THIRTY-EIGHTH REGULAR SESSION OEA/Ser.P
June 1 to 3, 2008 AG/doc.4886/08 rev. 1
Medellín, Colombia 18 September 2008
Original: Spanish
DECLARATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
(Revised by the Style Committee)
CONTENTS
AG/DEC. 57 (XXXVIII-O/08) Declaration of Medellín: Youth and Democratic Values 1
AG/DEC. 58 (XXXVIII-O/08) Declaration on the Question of the Malvinas Islands 11
AG/DEC. 59 (XXXVIII-O/08) Recognition of the National System of Venezuelan Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Promotion of Cultural Initiatives for Youth 13
AG/RES. 2354 (XXXVIII-O/08) Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission 15
AG/RES. 2355 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Ecuador and Peru 17
AG/RES. 2356 (XXXVIII-O/08) Migrant Populations and Migration Flows in the Americas 20
AG/RES. 2357 (XXXVIII-O/08) Follow-up to the Special Conference on Security 22
AG/RES. 2358 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for Implementation at the Hemispheric Level of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) 25
AG/RES. 2359 (XXXVIII-O/08) Inter-American Support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 28
AG/RES. 2360 (XXXVIII-O/08) Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education 31
AG/RES. 2361 (XXXVIII-O/08) Sixtieth Anniversary of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man 33
AG/RES. 2362 (XXXVIII-O/08) Inter-American Program for Universal Civil Registry and the “Right to Identity” 35
AG/RES. 2363 (XXXVIII-O/08) Social Charter of the Americas: Renewal of the Hemispheric Commitment to Fight Poverty in the Region 47
AG/RES. 2364 (XXXVIII-O/08) Promotion of the International Criminal Court 49
AG/RES. 2365 (XXXVIII-O/08) Program of Action for the Decade of the Americas for the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (2006-2016) and Support for Its Technical Secretariat 53
AG/RES. 2366 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for the Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities 55
AG/RES. 2367 (XXXVIII-O/08) Draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance 57
AG/RES. 2368 (XXXVIII-O/08) Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 59
AG/RES. 2369 (XXXVIII-O/08) Meeting of Ministers of Justice or Other Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas 61
AG/RES. 2370 (XXXVIII-O/08) Future of the Inter-American Indian Institute 75
AG/RES. 2371 (XXXVIII-O/08) Mechanism to Follow Up on Implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, “Convention of Belém do Pará” 78
AG/RES. 2372 (XXXVIII-O/08) Coordination of Volunteers in the Hemisphere in response to Natural Disasters and the Fight against Hunger and Poverty – White Helmets Initiative 81
AG/RES. 2373 (XXXVIII-O/08) Simón Bolívar Humanitarian Task Force 84
AG/RES. 2374 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for the Inter-American Commission of Women 86
AG/RES. 2375 (XXXVIII-O/08) The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission and Integration of the Peoples of the Americas into the Global Information Society 88
AG/RES. 2376 (XXXVIII-O/08) Free Trade and Investment in the Hemisphere 91
AG/RES. 2377 (XXXVIII-O/08) Consolidation of the Regime Established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco) 92
AG/RES. 2378 (XXXVIII-O/08) Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission 95
AG/RES. 2379 (XXXVIII-O/08) Execution of the Hemispheric Plan of Action against Transnational Organized Crime and Strengthening of Hemispheric Cooperation 98
AG/RES. 2380 (XXXVIII-O/08) Promotion of Hemispheric Cooperation in Dealing with Criminal Gangs 102
AG/RES. 2381 (XXXVIII-O/08) Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials 104
AG/RES. 2382 (XXXVIII-O/08) Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions 108
AG/RES. 2383 (XXXVIII-O/08) First Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development within the Framework of CIDI 110
AG/RES. 2384 (XXXVIII-O/08) Report of the XV Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor 112
AG/RES. 2385 (XXXVIII-O/08) Continuing Participation in the Inter-American Council for Integral Development by Member States That Have Not Ratified the Protocol of Managua 127
AG/RES. 2386 (XXXVIII-O/08) Report of the Fifth Meeting of Ministers of Education within the Framework of CIDI 129
AG/RES. 2387 (XXXVIII-O/08) Eradicating Illiteracy and Fighting Diseases That Affect Integral Development 135
AG/RES. 2388 (XXXVIII-O/08) Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology in the Framework of CIDI 139
AG/RES. 2389 (XXXVIII-O/08) Eradication of Hunger: 2008 - International Year of the Potato 141
AG/RES. 2390 (XXXVIII-O/08) Strengthening Partnership for Development: Policy Dialogue, Technical Cooperation, Structure, and Mechanisms 141
AG/RES. 2391 (XXXVIII-O/08) Inter-American Meeting on Improving the Availability of, and Access to, Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation Services 141
AG/RES. 2392 (XXXVIII-O/08) Poverty, Equity, and Social Inclusion: Follow-up to the Declaration of Margarita 141
AG/RES. 2393 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for and Follow-up to the Summits of the Americas Process 141
AG/RES. 2394 (XXXVIII-O/08) Follow-up to the Declaration of Recife 141
AG/RES. 2395 (XXXVIII-O/08) Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in the Activities of the Organization of American States and in the Summits of the Americas Process 141
AG/RES. 2396 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for the Work of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism 141
AG/RES. 2397 (XXXVIII-O/08) Special Security Concerns of the Small Island States of the Caribbean 141
AG/RES. 2398 (XXXVIII-O/08) Confidence- and Security-Building in the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2399 (XXXVIII-O/08) The Americas as an Antipersonnel-Land-Mine-Free Zone 141
AG/RES. 2400 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for the Activities of the Inter-American Defense Board 141
AG/RES. 2401 (XXXVIII-O/08) Seventh Inter-American Specialized Conference on Private International Law 141
AG/RES. 2402 (XXXVIII-O/08) Protection of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2403 (XXXVIII-O/08) Study of the Rights and the Care of Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment 141
AG/RES. 2404 (XXXVIII-O/08) Education on Human Rights in Formal Education in the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2405 (XXXVIII-O/08) Inter-American Program for the Development of International Law 141
AG/RES. 2406 (XXXVIII-O/08) Right to the Truth 141
AG/RES. 2407 (XXXVIII-O/08) Strengthening of Human Rights Systems pursuant to the Mandates Arising from the Summits of the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2408 (XXXVIII-O/08) Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights 141
AG/RES. 2409 (XXXVIII-O/08) Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 141
AG/RES. 2410 (XXXVIII-O/08) Follow-up on the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption 141
AG/RES. 2411 (XXXVIII-O/08) Strengthening of the National Human Rights Systems of the Member States and Support for the Work of Defenders of the People, Defenders of the Population, and Human Rights Attorneys or Commissioners (Ombudsmen) 141
AG/RES. 2412 (XXXVIII-O/08) Human Rights Defenders: Support for the Individuals, Groups, and Organizations of Civil Society Working to Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2413 (XXXVIII-O/08) Strengthening the Activities of the Justice Studies Center of the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2414 (XXXVIII-O/08) Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Juridical Committee 141
AG/RES. 2415 (XXXVIII-O/08) Protecting Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism 141
AG/RES. 2416 (XXXVIII-O/08) Persons Who Have Disappeared and Assistance to Members of Their Families 141
AG/RES. 2417 (XXXVIII-O/08) Internally Displaced Persons 141
AG/RES. 2418 (XXXVIII-O/08) Access to Public Information: Strengthening Democracy 141
AG/RES. 2419 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for Enhanced Interregional Cooperation with the African Union 141
AG/RES. 2420 (XXXVIII-O/08) Voluntary Contributions for the Operations of the Oliver Jackman Fund to Finance the Inter-American Human Rights System 141
AG/RES. 2421 (XXXVIII-O/08) Strengthening the Role of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Organization of American States 141
AG/RES. 2422 (XXXVIII-O/08) Promotion and Strengthening of Democracy: Follow-up to the Inter-American Democratic Charter 141
AG/RES. 2423 (XXXVIII-O/08) Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices 141
AG/RES. 2424 (XXXVIII-O/08) Support for the Strengthening of Political Stability and for Socioeconomic Development in Haiti 141
AG/RES. 2425 (XXXVIII-O/08) Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality 141
AG/RES. 2426 (XXXVIII-O/08) Establishment of the Legal Assistance Fund of the Inter-American Human Rights System 141
AG/RES. 2427 (XXXVIII-O/08) Appointment of Women to Senior Management Positions at the Organization of American States 141
AG/RES. 2428 (XXXVIII-O/08) Modernization and Use of Electoral Technologies in the Hemisphere 141
AG/RES. 2429 (XXXVIII-O/08) Human Rights and Climate Change in the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2430 (XXXVIII-O/08) Protocol of San Salvador: Composition and Functioning of the Working Group to Examine the Periodic Reports of the States Parties 141
AG/RES. 2431 (XXXVIII-O/08) Preventing Crime and Violence in the Americas 141
AG/RES. 2432 (XXXVIII-O/08) Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Smuggling of and Trafficking in Minors 141
AG/RES. 2433 (XXXVIII-O/08) Promotion of and Respect for International Humanitarian Law 141
AG/RES. 2434 (XXXVIII-O/08) Right to Freedom of Thought and Expression and the Importance of the Media 141
AG/RES. 2435 (XXXVIII-O/08) Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity 141
AG/RES. 2436 (XXXVIII-O/08) Vote of Appreciation to the People and Government of Colombia 141
AG/RES. 2437 (XXXVIII-O/08) Guidelines for the Program-Budget of the Organization for 2009 141
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AG/DEC. 57 (XXXVIII-O/08)
DECLARATION OF MEDELLÍN:
YOUTH AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES
(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 3, 2008)
THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND HEADS OF DELEGATION OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS), meeting in Medellín, Colombia, on the occasion of the thirty-eighth regular session of the General Assembly,
REAFFIRMING the commitment of the member states to promote and strengthen in the youth of the Hemisphere the values, principles, and practices of a democratic life, including liberty and social justice, progress, respect for human rights in their universality, indivisibility, and interdependence, and the rule of law, pursuant to the Charter of the OAS and the Inter-American Democratic Charter;
RECOGNIZING the right of young people to participate actively and fully in the political, economic, and social spheres of their countries; and reaffirming our commitment to combating poverty, hunger, and social exclusion and to promoting social cohesion, to improve the living conditions of our peoples;
BEARING IN MIND that the Inter-American Democratic Charter emphasizes the importance and proposes the promotion of fundamental democratic values, principles, and practices, in order to foster a democratic culture among new generations;
CONSIDERING the central role of the OAS in the promotion of a democratic culture in the Hemisphere consistent with the principles, practices, and values of the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, paying special attention to the development of programs for the education of children and youth as a means of promoting and guaranteeing the permanence of democratic values, principles, and practices, including liberty and social justice;
BEARING IN MIND the agreements, mandates, and commitments set forth in the resolutions and declarations adopted by the OAS General Assembly, and the declarations, commitments, and plans of action adopted by the Summits of the Americas, related to the issue of youth and democratic values;
RECALLING:
That in the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile, in April 1998, the Heads of State and Government committed to develop “democratic culture at all levels, in order to teach individuals ethical values, a spirit of cooperation and integrity. To that end, the participation of teachers, families, students and outreach workers will be stepped up in their work related to conceptualizing and implementing the plans for shaping citizens imbued with democratic values”;
That in the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec City, Canada, in April 2001, the Heads of State and Government committed to supporting and promoting lifelong learning by offering varied curricula based on skills, knowledge, and civic and democratic values;
That in the Declaration of Nuevo León of the Special Summit of the Americas, held in Monterrey, Mexico, in January 2004, the Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the hemispheric commitment to democracy and reiterated the importance for democratic governance of political training and leadership development of young people; and
That in the Declaration of the Fourth Summit of the Americas, held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in November 2005, the Heads of State and Government recognized, among other things, the importance of facilitating the integration of youth into the labor market and of expanding coverage and improving the quality of information services and career counseling, as well as the importance of creating opportunities to facilitate access by youth to decent work; and that in the Plan of Action of said Summit they committed to reducing youth unemployment and significantly lowering the percentage of young people who neither study nor work;
TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION:
That the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 50/81, of December 14, 1995, identifies as priority areas education, employment, hunger and poverty, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time activities, girls and young women, and the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision-making;
The need to strengthen initiatives to ensure that the gender perspective is integrated into policies, programs, and projects targeted at youth;
That the promotion of democratic values, including freedom and social justice, as well as the development of knowledge, capacities, and relevant abilities in the young people of the Americas, are essential for their effective integration into the political, economic, and social spheres;
The importance of designing public policy with the joint participation of families and society in order to provide young people with opportunities to develop fully into productive adults, including the design of programs for training, initial employment, and participation in the economic, social, and cultural development process; and
The potential of youth as people imbued with principles and values, and with skills and abilities, capable of shaping more free, just, and democratic societies;
RECOGNIZING:
The importance of youth participation in political activities and public life, including the electoral process, as a key aspect for the promotion and exercise of a democratic culture;
The importance that youth be able to select their training and education on the basis of the exercise of their fundamental freedoms;
That the full exercise of democracy, respect for and the protection and promotion of human rights, and recognition that the individual is at the center of integral development, are essential for the improvement of social conditions and the eradication of poverty;