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OAS Permanent Council Approves 2015-2016 Budget Proposal to be Submitted to the Extraordinary General Assembly and Congratulates Brazil and Uruguay on Electoral Processes

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today approved the document on the Program Budget 2015-2016 to be considered tomorrow by the Extraordinary General Assembly at a meeting in which the Permanent Representatives expressed messages of congratulations to Brazil and Uruguay for their recent elections.

Introducing the draft resolution establishing the details of the distribution of expenses and financial allocations of the Organization for the next two years, the Permanent Representative of Chile to the OAS and Chair of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP), Ambassador Juan Pablo Lira, explained the process of discussion and analysis by which the Commission was able to arrive to a resolution and thanked the willingness shown by the different representations that helped to achieve consensus. The adopted resolution stresses the importance of strengthening “a culture and practice of austerity, efficiency, accountability, effectiveness, transparency, and prudence in the use, execution and management of the Organization’s resources and ensure the allocation of adequate and sustainable financing to perform its work.”

The Council decided to refer the proposed budget to the Extraordinary General Assembly, the highest entity of the OAS, which is scheduled for tomorrow at the headquarters of the Organization in Washington, DC.

At the same meeting, the representatives expressed messages of congratulations to the people of Brazil and Uruguay, countries that held presidential and general elections respectively last Sunday October 26. In their addresses, the representatives highlighted the exemplary conduct of the elections, the civic spirit demonstrated by citizens and the progress towards the consolidation of participatory democratic processes.

Council members also offered their condolences to the people and relatives of former Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, Carlos Morales Troncoso, referring to his legacy and commitment to the country. They also lamented the recent death of former Agriculture Minister and Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, Science and Technology of Guyana, Navin Chandarpal.

In today's meeting the delegates of the United States, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Honduras, Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, El Salvador, Canada and Mexico took the floor.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The video of the event will be available here.

The audio of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-468/14