E-223-01
November
7,
2001
VENEZUELA
PROPOSES OAS GIVE MORE PRIORITY TO POVERTY After
a lengthy exchange on Venezuela’s proposal for an Organization of
American States working group to follow up on poverty, equity and social
inclusion, the Organization's Permanent Council decided to ask the
Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral
Development (CEPCIDI) to update the next Permanent Council meeting on
that body's poverty-eradication activities. In
his summary, Permanent Council Chairman Ambassador Swinburne Lestrade of
Dominica urged further consultations among the member state delegations
on developing and presenting an appropriate mechanism to implement the
proposal. Venezuelan
Ambassador Jorge Valero submitted his government's proposal, explaining
the aim is to strategically tackle poverty in the Hemisphere by drawing
up an inventory of institutions and projects dealing with the fight
against poverty. The proposal involves as well drafting a
resolution for the next General Assembly, with specifics on how to
intensify the anti-poverty campaign. Today's
Permanent Council meeting covered a variety of issues, including
suggestions for promoting the Inter-American Democratic Charter
(approved last September) throughout the hemisphere, and engaging member
governments to do their share to meet this objective. The
delegates also heard an overview by the Peruvian envoy on a draft
hemispheric convention against terrorism his government has forwarded to
the Council for consideration.
The chairman presented his predecessor, Costa Rica's Ambassador Hernán
R. Castro, with a plaque expressing appreciation for his leadership of
the Organization's Permanent Council from June to September of this
year.
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