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OEA/Ser.G

CP/doc.5180/16

13 April 2016

Original: Spanish

DRAFT DECLARATION

“INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN THE AMERICAS”

(Presented by the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic)

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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

TO THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

1715 22nd street, n.w.

Washington, D.C., 20008

(202) 332-9142 (202) 232-5038 (fax)

MP-RD-OEA

0410-16

April 13, 2016

Excellency:

I have the honor to address Your Excellency and to send you the Draft Declaration, “Institutional Strengthening for Sustainable Development in the Americas,” of the forty-sixth regular session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), which will take place in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, from June 13 to 15, 2016.

We request that the Chair of the Permanent Council distribute this document and the translations thereof into the official languages of the Organization.

Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.

Pedro Vergés Ciman

Ambassador, Permanent Representative

His Excellency

Ambassador Juan José Arcuri

Chair of the Permanent Council

Organization of American States

Washington, D.C.

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DRAFT DECLARATION
“INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING FOR SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT
IN THE AMERICAS”

(Presented by the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic)

THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND HEADS OF DELEGATION OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS), meeting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on the occasion of the forty-sixth regular session of the General Assembly,

REAFFIRMING the nature, purposes, and principles established in the OAS Charter and the importance of sustainable development as a conceptual framework in which the OAS should work, both as a forum for concerted action and for technical cooperation;

RECALLING the commitments undertaken in the Summits of the Americas, especially the Summit of the Americas for Sustainable Development, held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in 1996 and its Plan of Action; in the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the Social Charter of the Americas; in the Declaration of Santa Cruz+10; in the Declaration of Santiago on Democracy and Public Trust: A New Commitment to Good Governance for the Americas”; in the Declaration of Panama: Energy for Sustainable Development; in the Declaration of Asunción: Development with Social Inclusion; and in the Declaration of Santo Domingo for Sustainable Development in the Americas, adopted in the Dominican Republic in 2010;

CONSIDERING that the international commitments entered into by the member states in connection with sustainable development, especially the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, help set the scene for a rethinking of institutional strategy at the inter-American level;

RECALLING that socio-economic development and protection of the environment are interdependent pillars of sustainable development and that the eradication of poverty is a fundamental goal of such development, just as democracy, the rule of law, and development are also significantly interrelated, which is essential for national and international sustainable development;

ACKNOWLEDGING the different levels of development and of economic, social, environmental and climatic vulnerability of the States of the Hemisphere, and the need to work together in a spirit of solidarity to ensure that strategies, policies, plans, and programs are mutually reinforcing and conducive to sustainable development, the eradication of hunger and poverty, and peace and democracy in the Americas;

BEARING IN MIND that access to natural resources is not only a source of well-being, but also of tensions in the Americas;

RECOGNIZING the institutional and multidimensional challenges that have hampered the development of our societies and that achievement of the 2030 Agenda goals will, to a large extent, depend on the necessary resources for implementation and funding; on innovation and technology transfers; on legal frameworks tailored to collective interests; on well-trained civil servants committed to inter-agency and inter-sectoral coordination; and on institutions acting effectively, efficiently, transparently, and with moral integrity, while guaranteeing multidimensional and social security, promoting equity, and respecting the separation and independence of the branches of government.

BEARING IN MIND that, for the hemispheric sustainable development agenda to be effective, partnerships are needed between government, the private sector, and civil society and that those inclusive partnerships need to be forged on the basis of a shared vision and joint objectives;

AWARE that corruption generates distrust of institutions, affects citizens, and impairs the ability of States to achieve sustainable development, and that combating corruption is a priority for the practice of democracy for all OAS member states, in accordance with the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the Inter-American Convention against Corruption;

RECALLING that participation by citizens in decisions related to their own development is a right and a responsibility. It is also a precondition for the full and effective exercise of democracy and for strengthening democracy;

REAFFIRMING the commitment of the Declaration of Tela: “Building a Sustainable Development Agenda for the Americas,” which adopts the Strategic Framework for the Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development (PIDS) and calls for ongoing revision and updating of the PIDS;

CONSIDERING that the OAS is the hemispheric political forum composed of all the countries of the Americas, which, in an equal and interdependent manner, strengthens democracy, promotes and protects human rights, advances integral development and fosters multidimensional security, with justice and social inclusion, for the benefit of the peoples of the Americas.

RECOGNIZING the work and technical assistance provided by the General Secretariat to the member states to advance effective implementation of the hemispheric and international commitments relating to sustainable development adopted by the member states;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the strategic objectives for institutional strengthening, administrative management, and each of the pillars established in the Strategic Vision of the Organization, as well as the need for the Organization’s efforts to match the alignment of the mandates of the member states and the Strategic Vision;

CONSCIOUS of the coordinating role played by the OAS in the inter-American system and the importance of encouraging dialogue and regional cooperation, as well as public-private partnerships, and other ties, in order to consolidate existing hemispheric mechanisms for promoting and strengthening policies, legislation, institutional transparency, and other mechanisms that foster equity, equal rights and opportunities, social inclusion, public participation, and sound public management;

CONVINCED that implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals requires a transformation highlighting the role of the OAS as a body that promotes peaceful coexistence, the sovereignty of States, democracy, human rights, security, and sustainable development in the Americas,

DECLARE that they:

  1. Promote the establishment and consolidation, at all levels, of effective, responsible, and inclusive institutions that facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  1. Strengthen the efforts of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States to advance the implementation of commitments undertaken with respect to sustainable development and climate change.
  1. Adopt a steadfast commitment to implement the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in the Americas and reaffirm the commitment to eradicate hunger and poverty, especially extreme poverty, protect the environment, and foster disaster risk management.
  1. Encourage the promotion of a more inclusive and sustainable economic growth model, with corporate social and environmental responsibility practices in line with sustainable development goals and targets that are conducive to the participation and best use of all sectors’ productive potential.
  1. Foster a rights-based approach and resolutely universal and equitable social protection and advancement systems that establish social and environmental guarantees through built-in institutional strengthening tools.
  1. Promote the formulation and implementation of public policies, strategies, and proposals to advance women’s human rights and gender equity and equality in all spheres of public and private life, and gender mainstreaming in public institutions.
  1. Encourage the efforts needed to institutionalize the process of professionalization in public administration and the development of well-trained civil servants, committed to new institutional practices, as well as the establishment of modern merit-based management systems for the entry, retention, and development of human resources.
  1. Encourage a new paradigm for high-quality public administration, with an approach that sees citizens as agents of change and is geared to consolidating institutionalization, coherence, and continuity in public policies in accordance with the goals and targets set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  1. Promote steps to decentralize and de-concentrate public administration, building the capacity and underscoring and supporting the role of local governments as autonomous entities that share responsibility for implementing public policies throughout the country geared to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
  1. Promote effective inter-agency and policy coordination and facilitate the synergies between national goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, by adopting strategies imbued with a comprehensive vision and a multidimensional approach to sustainable development policies.
  1. Foster dialogue for strengthening institutional capacity in each of the branches of government, while respecting their independence and encouraging their contribution to the achievement of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
  1. Promote different forms of social organization, interactions among them, and inclusive dialogue aimed at achieving greater social cohesion and furthering inter-agency and inter-sectoral coordination between public and private entities, civil society, academia, and other social actors for the sustainable development of States.
  1. Foster credibility and citizens’ trust in democratic institutions.
  1. Promote the development and implementation of transparent legal frameworks tailored to collective interests and supportive of sustainable development.
  1. Affirm their conviction that a peaceful and constructive approach to social and environmental conflicts, from a rights-based perspective and through dialogue and other peaceful means for the prevention and alternative resolution of conflicts, contributes to democratic governance and achievement of sustainable development goals.
  1. Promote the rule of law, observance of treaties and conventions, equal access to justice for all and implementation of the Model Inter-American Law on Access to Information and the Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-making for Sustainable Development for the benefit of future generations,
  1. Continue to address the causes and consequences of corruption and contribute to a substantial reduction of all forms of corruption and bribery, by promoting open government and implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and its follow-up mechanism, and by strengthening the development, in the member states, of the mechanism needed to prevent, detect, punish, and eradicate corruption and to prevent impunity, as an imperative that should further tighten the unity of member states in their efforts to enhance living conditions and achieve sustainability.
  1. Support the revamping of the global financial architecture, to adjust it to the challenges and the need to identify, expand, and implement alternative forms of financing through innovative forms of international cooperation for development, including public-private partnerships for implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Foster, as a complement to the global partnership for sustainable development, effective partnerships among multiple stakeholders in public, public-private, and civil society spheres to mobilize and promote the sharing of knowledge, technical capacity, technology, and financial resources, with a view to supporting attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in all the member states, making the most of inter-American experience and synergies.
  1. Underscore the potential of the private sector and of the specialized investment for development and integration mechanisms already in place in the region to create synergies and strengthen the cooperation needed to make it feasible to achieve the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  1. Foster inter-American dialogue on addressing the challenges faced by middle-income countries with serious socio-economic deficits to finance their development, considering the decline in official development aid to those countries following their classification as “middle-income,” which restricts their access to financial resources from traditional cooperation sources.
  1. Comply with the commitment of all member states, especially the more developed, to achieve financing through the Green Climate Fund, in order to attend to the development needs of our region with respect to the adoption of adaptation and mitigation measures.
  1. Promote the development, transfer, spread and dissemination of environmentally sustainable technologies, as well as public-private partnerships and capacity building for technological development and innovation, as factors facilitating implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  1. Underscore the importance of promoting political and institutional coherence for sustainable development by respecting each country’s political space and encouraging multisector alliances, monitoring, and accountability as core ingredients for the implementation of the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

24.Foster reflection within the framework of the Strategic Vision process, with a view to making appropriate changes to achieve an effective contribution by the General Secretariat to the attainment, in the member states, of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

25.Support the development and implementation of the strategic initiatives of the General Secretariat in connection with institutional strengthening and sustainable development in the Americas and their incorporation into the Strategic Vision of the Organization process, in coordination with multilateral financing institutions.

26.Urge the member states to continue revising and updating the PIDS, as an institutional policy instrument for sustainable development and call upon the CIDS to continue to move ahead with its work aimed atfinalizing the new PIDS before October 2016.

27.Promote inter-American dialogue on sustainable development and continue convening regular meetings of the PIDS to support and evaluate implementation of the PIDS and to evaluate the possibility of reactivating the Inter-Agency Group established to follow up on the various decisions arising out of the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development; and to urge United Nations and inter-American agencies to cooperate with the OAS in this process.

28.Instruct the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) to promote and facilitate, within the framework of its mandates and in coordination with international entities and organizations, the fund-raising and technical assistance needed to advance toward the effective implementation of this Declaration.

29.Express appreciation for the recommendations resulting from the dialogue with civil society and other social actors, as well as from the private sector forum, as important contributions to the attainment of the commitments contained in this Declaration.

Note:

The international commitments referred to in the fourth preambular paragraph are: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (Agenda 21 and Declaration of Rio de Janeiro on Environment and Development); the 2000 United Nations Millennium Summit and its Millennium Development Goals; the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002 (Declaration and its Plan of Implementation); the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (Kobe, Japan, in 2005 (Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005-2015); the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of that Programme of Action; he United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development; resolution /RES/66/288 - The Future We Want; resolution A/RES/67/206, Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (Samoa Pathway; United Nations resolution A/RES/68/222, Development Cooperation with Middle-Income Countries; resolution A/RES/70/1, Transforming Our World; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; resolution A/CONF.227/L.1, Addis Ababa Action Agenda; resolution A/RES/69/283, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030; and others, as applicable.