NEW AMBASSADOR OF CANADA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS AT OAS
WASHINGTON, D.C. –The new Permanent Representative of Canada to the Organization of American States (OAS), Hugh Adsett, presented his credentials to the Secretary General of the Organization, Luis Almagro, on Thusday, October 17, 2019.
At the ceremony, which took place at the headquarters of the hemispheric institution in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Adsett said his country and the OAS share the same values and principles.
“The OAS mandates align with Canadian foreign policy priorities: democracy, human rights, security and development,” said the Canadian diplomat.
For his part, Secretary General Almagro highlighted the political will of Canada to help resolve disputes and conflicts in the countries of the hemisphere.
“One of the most important functions of the OAS is to facilitate dialogue to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts, and Canada is a key ally in this task,” said Secretary General Almagro.
Canada has been an OAS member state since 1990, after being a Permanent Observer for 28 years.
(SOURCE: OAS website)
REFORM WTO AND RESIST PROTECTIONISM, SAY COMMONWEALTH TRADE MINISTERS
LONDON, October 10, 2019 — Trade ministers from across the Commonwealth today made a commitment to resist all forms of protectionism, and to work urgently together towards reforming the World Trade Organisation, which sets the global rules for international trade.
Following a meeting in London, ministers from the 53 Commonwealth member countries declared their collective support for free trade in a transparent, inclusive, fair and open multilateral trading system, with the WTO as its core institution.
They agreed that any WTO reform should take into account the views of all members, underlining the special circumstances of the developing and the least developed countries, as well as small and vulnerable economies, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Ministers also endorsed an action plan designed to boost trade among their countries to at least $2 trillion by 2030, through the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda. Intra-Commonwealth trade is projected to reach $700 billion by next year.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “The multilateral trading system is the only way for our countries, as diverse as they are, to trade in a predictable, stable, transparent and fair environment. While the global trading system may be far from perfect, it is the surest pathway towards eradicating poverty. Building on this, the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda will help businesses, including micro, small and medium sized enterprises, to plug into global trade networks and benefit from world trade. In this way, intra-Commonwealth trade offers immense opportunities to contribute to reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development.” https://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/reform-wto-and-resist-protectionism-say-commonwealth-trade-ministers
COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS OF FINANCE WILL MEET OCTOBER 17 FOR ANNUAL SUMMIT
LONDON, England — The Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting (CFMM) will take place in the margins of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington D.C.
It will be chaired by Cyprus, and will focus on the theme “Avoiding Debt Crises: The Role of Creditors and Debtors.”
Senior officials and central bank governors will meet before the finance ministers’ plenary on 16 October 2019. https://thecommonwealth.org/media/event/event-commonwealth-finance-ministers-meeting
ANNUAL KUNTE KENTE FESTIVAL HELD IN ANNAPOLIS
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland – Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes is pictured at the 30th Annual Kunte Kente Festival in Annapolis, Maryland, on Saturday, September 28, 2019 with Dejuan Gay, the newly elected and youngest member of the Annapolis City Council. This year marks 30 years of festival “celebrating perseverance, education, and cultural heritage.” The event featured three stages of live music and dance entertainment; a children’s activity tent; and more than 80 arts and crafts, food, and education and community vendors at the scenic and historical Annapolis City Dock.
MINISTERS COMMIT TO JOIN FORCES IN CLIMATE CHANGE FIGHT
UNITED NATIONS, New Yok — Environment ministers from across the Commonwealth have jointly committed to work together to tackle the devastating impacts of climate change, build resilience and collaborate on ocean action.
During a roundtable side event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, ministers with responsibility for the environment, oceans and climate change representing 26 countries across the Commonwealth agreed to a statement which commits them to work together “to tackle and reduce the devastating impacts of climate change on our countries’ peoples, economies, land and ocean environments”.
The written statement went on to add: “We will share our experiences and ideas to formulate multilateral actions across the Commonwealth”.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland opened the meeting entitled ‘Advancing ambition and accelerating action – Dialogue on climate change, resilience building and ocean action’.
She told ministers: “No country in our Commonwealth family is unaffected by the impacts of climate change. “Now is the moment for us to bring our collective voice to bear on these defining issues of our time.”
The event was designed to boost the Commonwealth’s efforts towards reducing emissions, accelerating the rate of resilience-building and adaptation and using natural and marine resources in a sustainable manner (otherwise referred to as green and blue growth). https://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/ministers-commit-join-forces-climate-change-fight
OAS AND TWITTER LAUNCH GUIDE TO BEST PRACTICES 0N CYBERSECURITY AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 17, 2019 — The Organization of American States (OAS) and Twitter launched a guide to recommend best practices in the use of social networks, with special attention to the social network of Twitter.
Under the title “Media Literacy and Digital Security: Twitter Best Practices,” the guide seeks to offer citizens tools to improve their digital security in the use of social media, in aspects related to account security or monitoring, consumption and distribution of information, as well as tips to maintain security on Twitter.
The guide incorporates useful content on digital literacy, measures to secure devices while on social networks, ways to manage the distribution and consumption of information on twitter, and finally, recommendations on the rules and control of user experience in the use of Twitter.
The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, said, “It is a great pleasure for the General Secretariat, and for the CICTE Secretariat, to support the region once again in aspects associated with digital security; cooperation that this time includes the elaboration and dissemination of this guide. We want people to use this tool as safely as possible, and this agreement, this guide and these best practices are a valuable contribution to that goal.”
“We are delighted to partner with the OAS to achieve a shared goal of serving as a resource for digital literacy. It is such an important tool for all those who use digital channels to consume information,” said Twitter Vice President of Public Policy, Government and Philanthropy Colin Crowell. “Everyone should be empowered to develop the skills to critically analyze content for credibility and challenge information they are consuming and sharing online.”
Download the guide here:
ENG: https://www.oas.org/OASTwitterGuideENG
SPA: https://www.oas.org/OEATwitterGuiaESP
FRE: https://www.oas.org/OEATwitterGuideFRA
POR: https://www.oas.org/OEATwitterGuiaPOR
(SOURCE: OAS website)
OAS PERMANENT COUNCIL APPROVES RESOLUTION ON SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN VENEZUELA
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 28, 2019 — The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today approved the Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in Venezuela, which strongly condemns “the grave and systematic violations of human rights in Venezuela, including the use of torture, illegal and arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and the denial of the most basic rights and necessities, especially those related to health, food and education.”
The resolution was passed with 21 votes in favor (Argentina, The Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia and Venezuela), 3 votes against (Dominica, Nicaragua and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), 7 abstentions (Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Mexico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago) and 3 countries absent (Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and Uruguay), and demands “an independent exhaustive and credible investigation that makes it possible to bring the perpetrators and masterminds of the human rights violations to justice.”
The document also resolves “to demand immediate and unhindered access for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Venezuela,” and “to foster the strengthening of cooperation between the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor the human rights situation in Venezuela.”
During the meeting, the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, affirmed that “the OAS General Secretariat does not find it possible to ignore the denunciations and testimonies presented by Venezuelans who suffer the persecution of the regime. We understand the legal and moral obligation to criminally investigate these cases.”
He also recalled the importance of opening an international criminal investigation within the framework of the International Criminal Court to determine individual responsibility for the crimes that have been committed in the country.
(SOURCE: OAS website)
OAS AND CISCO TO LAUNCH CYBERSECURITY INNOVATION COUNCILS IN LATIN AMERICA
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 15, 2019 — The Organization of American States (OAS) and Cisco today announced joint efforts to democratize and boost cybersecurity adoption across Latin America through the creation of the Cybersecurity Innovation Councils. This initiative will serve as multi-stakeholder spaces in which leaders and experts from the private sector, public sector, academia, NGOs and security technology vendors will collaborate to drive innovation, raise awareness, and expand best practices, aiming to help solve digital risks and challenges affecting the digital society.
The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, said that “these Councils create spaces for collaboration between technology leaders, experts from the public and private sectors, universities and non-governmental organizations to promote innovation, raise awareness and expand best practices. All of this, in order to help solve the risks and challenges facing our societies, and foster an open, secure and reliable digital environment throughout our region.”
“As countries across Latin America digitally transform, cybersecurity will be the foundation for achieving their national priorities. Our partnership with the OAS will help set the stage for communities across Latin America, their governments, and their businesses, to take full advantage of the digital economy,” said Michael Timmeny, SVP and Chief Government Strategy Officer, Cisco.
Education is the foundation of driving awareness and the democratization of cybersecurity. Therefore, in addition to the Cybersecurity Innovation Councils, both Cisco and the OAS are leveraging Cisco Networking Academy in Latin America to promote educational resources that can help close the professional skills gap in cybersecurity – allowing citizens to access trainings and career opportunities in this field and help build the workforce of the future. This training offer can be found here.
Cisco and the OAS will deploy their expertise and leverage the regional footprint to lead important dialogue that will generate outputs in order to address cybersecurity challenges in Latin America. Cybersecurity is a foundational Cisco tenet to help transform digital businesses. This initiative is especially relevant in a global industry where attacks have resulted in financial damages greater than US$500,000, including, but not limited to, lost revenue, customers, opportunities, and out-of-pocket costs to organizations, according to Cisco 2018 Cybersecurity Report.
(SOURCE: OAS Website)
COMMONWEALTH’S 12TH WOMEN’S AFFAIRS MEETINGS TO BE HELD IN KENYA
“Action” will be the buzz word when Commonwealth Ministers of Women’s Affairs meet in Nairobi for their triennial summit.
Hosted by the government of Kenya, the 12th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Minister Meeting (12WAMM) will take place on September 19th and 20th under the theme, ‘From Commitment to Action: Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment for Sustainable Development’.
The aim of the conference is to turn the words and aspirations expressed by leaders at last years’ Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting into more leadership positions for women in private and public sectors; more political engagement at all levels; more economic and entrepreneurial opportunities, and more strides toward creating a world where gender equality is truly a reality.
WAMM has been held every three years since 1985 and provides the opportunity for ministers, senior officials, civil society, private sector and partner agencies to explore and agree on workable strategies and solutions to gender disparities. http://thecommonwealth.org/media/event/12th-women%E2%80%99s-affairs-ministers-meetings-be-held-kenya
OAS AND COLOMBIA TO COOPERATE IN DIGITAL SECURITY
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Organization of American States (OAS) and Colombia signed an agreement for the strengthening of cooperation on digital security, during a ceremony held at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.
The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro , recalled that for nearly two decades, the Organization has worked on the challenges, dangers and opportunities of the digital world, with actions that seek to promote a culture of cybersecurity with a multidimensional focus. “The agreement we sign today with Colombia is another demonstration of the leadership of Colombian institutions and the trust they have in the OAS, as well as the ratification of our commitment to continue our digital security efforts in the country,” said Secretary General Almagro.
For his part, the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the OAS, Alejandro Ordoñez, said that, by signing the agreement, his government reaffirms its commitment to work with the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) of the OAS to strengthen its cybersecurity capacity. “Digital trust is a fundamental component in achieving the transformation of the country,” added the Colombian diplomat.
The agreement will be implemented through CICTE, which has worked with the Colombian government on cybersecurity for more than ten years.
(SOURCE: OAS website)