Introduction to the Summits of the Americas Process

Summits of the Americas Secretariat

December 13, 2010

Questions to Answer

1. What is the Summits of the Americas process?

3. How have Indigenous Peoples participated?

4. What is the Summit Virtual Community (SVC) and how can Indigenous Peoples participate?

2. Who are Social Actors and how do they participate in the Summits process?

Summits of the Americas Process 5th Summit of the Americas (Port of Spain, April 2009) “Securing Our Citizens’ Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability”

I Summit Miami 1994

Special Summit Santa Cruz 1996

II Summit Santiago 1998

III Summit Québec 2001

Special Summit Monterrey 2004

IV Summit Mar del Plata 2005

Consensus-building at the Highest LevelConsensus-building at the Highest Level

Seek solutions to problems and challenges facing their

countries

Seek solutions to problems and challenges facing their

countries

Develop a shared vision for the future development of the region

Develop a shared vision for the future development of the region

Discuss common concerns

Discuss common concerns

Main components - Summits of the Americas Process

Main Actors of the Summits Process

Host Country (Colombia)

Host Country (Colombia)

Inter-American Ministerial Meetings

Inter-American Ministerial Meetings

Social ActorsSocial Actors

Joint Summit Working Group :

12 institutions

Joint Summit Working Group :

12 institutions

OAS General Secretariat - Summits of the Americas

Secretariat

OAS General Secretariat - Summits of the Americas

Secretariat

OAS Member States - SIRG and Executive Council

OAS Member States - SIRG and Executive Council

Social Actors’ Participation

Historical antecedents of the participation are wide and diverse

Political bases for participation: Summits’ Declarations and Plans of Action, OAS Resolutions and the inter-American Democratic Charter (Art. 3, 4, 6 and 26)

The participation is key for the Summits process, both in the preparatory stages and for follow-up and implementation of previous Summits.

Fifth Summit of the Americas

V Summit of the Americas (2009 – Port of Spain):

“We commit to continue encouraging the participation of our peoples, through the engagement of our citizens, communities and civil society in the design and execution of development policies and programmes, by providing technical and financial assistance, as appropriate, and in accordance with national legislation to strengthen and build their capacity to participate more fully in the inter-American system”.

[Paragraph 94]

Civil Society OrganizationCivil Society Organization

Social Actors

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Who Are Social Actors?

Indigenous PeoplesIndigenous Peoples

Private SectorPrivate Sector

Women and Gender GroupWomen and Gender Group

YouthYouth

Afro-descendantsAfro-descendants

Academia and Think tanksAcademia and Think tanks

Unions and Workers’ groupsUnions and Workers’ groups

OthersOthers

The participation of social actors is being consolidated by…

Forums and Consultation meetings, both face to face and virtual

Presentation of their recommendations in Member States’ meetings

Dialogue between Member States and Social Actors’ representatives in the framework of the Summits

Assisting States in the implementation of commitments

Development of the e-participation tools as a way to involve social actors with other stakeholders.

Social Actors’ Participation

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Indigenous Peoples Participation in the Summits of the Americas and the

Indigenous Summits

Opportunities to create linkages and network with other Indigenous and social actors from the hemisphere

Collectively consolidate

policy priorities

Commitments can be enacted at hemispheric and national levels

Follow-up & implementation of high-level mandates and implement your

own documents, (Declarations and

Plans of Action)

Indigenous Peoples as a Social Actor

Access to decision-makers

Importance of Indigenous Peoples

as a Social Actor

in the Summits Process

Indigenous Peoples Participation: ILSAs

Indigenous Summits in the framework of the Summit of the Americas: • First Indigenous Summit of the Americas (Ottawa, Canada. March, 2001).

Main themes: Economic Development, new economic modelsand Human Rights.

• Second Summit of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas(Buenos Aires, Argentina. October, 2005).

Main themes: Governance and free determination; lands, territories, and resources; Sustainable Development.

Third ILSA

III Indigenous Leaders’ Summit of the Americas “Implementing the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas for Present and Future Generations”

(Panama, April 14-15, 2009).

Declaration and a Plan of Action: Short and concrete points.Main themes: Reaffirm principles and Rights; Human Prosperity, energy security, Environmental Sustainability, and Strengthening Public Security, Democratic Governance and the Summit of the Americas. A final point includes Follow-Up and Implementation.

Follow-up proposal: Creation of a Permanent Forum. A proposal was presented to the OAS Secretary General in March, 2010.

Presented outcomes at the Dialogue between Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Social Actors (Trinidad y Tobago. April 17, 2009)

Indigenous themes and language from the Summits

Language from the Declarations and Plans of Action:

All Summits held have expressed the desire to protect indigenous peoples of the Hemisphere and have recognized the need to promote a common vision to improve the lives of indigenous peoples and facilitate their participation in the Inter-American System.

Related themes more relevant or frequent: Human Rights; health; Education; Justice; Employment; Cultural Diversity; Sustainable Economic Development; among others.

www.summit-americas.org/sisca/ip.html

Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain

Paragraph 55: Corporate social responsibility - best practices in the energy sector, - enhance dialogue with indigenous groups

Indigenous Peoples in the Fifth Summit Declaration

Paragraph 86: “Recognizing the diversity and the traditional and ancestral nature of the cultures, histories and demographic, socio-economic and political circumstances of indigenous peoples, we reaffirm our commitment to respect their rights and we will promote the successful conclusion of negotiations on the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples is essential for their existence, welfare, and integral development. In accordance with the domestic laws of each State, we will promote the exercise of their rights, their full participation in national activities and the creation of the conditions that allow them to overcome poverty, social exclusion, and inequality.”

Activities since the Fifth Summit and Colombia as Host Country for the

Sixth Summit

Follow-up and Implementation- A joint effort -

Social Actors: key for the Implementation

• It is necessary that the Summits’ objectives be assumed as a joint effort between the States, the Inter-American Institutions and the social actors.

• The current task is implementing initiatives to provide concrete and measurable results in development of the hemispheric agenda that has been reflected in the Summits documents.

Follow-up and Implementation

Initiatives being developed

• Submission of social actor’s inputs and recommendations to the Ministerial meetings.

• Multi-sectoral meetings lead by think tanks and other social actors: Creation of a “Public Opinion Task Force” (underway).

• Development Marketplace for Latin America and the Caribbean 2010 (Grant Competition - YABT, BM, BID): Follow-up projects of the Youth Forum of the Americas

• E-participation Mechanisms: Summits Virtual Community (June 4, 2010)

• Seminar “Mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples’ participation in the OAS” (June 22-24, 2010)

• Initiatives proposed to Colombia: Multi-sectoral Policy Dialogues to start in 2011

Seminar on “Mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples’ participation in the OAS and the inter-American System”, held in OAS

In follow-up to this Seminar, the SAS is

• working on a booklet that showcase the current mechanisms in the OAS, the Summits Process and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)

• fostering continuous participation via Virtual Group

• Holding this series of Sub-regional phase-to-phase activities, as requested in the June Declaration.

• Providing this opportunity to listen to your inputs towards the Sixth Summit and to exchange ideas on the possible next steps for indigenous participation.

OAS Seminar with Indigenous Peoples

Advances and Next Steps

Inmediate Next Steps (by the OAS):

• Sub-regional Meeting with Indigenous representatives from the

Spanish-speaking countries, to be held tentatively in Colombia, early in

2011.

• Gather all your recommendations for submission to Colombia and

other Member States for: Consultations, events and other activities to

be developed in preparation for the Sixth Summit of the Americas in 2

012, including through the Summits Virtual Community.

• Present to the Colombian Government a proposal for Indigenous

Peoples Participation in the Summits process.

SUMMITS VIRTUAL COMMUNITY

“It is the right and responsibility of all citizens to participate in decisions relating to their own development. This is also a necessary condition for the full and effective exercise of democracy. Promoting and fostering diverse forms of participation strengthens democracy.”

• Inter American Democratic Charter – Art. 6

New phase: Virtual Community

Its new name shows its evolution towards a more dynamic and user-focused interaction.

Community

Why was the Virtual Community created?

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MAIN GOAL : (long-term)

• Strengthen the culture of democratic engagement in the Americas

• Facilitate the development of a Inter-American agenda that represents the common challenges and interests of the peoples of the Americas.

INTERMEDIATE GOALS:

• Broaden the consultation, participation and interaction of social actors and other Summits stakeholders in the Summits of the Americas process and the Inter-American system

• Strengthen the dialogue between Member States and other Summit stakeholders

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Engage in a rich dialogue on key hemispheric issues and share best practices;

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Members of the Virtual Community can:

Share their views with decision-makers of the Summit process;

Stay informed by participating actively and accessing thematic information and resources;

Network and collaborate with peers and organizations;

Contribute to raising awareness and to solving challenges faced by the peoples of the Americas.

Summits Virtual Community

Current Statistics

SVC Basic Statistics No.Registered users 409No. of Countries represented by users 41Registered Orgs in Spanish 84Registered Orgs in English 44Forums 7Groups 15Comments 140Documents & Publications 88Videos 19

Be an active member of the Summits Community and Stay informed!

Stayed informed on the Summits Process

@SummitAmericas OAS Summit Americas

SVC Launch to Follow!

www.summit-americas.org/svc

www.cumbre-americas.org/cvc

Thank you!

SUMMITS OF THE AMERICAS SECRETARIATSUMMITS OF THE AMERICAS SECRETARIATORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATESORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

wwwww.summit-samericas.org19th Street & Ave. Constitution, NW

Washington, D.C. 20006

summit-info@oas.org