/CSH-926/07

The Report on the implementation of AG/RES. 2184 (XXXVI-O/06) and AG/RES.

2314 (XXXVII-O/07) [Presented by the Department of Sustainable Development of the

Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (DSD/SEDI)] CP/CSH-925/07

NOTING THAT:

Response times to Natural disasters in the past 5 years have been significantly slow.

With the number and severity of Natural Disasters rising every year, the need or a new

approach to the prevention and security of all member states and its citizens.

131

CONSIDERING:

The complaints of citizens of member states in the area of National Disasters, the

Delegation of the Unites States is proposing a plan to institute a new agency to ensure rapid

response times to natural disasters. This includes but is not limited to new enforcement

agencies; revised evacuation plans for all member states, and cooperation and aide from all

other law enforcement agencies.

RESOLVES:

1. To Thank existing law enforcement and governments of all member states for

their time and effort in responding to natural disasters.

2. To create an additional sub committee to collect the statistics and carry out the

researched plans of the previous sub committee.

3. To ask permission for funds from the World Bank to support the new agency

being formed.

4. To recommend the government of each member state, to initiate revised

evacuation routes for all member states.

5. To recommend the government of each member state, to select and train military

personnel to be apart of the new agency being formed.

6. To have a Soccer Tournament, that would be hosted and organized by the

Delegation of the Unites States, in order to raise extra funds for the training and

hiring of new personnel. This will also be recognized to raise awareness of past

Natural Disasters and what better ways to handle those situations. The

tournament will also be made an annual event to help raise funds for a variety of

causes in the coming years.

132



Cosignatories:


2. Paraguay

3. Nicaragua

4. Peru

5. Venezuela

133

II-2-15

PROPOSAL FOR THE IMPROVEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC

FACILITIES IN ORDER TO MEET STANDARDS THAT WILL WITHSTAND

HURRICANES

Second Committee Item No. 2 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution presented by the delegation of Saint Kitts and Nevis


HAVING SEEN:

Chapter IIV, Article 33 of the Charter of the Organization of American States which

states that “Development is a primary responsibility of each country and should constitute

an integral and continuous process for the establishment of a more just economic and social

order that will make possible and contribute to the fulfillment of the individual”;

The Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile

in April 1998, in which the Heads of State and Government agreed to "mitigate the damages

caused by the effects of 'El Niño' and other natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions,

hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods, and their impact on the economy and ecosystems,

based on improved forecasting, prevention and response capacity, improved research and

training methods to deal with natural hazards, and the application of science and technology

to address the effects of climate variability on health, agriculture and water"; and

The Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World, prepared by the

World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (1994), which concluded, inter alia, that

134

disaster prevention "contributes to lasting improvement in safety and is essential to

integrated disaster management",

CONSIDERING:

That the severe loss of life, economic devastation, destruction of culture, and

damage to homes, public buildings, and other property is caused by natural disasters such

as hurricanes;

That hurricanes cause a long-term impact on the socioeconomic development of the

countries and regions affected if action is not taken to rebuild and improve the community;

That schools and public buildings are frequently used by people living nearby as

emergency shelters after hurricanes;

That these public facilities are inadequately designed to withstand even category

three hurricanes;

That, generally, the roofs of these buildings are made out of timber or metal frame

with some form of moisture resistant material;

That past hurricanes have severely damaged or destroyed the roofs of these public

facilities so that they are not able to protect people from imminent hurricanes or even the

elements;

That new technology has been introduced in which houses are built on stilts so that

harsh winds and rain wipe out and destroy only the bottom floor, leaving the stilts as the

foundation for keeping the house standing, rather than damaging the entire structure;

135

That building a facility on stilts costs 10% more than the regular price of a building;

That the technique of building homes on stilts can also be applied to public facilities

to not only protect the building and the property inside, but also to protect the people

within the building;

That current designs and specifications render buildings highly vulnerable to natural

hazards, particularly hurricanes; and

That it would cost a less amount of money to update the roofs of the old facilities

and to use “stilt technology” on each new facility than it would to completely rebuild the

buildings of a country each time a hurricane destroys them,

RESOLVES:

1. To encourage member states to coordinate a program under the

Department of Sustainable Development that will seek to update and/or

reconstruct the roofs of old public facilities such as schools, hospitals, etc.

so that they are built of poured concrete and can withstand at least a

category three hurricane.

2. To recommend Member States to develop and implement this program

seeking:

136

a) To prioritize with facilities that are located on the east coast

because of a higher risk of damaging storms.

b) To incorporate new technological methods such as building on

stilts into the construction of public facilities.

c) To use these improved or reconstructed facilities as emergency

shelters not only after a hurricane hits, but during a hurricane as

well.

d) To inspect the maintenance of these facilities, specifically their

roofs, stilts, and walls, and, if a building has severe damage, to

reconstruct aspects of the building that require it.

3. To request to the Tinker Foundation for the provision of necessary funding

for the program.

Approved for form and substance: _________________________________________(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories:

1. Colombia

2. Guatemala


4. Mexico

5. El Salvador

137

II-2-16

NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND ASSISTANCE IN NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTER SITUATIONS.

Committee-2nd Topic No: 2 on the AgendaDraft resolution presented by the Delegation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines


HAVING SEEN:

Article 2a of the charter of the organization of American states that strengthening

peace and security is an essential purpose; and AG/RES. 2114 (XXXV-O/05) the

devastation in several member states caused by many natural disasters, including the severe

2004 hurricane season, cyclical problems associated with the “El Niño” warm water

currents in the Pacific Ocean, floods, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis, which have

resulted in losses suffered by their populations including death, the significant damage to

their economic and social infrastructure, and the resulting negative impact on their

development and poverty eradication efforts, exacerbated by the diversion to disaster

response of financial resources away from sustainable development;

STRESSING:

That the recorded economic loss worldwide, due to natural disasters has been

increasing according to Munich Re (2002), annual economic losses related with natural

disasters increased from US$75.5 billion in the 1960s, to US$659.9 billion in the 1990s in

fact, the reported global cost of natural disasters has increased 15-fold since the 1950s in

2003 alone, Munich Re reported over US$65 billion in economic losses due to natural

disasters (Munich Re, 2003).

REAFFIRMING:

The importance of urgently reducing the vulnerability of member states to natural

disasters through the development of domestic natural disaster reduction strategies, mutual

assistance, and technical cooperation;

The importance of the member states enforcing applicable building codes and land-

use plans to reduce the impact of natural hazards; and

The need to strengthen the planning and management activities of the OAS so as to

138

respond more effectively to the frequent natural disasters in the Hemisphere

BEARING IN MIND:

Natural disasters increases poverty because of the damage they cause. The damage

includes loss of human lives, they affect the current living standards of poor people and

limit their ability to escape from poverty as well, poor households are often forced to sell

their meager assets at extremely low prices these responses perpetuate chronic poverty,

possibly reducing future economic growth.

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the OAS for supporting its member states’ efforts to reduce the

impact of natural disasters, appealing to the hemisphere’s citizens to educate themselves on

how to respond to hurricanes and other natural hazards.

2. To encourage the international community and international financial institutions

to fund programs on risk management focusing on identification and reduction.

3. To actively encourage the preparation and sharing of individual country disaster

preparedness, response in order to facilitate more effective support from members of the

international community.

4. To include guidelines for Member states to educate citizens about the effects that

natural disasters cause, and guidelines in being prepared in the event of a natural disaster.

Cosignatories:

1. Chile

2. Guatemala


4. Canada

5. Brazil

139

II-2-17NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND ASSISTANCE

IN NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTER SITUATIONS.

Second Committee: Hemispheric Security Item No: 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of Trinidad and Tobago


CONCERNED:

By the devastation caused by diverse natural disasters, including hurricanes,

floods, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis, which have resulted in the losses in lives and

buildings and resulting in a negative impact on the development of countries; and

RECOGNIZING:

The frequency of said disasters, specifically in nations bordering the northern Pacific

and Atlantic oceans; and

CONSIDERING:

That reducing the fatalities and injuries which occur from natural disasters are

dependent on a high degree of preparedness, effective mobilization and coordination by

government and independent organizations; and

NOTING:

The prior resolution on natural disaster risk and management [AG/RES. 2184

(XXXVI-O/06)], in particular the resolve to keep the topic of natural disaster reduction, risk

management, and assistance in top priority,

RESOLVES:

1. To urge every nation has adequate plans and programs to effectively address all

disasters and minimize the loss of lives and property.

2. To instruct the Department of Sustainable Development to create “the Inter-

American Program for Natural Disaster Relief”, to do the following:

140

a. To create a fund for natural disaster preparedness with the hemisphere,

including fresh water, food, first aid, emergency generators for places

such as hospitals and schools, and security from looting.

b. To identify sources who can deliver said resources in case of emergency.

c. To meet the immediate needs of disaster victims, should a disaster occur,

and begin community recovery, by supplying the nation with fresh water,

food, shelter, first aid, and security from looting.

d. To recommend the cooperation and sharing of information among

scientists, and meteorologists of all nations represented, to make certain

that the nations of the Western Hemisphere will have the most knowledge

possible of any future natural disasters.

e. To create a greater sense of preparedness in all nations by first practicing

evacuation techniques to prepare locals, then by creating an alert system

to notify civilians when there is an oncoming storm, flood, or earthquake.

f. To seek funding for the program from the IMF.

g. To urge all member states to contribute funds to creating this program,

noting that it costs less to prepare for a natural disaster than to clean up

after it.

Approved for form and substance:________________________________________(Signature of Faculty Advisor)

Cosignatories: 1. United States2. Colombia3. Jamaica4. Antigua & Barbuda5. Peru

141

II-2-19

NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION, MANAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE IN

NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTER SITUATIONS

Committee: SECOND COMMITTEE: Hemispheric Security: Natural disaster

reduction, risk management, and assistance in natural and other disaster situations

Item No: __2_ of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: HONDURAS

RECOGNIZING That AG/RES. 2277 (XXXVII-0/07) establishes that the States have the

fundamental responsibilities of regulating protection and assistance to people displaced

inside its own jurisdiction;

HAVING SEEN that the article 31 of the Charter of the OAS which establishes that the

inter-American cooperation for integral development is the common responsibility and

solidarity of the members following the steps of democratic principles and of the institutions

within the inter-American system;

BEARING IN MIND that the Chapter II of the Charter of the OAS establishes that the

solidarity between countries is one of the fundamental principles of the organization;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that during the third summit of the Americas, the Chiefs of

State and the government recognized the main function that the OAS complies with the

support for the process of the Summit of the Americas. Also, instituted to be strengthened

142

and reformed, institutional mechanisms and financial support towards the process of the

OAS Summits of the Americas considering the functions of technical secretary and to

support sectional ministerial meetings on topics relevant to the organization;

RECOGNIZING the benefits of alert systems that save the population in case of a natural

disasters.

RESOLVES:

1. To urge all members of the OAS to commit immediate assistance to neighboring

countries which are victims of a natural disaster.

2. To create a regional alert system through the cooperation and leadership opf strong

economies in the region. Since these economies have the technology in place to track and

estimate some natural disasters, facilitating information to other country members should be

an inexpensive task.

3. Requesting the General Secretariat to implement a regional disaster relief fund as

well as a regional natural disaster prevention project. Through this project, national

prevention centers would be created. These centers would include rescue supplies but also

trained individuals that can be up to the rescue and relief tasks.

4. To urge members to rethink their building policies. Uptodate building codes should

allow for the construction of stronger structures that will resist natural disasters therefore

securing people, and the economic infrastructure.

5. To recommend all country members to establish sound security measures in public

places such as hospitals or schools in order to limit population injury.

143

6. To propose that since the influence of education is key to prevention, a regional

campaign be established that will inform and educate students and their families about how

to prepare and what to do in the case of a natural disaster.

7. To urge the cooperation of the media in each country by informing accurately and

responsibly the population in regards to prevention and security to the population in the

areas at risk in case of a natural disaster.



Cosignatories:

1. St Kitts & Nevis

2. Colombia


4. Guatemala

5. Chile

144

WG-2-10

PROPOSAL FOR THE CREATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR NATURAL DISASTER PREVENTION

Second Committee Item Number 2 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution presented by the delegations of: Mexico, Nicaragua, and Brazil


HAVING SEEN,

AG/RES. 2372 (XXXVIII O/08) “Coordination of Volunteers in the Hemisphere in

Response to Natural Disasters and the Fight against Hunger and Poverty—White Helmets

Initiative, “the need to develop networks, cooperation mechanisms, experience sharing, and

mutual assistance among member states an sub regional, regional and international agencies,

and the importance of participation by the community and its organizations in the diagnostic

assessment of their problems, and in preparing tools for disaster prevention and response;”

AG/RES. 2184 (XXXVI-O/06) “Natural Disaster Reduction and Assistance in

Natural and other Disaster Situations, which states: “the devastation in several member

states caused by diverse natural disasters including phenomena such as the severe 2004 and

2005 hurricane seasons, cyclical problems associated with the “El Nino” warm water

currents in the Pacific Ocean, floods, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and

tsunamis, which have resulted in losses suffered by their populations, including the tragic

loss of life, the substantial damage to their economic and social infrastructure;”

CP/CSH-69705, “Recommendations on Natural Disaster Reduction to the

Organization of the American States (OAS) and its Subsidiaries,” which states, “Risk

reduction involves developing, revising and reinforcing the appropriate building standards,

developing environmental protection programs, land use planning, and reviewing resource

management practices;”

Article 31 of the Charter of the OAS which states, “Inter-American cooperation for

integral development is the common and joint responsibility of the Member States, within

the framework of the democratic principles and the institutions of the Inter American

system, it should include the economic, social, educational, cultural, scientific, and

145

technological fields, support the achievement of national objectives of the Member States,

and respect the priorities established by each country in its development plans, without

political ties or conditions; and

Article 34 of he Charter of the OAS which states that equality of opportunity is a

basic objective of integral development and can be accomplished by “urban conditions that

offer the opportunity for a healthful, productive, and full life.”

CONSIDERING

That the White Helmets have been working for over 15 years with the Member

States in natural disaster aid, in conjunction with other civil aid groups;

That there is a potential increase in the severity of extreme weather events in the

coming years, as noted by the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change;

That the consequences of natural disasters in Member States are very costly, due to

the unpreparedness the states’ citizens and the under development of the nation’s

infrastructure; and

That the South American Satellite Coverage states that over five million people have

been affected by natural disasters, and that over two million people have died because of

natural disasters in the last 30 years;

DEEPLY CONCERNED

That the devastation in several member states caused by multiple natural disasters

including water currents, floods, landslides, and tsunamis has resulted in losses suffered by

their population including a tremendous loss of life, damage to social and economic

necessities, and results in a negative impact on their development objectives and urban

conditions efforts;

RESOLVES:

146

1. To commend the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR)

through the Inter-American Strategic Plan for Policy on Vulnerability Reduction, Risk

Management and Disaster (IASP), for their ongoing work in the prevention and mitigation

of Natural Disasters.

2. To commend the White Helmets Initiative for its ongoing work with Member States in

natural disaster prevention and recovery.

3. To develop the Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention (IACNDP)

which will primarily focus on helping Member States with the prevention of human loss,

damage to infrastructure, and socio-economic impact due to natural disasters. IACNDP’s

functions would include, but would not be limited to the following:

a. Evaluating the present infrastructure of Member States and creating plans to

prevent heavy losses due to natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and hurricanes.

b. Instructing each Member State to improve those areas infrastructure that might

need rebuilding or reconstructing, after the evaluation.

c. Advising the Member States to incorporate the Base Isolation technology in their

buildings, which have been proven very effective in other countries heavily affected by

similar natural disasters, such as Japan.

d. Suggesting that hurricane shelters be placed along the inland terrain every 50

kilometers in populated areas (farther apart for less populated areas).

e. Requesting that each of these shelters have adequate food and first aid supplies

according to the population of the area to sustain the people seeking refuge in the shelters

during and immediately after a natural disaster.

f. Urging member states to construct these shelters in a safe place on the terrain,

away from the threat of mudslides, flooding, or other natural disasters.

g. Suggesting the placement of an effective alarm system in order to evacuate

people in affected areas safely and efficiently.

h. Utilizing the media such as radio, film, and television, and holding conferences in

schools and public areas, such as parks, which would deliver information and data about

natural disasters, as well as plans of actions for particular natural disasters.

147

4. To request to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the provision of necessary

funding for the Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention (IACNDP).



Cosignatories:

1. Brazil2. Chile3. Honduras4. Antigua & Barbados5. Canada

148

WG – 2-18

NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION AND RISK MANAGEMENT, AND

ASSISTANCE IN NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTER SITUATIONS


Draft resolution by the Delegations of: Suriname

Jamaica

Dominican Republic


RECALLING:

The Charter of the Organization of American States acquires a section that applies

the need for protection and surveillance of natural risk management over the Nations.

Chapter I, Article 2, clause a, mentions “To strengthen the peace and security of the

continent";

Natural disasters cause extreme economical aid as well as aid from others, not

affected as declared by the OAS Charter in Chapter I, Article 2, part e, "To seek the solution

of political, juridical, and economic problems that may arise among them" and in Chapter I,

Article 2, part f, "To promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social, and cultural

development”;

RECOGNIZING:

The fact that natural disaster reduction and risk management is a priority as well as a

beneficial result that gives security and a protective environment for the citizens within a

country. Central for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) delineates a

disaster as a condition that overcomes a local capacity, imposing a request to national or

international level for external help on unexpected events that cause great damage,

destruction, and human suffering.

If certain destruction is managed and acknowledged, it will produce a more

progressive movement for the country, allowing a better focus on other numerable areas that

may require more attention. Having a safer environment from any natural disasters promotes

healthier, longer lives for the people within the nation by decreasing probability of any

149

injuries or death from a natural disaster; and

The need to supply high-risk areas with supplies for both pre- and post disaster to

cushion the impact of the disaster, both man-made and natural.

REITERATING:

The need to develop and share disaster management strategies to avoid

vulnerabilities to both the hemispheres population and economies


The Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) is the

main forum of the OAS and the Inter-American System for the analysis of policies as well

as strategies aimed at natural disaster reduction in the situation of the expansion of member

states. The OAS General Assembly established the IACNDR (AG/RES. XXIX-O-99)

primarily to strengthen the role of the OAS in natural disaster reduction and emergency

awareness and to direct the member states' decisions on natural disaster reduction by

proposals concluding in a decrease of the countries’ vulnerability;

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) calls for intensive actions to concentrate

on the root causes of the region’s vulnerability and its new focus are to place disaster

prevention at the region's development agenda. The Bank will help countries incorporate

risk decline in development planning and investments, as well as building a permanent

technical and operational capacity to manage risk reduction more effectively in the future.

HAVING SEEN:

That every time that a natural disaster crosses around a country, it makes thousands

of people homeless or even take away their lives. For example, the hurricane Gustav

impacted on Jamaica producing damage in 120 roads, agriculture, the 65% of the water

supply, the deaths of 4 people and it affected another 4,000 persons;

150

Draft Resolution: Natural Disaster Reduction CP/CSH-452/02 rev.2,

Recommendations on natural disaster reduction to the Organization of American States and

its Subsidiaries CP/CSH-666/05 rev. 1; and

Draft Resolution from the Meeting of High Level National Authorities on Natural

Disaster Reduction and Risk Management CP/RES. 928 (1627/08)

CONSIDERING:

The agreements of the Heads of States at the Third Summit of the Americas, in

particular the “Disaster Management” section and the commitment to plan, develop and

share disaster management strategies to avoid the vulnerability of their economies and

population to man made disasters,

RESOLVES:

1. To congratulate the Organization of American States for the aid it has provided

over the Dominican Republic as well as the Western Hemisphere throughout

several organizations for example the IACNDR that helped deeply in having

strategies and polices considered for the natural disasters and risk management.

Also to commend the CRED for all the research and information it has provided

for the cause of natural disasters.

2. To urge member states to provide priority for reducing vulnerability and damage

to the society.

3. To request the IDB, Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and the

Inter-American Emergency Aid Committee (IAEAC) to financially support the

natural disaster reduction and risk management that are occurring in the Western

Hemisphere by providing financial aid to the people affected by these events.

4. To establish two committees in case of any natural or other disasters. A pro-

active committee and a re-active committee.

a. To encourage volunteers from the community to be part of the

committee, in order to have volunteers aid their neighbors in their time of

need.

b. To provide the pro-active committee to prepare for announced natural

151

disasters (e.g. Public Service Announcements)

c. To arrange a shelter for the protection of the community before the

natural disaster occurs.

d. To urge the re-active committee in aiding families, neighbors, and

communities with any social, economical, or medical attention (i.e.

malaria, dengue fever, typhoid fever, physical trauma, etc.)

e. To supply affected communities with food, fresh water, electricity,

clothing, and shelter.

f. To utilize current technology in an effort to better implement the

aforementioned resolves.

5. To create the Natural Disasters American Organizations (NDAO) that will

recollect funds to help any country of the Americas in times of need. This

organization will be divided in parts that are specifically chosen depending on

the type of natural disaster that can occur in each area.

a. To assist the Central American and Caribbean Islands as well as other

areas that are prone to hurricane damages.

b. To aid Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,

and all of the other Member States that are more likely to be affected by

an earthquake

c. To support Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and all of the other

countries where there is a possibility of incidental damages in areas

located near nuclear plants.

6. To educate the public about the hazards of natural disasters and provide

information on evacuation measures, safety points, how to survive natural

disasters, and research that will protect the community and prepare the public for

natural or other disasters.

a. To establish the Institute of Natural Disasters (IND) that will present

courses in colleges and universities, as well as workshops to the general

public.

Approve for form and substance: _______________________________________


152

Cosignatories:

1. Argentina

2. St. Vincent & the Grenadines

3. Ecuador

4. Venezuela

5. Chile

153


Third Committee


154

III-1-1THE ROLE OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS IN PROMOTING GROWTH

AND PROSPERTIY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPERE

Third Committee Topic No: 1 of the Agenda

Draft resolution present by the delegation: Dominican Republic


BEARING IN MIND that the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS)

denotes one of the fundamental purposes of OAS is “to promote, by cooperative action, the

economic, cultural, and social development [of the Hemisphere]”, and further reaffirms the

principle that “economic cooperation is essential to the common welfare and prosperity of

the peoples of the continent”;

RECALLING that in the Joint Declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on

Trade, held in San Jose, Costa Rica, the Ministers of Trade of the 34 member states stated

that one of their goals was “to promote prosperity through increased economic integration

and free trade among the countries of our Hemisphere, which are key factors for raising

standards of living, improving the working conditions of people in the Americas and better

protecting the environment”;

REALIZING that there is a huge gap in economic growth between member nations,

ranging from an increasing %9.3 in Uruguay to a shrinking %2.5 in Guyana and that it is the

goal of the OAS member nations to confront problems of this nature together so that the

nations of this hemisphere may prosper together;

155

ACKNOWLEDGING that the original purpose of Free Trade Area of the Americas

(FTAA) is to unite all American countries into a single free trade network, to eventually

eliminate trade and investment barriers, and to peacefully negotiate agreeable terms to

benefit all member states, particularly in the areas of market access, investment, services,

government procurement, dispute settlement, agriculture, intellectual property rights,

subsidies, antidumping and countervailing duties, and competition policy;

RECOGNIZING The leaders of the Dominican Republic, United States, Canada,

Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Peru

“acknowledged that macro-economic stability and trade liberalization are important tools in

the fight against poverty”; and

FURTHER RECOGNIZING the U.S., and the 11 Western Hemisphere countries

with which it has negotiated bilateral or regional free trade agreements, launched the new

Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas (PPA) initiative on September 24th, which has

expressed support for initiatives like the Doha Round, the Free Trade Area of the Asia-

Pacific and efforts to promote economic integration in the hemisphere, including the

Summit of the Americas process, the Latin America Pacific Arc Initiative, the Central

American Economic Integration process and the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic

Partnership,

156

RESOLVES:

1. To congratulate member states for facilitating efforts in diminishing barriers of

regional trade and expanding cooperation of regional and global economic

development.

2. To commend member states and reiterate the Organization of American States’

commitment to democracy, open markets and free trade, and overall progress of

the association.

3. To urge an open architecture for regional trade consistent with the global trading

system by further reducing barriers to trade and promoting awareness of

international trade opportunities among regional entrepreneurs.

4. To continue promoting member states to develop international cooperation and

exchanging of best practices on labor and environmental standards and

enforcement.

5. Considering welfare of individuals will be affected by international efforts of

corroborating for financial integration of ideas and cooperation of alliances, to

recommend

A. The reconsideration of implementation of the FTAA, seeing as how its

ideals are relevant to the topic at hand; one of which affects not just few

select nations but all member nations, whether it be directly or indirectly.

157

B. The re-examination this resolution in an effort to promote development

and success in the participating member states, and countries of the

region.

C. The reaffirmation that passing this resolution will benefit all participating

countries and member states in pursuit of a flourishing economy in the

Pan-American Region.



Cosignatories:

1. Colombia

2. St Kitts & Nevis

3. Guatemala


5. Chile

158

III-1-2

INCREASING TRADE WITH SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES AS A ROAD

TO PROSPERITY

Third Committee Item No: 1 of the Agenda



HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 2376 (XXXVIII-O/08), “To Take Note of the Report of the

Permanent Council on Free Trade and Investment in the Hemisphere”; and

Resolutions AG/RES. 2301 (XXXVII-O/07), AG/RES. 2239 (XXXVI-O/06),

AG/RES. 2063 (XXXV-O/05), AG/RES. 1976 (XXXIV-O/04), and AG/RES. 1914

(XXXIII-O/03); and

CONSIDERING:

That the potential economic gains from liberalized trade are much larger in smaller

economies, and in particular in the economies of small island developing nations;

The expressed commitment of the OAS and its member states of a free and fair trade

regime incorporating all nations of the hemisphere; and

The proliferation of bilateral and sub-hemispheric multilateral trade liberalization

agreements, such as NAFTA, CARICOM, and MERCOSUR; and

159

NOTING WITH DISMAY:

That progress towards the implementation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas

has stalled due to seemingly intractable conflicts between member states; and

The disproportionate toll that illiberal trade policies take on the economies of small

island developing nations,

RESOLVES:

1. To rededicate itself to negotiating a Free Trade Area of the Americas

acceptable to all member states.

2. To endorse the pursuit of sub-hemispheric multilateral trade agreements

until such time as the FTAA can be negotiated and accepted.

3. To stress the importance of incorporating small island developing states

into bilateral or sub-hemispheric multilateral trade agreements.

4. To direct the Executive Secretary for Integral Development, through the

Department of Trade, Tourism, and Development, to study the feasibility of

incorporating the nations of CARICOM into more comprehensive sub-

hemispheric multilateral trade agreements.

Approved for form and substance: ________________________________________

160

Cosignatories:

1. Ecuador

2. Panama

3. St Kitts & Nevis

4. Brazil

5. Argentina

161

III-1-3

THE ROLE OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS IN PROMOTING GROWTH AND PROSPERITY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Committee: Third Committee

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of: Honduras


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 2014 (XXXIV-O/04): TRADE AND INTEGRATION IN THE

AMERICAS

BEARING IN MIND:

The Declaration of Santiago, issued at the Second Summit of the Americas, in which

the Heads of State and Government of the Hemisphere directed their ministers responsible

for international trade to begin negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas

(FTAA) and reaffirmed their determination to conclude the negotiation of the FTAA no

later than 2005 ;

CONSIDERING:

That free trade would be profitable to all Member States, because by promoting

imports it sponsors competitiveness, and by encouraging exports, it fosters the creation of

wealth;

That the free flow of merchandise within the Western Hemisphere is the first step in

promoting free trade in the region;

162

That protectionist policies inhibit economic expansion in developing countries by

suppressing the growth of businesses and industries, and that the negative consequences of

such policies have been condemned by such authorities as the World Bank, the World Trade

Organization, and the International Monetary Fund;

That in addition to promoting free trade, open diplomacy and pacific conflict

resolution must be simultaneously and consistently upheld if the region is to sustain any

economic initiative.

RESOLVES:

1. To recognize that free trade sponsors increased imports that help struggling families

by increasing competitiveness, and therefore, lowering prices and expanding

consumer choice.

2. To request the elimination of border tariffs on goods circulating within the Americas

in an attempt to facilitate trade and promote the economies of the Western

Hemisphere.

3. To reiterate the necessity of abolishing protectionist policies as they suffocate

smaller economies and condemn developing countries to poverty.

4. To urge the strengthening of diplomatic ties between conflicting countries in the

region, because before social inequalities can be leveled and tangible economic gain

sustained anywhere in the Americas, peace and stability must be maintained

throughout the hemisphere.


163


Cosignatories:

1. Jamaica

2. Argentina

3. Panama

4. Chile

5. El Salvador

164

III-1-4

THE INCLUSION OF THE CARICOM NATIONS IN CAFTA DR IN ORDER TO

REDUCE TARIFFS AND TAXES ON REGIONAL TRADE AND THUS INCREASE

ECONOMIC GROWTH IN MEMBER STATES

Third Committee Topic No.1 of the agenda

Draft resolution by the Delegation of St. Kitts and Nevis


HAVING SEEN:

Article 12 of the OAS Inter-American Democratic Charter which states, “The OAS

member states are committed to adopting and implementing all those actions required to

generate productive employment, reduce poverty, and eradicate extreme poverty, taking into

account the different economic realities and conditions of the countries of the Hemisphere”,

CONSCIOUS:

That taxes and tariffs on trade decrease the amount of trade between nations and

even prevent trade between numerous nations;

That taxes and tariffs cost traders money that prevents them from trading as much or

as many things as they might otherwise;

That the reduction of taxes and tariffs on trade will allow and encourage countries to

expand their trade, and trade more often with co-dependent nations; and

That free trade agreements today such as NAFTA and CAFTA DR have been proven

to expand trade and increase economic prosperity in member countries,

165

CONVINCED:

Of the need for the cooperation of all member delegations in lowering international

taxes and tariffs in order to increase economic growth in Member States,

RESOLVES:

1. To assure affected nations that these agreements deal solely with trade and are used for

no other purposes.

2. To implement the inclusion of all CARICOM nations in CAFTA DR in order to aid

small and medium-sized exporters by providing them with benefits.

3. To broaden trade and increase economic prosperity in CARICOM nations and members

of CAFTA DR.

Approved for from and substance______________________________


Cosignatories:

1. Colombia


3. Guatemala

4. Panama


166

III-1-7

REPORT OF THE ROLE OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS IN PROMOTING GROWTH AND PROSPERITY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Committee: Inter-American Council for Integral Development Item No: 1 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of:

Canada

(Name of country or countries)


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution CIDI/RES. 133 (VIII-O/03), “Trade and Integration of the Americas”; and

Resolution CEPCIDI/RES.88 (LXXXVIII-O/03) “Allocation of Resources to the

Proposal to Enhance Trade-Related Capacity Building and Preparedness for the Free Trade

Area of the America’s Process”; and

AG/RES. 1973 (XXXIII-O/03), “Trade and Integration in The Americas”; and

NOTING:

That active regional trade provides support to economic and trade integration

processes in the Member States; and

That Doha Development was established for the trade-negotiation round of the World

Trade Organization, and the Doha members have recognized that the technical cooperation

167

and capacity-building are core elements of the development dimension of the multilateral

trading system; and

RESOLVES:

11. To enhance communications among the Member States and enforce attention

to trade agreements among those nations who have been lacking in economic interaction.

12. To acknowledge the collaborative activities of member nations with other

specialized regional, sub-regional, and multilateral organizations and institutions.

13. To revive Special Committee on Trade (SCT) in purpose of overseeing the

yearly progress on trade agreements between the countries for the development of an open

and transparent international trade system through bilateral, regional and global

negotiations.

i) Emphasizing the nedd of communication between countries,

ii) Special Committee on Trade (SCT) and its Advisory Group will

provide input into the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)

process to study different aspects of hemispheric trade relations, and

ensure effective coordination with regional and sub-regional

organizations of integration.

iii) During the meeting, the member states will discuss the processes

or problems that have emerged that year and propose solutions.

iv) The Commission will not only focus on the benefit of the

prospering country but also for the aid seeking countries through

getting help and support from other members of countries.

168

14. To continue to give support to the Doha Development Round by the OAS

members, which would help to refocus governments' attention on their broader global trade

interests, and reduce the scope for biased trade policy.


Cosignatories:

1. Jamaica

2. Argentina

3. El Salvador

4. Panama

5. Chile

169

III-1-8

INCREASING CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION IN THE SUMMITS OF THE

AMERICAS PROCESS

Third Committee Item No. 2 of the

Agenda



HAVING SEEN:

CP/RES. 759 (1217/99), “Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society

Organizations in OAS Activities,” which mandated "a periodic review of participation by

civil society organizations in OAS activities, with a view to recommending… any measures

for improvement" considered desirable; and

AG/RES. 2395 (XXXVIII-O/08), "Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society

Participation in the Activities of the Organization of American States and in the Summits of

the Americas Process," which "reaffirm[ed] the commitment and will of the Member States

and the Organization to continue strengthening and implementing effective mechanisms and

concrete actions for civil society participation in… the Summits of the Americas Process";

and

AWARE OF:

170

The approaching Fifth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago

in 2009, with the theme of "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting Human Prosperity,

Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability";

The role that civil society organizations can and do play in addressing human

prosperity, energy security, and environmental responsibility;

The importance of the participation of civil society organizations in promoting and

continuing the growth of democracy in the hemisphere;

The centrality of the Summits of the Americas process and of the Regular Sessions

of the General Assembly to the functioning of the Organization of American States and to

the citizens of the hemisphere; and

CONSIDERING:

That many NGOs and civil society organizations rely on private donations and

governmental grants for their day-to-day funding, and that this situation is especially

difficult in times of economic crisis; and

NOTING WITH ALARM:

The possibility that the contributions of civil society organizations to OAS activities

and the Summits of the Americas process may be unduly constrained and their effectiveness

limited by excessive regulations on the method of participation; and

DETERMINED

To ensure that the deliberations and proceedings of the OAS, and in particular those

of the Summits of the Americas, are informed by the wide participation of representative

171

civil society organizations, ever aware of the necessity of increasing the democratic

legitimacy of the OAS,

RESOLVES:

1. To applaud the contributions of NGOs and civil society organizations to the

promotion of sustainable growth and the protection of democracy in the hemisphere.

2. To urge the Permanent Council to amend Article 3.a of the Guidelines for the

Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities in such a way as to allocate

individual sessions within the Summit of the Americas and the Regular Sessions of the

General Assembly during which certain civil society organizations may have the right to

speak and participate freely.

3. To instruct the General Secretariat to establish a list of civil society

organizations from which representatives may be granted speaking privileges in the Regular

Sessions of the General Assembly and the Summits of the Americas.

4. To reiterate its call for member states to contribute generously to the Specific

Fund to Support the Participation of Civil Society Organizations and in the Summits of the

Americas Process.

Approved for form and substance:_________________________________________

172

Cosignatories:

1. Colombia

2. St Kitts & Nevis

3. Guatemala


5. Chile

173

III-2-2

INTER-AMERICAN SUMMITS MANAGEMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION IN OAS ACTIVITIES; AND INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL

FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT-CIDI

Third Committee Topic “2” Of the Agenda


CONSIDERING:

At the Fourth Summit of the Americas held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from

November 4-5, 2005 Heads of State and Government of the Americas reiterated the

importance of the participation of civil society in the Summit process. Under the theme

“Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance”, at this Summit,

Heads of State and Government recognized the importance of strengthening broad,

transparent, and inclusive social dialogue with all concerned sectors of society, in order to

promote and consolidate democracy and to build societies with inclusion and social justice;

HAVING SEEN:

The Summit Process has given an important stimulus to the involvement of civil

society in the Organization of American States. The Special Committee on Inter-American

Summits Management and the Committee on Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities

was created in order to establish clear, transparent and modern procedures for interactions

between CSOs and the political organs of the OAS. As a result, the Permanent Council

approved CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) “Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society

Organizations in OAS Activities,” which defines the scope of participation of CSOs in the

activities of the OAS and its political bodies, including attending meetings of these bodies.

This resolution defines the principles governing the participation of CSOs, the

responsibilities of the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system in relation

to CSOs, and the requirements that CSOs must meet in the event that they express their

desire to be registered.

RECOMMENDS:

174

1. Seek to establish public and private funding instruments aimed at building the

capacity of civil society organizations in order to highlight the work and contribution

of these organizations and to promote accountability.

2. Develop strategies at the national level and through the OAS, other multilateral

organizations and Multilateral Development Banks to increase the capacity of civil

society to participate more fully in the inter-American system, as well as in the

political, economic and social development of their communities and countries,

fostering representativeness and facilitating the participation of all sectors of society;

and increase the institutional capacity of governments to receive, absorb and act on

civil society input and advocacy, particularly through the use of information and

communications technologies (virtual platforms).

3. Promote participation of all minority groups in forging a stronger civil society.

4. Develop educational programs, in conjunction with relevant civil society

organizations, academic experts and others, as appropriate, to provide democracy

and human rights education, also to promote the introduction of books and

educational materials that reflect the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of the

Americas as part of primary and secondary school curricula.

5. Seek to establish good communication with the government, in order to provide

recommendations to design and implement public policies.

Approved for form and substance: ___________________________________


Cosignatories:

1. Honduras

2. Chile


4. Mexico

5. El Salvador

175

III-2-5

THE PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE

SUMMITS OF THE AMERICAS PROCESS

Third Committee Item No.2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegations of Antigua and Barbuda


HAVING SEEN the Annual Report of the Permanent Council to the General

Assembly on the activities of the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and

Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (AG/RES.4376/05 add. 6);

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT resolution AG/RES. 1991 (XXXIV-O/04), “Increasing

and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities,”

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society

Organizations in OAS Activities, approved by the Permanent Council in its resolution

CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) and endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution AG/RES.

1707 (XXX-O/00);

CONSIDERING that the Summits of the Americas process encourages full

participation by civil society and that, in the Declaration of Nuevo León, the Heads of State

176

and Government undertook to institutionalize meetings with civil society and with the

academic and private sectors;

CONSIDERING ALSO that Article 6 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter

states: “It is the right and responsibility of all citizens to participate in decisions relating to

their own development. This is a necessary condition for the full and effective exercise of

democracy. Promoting and fostering diverse forms of participation strengthens

democracy”; and

RECOGNIZING ALSO that civil society participation in OAS activities contributes

to the collaboration between CSOs and the political and institutional bodies of the OAS,

RESOLVES:

1. To reaffirm the commitment of the Member States to continue strengthening

mechanisms for civil society participation in the Summits of the Americas process and in

the activities of the OAS, as well as the willingness of the OAS to implement concrete

actions designed to achieve the effective participation of civil society in the Summits

process and the OAS.

2. To instruct the Permanent Council, the Inter-American Council for Integral

Development (CIDI), and the General Secretariat, in coordination with all agencies and

entities of the OAS, to continue to aid the implementation of the Strategies for Increasing

and Strengthening Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities, approved

177

by the Permanent Council on March 26, 2003 [CP/RES. 840 (1361/03)] and endorsed by

resolution AG/RES. 1915 (XXXIII-O/03), "Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society

Participation in OAS Activities."

3. To renew its request to the Committee on Inter-American Summits

Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities, and instruct the Summits of

the Americas Secretariat and the Department of International Affairs to prepare a report on

the results achieved to date with respect to civil society participation in the Summits process

and in the activities of the OAS, incorporating the recommendations of registered

organizations with respect to access to information, transparency of the mechanisms for

participation, and means of participation.

4. To renew its invitation to all Member States, Permanent Observers, and other

donors, as defined in Article 73 of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the

General Secretariat and other rules and regulations of the Organization, to contribute to the

Specific Fund to Support the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities

and in the Summits of the Americas Process, in order to support participation by civil

society organizations in OAS activities, including the dialogue of heads of delegation with

the Secretary General and with representatives of civil society organizations.

178

5. To continue to urge Member States to participate in the dialogue of heads of

delegation with representatives of civil society organizations in the context of General

Assembly sessions and in the Summits process; and

6. To recognize the efforts of the countries hosting the thirty-fifth regular

session of the General Assembly and the Fourth Summit of the Americas to work with the

General Secretariat and with civil society organizations to facilitate civil society

participation in the dialogue of heads of delegation and in preparations for the Fourth

Summit, in accordance with the provisions of resolution CP/RES. 840 (1361/03); and to

encourage future hosts to continue and build on these customs.

7. To instruct the General Secretariat to report to the Permanent Council before

the thirty-sixth regular session of the General Assembly on the implementation of this

resolution.



1. Dominica2. Paraguay3. St. Vincent & the Grenadines4. United States5. Dominica

179

III-2-7

PARTICIPATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS IN THE SUMMIT OF THE

AMERICAS PROCESS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE PROTECTION AND

INCLUSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS WITHIN THEIR BORDERS

Third Committee Item No. 2 of the

Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of Mexico


HAVING SEEN:

AG/RES. 2412 (XXXVIII-O/08) “Human Rights Defenders: Support for

Individuals, Groups, and Organizations of Civil Society Working to Promote and Protect

Human Rights in the Americas”;

CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) “Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society

Organizations in OAS Activities”; and

Resolutions AG/RES. 2075 (XXXV-O/05), AG/RES. 2407 (XXXVIII-O/08),

AG/RES. 2411 (XXXVIII-O/08), AG/RES. 2421 (XXXVIII-O/08).

CONSIDERING:

The intention to bring civil society groups into the Summits of the Americas process;

That regarding the Summits of the Americas process, civil society groups are key to

the spread of democracy in the Hemisphere, especially human rights groups, whose

180

foundation is the ideal of democracy. Democracy is the very purpose of the OAS, and is

grounds for the need for integration of human rights groups into the Summits of the

Americas process. The participation of human rights groups should be regarded as a

valuable source of transparency for a nation.

The unease expressed in AG/RES. 2412 (XXXVIII-O/08) “Human Rights

Defenders: Support for Individuals, Groups, and Organizations of Civil Society Working to

Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Americas” where governments have used

counterterrorism legislation and measures to prosecute and incriminate human rights

defenders. That as a result, civil society groups have been prevented from doing their work

and their safety has been gravely compromised;

That human rights groups that have been accepted to the OAS are still at risk from

becoming victims of this counterterrorism legislation. Civil societies accepted into the OAS

must follow the guidelines resolved in CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) “Guidelines for the

Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities”. By soliciting entrance and

staying affiliated with the OAS, these civil society groups must admit to a mission of

goodwill and the spread of democracy;

RESOLVES:

1. To instruct the General Secretariat to allow the participation of those human rights

groups that have already been affiliated with the OAS in the Fifth Summit of the

Americas held in Trinidad & Tobago in 2009, following the same rules established

for the participation of civil societies in OAS conferences.

181

2. To instruct the General Secretariat to establish a Plan of Action geared towards the

protection of human rights defenders in the hemisphere, while also creating a

working group comprised of representatives of human rights groups.

3. To commend human rights defenders and civil society groups, such as the Comisión

Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos A.C. (CMDPDH),

Amnesty International, and Global Foundation for Democracy and Development

(GFDD), on their valuable work to promote human rights and general freedom and

democracy in the Hemisphere.

4. To condemn improper legal action taken against good-willed civil society groups by

governments.

5. To protect and respect human rights defenders who are performing their duties

within the bounds of specific civil society groups, providing

a. legal protection and freedom for civil societies within the boundaries of law,

such as by lawful prosecution and providing them with habeas corpus.

b. physical protection these groups with safe working conditions free of

persecution by government agencies and or the police force.

c. protection from extremists and violent ideologies that take advantage of their

power to restrict these groups from their activities.


182

Cosignatories:

1. Colombia2. El Salvador3. Jamaica4. Guatemala5. Antigua & Barbuda

183

III-2-9

PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC VALUES ON THE YOUTH OF THE HEMISPHERE THROUGH EDUCATION, SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND

REGIONAL INITIATIVES

Committee: General Item No: 1 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines


HAVING SEEN:

Article 2b of chapter one "Nature and Purposes" of the OAS charter and Resolution AG/DEC. 57 (XXXVIII-0/08) "DECLARATION OF MEDELLIN YOUTH AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES"; and

Resolution AG/RES. 2252 (XXXVI-0106), "Access to Public Information: Strengthening Democracy";

CONSIDERING:

That the democratic equality present within the OAS is essential to the development in the hemisphere;

REAFFIRMING:

That the participatory nature of democracy in our countries in different aspects of public life which contribute to the consolidation of democratic values and to freedom and solidarity in our respective member nations as in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines which is a multiparty. parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 118,000;

BEARING IN MLND:

That the OAS charter states that "The OAS will continue to carry out programs and activities designed to promote democratic principles and practices and strengthen a democratic culture in the Hemisphere";

184


That the Inter-American Democratic Charter states that the exercise of democracy promotes the preservation of human rights; and AG/RES. 2344 (XXXVII-O/07) which states that "It is the right and responsibility of all citizens to participate in decisions relating to their own development and is a necessary condition for the full and effective exercise of democracy. Promoting and fostering diverse forms of participation strengthens democracy"; and

That all member states have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, without discriminating against backgrounds of any single individual or member state regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems; and recognizing that democracy is a universal value and there is no single model of democracy; and all member states should be open minded towards different approaches toward the advancement of democracy in all other different member states;

NOTING:

That under the universal declaration of Human Rights, article 26 section one, "Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit";" and

That democratic education is essential in order to maintain the values of the OAS which includes promoting democratic values in the western hemisphere,

RESOLVES:

1. To congratulate all member states for their efforts to promote democracy among the youth in their respective governments.

2. To advise that all member states continue promoting democracy among the youth in their respective countries.

3. To request a working group that would report to the General Secretariat to create a curriculum about democracy which would be funded by voluntary contributions based off of how many nations choose to participate in this program and how important they deem this program as a whole.

a. To have the working group be made of several delegates from any willing democratic country within the western hemisphere

b. To create a brief curriculum about democracy to be presented to every country whose government would allow.

185

c. To have the working group meet for a period of two months to create this brief curriculum about democracy and its importance in the western hemisphere.

d. To have the curriculum be integrated into every country that is willing to accept it by any method that they deem fit, including, but not limited to; integration into schools with large demographics, presentations at local community centers, and local shelters for homeless children.

I. To have two parts of the curriculum, the first part being made out of the collaboration of the delegates who chose to participate in the working group and to have a second optional part consisting of the respective democratic values and concepts within each member state depending on the country in which the curriculum is to be presented.

II. To request that the volunteer group known as the White Helmets, be the facilitators of this educational curriculum by volunteering to present this two month curriculum to the people within these nations which choose to adopt this curriculum.

4. To invite all permanent observers to the Fifth Annual Summit of Americas to discuss and help facilitate this initiative.

Cosignatories

1. Honduras2. Chile3. Antigua & Barbuda4. Mexico5. El Salvador

186


Fourth Committee


187

IV-1-2

PROGRAM BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR 2009, AND QUOTAS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MEMBER STATES

Fourth Committee Item No. 2 of the AgendaDraft resolution presented by the delegation of Guatemala


HAVING SEEN:

The proposed program-budget of the Organization of American States (OAS)

for fiscal year 2009, presented by the Secretary General on April 1, 2008

(AG/CP/INF. 573 corr. 1) with an overall budget level of US$90,125,000;

The resolution of the General Assembly, adopted at its thirty-eighth regular

session, “Guidelines for the Program-Budget of the Organization for 2009” AG/RES.

2437 (XXXVIII-O/08);

CONSIDERING:

That, in accordance with Articles 54 and 55 of the OAS Charter, the General

Assembly approves the program-budget of the Organization and establishes the basis

for setting the quota that each government is to contribute to the maintenance of the

Organization, taking into account the ability to pay of the respective countries and

their determination to contribute in an equitable manner;

That, in accordance with Article 60.b of the OAS Charter, the Chair of the

Subcommittee of Administrative and Budgetary Affairs of the Preparatory Committee

transmitted to the General Assembly a report on the proposed program-budget of the

Organization for 2009 (AG/CP/doc.753/08); and

That Article 94 of the General Standards establishes that “The Secretary

General shall submit, together with the proposed program-budget, a proposal on the

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overall budget level for the next year. The General Assembly shall define the general

financial parameters for the budget formulation for the following fiscal period,

considering the current mandates, the working proposals of the Secretary General,

and other statements, which the Member States may make. The decision adopted by

the General Assembly on this overall figure in considering the proposal by the

Secretary General and the opinion of the Preparatory Committee thereon, shall be

used as a guide in formulating the proposed program-budget for the next year”,

RESOLVES:

1. To set the quotas with which the Member States will finance the

Regular Fund of the Organization for the year 2009, in accordance with the

methodology adopted through resolution AG/RES. 1 (XXXIV-E/07) and the decision

of January 19, 1955 (doc. C-i-269) on income tax reimbursements, using the scale

and amounts shown in Table A, “Regular Fund Quota Assessments for 2009.”

2. To establish the overall budget level of the Regular Fund program-

budget level for 2009 at US$90.125 million, and to finance it as follows:

a. Contributions of Member States in the form of Regular Fund

quota “}

4]44payments of US$78,593,000, which includes a 3% increase in

relation to the 2008 quota assessments, apportioned according

to the methodology for calculating the scale of quota

assessments adopted in resolution AG/RES. 1 (XXXIV-E/07),

exclusively for the 2009 budget;

189

b. FEMCIDI contribution of US$780,400 to the Regular Fund for

technical supervision and administrative support, in keeping

with Article 80 of the General Standards, which, according to

the FEMCIDI Statutes, must be up to 15 percent of the net

amount approved in 2008 for execution in 2009;

c. Income of US$2,500,000 for technical supervision and

administrative support from trust and specific funds;

d. Other income of US$1,500,000 including, inter alia, interest,

rents, and repayments; and

e. An appropriation of US$6,751,600 from the Reserve Subfund

of the Regular Fund.

3. To dispense with the reimbursement requirement set forth in Article

72.b of the General Standards in the case of funds appropriated from

the Reserve Subfund under this resolution.



Cosignatories:

1. Antigua and Barbuda2. Panama3. Colombia4. St Kitts & Nevis5. Canada

190

IV-1-6

FUNDING FROM INDIGENOUS PRODUCTS

Fourth Committee Topic number 1 of the agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of Nicaragua


HAVING SEEN the proposed program-budget of the Organization of

American States (OAS) for fiscal year 2009, presented by the Secretary General on

April 1, 2008 (AG/CP/doc.XXX/08);

NOTING the need for a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the Permanent

Council to review;

RECALLING resolutions AG/RES. 2370 (XXXVIII-O/08) “Future of the

Inter-American Indian Institute”, AG/RES. 2368 (XXXVIII-O/08) “Draft American

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, AG/RES. 2437 (XXXVIII-O/08)

“Guidelines for the Program-Budget of the Organization for 2009”, AG/RES. 2322

(XXXVII-O/07) “Inter-American Year of Women”;

RECOGNIZING the financial difficulties faced by the Inter-American Indian

Institute;

ACKNOWLEDGING the need for increased awareness about the OAS itself

and the need for increased funding in order to support growing responsibilities in the

Americas;

191

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION the OAS’s strong promotion of women’s rights

and its heavy involvement in the advancement of American women;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT how indigenous women could stand to greatly increase

their own prevalence in the OAS community and reassert their rights within their

communities by increasing their financial contributions to the household without

losing their cultural practices;

OBSERVING the success of similar initiatives by non-governmental organizations as

a means for increasing funding and benefitting the makers of such products;

SUPPORTING the concept of Fair Trade and Fair Trade ideals;

RESOLVES:

1. To thank the member states for their diligent and continued assistance to

the Regular Fund through timely payment of quotas and other

contributions.

2. To create a program that allows indigenous American Indians to sell

cultural handiworks to the OAS, which the OAS would then sell to the

general public at an 8% profit for the OAS.

3. To ensure Fair Trade policies as a basis for negotiating prices.

4. To emphasize the cultural significance of these products in sale and the

specific indigenous people from which they come.

5. To organize the program with the following goals:

a. To spread knowledge about American culture through the

exchange of aforementioned crafts.

b. To allow indigenous people to earn money for said crafts.

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c. To increase funding to the OAS and increase awareness about the

OAS through the sale of these crafts.

d. To use profits to offset quota payment deficits.

e. To contribute part of that profit directly into the Inter-American

Indian Institute to help the association reach their goals.

6. To reaffirm the importance of the Inter-American Indian Institute.

7. To sell these products within the OAS building in Washington, DC, and

through the OAS website.

8. To encourage Member States to add links to the OAS Indigenous Products

website on their own national websites.

9. To enact the program into full operation in the 2010 fiscal year

10. To request start-up funding from the Inter-American Development Bank

in 2010, funding that will be reimbursed once the program is in operation

11. To publish and support advertisements in “Americas” magazine for the

products

Approved for form and substance: ________________________________

Cosignatories

1. Jamaica

2. Guatemala

3. Venezuela

4. Peru

5. Mexico

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IV-1-7

PROPOSAL TO GENERATE INCOME WITHIN THE OAS BY MEANS OF

INSURED COROPORATE BONDS

Fourth Committee Item No.1 on the Agenda

Draft Resolution by the Delegation of St.Kitts and Nevis


HAVING SEEN:

Article 45.e of the Charter of the Organization of the American States which

states, “The operation of systems of public administration, banking and credit,

enterprise, and distribution and sales, in such a way, in harmony with the private

sector, as to meet the requirements and interests of the community”;

CONSIDERING:

The Global and United States Markets are historically low creating prime

opportunities to conservatively (wisely) invest in stock and funds;

That United States and the Global Markets have historically had an upward

trend;

That in the proposed budget of the OAS the Department of Budgetary and

Financial Services is allotted approximately 1.5 million dollars annually for financial

operations;

That bonds have a predictable stream of payments and repayment of principal;

194

That many bonds have an “insurance” option which proves vital to the stability

to stockholders and money lenders;

That many investment groups and individuals invest in bonds to preserve and

increase their capital or to receive dependable interest income;

Resolves:

1. To utilize the money in the Department of Budgetary and Financial

Services for investing in insured corporate bonds.

2. For the Department of Budgetary and Financial Operations create and

analyze list of potential investment opportunities as well as potential

corporations in accordance to maturity dates and dividend percentages.

Cosignatories

1. Guatemala

2. El Salvador

3. Colombia



195

IV-1-9GENERAL FUNDING AND INVOLVEMENT OF CORPORATIONS

Fourth Committee Topic No. 1 of the Agenda

Resolution Presented by the Delegation of Ecuador


HAVING SEEN:

AG/RES 2123 (XXXV-O/05), “Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility

in the Hemisphere,” reiterating the importance of corporate support with OAS

programs;

AG/RES 2353 (XXXVII-O/07) “Program-Budget of the Organization for

2008, Quotas and Contributions to FEMCIDI (Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-

American Council for Integral Development) for 2008,” detailing the appropriation of

funding for projects in each member state;

CONSIDERING:

That the budget appropriation for the 2008 budget of the OAS totals 87.5

million dollars;

That, in comparison to the OAS budget, the budget of the United Nations

totals more than 4.1 billion dollars;

That businesses play a central role in the expansion of prosperity and

regulation of trade and investment in the hemisphere and that they can make

196

significant contributions to sustainable development and increase access to

opportunities;

That a large part of corporate involvement relates to the idea of corporate

social responsibility and taking more action to help the societies in which they do

business.

RESOLVES:

1. To urge various corporations to become involved in funding the OAS by:

a. Providing incentives to help motivate corporations to donate funds,

through methods such as public reputation and/or tax rebates.

b. Directing the Inter-American Council for Integral Development to

approach various corporations about contributing to projects and

programs within the OAS that are in need of funding.

2. To distribute the funds collected to thirty-four member states, in a specific

manner. These contributions would be based upon the financial need of the

nation and project, as to be assessed by the Inter-American Council for

Integral Development.


Co-Signatories:

1. St Kitts & Nevis

2. Peru

3. Bolivia


5. Guatemala

197

IV-1-11

ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY AFFAIRS

Fourth Committee Topic “1” Of the Agenda


THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND

BUDGETARY AFFAIRS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

(OAS), meeting in Washington, D. C., United States of Americas, on the occasion of

the 2008 Washington Model of the Organization of American States,

HAVING SEEN:

The proposed program-budget of the Organization for fiscal year 2007,

presented by the Secretary General on April 12, 2006 (AG/CP/doc.707/06);

The Audit of Accounts and Financial Statements for the Years ended

December 31, 2005 and 2004, which were prepared by the Board of External

Auditors; the Preliminary Report of the Inspector General of the OAS to the Member

States regarding the Internal Audit Investigation of the Office of Scholarships,

Training, and Information Technology for Human Development and the Report of the

Scholarships Task Force (CEPCIDI/doc.727/06); and the reports presented by the

Director of the Department of Human Development (CP/CAAP-2838/06 corr. 2 and

CP/CAAP-2840/06);

The report of the Preparatory Committee on the proposed program-budget of

the Organization for 2007 (AG/CP/doc.716/06);

CONSIDERING:

That AG/RES. 1 (XXXI-E/06) instructed the General Secretariat to submit to

the Preparatory Committee a proposed program-budget for the Regular Fund for

198

2007, at a level for which the Secretary General can demonstrate available financing,

but not to exceed US$81.5 million;

That, in accordance with Articles 54 and 55 of the Charter of the Organization

of American States (OAS), the General Assembly approves the program-budget of

the Organization and establishes the bases for setting the quota that each government

is to contribute to the maintenance of the Organization, taking into account the ability

to pay of the respective countries and their determination to contribute in an equitable

manner;

That the Organization is mandated to give preference to priorities defined by

its members, within the limits of its available resources;

That pursuant to the salary policy of parity with the United Nations

established in resolution AG/RES. 1319 (XXV-O/95) and Article 40 of the General

Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat of the Organization of

American States (General Standards), the Secretary General adjusted the General

Secretariat’s 2006 net basic salary scales, and increased the post adjustment for the

Washington, D.C., area;

NOTING:

That extensive documentation already exists with regard to the OAS personnel

policy and the salary of policy parity with the United Nations;

That an increase in object 1, coupled with other mandatory increases in other

objects of expenditure could, bearing in mind the need to demonstrate available

financing, require a revision of the 2007 program-budget in order to ensure that the

needs of the Organization are met;

BEARING IN MIND:

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That on December 14, 2005, Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza issued

Executive Order No. 05-13, Restructuring of the General Secretariat, which was

subsequently revised on February 14, 2006, Executive Order No. 05-13 Rev. 1;

That Article 120 of the OAS Charter stipulates that in selecting the personnel

of the General Secretariat, first consideration shall be given to efficiency,

competence, and integrity; but at the same time, in the recruitment of personnel of all

ranks, importance shall be given to the necessity of obtaining as wide a geographic

representation as possible;

That the Secretary General is urged to continue his work to establish policies

of gender equality in the workplace and to make each manager accountable for the

application of these policies;

That Article 72 (b) of the General Standards stipulates that the amount of the

Reserve Subfund shall be 30 percent of the total of the annual quotas of the member

states, that this amount shall be reached through crediting to this Subfund the annual

income in excess of the obligations and expenditures of the Operations Subfund, and

that to the extent that the Subfund exceeds 30 percent of the total of the annual quotas

of the member states, the excess shall be available for any purposes approved by the

General Assembly;

ALLOWING FOR:

That in its annual report the Board of External Auditors recommended that

OAS General Secretariat ensure that the internal policies and procedures related to the

granting of scholarships are appropriate and that, in addition, it develop and

implement a process to ensure that all internal policies related to scholarship selection

and approval are adhered to and adequately documented;

That the Secretary General has pledged to restore transparency and credibility

to the scholarship selection and awards process, as well as to reestablish a firm

control over financial, budgetary, and administrative matters, and to reclaim

200

ownership for the OAS of one of the best and well-known scholarship programs in

the Hemisphere;

TAKING NOTE:

That, at its thirty-first special session, the General Assembly, through

resolution AG/RES. 1 (XXXI-E/06), approved the transitional quota scale for the

OAS Regular Fund to finance the program-budget for the years 2007 and 2008; and

That said resolution instructed the Permanent Council to continue considering

a draft methodology for assessing quotas to the member states–one that will take into

account the criteria established in Article 55 of the OAS Charter and current data on

the ability to pay of the member countries; and to present to the General Assembly, at

its thirty-seventh regular session, its conclusions and recommendations for the

adoption of a revised, definitive scale of quota assessments for 2009 and subsequent

years,

RECOMMENDS:

1. Increase the confidence on donor contributions to operate effectively, and

reinforce the Organization’s resource mobilization activities with:

Permanent Observers, Member States, non-governmental organizations;

major groups, including private sector corporations, banks and small

businesses; and non-profit organizations, foundations, service

organizations and individuals to promote an economic development.

2. Diversify the Organization’s Fund to increase the financial support from

industrializing developing Observer countries and countries with

economies in transition, and include mutually beneficial partnerships

which facilitate the promotion of the OAS, raising awareness of its

significance and encouraging contributions.

201

3. Be creative and focus on developing innovative ideas besides its more

traditional fundraising techniques. These new ideas have to be developed

in a very competitive way, attracting potential sponsors and having to use

innovative tools such as the Internet to promote OAS products.

4. Invite to The Technical Secretariat of the RMC, Department of External

Relations and the Department Directors to review priorities and funding

needs.

5. Clarify the responsibilities of the General Secretariat, Member States and

donors. Define and begin to implement an overhead policy to identify and

recover the full and direct costs associated with delivering projects, and

inform donors of the newly established policy.

6. Build donor confidence through positive results of the OAS programs and

activities with more efficient use of the available funds, and wide-spread

promotion of OAS activities for their constructive impact.

7. Create a new found to collect and facilitate the organization of the

donations and contributions from the member states and donors, and

improve the OAS services for members states and donors whit a

customized treatment.

Cosignatories


2. Guatemala

3. Nicaragua

4. Brazil

5. Mexico

202

IV-1-12

LEASING SPACE IN THE OAS BUILDING FOR FUNDRAISING

Committee: Fourth Item No: 2 of the

Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: the United States


HAVING SEEN:

The proposed program-budget of the Organization of American States

(OAS) for fiscal year 2009, presented by the Secretary General on March 28, 2008

(AG/CP/doc.719/07);

The thirty-seventh regular session OAS Proceedings requesting a

presentation of the fundraising strategy to the General Assembly;

The financing of the 2009 proposed program-budget has a short poll of $6,751.6;

CONSIDERING:

That it is the General Secretariat's responsibility to use its rooms and

other meeting facilities in the most effective manner.

RESOLVES:

1. To instruct the General Secretariat to plan and organize the reservations of the OAS rooms to private organizations for one-day and multi-day functions.

2. To instruct the General Secretariat to create an account to manage the money made by the room renting and use the proceeds towards the maintenance of the OAS buildings.

203

3. To request the reassessment of the effectiveness in raising funds for the

maintenance of buildings at the next meeting of the Fourth Committee.

Cosignatories:

1. Argentina

2. Chile

3. Panama

4. Paraguay


204

IV-2-1

QUOTAS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MEMBER STATES

Committee: Fourth Topic No. 2 of the agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of St. Vincent and the Grenadines


HAVING SEEN:

Article 55 of the Charter of the Organization of the American States which states that “The General Assembly shall establish the bases for fixing the quota that each government is to contribute to the maintenance of the Organization, taking into account the ability to pay of the respective countries and their determination to contribute in an equitable manner. Decisions on budgetary matters require the approval of two thirds of the member states;”

The annual report of the secretary General for 2007, presented to the Permanent Council on may XX,2008(CP/doc.XXX/08);

CONSIDERING:

That the effective management of the OAS depends on the yearly quotas being met by each member state;

That every Member State receives the privileges and services set forth by the OAS and every Member State is treated equally regardless of whether or not they have met the yearly quotas;

That while some nations are unable to meet the quotas there are some nations in better positions who would be able to aid smaller nations with their quota payments;

That there is no current system set up to aid poorer nations who have trouble meeting their annual quotas;

That the current quota scale is revised yearly, and within a year many things can happen to change the economical standing of a country, and

REITERATING:

That a consistent payment of quotas by the member states would insure a smooth and effective functioning of the Organization;

205

RESOLVES:

1. To remind member nations that while the quota scale is a functioning scale, there are factors which are uncontrollable which still make it very difficult for certain member nations to pay their yearly quotas.

2. To propose that a working group be set up to create a donation pool solely for the purpose of covering or partially covering the quota payments for member nations which for specified reasons are temporarily unable to pay their quotas.

3. To request that this fund be anonymous in order to avoid unwanted debts between countries.

4. To request that this working group meet at the next General Assembly meeting to discuss

a) how to accept applicants for the financial aid, based on i. recent natural disasters which may have occurredii. recent inner turmoil, civil wars etc.iii. recent debts any nation might haveiv. the stability of the economy in any given nation

b) ways to ensure that the fund is substantial enough to make a difference in easing the difficulty of quota payments, and how to

i. get word out to any NGOs who may donateii. encourage wealthier nations to donate



Cosignatories:

1. Guatemala


3. Honduras



206

IV-2-4

EMERGENCY QUOTA ASSESSMENT REVIEW DUE TO INTERNATIONAL

FINANCIAL CRISIS

Fourth Committee

Topic No. 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of Mexico


HAVING SEEN:

Article 55 of the Charter of the Organization of American

states indicating that, “The General Assembly shall establish the

basis for fixing quota that each government is to contribute to the

maintenance of the Organization, taking into account the ability

to pay of the respective countries and their determination to

contribute in an equitable manner”;

Resolution AG/RES. 2353 (XXXVII-O/07) “Program-Budget of

the Organization for 2008, quotas and contributions to FEMCIDI for

2008” To consider a draft assessing the status of a quote that

consists with Article 55 and the ability of the member countries to

pay in a timely manner;

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The report of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary

Affairs (CAAP) on the recommendations of the Group of Experts

convened to propose a methodology for calculating the scale of

quota assessments of the Organzation of American States (OAS)

(CP/CAAP-2929/07); and the International Monetary Fund’s publicly

released statement in the Global Financial Stability Report,

“Confidence in global financial institutions and markets has been

badly shaken. Threats to systemic stability became manifest in

September with the collapse or near-collapse of several key

institutions. The October 2008 World Economic Outlook notes that

the strains afflicting the global financial system are expected to

deepen the downturn in global growth and restrain the recovery.

Moreover, the risk of a more severe adverse feedback loop between

the financial system and the broader economy represents a critical

threat. The combination of mounting losses, falling asset prices,

and a deepening economic downturn, has caused serious doubts

about the viability of a widening swath of the financial system”;

CONSIDERING:

That the budgets and quotas of each Member State are

determined by their ability to contribute to the OAS based on their

existing economic situation;

208

That the Organization is mandated to give preference to

priorities defined by its members, within the limits of its available

resources;

That the current international financial crisis has affected the

economies of several, if not all of the Member States, and that

because of this, members will have trouble staying current with

their quota payments;

RESOLVES:

1. To instruct the General Secretariat to reconvene the

Group of Experts who will do the following:

a. Reassess the methodology for determining the scale

of Member State quota assessments due to the recent

financial crisis and present a new report thereon to the

Permanent Council.

b. Evaluate a country’s inability to pay their quota.

2. To recommend that the original methodology of quota

calculation be modified to include effects of the recent international

market crisis.

3. To create an evaluation form available to any Member

State with the purpose of pursuing further review of a country’s

inability to pay its quota in a timely manner.

a. Upon meeting the stated requirements, a nation

may submit a grievance to the committee addressing the

209

reasons a member nation’s assessed quota is unrealistic

given its current conditions and request that its case be

reevaluated.

4. To insure that all member nations recognize that a

change in the methodology of quota calculation may be

implemented only until the market stabilizes.



1. Argentina

2. Chile

3. Panama

4. Paraguay


IV-2-5

ENCOURAGING THE TIMELY PAYMENT OF QUOTAS

FOURTH COMMITTEE Topic No. 2 of the Agenda

Draft Resolution Presented by the Delegation of: Brazil


HAVING SEEN:

210

The proposed program-budget of the Organization for fiscal year 2009,

presented by the Secretary General on April 1, 2008 (AG/CP/INF. 573 corr. 1) with

an overall budget level of US$ 90,125,000 ;

Resolution AG/doc.8 (XXXVI-E/08) in which the General Assembly

approved and organized the program-budget for the fiscal year 2009, financed by the

Regular Fund and Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for

Integral Development (FEMCIDI);

Resolutions AG/RES 1529 (XXVII-O/97) and AG/RES 1593 (XXVIII-0/98),

in which the General Assembly instructed the Permanent Council to study the merits

of establishing a comprehensive system of measure designed to encourage Member

States to pay their regular fund, quotas in full and time, and to prepare a list,

including the arrears amounts of specific member states, for presentation to the

General Assembly;

Resolutions AG/RES. 1757 (XXX-O/00) and AG/RES.2157 (XXXV-O/05),

in which the General Assembly determined whether a country was current or in

arrears;

CONSIDERING:

That the majority of the program-budget of the fiscal year 2009 is financed by

the Regular Fund, or quota payments of member states;

That the timely payment of quotas to the Regular Fund is an expression of

hemispheric solidarity that allows the General Secretariat of the Organization of

211

American States to operate efficiently and to achieve its objectives, in particular in

the area of partnership for development;

That the timely payment of quotas is imperative for the Organization to carry

out its mandates and services;

That late payments result in a loss of funds due to interest accumulation, and a

decrease in work efficiency;

RESOLVES:

1. To urge the member states in arrears to the Regular Fund pay their quotas as soon

as possible, and encourage future timeliness

2. To reaffirm AG/RES. 1757 (XXX-O/00) and AG/RES.2157 (XXXV-O/05) and

consider a member state in arrears when

a. Payments are two years overdue, or

b. Its arrears are not due to circumstances beyond its control as determined by

the General Assembly, such as financial status.

c. It does not fall within the definition of “current” or “considered current,” as

defined by AG/RES. 1757 (XXX-O/00).

3. To create a committee named the “Arrears Determination and Advisory

Committee” that would determine the cause of arrears each member state to see

whether the cause is a problem beyond its control or not, based on the evaluation

topics below;

a. economic crisis

b. bankruptcy

c. severe natural disaster

212

4. To instruct the “Arrears Determination and Advisory Committee” to advise those

member states determined to be in arrears and assist them in updating and repaying

the amount of money in arrears so they can satisfy their quota obligations.

5. To urge the Permanent Council to consider the implementation of meaningful

actions towards member states in serious arrears(more than four years of non or

partial payment), in particular the suspension of voting privileges in the permanent

council of the OAS until full payment is received.

6. To increase the size of discounts outlined in AG/RES 1757 for the member states

that pay on time, by April 30th of the current year: 4 percent of the amount paid by

January 31st and 3 percent of the amount paid between February 1st and April 30th.

7. To instruct the “Arrears Determination and Advisory Committee” to study the

ways the budget shortcomings resulting from the discounts can be made up, and to

present a report to the General Assembly at its thirty nineth regular session in

Honduras in 2009.

Approved for form and substance: __________________________________


Cosignatories:

1. Jamaica

2. Panama


4. Dominica

5. El Salvador

213

IV-2-7

IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN ORGANIZATION OF

AMERICAN STATES ACTIVITIES

Fourth Committee Item No. 2 of the Agenda


HAVING SEEN:

AG/RES. 2437 (XXXVIII-O/08), which instructed the Secretary General to

continue "efforts in modernizing the General Secretariat and in improving and

promoting a culture of austerity, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and

prudence"; and

ACKNOWLEDGING:

The cost imposed on many countries in the OAS, especially smaller member

states, by attending the numerous meetings of the OAS and its organs throughout the

hemisphere;

That any financial difficulties already present in member states are likely to be

exacerbated by the current global economic slowdown; and

The need for the activities of the OAS to be both energy efficient and

ecologically healthy; and

AWARE OF:

The large amounts of paper used during and in preparation for OAS meetings,

including meetings of the General Assembly and the Permanent Council;

214

The strong link between energy efficiency and reduction in greenhouse gas

emissions;

The difficulties presented to member states by climate change and global

warming; and

Advances being made in clean and efficient technology and the ways in which

adoption of such technology can improve the efficiency of the OAS; and

ALARMED BY:

The potential for high energy prices to have a negative effect on the

economies of member states and on the ability of the OAS to implement its mandates,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the efforts made by member states of the OAS to

increase their energy efficiency and reduce their environmental footprints.

2. To instruct the Secretariat for Administration and Finance to create

Special Committee on Energy Efficiency and Environmental Stewardship in the

Activities of the OAS, and further

a. That this Special Committee be composed of technical budget

and climate experts from all willing member states, and

b. That the technical experts shall be appointed for six-year terms,

and

215

c. That the Special Committee shall meet four times a year,

utilizing environmentally sound technologies such as

videoconferencing whenever possible, and

d. That the Special Committee shall study the contributions of

OAS activities to global climate change and ways in which that

contribution can be minimized, and

e. That the Special Committee shall study the energy efficiency

of the OAS and consider ways in which the functions of the OAS can

be streamlined.

3. To instruct the Secretariat for Administration and Finance to fund the

Special Committee through its regular program-budget.

4. To request that the Secretariat for Administration and Finance make a

report on the implementation of this resolution to the General Assembly at its

Thirty-ninth Regular Session in Honduras in 2009.


Cosignatories:

1. Jamaica

2. Argentina


4. Brazil

5. Uruguay

216

IV-2-8

RESOLUTION TO REDUCE ANNUAL QUOTA DEMANDS THROUGH THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ANNUAL OAS MARATHON FUNDRAISER

Committee: Fourth Committee Item No: 2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation(s) of: Paraguay


HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 2017 (XXXIV-O/04), “Modernization of the General

Secretariat of the Organization of the American States;”

Resolution CP/CAAP-2517/00, “Failure of Member States to Fulfill Quota

Payments in a Timely Manner;”

Resolution AG/RES. 1757 (XXXV-O/05), “Lack of Compliance with Written

Quota Payment Plan;”

Resolution AG/RES. 2437 (XXXVIII-O/08), “Guidelines for the Program-

Budget of the Organization for 2009.”

CONSIDERING:

That many nations, such as Paraguay, whose percent of population

below the standard poverty line is over 60%, are unable to fulfill the annual quota

requirements as a member state of the OAS;

That the lack of available resources resulting from the failure of many

member states to make quota payments on a timely and predictable basis not only

217

undermines the operation of the General Secretariat, but also the viability and image

of the Organization as the principle forum in the hemisphere for establishing policy

and partnership for development.

RESOLVES:

1) To formally commend those member nations of the OAS who have

assisted in the betterment of our organization and its citizens’ lives by

contributing the monetary funds that have been requested of them.

2) To create a sub-committee to collect and evaluate the past and present

statistics concerning the economic status of all participating OAS

countries.

3) To establish and Annual OAS Marathon which:

a) profits benefit the reduction of monetary funds demanded of

each OAS member state as the annual General Secretariat

quota

b) each member nation will contribute to the fundraiser through

their support as a host nation

c) the responsibilities of the host nation are annually rotated

between each member state

d) the first of such marathons is located in Asuncíon, Paraguay,

March 1, 2009.

4) To ask permission for funds from the World Bank to support the

organization of each Annual OAS Marathon.

218

5) To create an additional sub-committee to determine:

a) The subsequent host nation of the Annual OAS Marathon

b) The specifications of:

Date

Time of day

Location of marathon course.

6) To commend all nations contributing to the support of the Annual

OAS Marathon.



Cosignatories:

1. United States

2. Venezuela

3. Bolivia

4. Chile

5. Dominica

219

IV-2-9

PROGRAM-BUDGET OF THE REGULAR FUND OF THE ORGANIZATION

2009, QUOTA ASSESSMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO FEMCIDI FOR 2009

Fourth Committee Item No.2 of the Agenda

Draft resolution presented by the delegation of Antigua and Barbuda

The General Assembly,

BEARING IN MIND:

That resolution AG/RES. 2353 (XXXVII-O/07) instructed the General

Secretariat to submit to the Preparatory Committee a Proposed Program-Budget for

the Regular-Fund for 2009, at a level for which the Secretary General can

demonstrate available financing, but not to exceed US$87.5 million;

HAVING SEEN:

The proposed program-budget of the Organization of American States (OAS)

for fiscal year 2009, presented by the Secretary General on April 1, 2008

(AG/CP/INF. 573 corr. 1) with an overall budget level of US$90,125,000; and

The resolution of the General Assembly, adopted at its thirty-eighth regular

session, “Guidelines for the Program-Budget of the Organization for 2009”

AG/RES.2437 (XXXVIII-O/08),

220

RESOLVES:

1. To approve and authorize the program-budget of the Organization for the

economic period from January 1 through December 31, 2009, financed by the

following funds at the corresponding levels for 2009 (US$1,000):

a. Regular Fund

90,125

b. Voluntary Fund

5,977

2. The quota percentage assessment assigned to each member state would neither

increase nor decrease by more than 25% from one three year period to the next.

3. To establish the overall budget level of the Regular Fund program-budget

level for 2009 at US$90.125 million.

4. To dispense with the reimbursement requirement set forth in Article 72.b of

the General Standards in the case of funds appropriated from the Reserve Subfund

under this resolution.

5. To determine that the percentage assessments will be updated every three

years and that the next adjustment in the assessment percentage scale will be effective

for the period 2012-2014, based on the latest data available in 2011, and so on.

221

Approved for form and substance: _________________________________


Cosignatories:

1. Guatemala

2. Panama


4. Colombia

5. Nicaragua

222

IV-1-10 (WG)

NEW APPROACHES TO INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OAS SPECIFIC FUNDS FROM MEMBER AND OBSERVER COUNTRIES

Fourth Committee Item No. 1 on the

Agenda

Draft Resolution presented by the delegations of Canada and Dominican Republic

THE FOURTH ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN

AG/RES. 2353 (XXXVII-O-07), which instructs the General Secretariat to present a

detailed report on the amounts obtained by each dependency of the General

Secretariat and

Report of the General Secretariat on the use of the Special Fund for Building

Improvements, Maintenance Services and other Urgent Needs (BIMS) for the period

March 1 - June 30 2006 CP/CAAP/Rep.3/06 and

"Report of the U.S. Policy Task Force: Agenda for the Americas 2005," which states

that quota increases are unlikely to be supported as some countries have been unable

to keep up with their current quotas;

AWARE:

That funds from many of the countries of the OAS are limited;

RECOGNIZING:

The efforts already being made to contribute towards OAS specific funds by Member

and Observer countries;

KNOWING THAT:

Specific funds go towards supporting the activities of the OAS,;

223

KEEPING IN MIND:

That many programs for OAS are already facing budgetary constraints, and that many

program cuts and such have already taken place;

RESOLVES:

1. To express gratitude for the current OAS Member states and Observer

countries that have contributed towards OAS Specific funds;

2. To request a more cohesive process of spending the contributions and funds

received from Member and Observer countries;

3. To provide detailed reports of spending of the OAS Specific Funds to all

Member and Observing states;\

4. To provide a detailed list of the positive repercussions that result from the

spending of the OAS Specific Funds to encourage non-contributing Member

and Observing states to contribute;

5. To hold a caucus of delegates from both Member and Observer states who

will debate a new system of quotas and contributions in the hopes of obtaining

more funding;

6. To increase efforts to locate more private and corporate contributors;

7. To strive for more effective coordination between contributing countries by

means of:

a. The Universal Bank of Specific Funds:

i. All specific funds contributions received are deposited here; a

detailed account of all contributions and spendings will be

taken account for and recorded.

b. The Development Board of Specific Funds:

224

i. Committee's purpose will be to spend funds, after proper

consideration and debate, in appropriate areas in a pragmatic

and fair way;

ii. The committee will be comprised of the contributing countries

of the OAS;

Cosignatories

MexicoUruguayEcuadorBoliviaDominica

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