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OAS PERMANENT COUNCIL ELECTS COMMITTEE CHAIRS

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today elected by acclamation the chairs of two of its key committees. Ambassador Osmar Chohfi of Brazil will chair the Committeeon Juridical and Political Affairs and Ambassador Javier Sancho Bonilla will chair the Committee on Hemispheric Security.

Ambassador Chohfi thanked his colleagues for their confidence in him, noting that this committee recently received 26 mandates from the General Assembly. “This will be an open chairmanship with the idea of maintaining a constructive dialogue among everyone to reach the proposed goals,” the Brazilian diplomat said.

The Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs considers such issues as the administration of justice, human rights, anti-corruption efforts, indigenous peoples, migrant workers, and the fight against racism and intolerance.

Following his election to head the Committee on Hemispheric Security, the Costa Rican Permanent Representative underscored “the challenge and the responsibility to guarantee peace and security in the hemisphere. Security has a multidimensional nature, and for this reason our Organization should continue to develop programs to combat organized crime,” he said.

Security also involves tackling poverty and increasing material benefits to families, in a context of international cooperation, Ambassador Sancho Bonilla said. Such cooperation, he added, “should also be expressed in an effective, coordinated effort to mitigate the effects of natural disasters, as well as to promote human development.” The Committee on Hemispheric Security handles a number of issues, including action against landmines, organized crime, trafficking in persons, the gang problem, the reduction in military spending and small-arms trafficking.

The Chair of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs, Ambassador Maneul María Cáceres of Paraguay, will continue in his post until a successor is elected at a later date.

During the same Permanent Council meeting, chaired by Ambassador Henry L. Illes of Suriname, the new Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the OAS, Ambassador María del Luján Flores, made her first address to the hemispheric body. Ambassador Flores, who had presented her credentials this morning to OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, said that “the role of the OAS as a catalyst to bring about development is of vital importance and is closely linked to fundamental human rights.”

Meanwhile, Ambassador Joshua Sears of The Bahamas and Ambassador Fernando de la Flor of Peru said farewell to the Permanent Council, having concluded their service as Permanent Representatives of their governments to the OAS.

Reference: E-155/06