Inter-American Affairs: Civil Society in the Inter-American System

Events

2005

Fourth Summit of the Americas: Multisectoral Meeting, September 2005

FOCAL and several other civil society organisations working on a diverse range of issues convened on September 12, 2005 for a full-day meeting chaired by Peter Boehm, Special Representative to PM Paul Martin for the Fourth Summit of the Americas. The meeting was an opportunity for civil society and government officials to discuss the latest developments in the preparations for the Fourth Summit of the Americas and to analyse Canada’s priorities in the negotiations leading to the final declaration and Plan of Action to be adopted in Mar del Plata, Argentina on the 4-5 of November. FOCAL contributed with active participation in the discussion groups that generated recommendations from civil society on three key themes: creating an enabling environment for job growth; social policy and human resources development; and strengthening democratic governance.

VIRTUAL DELIBERATION: CREATING A SHARED HEMISPHERIC AGENDA

Civil society organizations throughout the Western Hemisphere are invited to voice their concerns related to regional development during meetings that won’t require travel arrangements. Titled Virtual Deliberation: Creating a Shared Hemispheric Agenda, the forums will be held April 4 to May 6, and focus on eight key areas: Indigenous Peoples, transparency/anti-corruption, sustainable environmental development, peace building, citizen participation, democracy and political parties, education, and labour. Through the forums, civil society organizations ultimately create a shared agenda for the Americas. The discussion will be conducted in Spanish, but written submissions in English will be accepted. Weekly summaries will be provided in both languages. Results will be shared with government leaders from 34 countries across the Americas currently preparing for the upcoming IV Summit of the Americas. All civil society organizations are encouraged to register and participate in the forums by visiting
http://foroscumbres.redinter.org.

Virtual Deliberation: Creating a Shared Hemispheric Agenda is an initiative of Partners of Americas’ Center for Civil Society in collaboration with FOCAL, the Inter-American Democracy Network and Corporación Participa. For more information, please click here or contact Partners of the Americas.

The Summit of the Americas in Focus: Civil Society in the Summit Process

The Summit of the Americas in Focus is an ongoing FOCAL initiative to prepare for the upcoming IV Summit of the Americas (Argentina, November 2005). This series of regular gatherings provides Canadian civil society organizations and government officials an opportunity to engage on a range of topics covered by the Summits, and to provide input on the implementation of Summit commitments and priorities for the upcoming Summit. The agenda is generated by the interests of participants and Summit negotiation process focusing on issues that are timely and relevant to the Americas - and Canada’s role in the region.

January 2005 Meeting
Civil Society and Summit of the Americas Process featuring Ramón Daubón, Vice President for Programs, Inter-American Foundation and Renata Wielgosz, Director, Inter-American Affairs Division, Foreign Affairs Canada. For information on the January meeting see: Minutes, Invitation, Government of Argentina Conceptual Document and Government of Canada Response.

March 2005
Details of the March 2005 meeting are forthcoming.

2004

Inter-American Democracy Network Coordinating Group Meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 1-3, 2004

FOCAL participated in the most recent IADN Coordinating Group meeting. Meeting activities focused on the launch of the findings of the recently conducted "Indices of Citizen Participation" project, undertaken by IADN members in 7 countries. The Coordinating Group also undertook planning for the upcoming Summit, taking advantage of their presence in Argentina to meet with officials from the Argentine foreign ministry responsible for planning the 2005 Summit.

FAC Inter-Departmental Meeting, November 26, 2004

FOCAL participated in the “Enhancing the Dialogue between Canadians and the Government on Inter-American Issues” discussions at Foreign Affairs Canada. Civil society organizations and representatives from several government departments met to discuss the ways in which Canadian civil society can influence Canada’s activities in the Inter-American system. Please see the report of the meeting for specific details.

Meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG), Washington D.C., October 20, 2004

FOCAL attended the 36 th SIRG meeting at OAS headquarters in Washington D.C. FOCAL partners presented findings of the “Civil Society Follow-up on the Quebec City Plan of Action”, making specific recommendations on participation in the upcoming Summit. We took advantage of the opportunity to connect with other CSOs in planning for the 2005 Summit.

OAS/Argentine officials publicly circulated the preliminary conceptual document for the 2005 Summit. The document can be accessed here.

While at the SIRG FOCAL did provide preliminary feedback on the conceptual document.

Meeting of the States Parties of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, Managua, Nicaragua, July 8-9, 2004

FOCAL participated as an accredited civil society observer in the Meeting of the States Parties of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, organized by the Summit of the Americas Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Managua, Nicaragua. This meeting emanated from the Declaration of Nuevo León to strengthen the follow-up mechanism of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and to propose additional concrete measures to increase transparency and fight corruption at all levels.

The two-day meeting was inaugurated by an address from the Secretary General of the OAS, Mr. César Gaviria, and the President of Nicaragua, Mr. Enrique Bolaños Geyer, during which both presenters highlighted the important reasons for combating corruption. Other deliberations included a progress report of the implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption since its adoption in 1996 within the frameworks of legal cooperation mechanisms and the agenda of the Summit of the Americas. The deliberations concluded with the adoption of the Plan of Action on Additional Concrete Measures to Increase Transparency and Fight Corruption within the Framework of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, calling for increased cooperation in areas of extradition and access to information and which will be presented in 2005 at the next Summit of the Americas in Argentina. In addition, the States Parties present at the meeting approved the Declaration of Managua as a sign of their government's commitment to the fight against corruption and impunity.

At a meeting with representatives of civil society a document entitled "Acceso a la Información, Tema Estratégico en el Combate a la Corrupción" was presented and disseminated to those in attendance. You may access a full conference report of the Meeting of the States Parties of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption.

Civil Society Collaborating to Build a Hemispheric Agenda strategic planning meeting, Washington D.C, June 21-24, 2004

In preparation for the next Summit of the Americas, to be held in Argentina in November 2005, a number of CSOs (members of the IADN) are collaborating to help ensure the broad, effective and timely participation of CSOs in all aspects of the Summit planning and execution process. Building on participation and follow-up of the Summit and OAS events, this collaborative effort aims to generate a multi-pronged participatory strategy that will allow a number of different organizations to access the process at different points via various means. The planning meeting held in Washington with key partners allowed us to refine and clarify ideas and objectives.

OAS 34 th General Assembly, Quito Ecuador, June 6-8, 2004

Attending the OAS General Assembly, FOCAL was an active participant in the Civil Society Informal Dialogue with Foreign Ministers, and also attended all other official events, including the Summit Implementation Review Group meetings and the inauguration of the new Secretary General Rodriguez. FOCAL was also able to use the event to discuss with civil society partners, the OAS and government delegations civil society’s role in the upcoming Argentine Summit in 2005.

John Graham, the Chair of FOCAL’s Board of Directors, was also invited to participate in the International Leadership Summit, held on the margins of the OAS GA and organized by Auditoria Democratica.

Inter-American Democracy Network Coordinating Group meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 6-8, 2004

As a member of the Inter-American Democracy Network’s Coordinating Group (IADN), FOCAL attended a bi-annual three-day planning and strategy meeting. Over the past year the IADN has become firmly established in their new headquarters in Argentina. Membership in the Network has increased and several new initiatives, including the news service INFORID and a sub-granting program for anit-corruption projects have been successful. The IADN is actively seeking to undertake new initiatives. An ambitious two-year plan was generated during the meeting.

IV Regional Meeting between the Inter American Development Bank and Civil Society Organizations, Kingston, Jamaica, February 16 -17, 2004

FOCAL's Executive Director, Don Mackay, participated in the IV Regional Meeting between the Inter American Development Bank and Civil Society Organizations. The two-day meeting was hosted by the government of Jamaica. It brought together representatives of more than 150 CSOs as well as the senior staff of the IDB. Half of the first day was devoted to a dialogue with the President, Enrique Iglesias, along with the Executive Vice-President Dennis Flannery. Detailed discussions were focused on the IDB's draft Environmental Policy, which was presented by Janine Ferretti, Chief of the Environmental Division. The Bank also presented its "Social Inclusion Action Plan for Race and Ethnicity" as well as the strategic framework on "Indigenous Peoples" including its operational policy. The second day of discussions was devoted to detailed presentations on the "Bank and Civil Society in Regional Integration Processes". Four case studies were presented on Civil Society Advisory Councils and the participants received a report on the evolving Bank's "Strategy to Promote Citizen Participation in Bank Activities" as well as updates recently made to the Bank's information disclosure policy. FOCAL's participation in this exercise follows on its previous activities designed to secure a greater space for civil society organizations in hemispheric processes including the Summit of the Americas, the Organization of American States and the Inter American Development Bank .

Post Monterrey Summit Meeting with New CIDA Vice President for the Americas, Guillermo Rishchynski, February 3, 2004

FOCAL's Executive Director, Don Mackay and Professor Edward Dosman (York University and one of the founders of FOCAL) met with Guillermo Rishchynski to discuss the outcome of the Special Summit of the Americas, the key accomplishments that had been reached and also provided an opportunity to exchange views on future trends in the Americas. The discussion also addressed the announcement by the Canadian government of its intention to launch a comprehensive foreign policy review. FOCAL made a number of proposals in this regard with respect to Canada's role in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Civil Society Meeting at Special Summit of the Americas, Monterrey, Mexico, January 11, 2004,

FOCAL was a participant and organizer of the civil society forum “Avances y desafios que la sociedad civil enfrenta en el marco de las cumbres de las americas”, that was held on January 11 th, 2004 in Monterrey Mexico, prior to the Special Summit of the Americas. The forum was organized by a network of civil society organizations, in conjunction with the OAS Summit Secretariat and the Government of Mexico. 63 people from 55 civil society organizations participated in the event. The recommendations and results of the meeting were presented to government officials during a two-hour dialogue held with the foreign ministers on January 11, 2004.

The Future of the Americas Conference and Roundtable, Monterrey, Mexico, January 9-10, 2004

The "Future of the Americas" conference was organized by the University of Monterrey, Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and the Government of Nuevo Leon. As part of the framework of the Special Summit of the Americas, the conference sought to provide an academic platform to further the debate about a common future in the Americas. Academics, business executives, university administrators and representatives from ECLAC and the World Bank convened for two days of presentations and discussions on the challenges of hemispheric integration in the "knowledge era," how to increase competitiveness in the public and private sectors to both facilitate and reap the benefits of integration, and the need for policies to promote social and economic development beyond free trade agreements.

One recurring theme throughout the conference was the fact that Latin America is one of the most poorly linked--academically and economically--regions in the world. To revert this reality, there was a call for a new type of university for the Americas that should be non-elitist, socially embedded, transnational and linked with business. Another recurring topic was the lack of innovation policies in most Latin American countries, which negatively affects growth and development prospects. A main conclusion at the conference was the need for Latin America to invest more on education and technological innovation, for states and business to be competitive and par take in global decisions and wealth.

The event was complemented by a smaller Roundtable attended by key panelists at the conference with the objective of distilling the main conclusions of the conference and furthering the discussion on integration and equity in the Americas. This portion of the event was coordinated by Canadian universities, chiefly the University of Calgary (LARC) and the University of Laval (CEI). Recommendations emerging from the academic roundtable focused on the need to reduce the high levels of inequality prevailing in the Americas, the important role of fiscal reform in redressing inequality, and the potential for economic and social development held by a comprehensive, region-wide free trade agreement. The academics' key messages, presented at the meeting with Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Hemisphere on January 11, 2004, were:

• On inequality: Social cohesion is an essential precondition for democracy and prosperity. A key barrier to that integration is our view is the severe inequality of income, wealth, power and opportunity which prevails not only between but within the nations of the Americas, between the wealthy elites in many nations and the majority of their citizens."
• On the new vision for the FTAA agreed to in November 2003 in Miami: "What is needed is an agreement on trade which draws the hemisphere together rather than divides it. A trade agreement under which bilateral preferential agreements proliferate, and which creates a structure under which one country serve as the hub with multiple regional and bilateral spokes, is the antithesis of what is needed to integrate the hemisphere."
• On tax reform: "Without major fiscal reforms many of the nations of the hemisphere will not be able to provide for counter-cyclical fiscal and monetary policy. Such reforms in the fiscal regimes are essential if nations are to meet the challenges in such areas as education and training, health care, poverty alleviation…"
  
  (COMMUNIQUE TO THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS from the Academic Roundtable)

2003

Special Summit of the Americas Multi-stakeholder Meeting with Canadian Civil Society and the Department of Foreign Affairs, December 16, 2003

FOCAL presented the preliminary findings from the "Civil Society Follow-up Strategy on the Quebec City Plan of Action" to the Special Summit of the Americas Multi-stakeholder Meeting, which was organized and hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). The day-long meeting was attended by approximately 30 Canadian civil society organizations and had the objective of generating an exchange among participants in order to provide concrete recommendations and fresh ideas to government official about the upcoming Special Summit, to be held in Monterrey Mexico on January 12-13, 2004. This meeting built on a series of consultations that DFAIT held throughout the late 2003 in preparation for the Special Summit.

The day's events included a roundtable discussion and three working group sessions to devise recommendations on the three themes identified as priorities by Special Summit organizers: Growth with Equity, Democratic Governance and Social Development. Findings from these working sessions were then presented to the Honourable Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who engaged in discussion about the presented recommendations with meeting participants.

FOCAL's Presentation at the Summit Implementation Review Group, Washington, D.C., December 8, 2003

In preparation for the Special Summit of the Americas, to be held in Monterrey, Mexico on January 12-13, 2004, the Organization of American States organized a week-long meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) to hammer out the final Summit Declaration that was released by the 34 heads of State and Government. The opening session of the SIRG was declared open to participation by civil society organizations. FOCAL's Executive Director, Don Mackay, was invited to make a presentation to the assembled officials. In its intervention, FOCAL provided an update on the Civil Society Follow-Up Strategy on the Quebec City Plan of Action. In his intervention before the SIRG, Mr. Mackay called on governments to make permanent and to institutionalize a positive role for CSOs in the planning and implementation of Summits of the Americas with an opportunity for productive engagement at the Monterrey Summit in 2004 and the Summit to be hosted by Argentina in 2005. Mr. Mackay also made a strong plea for greater transparency and urged governments to make public the draft texts of Summit Declarations so that the public and CSOs could play a more active and effective role in the planning stage of such meetings.

FOCAL Participates in Bi-annual Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the Inter-American Democracy Network, Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 3-4, 2003

FOCAL attended the bi-annual meeting of the Inter-American Democracy Network (IADN) coordinating group in Buenos Aires, Argentina. FOCAL joined the IADN in early 2003 and was elected by network members to sit on the eight-member coordinating group shortly thereafter. This was the second meeting that FOCAL attended as a formal member of the planning body.

This most recent meeting was focused around planning and strategizing the next steps of the Network's activity as it enters a new and exciting phase. During 2003 the IADN successfully secured funding for the next two-year phase of its work from USAID. In addition, the Executive Secretariat has moved from Fundación Esquel in Quito, Ecuador, to new headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During regularly scheduled elections in June 2003 the consortium of the Argentine civil society organizations Poder Ciudadano and Conciencia were elected by the coordinating group to house the Executive Secretariat of the Network for the next two years. A new Executive Secretary, Mr. Gustavo Gamallo, was chosen to lead the new team.

The IADN is a network made up of approximately 250 civil society organizations from across Latin America and the Caribbean. The network aims to strengthen democracies in the region by promoting an active and engaged citizenry. With this goal in mind the IADN executive works to fortify the technical capacity of member civil society groups and promote collaboration and information sharing between members. Network members are also active in international fora, contributing to discussions about democratic development, civil society participation and most recently in planning for civil society presence at the Special Summit of the Americas to be held in January 2004. More information about the RID can be found at the web site of the Inter-American Democracy Network.

FOCAL Consultation on the Special Summit of the Americas, November 2003

In the lead up to the Special Summit of the Americas FOCAL undertook to collect the views and opinions of a broad range of civil society actors in Canada and Latin America regarding the three areas of focus of the Summit: Economic Growth with Equity, Social Development, and Democratic Governance.

Based on the responses collected, we produced reports summarizing the priorities in each thematic area, highlighting potential execution strategies and "best practices" that may be used by national governments and multilateral organizations to guide implementation efforts. The final report was submitted in oral and written form to the Government of Canada at consultations that took place in December, 2003. Key points were also presented to the National Coordinators of the Summit process at the Summit Implementation Review Group meeting at the OAS the same month.

FOCAL Civil Society Survey Results:
- Preliminary Report and Overview of Findings;
- Final Report

Regional Forum "Civil Society in the process of hemispheric integration within the framework of the Special Summit of the Americas", Mexico, City, Mexico, November 24-25, 2003

FOCAL participated in the Regional Forum "Civil Society in the process of hemispheric integration within the framework of the Special Summit of the Americas." The Forum was organized by the OAS Summit of the Americas Secretariat together with the Government of Mexico, PARTICIPA Corporation, the Regional Coordinator for Economic and Social Research for Central America and the Caribbean (CRIES), the Inter-American Democratic Network (RID), Partners for the Americas, Alianza Civica (Civic Alliance), Canadian Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL), and the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Organizaciones de Promocion (ALOP) (Latin American Association of Promotion Organizations).

The Forum was opened by Irene Klinger, Executive Secretary of the OAS Summit of the Americas Secretariat, Andrea Sanhueza, Executive Director of PARTICIPA Corporation and Miguel Hakin, Subsecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ministry of Foreing Relations, Mexico. The purpose of the forum was to offer an opportunity for civil society organizations, opinion leaders and academics in the region to engage in a dialogue and formulate their contributions for the Special Summit of the Americas (SSA) which will take place in Monterrey, Mexico, January 12-13, 2004. During the event three panels were organized with the goal of generating recommendations regarding the central themes of the Special Summit of the Americas: Social growth with equity, Social development and Democratic governance.

The event was attended by 71 participants, members of 58 Civil Society Organizations from 21 countries of the Americas. In addition, 6 representatives from governments, 7 representatives from international organizations and 2 representatives from indigenous communities participated in the meeting. The final report from this meeting is also available en español.

FOCAL at the 33rd OAS General Assembly, Santiago Chile, June 8-10, 2003

The Organization of American States held its 33rd General Assembly in Santiago, Chile. The Chilean hosts chose the theme of Democratic Governance in the Americas as the focus for this year’s meeting and topic of discussion among the region’s foreign ministers. The three-day proceedings also included an open meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group, during which the Mexican delegation provided additional information on plans for the Special Summit of the Americas scheduled for the fall of 2003. Delegates also participated in elections, appointing new members to both the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights, the Justice Studies Center of the Americas, as well as additional administrative positions. The Chair of FOCAL’s Board of Directors, John Graham, and analyst Laurie Cole attended on behalf of FOCAL.

On June 7, prior to the OAS General Assembly, FOCAL participated in a day-long "Civil Society and Governance" workshop at the FLACSO-Chile in conjunction with the Secretary General of the OAS and additional civil society partners in preparation for the recently formalized dialogue between civil society organizations and the region’s foreign ministers to be held as part of the 33rd OAS GA. During this preparatory meeting civil society organizations from across the hemisphere met to discuss the governance challenges facing the region and to generate a series of recommendations for the foreign ministers related to human rights, the implementation of Summit of the Americas mandates, as well as political party reform and access to information. FOCAL representatives participated actively in the day’s events. John Graham, the Chair of the Board of Directors moderated a panel, and Laurie Cole presented a report on the status of civil society participation in the OAS (in Spanish), drawing on findings from Issue No. 2 of FOCAL’s Summit Follow-up Series.

The FLACSO working sessions produced 19 pages of recommendations for the 34 OAS member states, the highlights of which were presented to the OAS Secretary General and a number of the regions’ foreign ministers during a two-hour informal dialogue session with civil society on June 8th. Civil society organizations were able to address the ministers on various issues, including the human rights situation throughout the region, the need for reform of political parties, as well as the challenges of civil society participation in the Summit of the Americas process. John Graham made an intervention on behalf of FOCAL, reminding ministers that the OAS faced a major financial crisis and that key programs of the organization valued by member states and NGOs alike are imperilled unless country subscriptions are increased, as requested by the Secretary General.

FOCAL at the OAS General Assembly Barbados, June 2-4, 2002

FOCAL attended, as an accredited civil society organization, the 32nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Barbados. Through its special guest status, FOCAL gained access to sessions of both the OAS General Committee and the General Assembly. There were three thematic topics on the agenda: the Multi Dimensional Approach to Hemispheric Security; Follow-up and Development of the Inter-American Democratic Charter; the OAS, Democracy, and Trade. More on FOCAL at the OAS GA .