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PERMANENT COUNCIL

OEA/Ser.G CP/doc.4495/10 17 May 2010 Original: Spanish

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (CIDI) TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI)

FIFTEENTH REGULAR MEETING OEA/Ser.W/II.15 May 13, 2010 CIDI/doc.9/10 Washington, D.C. 14 May 2010 Rubén Dario Room Original: Spanish

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (CIDI) TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

I. ESTABLISHMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CIDI...... 1

II. ACTIVITIES OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODIES OF CIDI...... 2

A. PERMANENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF CIDI (CEPCIDI): REPORT ON ITS ACTIVITIES (June 2009 – May 2010)...... 2 I. ESTABLISHMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CEPCIDI.3 II. ACTIVITIES OF CEPCIDI...... 4 III. ACTIVITIES OF SUBSIDIARY BODIES OF CEPCIDI AND OF JOINT WORKING GROUPS OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL AND CEPCIDI...... 7 A. Activities of the Subcommittee on Partnership for Development Policies...... 7 B. Activities of the Working Groups of CEPCIDI...... 7 C. Activities of Joint Working Groups of the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI...... 8 D. Activities of committees reporting to CEPCIDI...... 10

IV. JOINT MEETINGS OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL AND CEPCIDI...... 11

B. INTER-AMERICAN AGENCY FOR COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (IACD)...... 12 1. Management Board of the IACD...... 12

C. NONPERMANENT SPECIALIZED COMMITTEES (CENPES)...... 15

D. INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEES...... 15

III. SECTORAL AND SPECIALIZED MEETINGS OF CIDI...... 17

A. XVI INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF LABOR (XVI IACML) (Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6 to 8, 2009) ...... 17

B. SIXTH INTER-AMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION (Quito, Ecuador, August 12 to 14, 2009)...... 17

C. CIDI SPECIALIZED MEETING OF HIGH-LEVEL COOPERATION AUTHORITIES (Bogotá, Colombia, October 26 to 27, 2009)...... 18

ii IV. ACTIVITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (SEDI) (2009 – 2010)...... 18

INTRODUCTION...... 18 DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES AND EDUCATION POLICY...... 21 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT...... 33 DECENT WORK AND CREATION OF PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT.....38 ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION AND INTEGRATION, TRADE LIBERALIZATION, AND MARKET ACCESS...... 43 SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT AND EXCHANGE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY...... 49 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT...... 53 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT...... 59 CULTURE...... 67 COOPERATION...... 70 ANNEXES...... 75

iii ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (CIDI)

This document summarizes the activities carried out by the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) between its fourteenth regular meeting, held on May 5, 2009, and its fifteenth regular meeting, held on May 13, 2010.

I. ESTABLISHMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CIDI

With the entry into force of the Protocol of Managua in 1996, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development was created as the primary policymaking organ responsible for preparing, promoting, and implementing guidelines for technical cooperation at the ministerial level in the Hemisphere.

As provided in Article 3 of its Statutes, CIDI shall have the following functions and powers:

a. Formulate and recommend the Strategic Plan to the General Assembly;

b. Formulate proposals for strengthening inter-American dialogue on integral development;

c. Promote, coordinate, and oversee the execution of the Strategic Plan;

d. Convene regular meetings of the Council at the ministerial or equivalent level; special meetings specialized or sectoral meetings;

e. Propose to the General Assembly the holding of specialized conferences, in their particular areas of competence, to deal with special technical matters or to develop specific aspects of inter-American cooperation; to convoke them in urgent cases, in the manner provided for in resolution AG/RES. 85 (O/72) and to coordinate, when appropriate, the holding of said specialized conferences in the framework of the specialized or sectoral meetings of CIDI;

f. Promote cooperative relations with the corresponding United Nations agencies and with other national and international bodies, particularly as regards coordination of the inter-American technical cooperation programs;

g. Adopt the policies and general guidelines which the Management Board of the Inter- American Agency for Cooperation and Development (“IACD”) and the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development should follow in carrying out the IACD’s cooperation activities;

h. Convene high-level meetings and seminars to study development problems and identify efforts that could be undertaken in the CIDI framework, including those resulting from the application of Article 37 of the Charter; - 2 -

i. Periodically evaluate the execution of cooperation activities with a view to adopting decisions it finds appropriate for their improvement and for the most efficient use of funds; and report to the General Assembly;

j. Elect the members of the Management Board of the IACD;

k. Adopt criteria for the allocation of additional resources mobilized by the IACD, for which the donor has not specified purposes and limitations;

l. Approve the Rules of Procedure of the IACD’s Management Board and modifications thereto;

m. Participate in the preparation of the program-budget of the Organization as regards cooperation;

n. Fulfill the other functions entrusted to it by the Charter of the Organization, other inter-American instruments, the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, as provided for in Article 70 of the Charter, as well as those functions established by these Statutes, and to make recommendations in its area of authority.

CIDI is composed of all the member states, which shall appoint ministerial level representatives, or their equivalent, who will meet in regular, special, and specialized or sectoral meetings, which may be convoked by the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, or on its own initiative. Each state may appoint alternate representatives and advisers as it sees fit.

Article 5 of the Statutes of CIDI stipulates that the Council shall have the following subsidiary bodies:

a. The Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI); b. The Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (“IACD”); c. Nonpermanent Specialized Committees (CENPES); d. Inter-American Committees; and e. Other subsidiary bodies and agencies created by the Council.

II. ACTIVITIES OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODIES OF CIDI

A. PERMANENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF CIDI (CEPCIDI): REPORT ON ITS ACTIVITIES (June 2009 – May 2010)

This document contains a summary of the activities of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) in the period between the XIV Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), held on May 5, 2009, and the XV Regular Meeting of CIDI, held on May 6, 2010. - 3 -

I. ESTABLISHMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CEPCIDI

CEPCIDI was established pursuant to Article 5 of the Statutes of CIDI for the purpose of adopting decisions and making recommendations for the planning, programming, budgeting, management control, follow-up and evaluation of cooperation projects and activities executed in the CIDI area. It is composed of the principal and alternate representatives designated by each member state, and is presided over by a Chair and a Vice Chair.

Pursuant to Article 8 of the Statutes of CIDI as amended, CEPCIDI has the following functions:

a. When CIDI is not in session, to:

. Adopt the policies and general guidelines which the Management Board of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD) and the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) should follow in carrying out cooperation activities; . Coordinate the activities of the other subsidiary bodies of CIDI; . Receive the reports and recommendations of all other subsidiary bodies of CIDI for transmission to that body accompanied, when appropriate, by its observations and recommendations thereon; . Adopt ad referendum of CIDI those administrative, budgetary, and regulatory measures that would normally require a decision by CIDI, but that, by virtue of their urgency cannot be delayed; . Adopt criteria for the allocation of additional resources mobilized by the IACD, for which the donor has not specified purposes and limitations; . Authorize extraordinary budgetary appropriations against the Special Multilateral Fund of CIDI (FEMCIDI) to deal with unforeseen situations or activities, and determine the source of the necessary resources, in accordance with Article 96 of the General Standards;

b. To analyze the reports on the execution of cooperation activities presented by the IACD and other organs entrusted with project execution-related responsibilities, with a view to submitting a report to CIDI;

c. To carry out mandates received from CIDI, follow-up on the decisions and recommendations CIDI adopts, and carry out the functions assigned to it under CIDI’s Rules of Procedure and its own Rules of Procedure;

d. To propose to CIDI the creation of subsidiary bodies, organs, and agencies for the development of hemispheric cooperation in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes;

e. To create its subsidiary bodies; - 4 -

f. To instruct the General Secretariat and SEDI concerning the execution of tasks and support activities for the fulfillment of the mandates and functions assigned to CEPCIDI;

g. To approve guidelines, policies, and priorities, on its own initiative or as recommended by the IACD, for the preparation, adoption, and execution of the program-budget of the IACD;

h. To consider and, as appropriate, approve the proposed annual budget of the IACD based on the proposal of the IACD Management Board;

i. To consider and submit to CIDI for its approval the Rules of Procedure of the IACD’s Management Board and amendments thereto;

j. To approve or refer to other organs, as appropriate, proposals from the IACD to amend the rules and regulations relating to the personnel, budget, operations, and administration of the IACD, including the referral of such proposals to other competent organs.

II. ACTIVITIES OF CEPCIDI

At its XIII Regular Meeting, CIDI elected Ambassador Cornelius A. Smith, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas, as Chair of CEPCIDI. For its part, at its 152nd Regular Meeting, held on August 6, 2009, CEPCIDI elected Ambassador Luis Alfonso Hoyos, Permanent Representative of Colombia, as Vice Chair.

In the period covered by this report, CEPCIDI held seven regular meetings and five joint meetings with the Permanent Council.

In carrying out its work, CEPCIDI received support from the Subcommittee on Partnership for Development Policies, the Working Group to Strengthen CIDI, and the two Joint Working Groups of the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI, the first on the Draft Social Charter of the Americas and the second on Existing Mechanisms for Disaster Prevention and Response and Humanitarian Assistance among Member States. A brief account of the activities of the Subcommittee and the Working Groups is contained in section III.B below.

With a view to organizing CEPCIDI’s work in the 2009-2010 period and addressing the mandates assigned by the General Assembly and CIDI, and to follow up on the work of CEPCIDI itself to prepare and receive reports of the sectoral meetings and the inter- American committees, as well as monitoring the implementation of the new Manual of Procedures for the Scholarship and Training Programs of the Organization of American States, which entered into force in April 2007, the Secretariat presented the document on mandates and recommendations of the thirty-ninth regular session of the General Assembly to CIDI and its organs, and to SEDI and its dependencies (CEPCIDI/doc.895/09), and the Chair presented to the delegations a draft Work Plan (CEPCIDI/doc.902/09), which was enriched with contributions and comments from member states. The Work Plan divided the work into three major areas: (i) strengthening CIDI; (ii) articulation process of the ministerial - 5 - and sectoral meetings with the General Assembly and Summits process; and (iii) activities of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development.

With regard to strengthening CIDI, outlined in resolutions CIDI/RES. 228 (XIV- O/09) and AG/RES. 2469 (XXXIX-O/09), “Strengthening Partnership for Development: Policy Dialogue, Technical Cooperation, Structure, and Mechanisms.” In that regard, CEPCIDI continued to further the reflection and consultation process on strengthening CIDI and its bodies begun in the 2007-2008 period through the efforts of the Working Group to Strengthen CIDI, chaired by Mr. Darren Rogers, Alternate Representative of Canada. A detailed report on these efforts is contained in section III.B hereof.

It was decided to extend the term of the next Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development until the end of 2010, as established in resolutions CIDI/RES. 218 (XIV-O/09) and AG/RES. 2472 (XXXIX-O/09) to allow the Working Group to Strengthen CIDI more time to further its deliberations.

Additionally, in implementation of the functions entrusted to it, CEPCIDI took part in the organization of sectoral and specialized meetings at the ministerial and inter-American committee levels and received the corresponding reports and recommendations. In the period covered by this report, preparations were made and followed up for the following ministerial and inter-American committee meetings:

At the ministerial or equivalent level: (i) Sixth Meeting of Ministers of Education (Ecuador, August 2009); (ii) XVI Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (XVI IACML) (Argentina, September 2009); (iii) CIDI Specialized Meeting of High-level Cooperation Authorities (Colombia, October, 2009); (iv) Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development (scheduled for July 2010, in Colombia); (v) Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Sustainable Development (scheduled for October 2010, in the Dominican Republic); and (vi) Fifth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities (scheduled for November 2010, in Brazil).

At the inter-American committee level: (i) Sixth Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP), (Panama, March 2010); (ii) Third Regular Meeting of the Inter- American Committee on Social Development (CIDES) (Washington, D.C., March 23-24, 2010); (iii) Sixth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Science and Technology (COMCYT) (Washington, D.C., September 2010); and (iv) Fifth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE) (Washington, D.C., October 2010).

It should be noted that in addition to the meetings of the inter-American committees, many of the committees’ authorities and executive committees also met periodically.

The Executive Secretary also presented to CEPCIDI at its 157th Regular Meeting, held on March 30, a report on the activities of the Committee of the Capital Fund for the OAS Scholarship and Training Programs. - 6 -

Taking account of some of the concerns expressed by delegations regarding the need for better linkage of sectoral policy dialogue, so as to harness synergies and mutually reinforcing elements among sectors, collaboration was stepped up still further among authorities of education and of culture. This was reflected as greater participation in coordination meetings by the authorities of the two bodies and in the design and launch of the project “The Use of Arts and the Media to Promote Civic Democracy in Children and Youth,” in which have collaborated the two committees and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD). Additionally, the Chair of the Inter-American Committee on Social Development (CIDES) participated in the XVI IACML, and these two sectors are working together on active employment strategies in crisis periods: income generation and employability.

Major efforts were also made to link sectoral processes with the Summits of the Americas process, and to disseminate the work of the OAS, through SEDI, in the development area. In that connection should be mentioned the joint meetings with the Permanent Council, especially that held on February 24, to discuss the importance of investing in early childhood and the need for an integral approach. That meeting also emphasized the work being done in the framework of the CIDI education ministerial process and partnerships established with the General Secretariat to support the member states in this area.

One of the items included in the CEPCIDI Work Plan was the presentation of periodic reports of each area of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, which began with a report by the Executive Secretary to explain the changes to SEDI’s structure resulting from Executive Order 08-01 Rev. 3, of October 2009. This was followed by reports from the Department of Sustainable Development and from the Department of Human Development, Education, and Culture (DHDEC).

As part of the follow-up to the work of the DHDEC, at its 154th Regular Meeting, CEPCIDI received a progress report on the status of the objectives set forth in Article 11.2 of the Manual of Procedures for the Scholarship and Training Programs of the Organization of American States regarding the distribution of “self-placed” and “OAS-placed” scholarships for academic and/or technical studies.

CEPCIDI also considered the mandate contained in resolution AG/RES. 2495 (XXXIX-O/99), “Celebrating Fifty Years of Scholarship Awards: Reaffirming Support for the OAS Scholarship Program and Institutional Cooperation in Higher Education,” and decided to postpone until the second semester of 2010 the special meeting of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI) and the Permanent Council to celebrate the 50 years of the OAS Scholarship Program.

However, in addition to the presentations made in the CEPCIDI framework, as part of the preparations for ministerial and sectoral meetings, partial reports were received on the activities of several departments in implementation of the work plans and commitments assumed by the ministerial processes. Also, in the framework of the CIDI Specialized Meeting of High-level Cooperation Authorities, SEDI gave a comprehensive presentation on linkages between policy dialogue and cooperation, and, especially, the Inter-American - 7 -

Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD), and gave examples of projects executed under each type of cooperation being implemented through the OAS.

III. ACTIVITIES OF SUBSIDIARY BODIES OF CEPCIDI AND OF JOINT WORKING GROUPS OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL AND CEPCIDI

The organizational structure of CEPCIDI includes two permanent subcommittees (the Subcommittee on Program, Budget and Evaluation and the Subcommittee on Partnership for Development Policies), temporary working groups set up to deal with specific matters, and subcommittees or working groups which CIDI or the General Assembly may decide to establish under CEPCIDI’s jurisdiction. In view of the items on its work agenda, CEPCIDI decided not to install the Subcommittee on Program, Budget and Evaluation for the period covered by this report.

Following is a summary of the efforts of these subcommittees and working groups:

A. Activities of the Subcommittee on Partnership for Development Policies

Chair: Mr. Agustín Vásquez Gómez, Alternate Representative of El Salvador Vice Chair: Mr. Carlos Pineda, Alternate Representative of Colombia

CEPCIDI assigned to the Subcommittee the preparations for the XV Regular Meeting of CIDI as well as consideration of the draft resolutions that would be referred to that body and to the General Assembly. In that connection, the Subcommittee presented a report to the 158th regular meeting of CEPCIDI and referred to it the 16 draft resolutions agreed upon by that body.

B. Activities of the Working Groups of CEPCIDI

i. Working Group to Strengthen CIDI

Chair: Mr. Darren Rogers, Alternate Representative of Canada

As a result of the deliberations and the process of reflection and consultation on strengthening CIDI carried out in 2007-2008, CEPCIDI installed the Working Group with the mandate to consider the various options for strengthening CIDI and its bodies and improving their functioning.

To launch the activities of the Group, a retreat was held to identify expected results of those efforts and steps to be taken to achieve them, as well as the work method and key issues in strengthening CIDI for incorporation in the draft resolution that would be recommended to CEPCIDI.

At the retreat, participants engaged also in wide-ranging debate on the considerations of the states regarding the comparative advantages of the OAS in the area of partnership for development, and those they considered - 8 -

should be a specific function of the OAS in the integral development area, the type of programming and policy dialogue most geared to that function, how the effectiveness of OAS cooperation could be enhanced, and what improvements could be made to the role and structure of the different bodies.

Additionally, to organize the Working Group’s activities and in accordance with the key issues identified during the retreat, a Work Plan (CEPCIDI/GT/FORCIDI/doc.19/10) was prepared and adopted to enable the Group to proceed systematically in considering the different factors contributing to strengthening CIDI.

That Work Plan identified three major themes for consideration, which would be complemented by two cross-cutting themes:

Major themes: 1. Cooperation mechanisms to be strengthened within the OAS framework (traditional mechanisms used within the OAS [FEMCIDI and others] and new mechanisms [horizontal, triangular, South- South, and others) 2. Links between political processes, cooperation and policy dialogue 3. Architecture/Structure of CIDI and of its organs

Cross-cutting themes: a. Strengthening mechanisms for cooperation with external donors b. Identification and evaluation of the successes and challenges that CIDI has experienced in the past and the challenges looking forward.

Since in resolution CEPCIDI/RES. 157/09 (CLIV-O/09), “Adjustments to the 2009 Programming Cycle of the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI),” it was resolved that ongoing and new projects for consideration in the 2009 programming cycle would be 14 months in duration and concluded on June 30, 2011, the Working Group resolved to give priority to consideration of FEMCIDI.

The report presented to CEPCIDI on the activities of the Working Group recommended a draft resolution to be referred to CIDI and to the General Assembly extending the Group’s mandate until the Sixteenth Regular Meeting of CIDI and establishing April 30, 2011 as the period for presentation of recommendations to CEPCIDI.

C. Activities of Joint Working Groups of the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI

i. Joint Working Group on the Draft Social Charter of the Americas - 9 -

The General Assembly, by resolution AG/RES. 2056 (XXXIV- O/04), instructed the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI to jointly prepare a draft Social Charter of the Americas and a Plan of Action which includes the principles of social development and establishes specific goals and targets that reinforce the existing instruments of the Organization of the American States on democracy, integral development, and the fight against poverty. Since then, the Working Group’s mandate has been renewed each year, by resolutions AG/RES. 2139 (XXXV-O/05), AG/RES. 2241 (XXXVI-O/06) AG/RES. 2278 (XXXVII-O/07), AG/RES. 2363 (XXXVIII-O/08), and AG/RES. 2449 (XXXIX-O/09).

In the period covered by this report, the Working Group was chaired by Ambassador Virgilio Alcántara, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic (June to December 2009), who presented his report to the Permanent Council (CP/doc.4459/09) at the meeting held on December 16, 2009; and by Ambassador Luis Alfonso Hoyos, Permanent Representative of Colombia, elected at the Joint Meeting of the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI to serve for the six months thereafter.

This period covered by this report closed during Colombia’s term as chair of the Joint Working Group. When that term is concluded, the corresponding report will be presented to the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI. ii Joint Working Group on existing mechanisms for disaster prevention and response and humanitarian assistance among the member states

The General Assembly, in resolution AG/RES. 2492 (XXIX-O/09), instructed the Permanent Council and CIDI “to convene a meeting to begin the process of joint assessment of existing legislative and coordination mechanisms in the natural disaster and humanitarian assistance areas, which takes into account coordination efforts that can be made by the Organization and considers the advisability of updating said mechanisms, presenting a proposal for action by the third quarter of 2010.”

In implementation of that mandate, the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI met on September 25, 2009, formed the above-captioned joint working group, and elected Ms. Ana Pastorino, Alternate Representative of Argentina, as Chair.

For its part, the Working Group elected Mr. Flavio J. Medina, Alternate Representative of the Dominican Republic, and Mr. Pierre Daniel Laviolette, Alternate Representative of Haiti, as Vice Chairs, and agreed upon its Work Plan (GTC/DAH-1/09 rev. 7).

In accordance with the provisions of this Work Plan and its work schedule, the Group held its first two substantive meetings: on April 8, 2010 - 10 -

(order of business: GTC/DAH-6/09 rev. 2) and April 9, 2010 (order of business: GTC/DAH-7/09 rev. 2). - 11 -

Participating in the first meeting were multilateral agencies, regional organizations, humanitarian organizations, and organizations providing financing for humanitarian assistance in disaster situations, with the aim of: (i) identifying existing formal and informal instruments, mechanisms, and tools for coordinating disaster relief, especially those with some form of OAS participation; (ii) evaluating the effectiveness of implementation of the mechanisms identified to identify gaps in thematic areas, based on the experience of agencies, bodies, and organizations; and analyzing; (iii) lessons learned in coordinating humanitarian assistance; (iv) contributions by different agencies and organizations in disaster situations included by member states owing to their regional relevance; and (v) mechanisms and organizations that provide financing to expedite humanitarian assistance.

The second meeting took account of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, which envisage active participation by the community as a key player in disaster prevention and response. The activities of the Group will focus on building hemispheric consensuses regarding the advisability of generating: (i) Awareness: awareness plans and activities for the general public and for special sectors, including the importance of disaster prevention; (ii) Organization: activity plans for community organization and participation in local risk management, building resilience and analysis of vulnerabilities and capacities; and (iii) Training: training programs on emergency prevention and preparedness, and model exercises and simulations that incorporate community efforts with civil defense or protection organizations. Additionally, training on the preparation of contingency and critical infrastructure recovery plans to restore response capacity, for maximum expeditiousness of humanitarian assistance.

At the time this report was written, preparation by the Secretariat of the meeting summaries was pending.

D. Activities of committees reporting to CEPCIDI

i. Committee of the Capital Fund for the OAS Scholarship and Training Programs

In 1997, the Capital Fund for the OAS Scholarship and Training Program arose from a need to establish a capital fund as a mechanism for financing the Organization’s Scholarship and Training Programs and, in 2003, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) adopted CIDI/RES. 135 (VIII-O/03), “Approval of the Statutes of the Capital Fund for the OAS Scholarships and Training Programs.”

The Statutes of the Fund establish that its sole purpose is “to establish and maintain an endowment for the OAS Scholarships and Training Programs” and that its policies shall be consistent with the objectives, - 12 -

procedures, and practices of the OAS Scholarships and Training Programs to assist member states with their domestic efforts in pursuit of integral development goals by supporting human resource development in the priority areas established by the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development in response to the Summits of the Americas and the General Assembly of the Organization.

The members of the Committee of the Fund were elected by CEPCIDI at its 145th regular meeting, held on September 4, 2008. They are: Costa Rica (2008-2011), United States (2008-2010), Mexico (2008-2010), and Saint Kitts and Nevis (2008-2011).

The Committee met on February 26, 2010, and elected as Chair the delegate of Saint Kitts and Nevis and, as Vice Chair, the delegate of Mexico. On that occasion, the Committee received a report from the OAS Department of Financial and Administrative Management Services on the status of the Fund, and began its consideration of possible uses of the Fund.

The Committee also approved the creation of the Emergency Human Development, Capacity Building and Scholarship Program for Haiti (CEPCIDI/COFOBEC/doc.5/10 rev. 1), “in order to assist in capacity building of the nation and to support Haitian students whose studies were so suddenly disrupted by the devastating earthquake” of January 2010.

A report on the Committee’s activities was presented by the Executive Secretary to CEPCIDI at the 157th Regular Meeting, held on March 30.

IV. JOINT MEETINGS OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL AND CEPCIDI

In the period covered by this report, the Permanent Council and CEPCIDI held four joint meetings.

On June 17, 2009, and on February 24, 2010, to elect the Chair of the Joint Working Group on the Draft Social Charter of the Americas. At the first meeting, Ambassador Virgilio Alcántara, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic, was elected to serve for six months, until December 2009. At the second, Ambassador Luis Alfonoso Hoyos, Permanent Representative of Colombia, was elected to serve as the Chair of the Working Group until July 27, 2010.

On September 25, 2009, a joint meeting was held in accordance with the mandate contained in resolution AG/RES. 2492 (XXXIX-O/09), which instructed these two organs “to convene a meeting to begin the process of joint assessment of existing legislative and coordination mechanisms in the natural disaster and humanitarian assistance areas, which takes into account coordination efforts that can be made by the Organization and considers the advisability of updating said mechanisms, presenting a proposal for action by the third - 13 -

quarter of 2010.” At that meeting, the Joint Working Group was formed, whose activities are reported in section III.c.ii hereof.

On February 24, 2010, a joint meeting was held to consider the topic “Investing in Early Childhood: A Sound Strategy for Fighting Poverty and Promoting Social Development and Equity.” It should be noted that in the CIDI framework, ministers of education gathered in Cartagena, Colombia, in November 2007, adopted the “Hemispheric Commitment to Early Childhood Education,” which established the main guidelines for work being done by the Organization in this area in support of the member states.

Two panels for dialogue were held at the meeting. The first panel focused on the reasons for investing in early childhood. The panel began with a presentation by Dr. J. Fraser Mustard, Founding President of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, on the development of the brain and its influence on human development. This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute and a professor at Columbia University, on the challenges confronted by economic development, anti-poverty efforts, and intelligent globalization. There were presentations by the Minister of Education of Costa Rica, Dr. Leonardo Garnier, and Dr. Joan Lombardi, Deputy Assistant Secretary and Inter-Departmental Liaison for Early Childhood Development for the Administration for Children and Families under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The second panel focused on promoting social development and equity. Participating were Ms. Nurper Ulkuer, Chief, Early Childhood Development Programmes, UNICEF; Mr. Leonardo Yánez, Programme Officer for Latin America, Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Netherlands; and Ms. Estela Ortiz, Executive Vice President, Junta Nacional de Jardines Infantiles [National Early Childhood Education Board] (JUNJI), Chile.

B. INTER-AMERICAN AGENCY FOR COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (IACD)

The Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD), established pursuant to Articles 53, 54.a, 77, 93, and 95.c of the Charter and Articles 5 and 21 of the Statutes of CIDI, is a subsidiary body of CIDI. The IACD’s function is to promote, coordinate, manage, and facilitate the planning and execution of programs, projects, and activities (hereinafter “partnership for development activities”) within the scope of the OAS Charter and, in particular, the framework of the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development (hereinafter the “Strategic Plan”).

1. Management Board of the IACD

The Management Board of the IACD is composed of nine member states elected by CIDI. During the period covered by this report, it was composed of the following member states: Colombia (Chair), United States, Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Barbados, Grenada (Vice Chair), and Belize.

In its Work Plan (AICD/JD/doc.116/09), the Management Board (MB) divided work into the following five thematic areas, based on the input contained in the Course of Action of Playa del Carmen, adopted at the Special Technical Meeting of National Authorities and Experts on Cooperation, held on October 16 and 17, 2008: (i) strengthening dialogue and - 14 - linkage and coordination mechanisms; (ii) diversification of the forms of hemispheric cooperation; (iii) fundraising plan; (iv) procedures for reporting, recording, and measuring the impact of cooperation; and (v) review and updating of the current regulatory framework. A progress report thereon was presented to the MB/IACD at the end of the term–which closed after the regular meeting of CIDI–by the current Chair, Enrique Maruri Londoño, Director for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia.

However, some of the Management Board’s main achievements and contributions in the past year warrant mention. On one hand, the forum for dialogue and collaboration among national cooperation authorities of the member states, launched with the meeting of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in 2008, continued with the CIDI Specialized Meeting of High-level Cooperation Authorities, held in Bogotá, in 2009, which emphasized the importance of this dialogue and the need for periodic meetings to be held; also the launch of the Inter-American Cooperation Network (CooperaNet), created to support dialogue among the high-level cooperation authorities of the Hemisphere, promote the dissemination of information and knowledge, compile and disseminate lessons learned and examples of good practices of cooperation management, and support the identification of areas of opportunity.

In its efforts, the Management Board has also enjoyed greater participation by national cooperation authorities—through consultation or participation in on-line or on-site meetings.

The MB/IACD also responded immediately in support of Haiti following the devastating earthquake in early 2010. The Board, in consultation with Haiti, immediately reprogrammed Haiti’s FEMCIDI projects in execution and continuation projects; the Program for Fostering the Promotion of Development and the Management of Cooperation Initiatives in Haiti was established (AICD/JD/DE-119/10 rev. 1) with US$500,000, identifying on a preliminary basis its objectives and functioning mechanisms, which were adjusted on the basis of an on-site visit to Haiti by the FEMCIDI technical team in the following months. This aim of this program is to support Haiti in formulating reconstruction and development projects; provide assistance in the management and coordination of international cooperation in Haiti; and, under a triangular and south-south cooperation scheme, provide support for the financing or co-financing of human resource capacity- building and institution-building activities.

As regards FEMCIDI, the Management Board, noting the critical situation of the 2009 programming cycle, called for FEMCIDI to be strengthened. To that end, it presented a series of recommendations to CEPCIDI that resulted in a stipulation that new and continuation projects presented for the 2009 programming cycle were to be completed by the end of June 2010, so that decisions taken to strengthen FEMCIDI could be launched under the same scheme. At the close of this report, the members of the Management Board had been instructed to prepare preliminary draft recommendations and guidelines for the strengthening of FEMCIDI based on the considerations of the Board. When consensus had been reached with the other members of the MB/IACD, this document was submitted to the Working Group to Strengthen CIDI, whose tasks include strengthening CIDI, including cooperation. - 15 -

At its meeting of April 19, 2010, the MB/IACD approved the FEMCIDI Programming for 2009 (AICD/JD/doc.122/10 rev. 1), which includes financing for seventy- eight (78) projects, for total financing of US$5,066,777.25, distributed among sectoral accounts as follows:

Number of projects Recommended amount Sectoral account recommended (US$) Education 19 1,397,605 Social Development 12 557,987.25 Sustainable Development 18 1,119,786 Science and Technology 10 848,000 Trade 3 288,105 Culture 3 132,500 Democracy 5 307,429 Tourism 8 415,365 Integral Development 0 0 TOTAL 78 5,066,777.25

It bears mentioning that, at the aforesaid meeting of the MB/IACD, the Secretariat gave a presentation on FEMCIDI projects that in some way exemplified the Fund’s potential. Presented were (i) examples of sustainable projects: Chile - “Diseño y Producción de Cartografía para las Personas Ciegas de América Latina” [Map Design and Production for the Blind in Latin America]; (ii) projects highlighting horizontal cooperation: “Haiti Youth Violence Prevention Program via Orchestral Training in the Caribbean”; and (iii) hemispheric projects: United States: “Implementation of Metrology Infrastructures of the Americas to Support Free Trade and Improve Quality of Life.” Direct knowledge on the part of executing agencies of the achievements, challenges, and potential of these projects will contribute to MB/IACD deliberations on the strengthening of FEMCIDI.

Additionally, to forge alliances with partners with the capacity to contribute to FEMCIDI projects, the Secretariat signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), under which projects approved for the 2009- 2010 cycle will benefit.

The Secretariat continued making available updated information on FEMCIDI projects via its database (http://www.oas.org/sedi/eo/femcidi), which provides information on projects in execution, including their objectives and areas of action, status of execution, financing details, and the participating and/or coordinating countries and institutions. The results of project evaluations continue to be available to the member states, and workshops on the logical framework methodology for project design continue to be offered, both on-site, upon request by member states, or on-line.

In addition to its on-site and on-line meetings, throughout the year the Management Board effected electronic consultations on fund reimbursements to projects, extension requests, and reprogramming of funds. - 16 -

C. NONPERMANENT SPECIALIZED COMMITTEES (CENPES)

The nonpermanent specialized committees (CENPES) are technical bodies which support CIDI in dealing with specialized matters or in developing specific aspects of inter-American cooperation in the priority cooperation areas approved by General Assembly. The functions and membership of the CENPES are defined in Articles 13 to 16 of the Statutes of CIDI.

Under the authority delegated to it by CIDI under resolution CIDI/RES. 205 (XIII-O/08), CEPCIDI established the CENPES and elected their members for the evaluation period corresponding to the 2008 programming cycle of the Special Multilateral Fund of CIDI (FEMCIDI) and by resolution CEPCIDI/RES. 158 (CLV-O/10); and the membership of the CENPES for 2009 and their selection criteria were published in document CEPCIDI/doc.911/10 rev. 1.

The nonpermanent specialized committees (CENPES) met from March 3 to 12, 2010, to evaluate a total of 85 project proposals submitted by 32 member states. Of the 85 projects submitted, 47 were continuation projects and 38 were new proposals; 40 were multilateral projects, and 45 were national projects. The amount requested for these projects was US$9,056,822.

D. INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEES

The inter-American committees are bodies of CIDI, established as provided in Article 17 of the Statutes of CIDI and Article 77 of the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS). Their purpose is to lend continuity to sectoral dialogue on partnership for development, follow up on the mandates issued by the Summits of the Americas at the sectoral level, and identify and promote multilateral cooperation initiatives. Their members are sectoral authorities at the policy-making and technical levels, accredited by each member state.

 Fourth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC) (November 12- 13, 2009, in Washington, D.C.)

The aim of this meeting was to review the Work Plan for 2009-2010, including considerations on a strategy for the organization in 2011 of the Inter-American Year of Culture, as well as achievements, challenges, partnerships, and future plans. The Committee adopted its Work Plan for 2010-2011, which has two fundamental aspects: (i) promoting social inclusion: culture as a tool for youth engagement and promotion of intercultural dialogue; and (ii) building institutional capacity and creative industries: increasing economic growth and development through culture); and a cross-cutting theme: the Inter-American Year of Culture and opportunities for policy and political dialogue (ministerial meeting, meetings of CIC and CIE authorities, the OAS General Assembly session, and the next Summit of the Americas).

The new officers of the CIC were Brazil (Chair), Barbados, Canada (First Vice Chair), Colombia, and Guatemala (Second Vice Chair). The final report was distributed as document CIDI/CIC/doc.7/09.

 Sixth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) (Panama City, March 21 to 24, 2010) - 17 -

At this sixth meeting, the CIP adopted the Declaration of Panama on Guidelines for Environmental Port Protection, as well as 18 resolutions, and evaluated the first two years of the CIP’s 2008-2011 Action Plan. The Declaration of Panama acknowledges, inter alia, a need to intensify efforts to develop and apply action programs at the regional, national, and local levels for environmental protection in port activities; and reaffirms the relevance and importance of environmental protection measures in port activities and the need to incorporate these measures at all public and private levels associated with the maritime port industry. The port authorities also agreed to work in coordination with other regional and international organizations and processes to apply international agreements, protocols, and guidelines related to port and navigation activities, thus strengthening strategic associations intended to improve cooperation and coordination in the exchange of international knowledge, experience, and technology, particularly for dredging activities.

The CIP also formed its Executive Committee for the 2010-2011 term, electing Argentina as Chair and Panama, Mexico, Peru, and Barbados as Vice Chairs. Also formed were seven subcommittees and the technical advisory committees to advise the Committee on specific aspects of port sector development in the Hemisphere.

 Third Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Social Development (CIDES) (April 6 and 7, 2010, Washington, D.C.)

The specific aims of the meeting were (i) to report on the implementation of the ministerial mandates received in Reñaca, in 2008, contained in the Work Plan of the CIDES; (ii) to review the thematic priorities established in Reñaca to evaluate their relevance and continuation in the forum; (iii) to consider the mandates received from the Fifth Summit of the Americas; and (iii) to begin preparations for the Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development.

The meeting received a report on activities carried out in the framework of the Work Plan of the CIDES in the priority areas established during the ministerial meeting: (i) the Inter-American Social Protection Network; (ii) the intersectoral nature of active employment and income-generation policies targeted at vulnerable groups; (iii) the nutritional aspect of social protection systems; and (iv) institutionalization of social policy. Additionally, to provide a contextual framework for the work and priorities defined by the CIDES, and with a view to the next Meeting of Ministers and High-Level Authorities, a review was made of the region’s status at a time when signs of recovery from the economic crisis of 2009 are beginning to appear.

The delegation of Colombia presented its proposal for the ministerial meeting to be held in July 2010, in Cali, to promote dialogue and discussion on the region’s challenges and needs in the social development area, taking as a starting point the matters addressed at the last ministerial meeting and in the Work Plan, as well as the outcomes of discussions and forums held by the Committee in the 2008-2010 term.

At the end of the meeting, the theme of the Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development was adopted: “Strengthening and sustaining social protection systems.” Preparations for the meeting have now begun. - 18 -

III. SECTORAL AND SPECIALIZED MEETINGS OF CIDI

A. XVI INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF LABOR (XVI IACML) (Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6 to 8, 2009)

The XVI IACML was held under the aegis and leadership of the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security of Argentina under the theme “Facing the Crisis with Development, Decent Work and Social Protection.” Taking part were delegations of 29 ministries of labor of the Americas, 18 of which were headed by their ministers. Also well represented were workers and employers, grouped in the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE) and the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL). Represented as well were many international organizations, especially the International Labour Organization (ILO), represented by its Director-General, the IDB, the World Bank, the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), the Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES).

At the XVI IACML, where several milestones in this ministerial forum were met, some of the most notable developments were as follows: (1) for the first time, the IACML was attended by economic and social development authorities, which enabled it to engage in intersectoral dialogue on the response to the economic crisis; (2) the Declaration and Plan of Action of Buenos Aires were adopted; (3) the IACML will contribute to the G-20 process, following a decision to forward the Declaration and Plan of Action of Buenos Aires to the meeting of ministers of labor of that Group; and (4) COSATE and CEATAL became permanent advisory bodies of the IACML.

To better examine the priority Conference topics, promote relevant information and study, and follow up on hemispheric initiatives, the XVI IACML formed two working groups, as follows:

Working Group 1: “Decent work as an instrument for development and democracy in the context of globalization.” Chair: United States; Vice Chairs: Brazil and Guyana.

Working Group 2: “Strengthening the capacities of the ministries of labor to respond to the challenges of promoting decent work in the context of globalization.” Chair: Dominican Republic; Vice Chairs: Mexico and Canada.

B. SIXTH INTER-AMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION (Quito, Ecuador, August 12 to 14, 2009)

The central theme of this ministerial meeting was “Better Opportunities for the Youth of the Americas: Rethinking Secondary Education.” Dialogue focused on the transformation of secondary education, including proposals to redesign curricula to better prepare young people to become full and productive members of society and the labor market, and on addressing the challenges of financing secondary education at a time of economic crisis. The Ministers adopted the Declaration de Quito, wherein, among other things, they undertook to redouble their efforts to fulfill the commitment of the Second Summit of the Americas to achieve a gross secondary school enrollment rate of at least 75% by no later than 2010, and to develop strategies to make quality secondary - 19 - education accessible for all youth of the Hemisphere by no later than 2015, especially for the most vulnerable groups and those with special education needs.

In parallel to the ministerial meeting, a “Meeting of the Youth of the Americas on Secondary Education” was held, where youth of the region had an opportunity to discuss youth and education- related issues and presented to the ministers a declaration containing their education policy proposals. This dialogue of ministers and youth was so productive that it was decided to continue it at upcoming meetings.

C. CIDI SPECIALIZED MEETING OF HIGH-LEVEL COOPERATION AUTHORITIES (Bogotá, Colombia, October 26 to 27, 2009)

The Specialized Meeting focused on the effectiveness of hemispheric cooperation, concentrating its analysis on how to promote the OAS as a forum for dialogue on hemispheric cooperation, particularly on the effectiveness of cooperation in the Americas, and mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation offered through the OAS. In that connection, the Consensus of Bogotá was adopted, containing a series of recommendations to CIDI for the fulfillment of those objectives. These include a recommendation that meetings of high-level cooperation authorities be held as often as the member states find necessary, forging, through concrete action, better interconnections between the political mandates of the ministerial meetings and cooperation efforts and strengthening the Inter-American Cooperation Network (CooperaNet) as a mechanism that facilitates dialogue among cooperation authorities, contributes to the exchange of cooperation management experiences, encourages cooperation among the member states, and heightens the effectiveness of cooperation in the Americas.

They also agreed to promote and support the cooperation that takes place under the aegis of the OAS, particularly alternative forms of cooperation (among others, horizontal, south-south, and triangular cooperation, as well as networking), to establish a clear view on the relationship between the work of cooperation carried out by the OAS and other international organizations, and to strengthen the capacity of the OAS to mobilize financial and non-financial resources for partnership for development activities.

A special meeting was held on international cooperation information systems, from which arose specific offers to support states wishing to establish or strengthen their systems.

The Specialized Meeting requested the MB/IACD to follow up on the agreements reached at that meeting.

IV. ACTIVITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (SEDI) (2009 – 2010)

INTRODUCTION

The Charter of the Organization of American States, the directives of the Summit of the Americas, and the mandates of the OAS General Assembly and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI), though their sectoral work at the ministerial and specialized level, in addition to the agreements reached by the Inter-American Commissions and the 2006-2009 Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development, guide the work of the Executive Secretariat for - 20 -

Integral Development (OAS/SEDI) in promoting dialogue and cooperation among the Member States, with a view to promoting their integral development.

The OAS/SEDI supports the efforts of the member states on two levels: on the one hand, it supports political dialogue at the highest level with a view to defining policy and priorities; and, on the other, it promotes, coordinates, and implements cooperation and training programs, projects, and activities in the areas of social development, education, labor, culture, science and technology, trade, tourism, and sustainable development. Its activities focus primarily on the development of human capacity building and institutional strengthening in the Member States, and consequently, help strengthen democratic governance. OAS/SEDI acts as a catalyst for mobilizing political agreements into specific action.

As a multilateral forum it offers unique opportunities to reach consensus on regional direction and priorities. In addition the OAS/SEDI provides advisory services to member states on specific issues and finances, implements, and/or coordinates development projects with resources from the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI) or with external resources. OAS/SEDI acts as a bridge between authorities of different sectors and promotes multilateral, triangular, South-South, and bilateral cooperation. By working through networks and sponsoring seminars and workshops, the Member States learn about and share experiences on effective public policies and about different strategies under way at the country level to address the challenges confronting our region. In this way, the Organization effectively forms a “bridge,” which is built on the replication and adaptation of successful initiatives from one Member State to another, as well as technical assistance, work in partnership with other international organizations, and the development of joint strategies to address common problems.

The organizational structure of the OAS/SEDI includes the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) and four departments: (i) Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC); (ii) Department of Social Development and Employment (DSDE); (iii) Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism (DEDTT); (iv) Department of Sustainable Development (DSD). OAS/SEDI also works closely with non-profit foundations attached to the OAS, such as the Trust for the Americas, the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), and the Pan- American Development Foundation (PADF). In addition to these partnerships, we coordinate our work with other international organizations, many civil society organizations, the academic community, the private sector, and worker representatives.

With a view to presenting the integral vision of OAS/SEDI activities in support of member states’ efforts to reduce poverty and inequity, as well as promoting equal opportunities by emphasizing human resources education and institutional strengthening, the Executive Secretariat offers the following report which covers the period June 1, 2009, to May 31, 2010, and is divided into the following areas:

 Development of individual capacities and education  Social development  Culture  Decent work and productive employment  Economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization, and market access  Scientific development and exchange and transfer of technology - 21 -

 Sustainable development of tourism  Sustainable development and the environment  Cooperation

Each section includes information on the principal mandates that guide what they do, their main programs and activities, the partnerships forged to fulfill those mandates, and a mention of some of the FEMCIDI projects that were financed in 2009 and 2010. A full list of the 2008 FEMCIDI projects is available in the FEMCIDI Projects Database at the OAS/SEDI web portal: http://www.apps.oas.org/projects/.

The cooperation area includes the work of the Secretariat in support of the Special Multilateral Fund of CIDI (FEMCIDI) and in implementing the decisions of the Specialized CIDI Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities and the Special Technical Meeting of National Cooperation Authorities and Experts, held in Bogotá, Colombia, and Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in 2008 and 2009, respectively. - 22 -

DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES AND EDUCATION POLICY

Mandates:

The work of OAS/SEDI in support of the efforts of the Member States in education POLICY is tasked with its mandates by the meetings of the ministers of education, the General Assemblies, and the Summits of the Americas, particularly the Second Summit whose core theme was education and setting measurable goals for the countries of the region to advance on education issues. The OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Human Development, Education and Culture, acts as technical secretariat to ministerial meetings on education and the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE), as well as administering the OAS fellowship programs.

The political dialogue is based on the recognition that a quality education for all is the basis for the region’s human, social, and economic development. However, in spite of the region’s very significant achievements in terms of access to education, there is still an enormous gap between the educations received by the most advantaged sectors as compared with the most disadvantaged segments of the population. In the six meetings held so far within the framework of the CIDI, the region’s ministers of education have set as thematic priority areas early childhood education (ECE), teacher preparation, education for democratic citizenship, secondary education, and educational indicators. The CIE, composed of a representative from each ministry of education in the region, pursues its work plan in order to transform the ministerial mandates into concrete actions.

In 2009, the Sixth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education was held in Quito, Ecuador, together with an inter-American meeting of youth organized by the host country, both of which had the aim of drafting and offering recommendations on “Better Opportunities for the Youth of the Americas: Rethinking Secondary Education”

Member states have given particular attention to development of individual capacities, that they might contribute to social and economic development in their countries. There is an ever- growing need for qualified professional workers with the abilities and skills required to function in a modern competitive society.

In addition, OAS/SEDI encourages national development, mobility, and regional integration through funding and strengthening of undergraduate and graduate education. The programs implemented also help citizens of the Americas fully tap their potential, giving them access to knowledge through the development of skills and training using modern technologies (information and communication technology, or ICT); while working toward a decent standard of living for themselves and their families, they also enrich their communities.

Partnerships:

In order to support the efforts of member states to attain these objectives, OAS/SEDI works in coordination with the Ministries of Education and other international organizations, especially UNICEF, UNESCO, the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), and the Central American Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC) of the Central American Integration System (SICA), to achieve the political mandates in a more efficient way. OAS/SEDI also works with civil society organizations, including the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Fundación Evolución, the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN), as well as many - 23 - universities and academic centers. Some of the noteworthy achievements of these partnerships include the consensus reached on the need to promote early childhood comprehensive care in the region and the need to support efforts to strengthen a culture of democracy through formal and informal education.

The potential for tapping start-up or “seed” funding from the “Educational Reserve Sub- fund,” established through Permanent Council resolution CP/RES. 831 (1342/02), has helped mobilize a total of US$7,031,185 to support educational projects that address the mandates of the Summits and ministerial meetings. This amount includes US$1,983,312, which has been paid out of the “Educational Reserve Sub-fund,” or counterpart funding, representing 71.8% of the total.

It should be noted that cooperation between the CIE and the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC) has sought to promote a practical partnership between the educational and cultural sectors. The purpose of this partnership is to more effectively merge the work of these sectors for learning and cultural activities within educational systems.

OAS/SEDI has managed to expand access to higher education (and human capacity building) by offering courses with modern technology and has increased funding for higher education through its strategic partnerships for cooperation, with the intent to expand and diversify scholarship services in the member states for undergraduate and graduate studies. These partnerships have also opened up new ways of training by using transfer of knowledge, best practices, and knowledge sharing.

In addition partnerships are formed with universities for the OAS Academic Scholarships Program. In the university consortium program, the OAS has established partnerships with prestigious academic institutions that offer a broad range of professional academic courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, both on-site and distance learning. These partnerships have benefited our scholarship awardees through reduction of tuition and fees, the offering of language courses and graduate assistantships, or some other form of cooperation.

OAS/SEDI has also entered into partnerships with scholarship-funding institutions and has begun to expand and diversify the graduate-study scholarships it offers our citizens through new partnerships with institutions in member and observer countries. Details on these partnerships are included under each program.

Cooperation mechanisms, programs, and projects:

Early Childhood Education. The Hemispheric Commitment to Early Childhood Education has had an impact on a series of projects that support the efforts of national authorities for pre-school, early and basic education in member states, in the framework of the CIE Work Plan.

In the period covered by this report, a research project was implemented to study tendencies in transition policies in rural, indigenous, and border communities, with special emphasis on efforts to reach consensus for supporting decision makers with precise information on which to base policy decisions and priorities as regards early childhood education and transitions in the time between birth and primary education. Eight countries participated in the study: Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. The study released its findings in two publications that included an analysis of statistics, policies and case studies on rural and indigenous populations. The project disseminated its findings at six discussion fora held in Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Mexico. - 24 -

Puebla, Mexico, was the venue in January 2010 of the First International Symposium: Initial and Basic Education for Children from Rural and Indigenous Populations. The event concluded with a Declaration and conclusions in response to the challenges of indigenous education. This project receives financing from the CIE, Bernard van Leer Foundation, OEI/Guatemala, and UNICEF as a well as a grant from the People’s Republic of China.

The “Second Inter-American Symposium: Policies and Strategies for a Successful Transition of the Child to Socialization and School,” held in Valparaíso, Chile, in May 2009 under the coordination of OAS/SEDI, the Government of Chile, UNICEF, and UNESCO, led to the publication of a book on transitions that included policy analysis, the curriculum, teacher education, and work with parents, comparing different national realities in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The event received support from and was attended by the OEI, Bernard Van Leer Foundation, Andean Development Corporation (CAF), CECC-CAIS, CARICOM, and other international agencies and civil society organizations.

With the support of experts, OAS/SEDI implemented a communications and social mobilization strategy on the “early childhood” issue. This project has produced three newsletters and five handbooks on media information management for early childhood. Efforts were made to consolidate the technical cooperation between Chile and the Caribbean and CARICOM countries based on the Memorandum of Understanding between Chile and the OAS General Secretariat. In all, 33 member states are taking part in a new project designed to strengthen the capacity of national teams to evaluate the quality of programs and childhood development through subregional meetings of experts and decision-makers. A training workshop was held in the Central America subregion in June 2009 with CECC-CAIS, which was followed by another in December 2009 with countries of the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR) in Paraguay.

Preparations were completed for eight modules of the distance education course “Introduction to Early Childhood Care Strategies in 0-3 Year-Olds,” geared toward professionals in different fields. The course will start in May 2010 in coordination with the OAS General Secretariat’s CapaciNet project. Finally, activities were carried out with civil society organizations and entrepreneurs in Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil. In addition, the Second World Congress and Ninth International Meeting on Early Childhood Education, which addressed training and professional development processes, was held in cooperation with the Government of the State of Nuevo León, Mexico and the Child Development Centers (CENDI) in Monterrey. The event was attended by 1700 delegates and reached 48 countries via live Internet broadcast.

Regional Educational Indicators Project (PRIE). In the period covered by this report five technical missions were held to strengthen countries’ capacities to generate and analyze educational statistics for international comparison (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname, Belize, Grenada and Venezuela). Furthermore, the VII Regional Workshop on Educational Statistics was held in Cancun, Mexico in December 2009. At this workshop a draft of the Educational Panorama 2009 was presented to the participating countries for their feedback. Publication of the Educational Panorama, which measures progress in the 34 member states in meeting the education goals of the Summits of the Americas based on a set of comparable indicators, is scheduled for August 2010.

Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN). In collaboration with the iEARN Network and the Fundación Evolución, OAS/SEDI developed two on-line teacher training courses to - 25 - aid in incorporating elements of information communication technologies (ICTs) into teacher training. The second phase of the courses was implemented from August to December 2009. Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, St. Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago took part in the English version. Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia and Argentina participated in the Spanish version. The same courses will be offered on the platform of the Portal of the Americas in 2010.

With funds provided by CIDA, from late 2009 to early 2010 different activities were carried out with a view to the creation of the Inter-American Teacher Educator Network. The Network appears set to become an important horizontal cooperation mechanism for the exchange of information, experience and best practices in the area of early teacher education. The Network will facilitate communication among actors involved in the issue at education ministries, teacher education institutes, education faculties, teacher educators, and future teachers. In order to obtain feedback from teachers in all of the Americas and so draw up a theoretical framework for the network, surveys were prepared for participants in the online courses and trainee teachers. The results of the surveys were collected and analyzed in order to prepare the document that describes what the network will be and what it will consist of. A communication strategy for the Inter- American Teacher Educator Network was also designed. This document describes the plan of action to be implemented in the area of communications.

The Latin American Network of Educational Portals (RELPE) and UNESCO’s International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) also participate in this component and have agreed to collaborate with the OAS in this effort. RELPE is interested in creating an observatory of the use of ICT in teacher education in the Americas. This observatory would create a database with information on equipment, policies of use, training, and curricular integration of ICTs in teacher training institutions in the Americas. IEASALC is interested in mapping the teacher training institutions of the Americas. This map will make available to those interested a record and detailed description of teacher training institutions in the region.

Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices This Program, adopted by the Ministers of Education in 2005 and supported by the OAS General Assembly at its most recent session [AG/RES. 2481 (XXXIX-O/09)], has progressed satisfactorily as an alliance of governments, civil society and international organizations, schools, universities, and other actors that work to promote the development of a culture of democracy through education. The Program includes three mutually supporting components: research, professional development, and information and experience exchange. The Program’s Advisory Board monitors the progress of the Program.

In 2009 the Program continued to strengthen its three components through the following activities:

Research  Publication of two new editions of the Inter-American Journal of Education for Democracy (IJED), including a special edition on Education, Citizenship, and Interculturality.

Professional Development  Through the on-line course for educators “Education for Democratic Citizenship in the Caribbean” training was provided to more than 200 schoolteachers in six countries in the - 26 -

English-speaking Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago). In order to monitor and evaluate this course a survey of the participants is being conducted, the results of which will be released in the first half of 2010. The project receives support from CIDA; at its inception it received seed funds from the United States Government.  In 2009 the Young Researchers Program incorporated a two-month, self-guided on-line course on the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which is part of the first stage of the course. Thus, 15 young people from all disciplines were selected to take part in the course, six of whom were selected to continue collaborating in the program’s activities in 2010.

Cooperation and information exchange  The Horizontal Cooperation Fund issued the first call for project proposals to support technical assistance missions in the area of education for democracy. A call for proposals was distributed to all the member states in March 2009 and the OAS received a total of 27 proposals. A competition was held and nine proposals were selected that benefit 12 countries and directly involve 21 institutions. A total of 20 missions were carried out between July 2009 and January 2010. Each project submits a report on the technical missions one month after their completion. An impact report must be presented one year after the mission has been completed. Following is a list of the technical missions carried out to date. The fund receives support from the US Mission.

Horizontal Cooperation Fund – Technical assistance missions financed First call for proposals (2009) Beneficiary Providing Institution Thematic Area Institution Dominican Lessons learned from the National School Mediation 1 Argentina Republic Program Development of an early childhood citizen education 2 Argentina Colombia proposal 3 Mexico Colombia Pilot trial of the Aulas en Paz program Pilot trial of the teacher training model on education 4 Costa Rica United States for dispute settlement Panama, Costa Rica, Panama, Costa Rica, Strategies for strengthening education to prevent 5 and and Guatemala youth dropping out. Guatemala Develop a democratic leadership model 6 Colombia Mexico 7 Mexico Chile, Ecuador, Inter- Rethinking public policy on indigenous education American Institute of Human Rights 8 Colombia, Colombia, Peru Exchange of national experience in teacher training Peru in citizen education. 9 Trinidad and United States Strengthening training for schools on student Tobago councils - 27 -

 The release of two new issues of the on-line newsletter on The Role of the Media and the Arts in Education for Democratic Citizenship and Education for Migrant Girls, Boys and Youth, respectively.  Launch of the first stage of the Project on Education for Migrant Girls, Boys and Youth (which is a component of the Inter-American Program for the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of Migrants, including Migrant Workers and their Families). This first stage consists of the drafting of an analytical report to document the extent and nature of the education situation of migrant children and youth in member states, as well as to document and analyze national policies and pertinent programs. The report will be based on a policy survey conducted in 2009, to which 22 member states have responded to date. Finally in October 2009 a presentation was given to the Special Committee on Migration Issues on the theme “Child and Youth Migration."

 Design and launch of the project “Use of the arts and the media to promote democratic citizenship in children and youth,” in collaboration with the Inter-American Committees on Education and Culture and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD).

Participation in the design and implementation of the project “Stopping the rise of crime, violence and drug abuse in youth in Central America: Creating awareness and promoting prevention among at-risk youth.” (SEDI, SMS, Trust for the Americas). Through the Inter-American Program, the Department of Education and Culture participated in the design of one of the three components aimed at fostering dialogue and the participation of youth organizations with other governmental sectors in moving towards an agenda on prevention. This is a three-year project financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Mérida Initiative, which will be implemented in five Central American countries in collaboration with the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security of the OAS and the Trust for the Americas.

FEMCIDI: In the FEMCIDI framework, in 2009 a total of $1,040,346.00 in financing was provided for 14 education projects; noteworthy among these is Colombia’s project Reading without Borders (Leer sin Fronteras), implemented in the Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador border area with the aim of strengthening reading as a core element for promoting human development and reconstructing the social fabric of rural communities in the zone. Thanks to the project, local libraries have been strengthened through training for librarians in strategies for stimulating reading that target all age groups. In order to extend these services to isolated areas librarians travel from community to community to encourage reading and lend books.

Another FEMCIDI-financed project was Language and Literacy Development for Deaf Children and Youth in Jamaica, which has developed specialized curricula in partnership with Gallaudet University of the United States; provided training to teachers and parents to allow the children’s full development; and encouraged family acceptance and communication with the children.

The Scholarships Program for Academic Studies seeks to provide undergraduate and graduate scholarships as fairly and broadly as possible for accredited educational institutions in the hemisphere at reasonable costs for the OAS. In the period covered by this report there were four academic cycles during which 382 scholarship winners received direct placements. The consortium of universities (115 institutions in 18 member states to date) has continued to grow and cooperation has expanded with member states and observer countries in the area of higher education and human - 28 - development. In 2009, nine agreements were signed for graduate study and human development programs co-sponsored with governments or institutions. At February 1, 2010, including the cancellations and refusals of scholarships received, through the OAS, 251 scholarships had been awarded for the 2008-2009 academic year (228 for graduate studies and 23 for undergraduate studies [SPECAF scholarships for citizens of an English-speaking Caribbean OAS member state]).1/

For the 2009-2010 academic year a total of 245 individuals -chosen in two separate rounds- were selected to receive a scholarship (219 for graduate studies and 26 for undergraduate studies). At February 1, 2010, taking into account the cancellations and refusals of scholarships received, 205 scholarship agreements had been concluded, with five agreements pending.1

For the 2010-2011 academic year, the process was initiated in March 2009 with announcement of the program and the online application system in the four official OAS languages. The Academic and Technical Studies Scholarship Selection Committee [1]/ met in September and selected 148 individuals (132 for graduate studies and 16 for undergraduate studies [SPECAF scholarships for citizens of an English-speaking Caribbean OAS member state]). The results of the placement of scholarship awardees for the 2010-2011 year are still in process and are expected to conclude in March 2011, when all of the students will have begun their respective programs, and at this time, the country and institution where they have been placed, will be known.1

In the university consortium program, the OAS has established partnerships with prestigious academic institutions that offer a broad range of professional academic courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, both on-site and distance learning. These partnerships have benefited our scholarship awardees through reduction of tuition and fees, the offering of language courses and graduate assistantships, or some other form of cooperation.

In 2009-10, DHDEC took responsibility for the direct placement of 170 students. Besides complying with the mandate to reduce program costs, direct placement has brought the benefits of bringing the OAS name back to the member states, achieving a more balanced distribution of scholarships in quality educational institutions at reasonable costs to the Organization, and promoting mobility and regionalization of higher education in the hemisphere.

The Professional Development Scholarships Program (PDSP) offers opportunities to citizens of OAS member states to expand or refresh their professional expertise in areas of specialization related to the priority development areas of the OAS. In 2009, 1,015 scholarships were awarded. The professional development courses in which the selected candidates participated took place in the following permanent member and observer countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Spain. These scholarships were funded by the Professional Development Scholarship Program (PDSP) of the OAS and the contributing institutions of the

1 . As with any scholarship program, the final number of OAS scholarship recipients who actually complete the program will vary as a result of withdrawals, cancellations, early and later-than- expected conclusion of the program, approval of summer studies, variations in the value of the US dollar, and other factors. The total cost of the academic year will be defrayed in up to three fiscal years. [ - 29 - member observer countries. In addition, in 2009 the Royal Government of Thailand offered four full scholarships. The Government of Qatar also made a contribution of US$10,000 to the Professional Development Scholarships Program of the OAS.

As regards budget execution for the Professional Development Scholarships Program in fiscal year 2009, US$743,001.19 was executed on courses offered in member states and US$57,116.96 on courses offered in observer countries

Partnerships with institutions to offer scholarships: OAS/SEDI has begun expansion and diversification of scholarships that it offers to our citizens for graduate studies through new partnerships with institutions in the member and observer countries.

In 2009 the following graduate study programs -cosponsored with governments or institutions- were carried out.

 OAS/IE Program. The OAS and Spain’s Instituto de Empresa [Business School] (IE) support outstanding individuals in the Americas by offering scholarships for the latter’s Master’s Degree Programs in International Relations, International Management, Sports Management and Law. The scholarships, worth between US$15,440 and US$35,500 each, cover between 40% and 75% of tuition.  OAS/INCAE Program. The OAS and the INCAE Business School of Costa Rica have decided, within the framework of the OAS university consortium, to support outstanding individuals in the Americas by providing OAS/INCAE scholarships for the MBA program in Nicaragua with a grant of US$23,103 per person, equivalent to 70% of tuition, as well as for the MBA program in Costa Rica, in both the Spanish and the English section. The scholarships provide US$22,260 per person, equivalent to 70% of tuition.  CONICET program. The purpose of the Argentine Cooperation Fund for Academic Activities and Research is to promote technical cooperation in the hemisphere through the granting of academic scholarships by the Government of Argentina. The OAS and the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) have announced the first competition for domestic post-doctoral scholarships and scholarships for short-term training in research, to begin in July 2009. The CONICET-OAS post-doctoral scholarships have a minimum duration of twelve (12) months and a maximum of twenty-four (24) months, and are granted to candidates who have completed their doctoral education. The short-term scholarships have a duration of from three (3) to six (6) months, and are for candidates who have completed their master’s or doctoral degrees. The scholarships cover the costs of tuition, health insurance, and a monthly subsistence stipend.  Scholarship Program with the Government of China. The Government of China, through its Ministry of Education (MOE) and in cooperation with the Department of Human Development of the Organization of American States (OAS), offers its support to citizens of member states of the Organization by providing partial scholarships for postgraduate and undergraduate studies in China in any available field of study. The scholarships cover tuition, application costs, laboratory costs, books, accommodation, and inter-urban travel. A memorandum of understanding was signed in December 2009 for 10 scholarships annually over five years. - 30 -

 The OAS and University of the Andes (Colombia) have decided, within the framework of the OAS university consortium, to support outstanding individuals in the Americas by providing OAS/University of the Andes scholarships for doctorates in Anthropology, Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Law, Economics, History, Engineering, and Psychology, as well as MBAs; the scholarships will cover 70% of tuition.  OAS/Monterrey Technological Institute (ITESM-UV) (Mexico)/CRUSA (Costa Rica). Program Educ@ OEA/ ITESM – UV (MX)/ CRUSA: The OAS, CRUSA Foundation and the Monterrey Technological Institute-Virtual University (ITESM- UV), in collaboration with the National University of Costa Rica (UNA) joined efforts to provide more than 200 scholarships to highly qualified Costa Rican education professionals. The scholarships covered between 80% and 90% of tuition and obligatory taxes on master’s degree programs, which means that the students have to defray between US$1,025 and US $2,000.  Regional Integration Program, through the Teachers’ Mobility in the Americas program of the OAS – Fulbright Center – National Education Institute (INA) Costa Rica: The OAS and the Fulbright Center joined efforts with the INA of Costa Rica to support education, integration and development in the countries of the region through promotion and support for activities that foster bilingualism, using teachers’ mobility as the principal mechanism. The program offered teachers in the United States the opportunity to spend some weeks experiencing the life and culture of Costa Rica, enabling them to broaden their vision of the Americas and transfer it to their classrooms, while at the same time teaching English to strategic communities in Costa Rica. The teachers received support with air fares, medical insurance, subsistence allowance, accommodation and logistical support. The funding was shared by the Fulbright Center, INA and the OAS.  Oxford University (UK). The Department for Continuing Education at Oxford University in the UK initiated cooperation relations with the OAS to provide training to eligible citizens in member states, offering two complete scholarships for the online and distance learning course in English, “The New Economic Powers: Brazil, Russia, India, and China”, which will run from April to July 2010. The scholarships cover 100% of tuition and are worth approximately US$ 1,009.00 each.  The Government of Thailand offered complete scholarships for on-site professional development courses imparted in English and covered air fares, subsistence, accommodation, medical insurance and local transport. Since 2008, 10 scholarships have been awarded, each with a value of approximately US$7,500.00. The following on-site courses were given in 2009: “Grassroots Economic Development with One Tambon One Product”, “Tourism Management”, “Income Generation and Poverty Reduction for Development”, “Community-Based Micro-Finance and Income Generation Management for Poverty Alleviation”

The Leo S. Rowe Pan-American Fund (“Rowe Fund”), established in 1948 with funds that Dr. Leo S. Rowe, Director General of the Pan American Union from 1920-1946, left in his will to create a revolving fund for Latin American students wishing to finance their studies or research at accredited universities in the United States through interest-free loans. It also offers loans to staff of the OAS General Secretariat for studies and/or emergencies. - 31 -

From the start of its operations through December 31, 2009, the Rowe Fund granted 7,766 loans for a total of US$17.7 million (equivalent to US$38.4 million at 2009 prices). Also in 2009, the Rowe Fund granted 136 loans for a total of US$872,300 to Latin American and Caribbean students pursuing university studies in the United States, and to the staff of the OAS General Secretariat.

Loans for international students in the United States represented 74.2% of the total loans granted. This financial assistance helped citizens of 26 of the 32 eligible OAS member states, mostly for masters and doctoral programs (74.2%). The most popular areas of study for beneficiaries of the Rowe Fund in 2009 were: Social sciences, business and management, and legal studies. The percentage of loans to women has risen from 33% of the total in 1995 to 50.5% in 2009. More than half of the Rowe Fund loans go to persons between 23 and 30 years old.

In addition, the Rowe Fund manages an average of 405 educational loans per year worth $2.2 million. Of those 62 loans were repaid in full in the course of the year. Loans to international students had a default rate of 0.62% and a delinquency rate of 3.8%. 2 Loans to staff members have usually not been delinquent.

In order to provide information on funding for individuals interested in studying abroad, the Rowe Fund prepared the Financial Guide for Higher Education in the Americas. The guide contains a list, description, and the contact persons at entities that offer scholarships or educational loans, organized by country. It also has a listing of online resources for individuals wishing to study abroad. Toward the end of 2009 the Fund launched a donations campaign to raise funds, so as to provide loans to a larger number of beneficiaries and facilitate the loan application process for individuals without security. Thus, the Rowe Fund has managed a 58.3% increase in loans granted compared with the previous year, accelerated collection of amounts pending, reduced operating costs, and, despite the economic crisis, met the expected return on its investments.

The Fund is administered by a Committee that reports directly to the Permanent Council, comprised of delegates from four member states and the Secretary General. Over the years, this Committee has sought to constantly increase the Fund’s assets. It has been considering innovative proposals for increasing available funds and thus granting more loans to benefit the region’s students.

The Educational Portal of the Americas (PEA)The PEA is an instrument designed to enable, consolidate, and expand access to various opportunities for professional development using information and communications technology (ICT) in a cross-cutting, interdisciplinary, and multisectoral manner.

In the period from June to December 2009, training was provided to a total of 611 citizens and/or residents of OAS member states in short refresher courses imparted via the virtual classroom of the Educational Portal of the Americas. These continuing training courses last from 7 to 14 weeks. More than 40% of these participants live outside the capitals and major cities in the countries in the

2 . Delinquency consists of late payments, defined in this case as being late with three or more monthly payments. Delinquency may be the prelude to default. While the default rate reflects that percentage of invested capital that is lost, the delinquency rate reflects the percentage of capital invested that is at risk of being lost. This indicator therefore includes the full balance owed on the loan, not just the portion that is late. - 32 - region, and most of the courses enable cooperation between participants from more than 15 countries in the region. These courses offer opportunities for interactive, individual professional development of a high quality and low cost in different languages, including Spanish, English and Portuguese.

In January and February 2010 a total of 229 citizens and/or residents of OAS member states started professional refresher courses. In March, in all, 108 new participants were set to begin their training on courses developed and imparted with strategic partners, such as the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Trust for the Americas, on subjects such as agro-ecotourism and the right of access to public information. The list of participants enrolling in new courses in April 2010 is pending.

The Portal continues to be an instrument to strengthen, consolidate, and expand training and education of the citizens of the Americas, using primarily ICT. The activities of the Portal are based on the following pillars: 1. Assessment of the value of information and communication in a given sphere of action (Value of Information); 2. Human and Institutional Capacity Building (Training is Key); and 3. Network cooperation (strategies and actions)

Through the Portal SEDI/OAS has managed to expand access to higher education (and to human capacity building) by making available a variety of courses and services that incorporate technologies as democracy-strengthening mechanisms, increasing the possibilities of funding for higher education through its strategic partnerships for cooperation with a view to expanding and diversifying scholarship services in member states for undergraduate and graduate studies. These partnerships have also opened up new ways of training by using knowledge sharing and adaptation of best practices to local contexts.

SEDI/OAS has been engaging in virtual education partnerships. The Portal is working on new courses and restricted pages for learning communities, as well as consultant services for the implementation of institutional virtual education projects. The following progress could be mentioned in this area:

With international organizations and member states: (a) consultant services for the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS-UNDP) for the design and implementation of an e- learning project of a Virtual Program on Training of Trainers in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), whose main purpose is to train trainers in CSR concepts, research, strategies, instruments, and experiences that are pertinent and relevant for the Latin American region, from mid-2008 to December 2010, (b) development and offering of a course on agro-ecotourism for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), which gives participants a theoretical and practical grounding in the planning, coordination, and execution of agro-ecotourism projects, and equips them to make decisions with methodological instruments needed to solve problems concerning the development of these enterprises.

 With external institutions: (a) with the Public Administration School of Colombia (ESAP) an agreement was signed to for the PEA virtual classroom to offer some of its courses that have been and are being adapted for the situation in the region: The course, Gender and Political Leadership will be offered in April; (b) the course on Introduction to the Right of Access to Public Information was jointly developed and imparted with the Trust for the Americas. - 33 -

 Within the OAS: (a) Joint development with the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) of two on-line courses to be offered through the PEA Virtual Classroom: Introduction to Political and Campaign Financing in the Americas, the Spanish version of which will be first imparted in April 2010; and the course Developing Strategies to Improve Voter Registries in the Americas and the Caribbean: a Course in Voter Registration Policy and Practice, which will be given in English and also for the first time in April 2010. (b) Inclusion of a virtual communication strategy for the Model General Assembly of the OAS. This strategy has been used in a pilot phase in 2009 and work continues on the adaptation of its English and Spanish versions; (c) configuration of a virtual communication and systematization space for knowledge-sharing under the “Bridge Program” of the Department of Social Development and Employment; (d) the joint offer with the Department of Education and Culture of the course, On-line Collaboration Projects: Rationale, Strategies and Challenges; (e) the implementation and maintenance of different restricted website pages for various departments and initiatives in the Organization to facilitate communication and promote and guarantee the participation of all parties involved in the various regional actions in the context of the current budgetary limitations. - 34 -

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Mandates:

OAS/SEDI is charged with the social development mandates from the highest level national authorities, which are issued at ministerial meetings carried out within the framework of the CIDI, with the Department of Social Development and Employment acting as Technical Secretariat. Worthy of note in this regard, is the Second Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development to be held on July 8 and 9, 2010. Furthermore, in the months prior thereto meetings will be held with the Inter-American Committee on Social Development (CIDES) to follow up on implementation of the mandates from the first ministerial meeting and commence preparations for the second.

In the period covered by this report the work of the Secretariat has centered on implementation of the mandates received from the First Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development held on July 9 and 10 2008 in Reñaca, Chile. The theme of the Meeting was “Social Protection and Democratic Governance in the Americas,” and it examined three core issues: (i) the role of social policy institutions in strengthening democratic governance; (ii) inter-American cooperation as a tool for promoting effective social protection strategies; and (iii) use of the multisectoral approach to combat hunger and unemployment, key elements of social exclusion. The Meeting also addressed the mandate of the Heads of State and Government, meeting at the Fourth Summit of the Americas, who recommended that the Meeting consider, inter alia, the ministries’ progress on the relevant commitments adopted in the Summit Plan of Action.

The statement issued at the end of the meeting by the Social Development Ministers and High-Level Authorities contained the main lines of action to be implemented through CIDES in 2009 and 2010. The resulting Work Plan includes four core areas: (i) organization, coordination, and implementation of social policy and its response capacity during crises; (ii) the scope of and challenges facing social protection systems in response to the emerging global economic crisis; (iii) the urgent challenge of nutritional and food security amid the economic crisis, with emphasis on overcoming hunger and childhood malnutrition; and (iv) active employment strategies during periods of crisis (i.e., income generation and employability prospects). Each of these areas incorporates specific activities, most of which were implemented in the period covered by this report.

In the area of social development, OAS/SEDI also receives mandates from the Summits of the Americas. In addition, under the agreement reached during the First Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities to draw upon SEDI’s installed capacity to promote the formation of an Inter- American Social Protection Network, the Heads of State and Government, gathered in Port-of-Spain in April 2009, called for the establishment of that Network for the exchange of information on policies, experiences, programs, and best practices, with the goal of supporting national efforts in reducing social disparities, inequality, and extreme poverty.

In addition to its efforts under the aforesaid mandates OAS/SEDI, though its Department of Social Development and Employment (DDSE), furnishes technical services to the Joint Working Group of the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI), responsible for developing the Draft Social Charter of the Americas and its Plan of - 35 -

Action as well as to the Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development and CIDES. Partnerships:

OAS/SEDI has deepened robust partnerships with a number of regional and international organizations responsible for shared social issues. For example, the OAS/SEDI partnership with the Chilean Solidarity and Social Investment Fund (FOSIS) has contributed in a significant way to implementing technical cooperation between Chile and the Caribbean for the sharing of experiences and interventions aimed at strengthening social protection. FOSIS is the Programa Puente or “Bridge Program’s” primary coordination agency and has played a key role in providing technical and financial support to the countries of the Caribbean, sharing its primary specifications and operational mechanisms. The three participating Caribbean countries have become important partners, especially during the second phase, which started up in early 2009. Within the community framework developed, these countries help support the other countries of the region that participate in this second phase.

In the framework of the technical cooperation efforts for sharing the Chilean Bridge Program’s experiences and interventions with the Caribbean, OAS/SEDI continues working in partnership with the World Bank to strengthen cooperation. In particular, the Bank’s Learning and Knowledge Management Team has provided it critical training in the use of a virtual tool, Elluminate, to facilitate live technical support among cooperation partners. In the period covered by this report approximately 10 virtual training sessions were held with the countries taking part in the Bridge Program in the Caribbean. In addition to this, the Department has a new partnership with the Educational Portal of the Americas. In this case, a portal has been created for thematic fora and to asynchronously discuss progress made by countries. Accordingly in the framework of the cooperation program OAS/SEDI is preparing a communication strategy based on two pillars. One is the use of Elluminate to facilitate live communication through conferences and virtual training. The second component is the Restricted Spaces to maintain a permanent communication environment. These initiatives will allow all of the Program’s stakeholders to maintain ongoing contact through discussion boards, virtual classrooms, and video conferencing that will supplement face-to-face activities.

The World Bank, in collaboration with OAS/SEDI, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), helped draft an inter-agency document to foster social inclusion through social guarantees, based on ten case studies in the region (Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Peru, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Uruguay). Following the encouraging reception of the document of recommendations presented at the First Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development, the OAS collaborated with the World Bank in the publication of the book “Building Equality and Opportunity through Social Guarantees”. This book was unveiled in October 2009 at an event attended by the Secretary General of the OAS and Ms. Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.

OAS/SEDI has also been working with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both organizations on the issues of food and nutritional security. As a result of this partnership the DDSE was invited to take part in a study on the nutritional component in social protection systems. Under the coordination of - 36 - the World Food Programme several international agencies and academic institutions had been working since 2009 on a study on social protection networks in Central America in order to determine the scope of the nutritional dimension of these networks. The study seeks to identify imbalances and opportunities for addressing nutrition objectives and components in these programs in order to achieve a real nutritional impact that would help countries in the short term to confront the global crisis by protecting their most vulnerable populations and, in the medium and long terms, to strengthen social policy. Apart from the OAS, the High-level Technical Group is composed of ECLAC, the World Bank, INCAP, University of Chile, Tufts University, UNICEF, PAHO, and George Washington University, among others. The group held a technical meeting on October 22, 2009, in Panama, in order to offer contributions for the first draft of this study. A preliminary draft of this document will be submitted at the Third Meeting of CIDES and the final version presented to the member states for consideration at the Ministerial Meeting.

The DDSE took part in the following international events in a bid to strengthen partnerships with agencies in the region that work on social protection issues and with member states willing to supply information, inputs, or funds to the Inter-American Social Protection Network:

 International Seminar on “Evolution of Social Protection Networks in Latin America,” held in Cartagena de Indias from October 29 to 31, 2009. The event was jointly organized by the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation of Colombia, the National Planning Department (DNP) and other government agencies. The objective was to present and find out in situ about Colombia’s Social Protection Network to Combat Extreme Poverty (or JUNTOS Network); discuss the progress of social protection strategies in the region with representatives of international agencies; learn about some of the more consolidated initiatives in the hemisphere, and build commitments to work together in the future.

 Experts workshop on “Social protection, poverty and a rights-based approach: links and tensions”, in Santiago, Chile, on November 5 and 6, 2009, convened by ECLAC. The workshop, which was attended by both social protection and human rights experts from a variety of international agencies and academic institutions, sought to provide a space for discussion and analysis of social protection and conditional transfer programs, as well as adoption of a rights-based perspective in the design of social policy and institutions.

Cooperation mechanisms, programs, and projects:

In keeping with the mandate from the ministerial meeting and the Summit of the Americas, the OAS launched the Inter-American Social Protection Network at an event held on September 22, 2009 in New York City, USA. This meeting was attended by ministers and high authorities for social development, as well as representatives from international agencies, civil society organizations, and academic institutions. The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet; the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg; the US Secretary of State, Hillary R. Clinton; the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza; the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Alberto Moreno, and the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin participated in the inaugural session. They were accompanied by high-level officials from other international organizations and the inter- - 37 -

American system. The president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, also offered some remarks during the day in support of this Network.

In the context of this Inter-American Social Protection Network, an informal activity was also held on September 21, the main goal of which was to present the Opportunity New York Program to Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development of the Hemisphere. This conditional cash transfer program is a pilot initiative implemented in New York City neighborhoods and inspired by the Opportunities Program in Mexico. Funding for the Network’s launch in September, and for other activities in its first phase, is provided by the United States Government.

The Inter-American Network received a strong initial endorsement from the Government of Chile. Addressing the Permanent Council of the OAS on June 24, 2009, President Bachelet of Chile expressed her support for the creation of the Network. In that regard, President Bachelet and OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza signed a letter of understanding aimed at promoting social protection initiatives and schemes, and sharing results achieved in the framework of the Inter- American Social Protection Network.

The Bridge Program in the Caribbean –a technical cooperation initiative between Chile and the Caribbean for the transfer of lessons learned from the Programa Puente- started in 2007 and has continued to expand to include more countries in the region. With financing provided by Canada and Chile, technical support from FOSIS, and under the general coordination of the Department of Social Development and Employment of the OAS, the program continued to work with Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Saint Lucia, while at the same time Barbados, Suriname, St Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines joined this initiative.

The following activities were carried out during the period covered by this report:

 A needs assessment of the new countries that joined the program.  The Introductory Workshop for the second cooperation phase, held in Saint Lucia from May 27 to 29, 2009. The new countries that have joined this program were given an initial induction on tackling the work of the years ahead. They will also receive support from the countries that took part in the first phase.  Internships in Chile, October 26 to November 3, 2009. Officials from the Caribbean had the opportunity to see first-hand how the Bridge Program is put into practice, attend keynote conferences, participate in management meetings, and visit families that have benefited from program.

Over the coming months the program will continue to offer technical support for Caribbean countries to implement their work plans, which give particular attention to the specific steps for adapting the lessons learned from the Bridge Program to their national contexts. The virtual tools will be essential for achieving these ends. In addition a series of monitoring visits will be made to each country by the OAS coordination team and tutors from Chile to evaluate their progress.

To follow up on the CIDES work plan an Inter-Sectoral Seminar on Employment Policy and income generation for vulnerable populations was held on October 19 and 20, 2009, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The event was sponsored by the DDSE and the government of Colombia through the National Planning Department and the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International - 38 -

Cooperation. The main aim of the workshop was to examine and discuss, from a multisectoral perspective, progress and challenges with respect to employment policy and income generation in the Americas, with a particular focus on extreme poverty and vulnerable populations and in the context of the worldwide economic crisis. The event was attended by ministers, high-level authorities, and technical officials on social development and labor from 26 OAS member states, as well as representatives of international organizations. The participants noted the importance of encouraging inter-agency dialogue and reinforcing the income-generation and employability components in the framework of comprehensive social protection systems, in order to meet the challenges of poverty from an inter-agency perspective.

In addition, pursuing the efforts to enhance dialogue among the different sectors involved in the development of social protection policies, in particular on the issue of employability, the CIDES Chair was invited to deliver a presentation in the framework of the Sixteenth Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor, in Buenos Aires on October 6, 2009. The National Planning Department of Colombia offered a presentation on the importance of coordinated policy and programs for stimulating employment. To that end, he emphasized that macroeconomic policy should allow for the possibility of counter cyclical measures, especially during moments of crisis, and that such measures should be reinforced with effective social protection systems. These systems should buffer the effects of crises, coordinate the various core components of social protection, stimulate labor policies that protect jobs, provide training, and inform the public.

Created in 1991, the Social Network of Latin America and the Caribbean (RedLAC) is a network of social funds/social investment funds and other social institutions operating in 32 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. RedLAC’s mission is to decrease poverty and improve the quality of life for the region’s inhabitants by fostering horizontal cooperation between the member institutions, particularly in the area of human resources education. The OAS has been acting as RedLAC’s Technical Secretariat since 1996, which is currently under the direction of the Department de Social Development and Employment (DDSE). At present the Social Network is chaired by the Ministry of Social Development and Combating Hunger of Brazil. - 39 -

DECENT WORK AND CREATION OF PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT

Mandates:

The most recent mandates governing the work of OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Social Development and Employment, in support of the Member States’ efforts to create sources of productive employment were issued at the Sixteenth Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML), held in Buenos Aires in October 2009. The Meeting’s theme was “Facing the crisis with development, decent work, and social protection,” and, in particular, the Fourth Summit of the Americas (Argentina, November 2005), which, to this end, furnished important guidelines at the highest level, and whose central theme was job creation to combat poverty and strengthen democratic governance.

The political dialogue of the IACML, which is among the longest-running of the OAS, dating back to 1963, and the cooperation activities that result from this dialogue recognize that the future of the region’s democracies depends, in large measure, on their ability to generate quality, decent, and sustainable sources of productive employment, which place people at the center of all economic activity. This dialogue also recognizes the importance of implementing commitments in this regard by the heads of state and government, through declarations issued at the Summits of the Americas, with special emphasis on the objectives of economic growth with equity as a means of alleviating poverty and promoting social development and democratic governance.

OAS/SEDI was charged with the mandate issued by the region’s social development ministers and authorities meeting in Reñaca, Chile, in July 2008, to reflect on the challenges of employment, active employment policies, and income generation from an intersectoral perspective. In this regard, OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Social Development and Employment (DDSE), in its role as the Technical Secretariat of the ministers of social development and labor, will coordinate a series of activities on this topic, which specifically address employment as a sustainable strategy to overcome poverty. It should be noted that the issues on which the labor and social development sectors collaborate, in particular the CIDES work plan, work towards fulfilling the Millennium Declaration goal of eradicating poverty and hunger. Especially sub-section (iv) on active job strategies in times of crisis: income generation and employability.

Partnerships:

To support the efforts of the member states in achieving these objectives, OAS/SEDI is working in conjunction with other international organizations, especially the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES), the Secretariat of the Commission for Labor Cooperation, and UNESCO. It should be noted that, within the framework of the OAS/SEDI Cooperation Agreement with the ILO, the latter is an active participant in all activities and provides ongoing advisory services.

Likewise, in response to the growing relevance of incorporating the gender perspective in labor and employment policies of the Hemisphere, especially since Twelfth Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) in 2001, and with the new impetus given to this issue - 40 - since the Fourth Summit of the Americas in 2005, the Fifteenth IACML approved strategic guidelines designed to make headway on integrating gender actions within labor issues, beginning with a preliminary study on proposals for implementing gender mainstreaming in labor and employment policies. In the framework of those strategic guidelines, the DDSE prepared a study entitled “The Institutionalization of a Gender Approach in the Ministries of Labor of the Americas,” which was presented at the Sixteenth IACML in October 2009. It has continued with experience exchange in this area. The preparation of the strategic guidelines and the studies and activities that have ensued from them have been carried out in close collaboration with the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM). Furthermore, under the leadership of the CIM and in partnership with the DSDE, subregional training workshops on gender mainstreaming will be held in 2010, bringing together officials from Ministries of Labor and National Women’s Mechanisms. The first of these workshops was held with great success in Georgetown, Guyana, for the English-speaking Caribbean from April 12 to 14; the second, for Central America, will be held in San Salvador from May 4 to 6; it will be followed by training events for the Andean countries and the southern cone countries. These strategic guidelines, it should be further noted, fulfill the Millennium Declaration Goal of “Autonomy of women and gender equality” and the OAS/SEDI recognizes that the full participation of women in development strategies plays a crucial role and is directly reflected in the family, income, savings and investments. These benefits have a direct impact on communities and, over the long term, benefit the entire country.

Another significant source of feedback for ministerial dialogue is provided by worker and employer representatives, though the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE) and the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL). These representatives are active participants in all the activities of the Conference and, as of the Sixteenth IACML in 2009, are advisory bodies of the IACML. Moreover, COSATE has lent substantial support for the implementation of Resolution AG/RES. 2315 (XXXVII-O/07) “Participation of Workers’ Representatives in Activities of the Organization of American States,” and to the dialogue with workers’ representatives of the Hemisphere, within the framework of the General Assemblies in Medellín and San Pedro Sula and the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

Cooperation mechanisms, programs, and projects:

The Inter-American Labor Administration Network (RIAL), which is coordinated by the DDSE, is another example of how to ensure an effective multilateral dialogue within the OAS framework. RIAL is a cooperation mechanism set up among the Ministries of Labor of the Hemisphere in the framework of the IACML to strengthen the capacities of their institutional and human resources. RIAL acts as an integration mechanism and a conduit for disseminating information and experiences through numerous workshops, seminars, and publications that provide the member states with opportunities to enhance their knowledge in the core areas of labor administration (see Annex I). Furthermore, through its Cooperation Fund, RIAL facilitates direct cooperation and technical assistance between the region’s ministries of labor, supplying funding awarded through open competitive bidding processes. Depending on where they are carried out-- whether at the Ministry that has requested assistance or at the one which provides it--the activities that the RIAL Fund finances are either on-site visits or expert visits.

Funding sources for this type of technical assistance have also been increasing. Funding contributed by Canada through the RIAL Cooperation Fund has been supplemented with matching - 41 -

funds supplied by the United States and in-kind contributions from Argentina and Brazil, which have covered the cost of the cooperation delivered in their countries. However, all the countries have offered assistance and training to their partners, donating the valuable time of their professionals and technical experts to these actions.

One of the Cooperation Fund’s great strengths lies in the fact that the contents of each cooperation activity (i.e., on-site visit or expert visit) are defined in accordance with needs and interests of the participating ministries in mind, making them perfectly relevant. Perhaps this is why the Fund’s results have been so promising and specific, which include the reformulation of internal procedures, the preparation of legislative projects, the inclusion of new management tools, the development of new products, and/or the creation and reorganization of operations and structures.

To date, the RIAL Cooperation Fund has carried out almost 40 cooperation activities and plans to implement at least 20 more in 2010 through the Fourth Call for Proposals, which was open at the time of this writing and will remain so until March 15 2010. The table below details the activities carried out in the second half of 2009.

Beneficiary Lab. Providing Thematic area Activity Date Min. Lab. Min. Decent Work National July 27-30, 2009 1 Dom. Rep. Argentina In situ Programs 2 Belize Jamaica Public employment service In situ Sept. 7-11, 2009 Social dialogue and freedom 3 Colombia Brazil In situ Sept. 21-25, 2009 of association Improvement of the Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 4 Chile United States enforcement of labor laws / In situ 2009 National Call Center Sept. 30-Oct. 2 and 5 Ecuador Argentina Public employment service Experts Nov. 23-27, 2009 Occupational health and 6 Guyana Barbados In situ Oct. 5-9, 2009 safety Saint Vincent and the Occupational health and 7 Canada In situ Oct. 19-23, 2009 Grenadines safety 8 Nicaragua Brazil Public employment system In situ Oct. 19-23, 2009 9 Paraguay Brazil Public employment service In situ Oct. 19-23, 2009 Certification and evaluation 10 Ecuador Peru Experts Nov 9-13, 2009 of labor competencies Enforcement of labor 11 Costa Rica Uruguay legislation regarding children In situ Nov. 16-19, 2009 and youth Nov. 24-26, 2009 12 Dom. Rep. Costa Rica Employment statistics In situ Nov. 30 - Dec. 4, 13 Paraguay Argentina Labor statistics In situ 2009 - 42 -

Strengthening of the Labor Nov. 30 - Dec. 4, 14 Guatemala Argentina Statistics Unit in the Ministry In situ 2009 of Labor 15 Argentina United States Youth employment services In situ Dec. 7-9, 2009

The vast majority of this supply and demand for cooperation emerges from ministerial dialogue and priorities, as well as hemispheric workshops held to enhance the sharing of experiences and analysis regarding these priorities. Since its creation in 2006, 12 hemispheric workshops have been held in the RIAL framework. In 2009 two such events were held: Workshop on Successful Labor Inspection Models (Washington, D.C., May 19) and Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in the Ministries of Labor of the Americas (Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 21). On average 25 to 30 representatives attend these forums from the regions ministries of employment, as well as international and civil society organizations, represented through COSATE and CEATAL.

The RIAL Portfolio of Programs is a cornerstone for planning and selecting bilateral and hemispheric cooperation activities, which today encompasses nearly 100 programs distributed among the following categories:

Activities carried out in the context of decent work and the creation of employment, as well as ministerial priorities in this regard, are promoted and supplemented through other areas linked with OAS/SEDI.

Within the framework of the OAS/SEDI Migration and Development Program, a technical cooperation agreement was signed with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to implement a “Continuous Reporting System for Labor Migration in the Americas” (SICREMI) following the design of the Systeme d'Observation Permanente sur les Migrations (SOPEMI), which was created by the OECD for its member states in 1994. The system is designed to generate continuous, precise, and timely information on migration flows and trends of OAS Member Countries, with a view to strengthening decision making and public policy development.

The activities undertaken through OAS/SEDI within the framework of the Program fulfill to the Millennium Declaration target of “human rights, democracy and democratic governance,” which calls for measures to be taken to ensure the human rights of migrants, migrant workers, and their families are respected and protected.

FEMCIDI: In the area of Social Development and Employment, 12 technical cooperation projects totaling $650,953 were funded during the FEMCIDI 2008 programming cycle.

Noteworthy was the project Promotion of Entrepreneurial Capacities for High-Risk Social Groups (Promoción de Capacidades Emprendedoras para grupos de mayor vulnerabilidad social), which set up a revolving fund to provide successive financing to microentrepreneurs to allow for their integration in the world of work, thereby enhancing the multiplier effect that contributes to the sustainability and impact of the project. - 43 -

Another example of a FEMCIDI project in this area is one coordinated by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines entitled “Reducing Rural Poverty through Entrepreneurship Development,” through which a program was created to support young entrepreneurs in establishing and managing businesses in parts of the country with high unemployment. The project also created business support centers in rural areas and trained staff to manage these centers in order to facilitate lasting assistance for new entrepreneurs in the area. - 44 -

ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION AND INTEGRATION, TRADE LIBERALIZATION, AND MARKET ACCESS

Mandates:

The OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism (DEDTT), supports the member states’ efforts in the area of economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization, and market access in compliance with the mandates from the Summits of the Americas, the General Assembly, and, in particular, the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development in force.

Among other areas, the strategic plan provides that efforts should focus on support for the member states, especially the smallest economies, to improve the capacity of each member state to benefit from trade and promote economic growth, job generation, and poverty reduction; to provide support for economic and trade integration processes and strengthen horizontal and interagency cooperation, including through the ECLAC Tripartite Committee (OAS-IDB-ECLAC); to promote cooperation in support of activities to improve the member states’ competitive capacity, especially for the smallest economies, including a multilateral policy dialogue on the subject of competitiveness and the promotion of public-private partnerships; to encourage and support action to facilitate the participation of micro, small, and medium enterprises in the domestic market and international trade, coordinating efforts in this regard where appropriate with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other regional development banks; and to support the SME Congress of the Americas and encourage the broadest possible participation in this initiative, stressing the importance of opening new markets for goods and services for small and medium enterprise; and to continue, though the Foreign Trade Information System (SICE), providing information on trade and related matters in the hemisphere.

Also, in keeping with mandates from the General Assembly, OAS/SEDI carries out programs to promote corporate social responsibility in the Hemisphere [AG/RES. 2483 (XXXIX-O/09)] and in support of socioeconomic development in Haiti in the areas of trade and tourism promotion [AG/RES. 2487 (XXXIX-O/09)].

Partnerships:

OAS/SEDI implements the programs, projects, and activities under the above mandates in close coordination and cooperation with more than 40 international and regional organizations, ministries and national entities, academic institutions, and NGOs in the Americas.

In this way, partnerships have been consolidated with international organizations such as the IDB and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in the context of the OAS-IDB-ECLAC Tripartite Committee; the World Bank; the World Trade Organization (WTO); the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the secretariats of regional organizations. In addition, support has been provided for south-south horizontal cooperation programs that enable member states to share among themselves their lessons learned and best practices for management of trade agendas as part of their development strategies. - 45 -

Thanks to this sort of partnership with the countries and other strategic partners it has been possible to supplement the limited available financial resources and execute an extensive cooperation program tailored to the member states’ needs for institutional and human resources strengthening. In addition to specific funds received from member states, such as Canada, Chile, and the United States, as well as from observer countries, several member states have made significant contributions, particularly in-kind contributions, by placing at the countries’ disposal the experience of their personnel or their infrastructure in support of training activities.

Public-private partnerships represent an essential tool in support of the efforts of member states to stimulate economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization, and market access. Recognizing the private sector’s role as an engine of growth that generates employment, as well as the importance of public-private partnerships for promoting development and competitiveness, OAS/SEDI has encouraged new relationships with this sector by organizing the Private Sector Forum of the OAS in advance of general assemblies and Summits of the Americas.

The alliance with PIPRA (Public Intellectual Property Resources for Agriculture) is emblematic of OAS/SEDI partnership efforts with academic institutions. The initiative, based at the University of California, Davis, was created in order to develop programs and activities whereby developing countries can benefit from the use and harnessing of innovation, technology transfer, and intellectual property tools.

Work with NGOs has also been promoted. One example is the collaboration with “Light Years IP” in the execution of programs to identify distinctive, high-value intangible products and methodologies for developing strategies by which to increase export revenues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Another example is the association with “Vital Voices” for the launch of the “Central American Businesswomen’s Network” in the framework of the economic empowerment program.

Cooperation mechanisms, programs, and projects:

In response to requests for assistance, OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, contributed to institutional strengthening and capacity building in member states through the execution of programs and projects connected with trade, competitiveness, small and medium enterprise, hemispheric trade information (SICE), and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

As regards trade, work centered on the following areas: economic empowerment; institutional and human resources strengthening in negotiation, implementation and administration of trade agreements; and institutional strengthening and reconstruction of Haiti. With respect to small and medium enterprise, activities were organized aimed at promoting competitiveness and the participation of SMEs in trade opportunities. Efforts in this area sought in particular to promote a space for policy dialogue and exchange of successful experiences and best practices in support of micro, small and medium enterprise, with particular attention to the use of information and communication technologies to stimulate competitiveness in this sector of our economies.

Through the Economic Empowerment Program support was provided for the efforts of member states to stimulate the inclusion of MSMEs in the benefits of trade, with particular attention given to small and medium entrepreneurs, women, and vulnerable sectors (small farmers, indigenous groups, - 46 -

Afro-descendants, and youth). With this objective in mind spaces were promoted for dialogue and exchange of lessons learned among governments, MSME support entities, international agencies, experts, universities, and NGOs as a contribution to the design and management of effective policies in this area. Contributions to enrich regional dialogue and experience exchange include: (i) a study on replicable successful programs of support for exporting MSMEs; and, (ii) pilot projects that highlight best practices, such as: Mentors program; participation of MSMEs in value chains and partnership schemes; use of export strategies based on intellectual property instruments that enable MSMEs to harness the intangible value of their products and services.

As part of the institutional and human capacity building program in the area of trade, projects and activities were implemented that were of direct benefit to government institutions and officials in terms of trade policy design and of negotiation, implementation and administration of trade agreements. Some of these programs were specifically geared to strengthen the capacity of public entities responsible for the design and management of trade policies in areas such as: investments, services, intellectual property, settlement of disputes between investors and governments, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. For this purpose flexible formats adapted to the needs expressed by countries continued to be used, and support was provided for south-south cooperation as a means to implement initiatives for the exchange of best practices and lessons learned from shared experiences in administration of trade agreements and related policy management.

Through the Special Institutional Strengthening and Reconstruction Program for Haiti specific investment attraction initiatives are being implemented, in particular in support of the HOPE Commission and the Centre de Facilitation des Investissements, using a public-private partnership approach and in cooperation with member states.

What follows are examples of activities undertaken.

The regional workshop “Promoting Enterprise and Competitiveness in SMEs through Best Practices: Government-Business-University Partnership Models,” in Orlando, Florida, from September 14 to 15, 2009 was organized in the framework of the OAS’s E-MSMEs Development Program with the collaboration of the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). It offered a forum for dialogue on MSME support policies and exchange of successful experiences and best practices connected with new forms of organization based on government-business-university partnerships and with the use of information and communication technologies and Internet resources for more competitive MSMEs.

The regional dialogue “Trade and Poverty: Complementary Policies and Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in the Benefits of Trade” held in Panama City, Panama, from December 3 to 4, 2009, was organized in coordination with the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Panama in the framework of the OAS’s Program of “Support for Vulnerable Groups to Share in the Benefits,” with funding provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and ECLAC’s program “Policies and Instruments for the Promotion of Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean,” which is financed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID): http://www.sedi.oas.org/DTTC/dialogo/. The dialogue provided an opportunity for policy makers to exchange lessons learned on successful complementary policies, strategies, and programs to encourage participation in international trade by vulnerable groups. - 47 -

As part of the Intellectual Property (IP) Export Project, OAS/SEDI helps Latin American and Caribbean countries to take advantage of the intangible value of their distinctive products which, owing to their unique characteristics and quality, have the potential to benefit from a business strategy with IP tools. With guidance and contributions provided by regional and national institutions as well as private- sector representatives in the Caribbean, a study was carried out on principles and methodologies to harness intangible value as a source of increased export revenue. The study highlights opportunities offered by eight distinctive products in Jamaica, Grenada, and Belize. Information material was also published that specifically targets small producers and MSMEs. The preparation commenced of a portfolio of projects in order to create consultation mechanisms for producers and national entities as well as for channeling funds to implement strategies with producers.

The Masters Program in International Trade Policy (MITP) at the University of the West Indies (UWI) continued. The program, which targets government officials and the private sector, has had a successful run since it began in 2004. Indeed, to date, its approximately 160 graduates have contributed to institution building in the area of trade in their respective countries through their subsequent professional careers.

In addition, support was provided to Caribbean countries for implementation of the CARIFORUM–CE Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and assistance began to be given to the CARICOM countries involved in the negotiations for the CARICOM-Canada agreement, particularly in the area of services.

The Advanced Course on Trade (including trade assistance) was offered for the twelfth consecutive year. The course is organized in cooperation with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and George Washington University Law School with the support of the Kingdom of Spain, funneled through the WTO. To date, this program has provided training to more than 540 government officials in the region.

The program financed by the government of Chile for the exchange of best practices and lessons learned in the administration of sanitary and phytosanitary systems with Caribbean countries came to a successful conclusion.

Also on the subject of competitiveness, OAS/SEDI provided support to the Government of Chile for the organization of the Meeting of Competitiveness Councils and the Meeting of Ministers of Economy and Industry, which were held in Santiago, Chile, on September 29, 2009, in the framework of the Third Americas Competitiveness Forum. At the Competitiveness Forum the region’s Ministers of Economy and Industry and representatives of the Competitiveness and Innovation Councils of the Americas supported the joint proposal for the creation of an Inter-American Competitiveness Network and urged government agencies, public-private entities, and international organizations that generate competitiveness policy and strategies in the hemisphere to unite behind this initiative.

The purpose of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network is to foment dialogue, cooperation, exchange of successful experiences and practices, and the adoption of joint initiatives to strengthen and promote competitiveness in the countries of the Americas. This initiative will furnish the countries in the hemisphere with a permanent high-level dialogue mechanism to propitiate technical cooperation, policy generation and implementation, and linkage of measures to strengthen the competitiveness of each economy in the hemisphere and that of the Americas region. The Network - 48 - encourages concerted measures to raise the competitiveness of each of the OAS member states as well as the overall competitiveness of the hemisphere vis-à-vis other world regions.

At the meeting of the Permanent Council of the OAS held on January 27, 2010, the representatives of the member states that took the floor drew attention to the importance of the creation of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network as an innovative mechanism for high-level dialogue and cooperation on competitiveness. Representatives of member states that took the floor noted that the Network provides an apposite forum for countries to cooperate and promote sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and the importance of entrepreneurship, public-private partnership, clean energies, and support for MSMEs, among a host of other aspects. The Inter-American Competitiveness Network is important as a vehicle for cooperation and partnership among member states.

With more than 2.5 million visits in 2009, or more than 7,000 visits a day, the Foreign Trade Information System (SICE) has become one of the main reference sources on trade in the Western Hemisphere. Created in 1995, SICE’s main purpose is to collect and disseminate information on trade and economic integration through its website (www.sice.oas.org). It provides updated official information on trade in the Hemisphere in the four official OAS languages. SICE is funded with United States Government resources.

At present SICE has more than 20,000 documents on the following subjects available free of charge: trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties of OAS member countries, news of trade negotiations, antidumping, competitiveness policy, dispute settlement, e-trade, intellectual property rights, investment, services, technical barriers to trade, and trade and gender.

In the period covered by this report of the website was continuously improved, expanding the quality and amount of information shared. Information on trade agreements continues to be updated and reorganized in order to satisfy the information needs of government officials, researchers, and civil society members, among others.

SICE updated information on the project of the Caribbean Trade Reference Center (CTRC), which was developed to facilitate access and disseminate information on topics related to trade negotiations involving CARICOM member countries.

OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, seeks to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the development of effective methods and materials to foment these practices in the business community in the region as well as consolidation of a large number of allies committed to social responsibility. With the support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and in partnership with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), OAS/SEDI has been promoting corporate social responsibility in small and medium enterprises in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Regional workshops and dialogues have been promoted in Argentina, the Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Chile, Mexico, and Washington, D.C. with representatives from different countries in the region attending. This has made it possible to build up capacity for the adoption and implementation of CSR as a fundamental part of their business strategies based on a groundbreaking regional training program that includes technical and theoretical aspects of CSR in key economic - 49 - sectors of these countries. The principal objectives were to develop and introduce an innovative regional training program; stimulate the capacity of participants to adopt CSR as a core part of their business strategy; influence the conduct and decision-making of key stakeholders as a result of greater awareness created through experience exchange; build up the capacity of local partners that work with CSR by providing replication tools and methodologies, offering training to program participants, and strengthening capacity for partnership in the region; and develop a dialogue on stakeholder involvement in CSR implementation (including government) in order to discuss pressing matters and challenges for CSR in the region.

FEMCIDI: In the area of trade, there were five projects, for Brazil, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Saint Lucia, worth a total of US$412,000, which benefited a larger number of countries in the case of multinational projects.

Significant projects in execution include the “Strengthening of Accreditation Systems in the Latin American Countries as a Vehicle for Facilitation of International Trade in the Region,” presented by Brazil and coordinated by Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC). The project activities focus on increasing the competence of staff of accreditation organizations in the region through workshops, seminars, internships, consulting services, aptitude testing programs for accredited laboratories, training of peer evaluators, and peer evaluations of accreditation organizations to obtain the signature of the Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MLA). The project seeks to broaden its scope to new areas of accreditation in the region such as certification of environmental management systems, certification of products and personnel, and bring them in line with international practices. - 50 -

SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT AND EXCHANGE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY

Mandates:

OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, supports the member states’ efforts in the area of scientific development and technology exchange and transfer in keeping with the mandates from the Summits of the Americas, the General Assembly, and, in particular, the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development in force and the Meetings of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology, especially the Second Ministerial Meeting held in Mexico in October 2008, the Declaration and Plan of Action of which the Assembly resolved to adopt (AG/RES. 2471 (XXXIX-O/09)).

In the Declaration of Commitment of Port-of-Spain, the Heads of State and Government of the Americas undertook “to create conditions for increasing public investment and to take measures that promote investment in the private sector, particularly in science, technology, engineering, innovation, research and development, and to encourage the strengthening of linkages among universities, science institutions, the private and public sectors, multilateral agencies, civil society and workers.”

Inter alia, the Strategic Plan provides that efforts should be made to promote dialogue, facilitate cooperation and technical assistance, foster experience sharing, and support member states in their activities, including the following: Strengthen the development of scientific, technological, and innovation capacities in member states, particularly in connection with human capital development, in fields such as engineering, metrology, science education, information technologies, and communications; formulate and apply policies, programs, and projects aimed at advancing, strengthening, and using their scientific, technological, and innovation capacities, taking into account the gender perspective; promote the development, research, and application of frontier science and technology, inter alia, in the areas of biotechnology, material sciences, nanotechnology, spatial digital image processing, and advanced manufacturing processes; and create and strengthen specialized networks on science and technology, to facilitate the generation and dissemination of new knowledge, technology transfer, and experience sharing, as well as hemispheric and global cooperation; as well as supporting the popularization of science in all its different aspects .

In the Declaration and Plan of Action of Mexico City, the ministers and high authorities agreed to work to increase public and private investment in science, technology, engineering, and innovation (STEI); to increase cooperation between academia and the private sector in research and development; to improve the quality of university education in engineering and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit; to continue supporting the Inter-American Metrology System and the construction of technological infrastructure and services to support corporations to enhance their competitiveness with quality; and to intensify international cooperation to face regional and global challenges. In addition, they recognized the importance of supporting the hemispheric initiative “Engineering for the Americas (EftA)” as a mechanism for addressing several of the aforementioned issues at the regional level. - 51 -

Partnerships:

Science, technology, and innovation is a cross-cutting theme for the development of our countries and, given its broad scope, it is essential to work together with other international and regional organizations, academia and research institutes, civil society, and private corporations.

Work is continuing on the cooperation agreements with the International Council for Science (ICSU) to strengthen scientific capacities and engineering. It should be noted that in the period covered by this report the ICSU formally registered with the OAS as a civil society observer institution. Work also continued with the Ibero-American/Inter-American Network of Science and Technology Indicators (RICYT), and the Latin American Advanced Networks Cooperation (CLARA) to facilitate permanent execution of infrastructure initiatives of Internet 2, especially in the Caribbean.

Furthermore, in view of the growing importance of the incorporation of gender perspective in science, technology, and innovation policies in the hemisphere, work continued with the Inter- American Commission of Women (CIM) and the UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America. Furthermore, in January 2010 the General Secretariat of the OAS signed a cooperation agreement with the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) with a view to the design and implementation of joint projects to improve scientific and technological capacity in OAS member countries, with particular attention to advancing women’s involvement in science, technology, and innovation.

Collaboration also continued with the International Training Center for Government Authorities and Civil Society Leaders (CIFAL) and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), which resulted in the organization in September 2009 of the third presentation ceremony of the Americas Award for Excellence in Public Service, for which 10 recipients from different countries in the hemisphere were chosen. In addition the event Gender, Governance, and Economic Empowerment, held from September 30 to October 2, 2009, was organized with CIFAL-Atlanta.

As regards work on the popularization of science, the DEDTT designed and received approval to implement the initiative on Appropriation of Science for Society: Inter-American Program on Science Journalism. To that end, it has received support from the National Science and Technology Agencies of member states and established strategic partnerships with private companies in Mexico as well as science journalism partnerships in several countries in the hemisphere. In this connection, the OAS General Secretariat signed a cooperation agreement with the Institute of the Americas (IOA) to develop training materials and hold workshops for selected journalists. An agreement was also signed with the Trust for the Americas under which the Trust will collaborate with the DEDTT in raising external funds to implement the program.

The Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism also works closely with international organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) of the United Nations, among others. - 52 -

Programs, projects, activities, and mechanisms for cooperation:

In response to the mandate of the First and Second Meetings of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology to enhance the hemispheric initiative “Engineering for the Americas” (EftA), a second meeting was organized of the Advisory Board (Washington, January 2009) -which is composed of representatives of academic institutions, professional associations, and the private sector, leaders in the engineering field- and the Director of the DSTI was appointed Executive Director of EftA. At that meeting, it was agreed to develop and seek funding for projects in the three main areas of EftA: improvement of university engineering curriculum, accreditation, and creation of jobs through better cooperative relations between industry and academia. Of particular note during the period covered by this report was the development of the project proposals (a) Curricular Improvements in Industrial Engineering in Latin America and the Caribbean and (b) Establishment of a Logistics Institute in Panama, for which financing is still being sought.

In response to ministerial mandates to support programs and activities to enhance scientific knowledge among the general public, both nationally and regionally, recognizing the critical role played by the popularization of science and technology in the social, economic, cultural, and environmental development of the countries of the Americas, the project “Appropriation of Science for Society: Inter-American Program on Science Journalism” was developed with the overarching aim of strengthening capacity for the dissemination of science. It has three core components: (a) Subregional training seminars for journalists, lawmakers, and the private sector; (b) Creation of a sustainable national mechanism for publication of science and technology articles; and (c) Inter- American Science Journalism Portal. To that end, work began on needs assessments and the development of training materials with the IOA. In addition, the development of the Inter-American Portal has been completed by consultants selected and hired for that purpose, with CIDA funding.

Metrology, another priority area identified by the ministerial meeting, experienced intensive activity during this reporting period. The DEDTT serves as Executive Secretariat of the Inter- American Metrology System (IMS), which is the inter-American mechanism for cooperation in metrology and standards. In this context, technical advisory services continued to be provided for implementation of the triangular project “Metrology in Natural Gas for Peru and Bolivia,” for which the Brazilian National Metrology Institute (INMETRO) and the Mexican National Metrology Center (CENAM) provide technical assistance to give receiving countries an infrastructure for measuring the flow and chemical composition of gas. In addition, PTB of the Government of Germany provides financing which together with the counterpart from the rest of the participating governments totals US$2.1 million. This initiative seeks to ensure a reliable energy supply, which is essential for the socioeconomic development of the countries in this region. This project was presented as a successful case story at the High-Level Meeting on South-South Cooperation and Capacity Building held in Bogota, Colombia, on March 24 and 25, 2010, and was among the 100 initiatives selected.

 With funds from both the United States Government and FEMCIDI, the United States is funding and leading a metrology and standards project to support environmental sustainability and enhance human prosperity in the Americas. Furthermore, this project is providing training and capacity building for key technical staff to strengthen the institutions responsible for measurements and standards in environmental monitoring and protection as well as for trade and commerce facilitation. This project builds upon an earlier project led, through FEMCIDI, by the - 53 -

United States, which concluded its fourth and final year of implementation, having provided training to more than 500 individuals on physical, chemical, and legal metrology; strengthened many national metrology institutions through significant investment in human capacities development; and increased the visibility and knowledge of metrology through awareness-raising activities.

Another important initiative in the FEMCIDI framework was coordinated by Trinidad and Tobago on Institutional Strengthening for Promotion of Best Practices in Science and Technology in the Caribbean. The project benefited 13 countries in the region through

In all FEMCIDI provided funding for 10 science and technology projects in member countries of the Organization for a total of $774,614.

Furthermore with a view to strengthening the measurement capacity of Central American metrology centers, with funding from the IDB, OAS/SEDI initiated a study on the current situation and needs with a view to preparing a sub-regional project. On a closely related issue, at the request of Guatemala a feasibility study has been started on metrology and quality of public works.

In terms of cooperation networks, support continued to be provided for the Indicators Project of RICYT, which was created with financial support furnished by FEMCIDI and is essential for understanding the current status and planning activities to stimulate scientific and technological development.

In the framework of the hemispheric initiative to advance integration of a gender perspective in science and technology policies and programs in the Americas, during the period covered by this report OAS/SEDI, jointly with the Department of Human Development of the OAS and the UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America, based at FLACSO, Argentina, coordinated two sessions of the of the virtual course, Science, Technology and Society: Contributions of the Gender Perspective,” which targeted science and technology teachers in the region. Through its Professional Development Scholarships Program the OAS granted 24 scholarships for participants in this course. - 54 -

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Mandates:

OAS/SEDI, through the DEDTT, supports member states’ efforts in the area of sustainable tourism development in compliance with the mandates from the Summits of the Americas, the General Assembly, and, in particular, the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development in force.

In the Declaration of Commitment of Port-of-Spain, the Heads of State and Government of the Americas recognized “the positive contribution of trade among our nations to the promotion of growth, employment and development” and undertook to “continue to make a particular effort to promote sustainable development in small and vulnerable economies of the Hemisphere by enhancing their competitiveness, human and institutional capacity-building, financial and physical infrastructure, as well as the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the development of the business sector and other productive economic sectors, including tourism.” The also undertook to “continue to promote increased corporate social responsibility and improved competitiveness.”

Inter alia, the Strategic Plan provides, based on the recommendations of the Inter-American Travel Congress, that efforts should center on: Supporting member states in their efforts to design and implement strategies beneficial to the environment and to local communities, which emphasize quality, marketing, and the creation of an enabling environment for the growth of the tourism industry, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and other production units; Strengthening tourism product development especially for targeting niche markets and adopting harmonized product standards which meet international market requirements; Supporting private and public human resource capacity-building through training, and encouraging the use of information and communication technologies in the development of the tourism industry; Promoting the sustainable development of tourism in order to mitigate possible negative environmental impacts, increasing public awareness of the importance of maintaining the environmental balance of tourist sites, and fostering the development of linkages between tourism and other economic sectors; Ensuring that disaster planning is also extended to the area of tourism, by developing mechanisms to prepare for and recover from disasters affecting tourism infrastructure, particularly in small economies, as well as ensuring visitor safety and security.

Also, in keeping with mandates from the General Assembly, the DEDTT carries out programs to promote corporate social responsibility in the hemisphere (AG/RES. 2483 (XXXIX- O/09)) and in support of socioeconomic development in Haiti in the areas of trade and tourism promotion (AG/RES. 2487 (XXXIX-O/09)).

Partnerships:

To optimize support for the member states’ efforts to develop sustainable tourism, in accordance with the abovementioned mandates OAS/SEDI carries out activities to expand interagency partnerships with international, regional, national and other organizations as well as other actors in relevant public and private sectors. - 55 -

To that end, approaches have been made to the General Secretariat of the Andean Community with a view to strengthening cooperation with that entity. Also a cooperation partnership has been cemented with the Federation of Tourism Chambers of Ecuador in order to carry out a project to deliver technical assistance to small hotels in the countries of the Andean Subregion.

As part of the cooperation agreement between the OAS General Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Central American Integration System (SICA), a supplementary technical cooperation agreement has been arranged with the Central American Secretariat for Tourism Integration (SITCA) to implement the project “Capacity Building and Human-Resource Training with Special Emphasis on Micro, Small, and Medium Central American Tourism Enterprises”. OAS/SEDI is also examining possibilities for cooperation with the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT).

The cooperation agreement between the OAS General Secretariat, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), and the Government of Barbados (BGI)--the OAS-CTO-BGI Tripartite Agreement--was successfully renegotiated for another four years (2009-2012). Under this agreement, which dates back to 1976, specific technical cooperation services are provided to finance multinational projects of interest to the OAS and member countries of the CTO. The OAS contribution under this tripartite agreement comes from the Regular Fund and is subject to the availability of resources. In 2009, the OAS allocated US$100,000.

Talks are also underway with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank to study possibilities for regional cooperation and develop the Alliance for Latin American and Caribbean Responsible Tourism (ALACART). There were several meetings in June and September 2009, respectively. Among other activities, these organizations are discussing the creation of a joint website to support and promote sustainable tourism development in the region.

Partnerships have also been strengthened with the following institutions which have led to the design and successful implementation of several projects: Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and Aid-to-Artisans Inc. (ATA), an international nongovernmental organization that specializes in economic development for the local crafts sector.

Cooperation mechanisms, programs, and projects:

Implementation continued of the Small Tourism Enterprise Program (STEP), which commenced in 1998, has enjoyed numerous successes, and received cooperation from several organizations. STEP was designed as a targeted response to the competitiveness and profitability challenges of small travel companies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Initially 13 Caribbean member states of the Organization have benefited from this program, which targets small hotels of 75 rooms or less and other small enterprises that offer tourism services (attractions, transport, tourist guides, restaurants, and cultural entertainment). Through the STEP program the OAS offers training and certification in technology adoption, hospitality/hotel operations and management, culinary skills, safety and security among others. The program also provides a mechanism for small hotels to embrace international standards by establishing a brands and standards classification – The Caribbean Experiences Brand - with criteria for product and service quality, and environmental stewardship. - 56 -

Over the past year two web portals – www.caribbean-experiences.com and www.caribbean- innkeeper.com - were modernized. These portals were created to support the participating destinations and small hotels. The Caribbean-experiences.com website is a marketing portal which showcases the participating countries and the STEP affiliated properties in each country. The Caribbean-innkeeper.com web portal was designed as an information and networking platform, with numerous resources aimed at assisting small tourism enterprises strengthen their management and operational procedures and therefore their profitability. These resources include downloadable toolkits, training modules, self-evaluation and assessment tools, as well as information on training and certification. The website provides these enterprises with access to tools and tourism experts, so that they can receive guidance on quality standards and collect opinions on sustainable tourism. The website also hosts an online discussion forum, which facilitates networking and exchange of best practices.

At present, the implementation stage is concluding of the Small Tourism Enterprise Network (STEN) project, which receives funding from CIDA. This project is designed as an online platform to provide strategic support to small tourism enterprises through the development of an independent mechanism that meets their needs in terms of increased market access and more effective communication between tourism companies and the selected market. It facilitates experience sharing through a unified small tourism enterprise network that integrates public, private and community strategies. Activities will include the development of a user-generated blog on the website dealing with experiences in the Caribbean; an inventory and promotion of various community-based tourist sites, attractions, and activities in each country; and the creation of an administration group comprising small and medium enterprises, tourism ministry officials, and other regional and international tourism organizations. STEN will strengthen the STEP Caribbean program, which has an estimated client base of 1500 small-hotel establishments and more than 500 non-hotel tourism enterprises.

The STEP program was successfully extended to Central America in 2002 and the DEDTT remains committed to supporting the program’s activities in the subregion. 2008 saw the launch of a project aimed at capacity building and human-resource training in micro, small, and medium-size tourism enterprises, with technical support provided by the Central American Secretariat for Tourism Integration (SITCA). The project, titled Capacity Building and Training for Human Resources with Particular Emphasis on Micro, Small, and Medium-Size Central American Tourism Companies," aims to create a sustainable mechanism to satisfy human resource training needs in the small tourism enterprise sector through direct delivery of training programs that combine traditional and virtual methods. The training centers on proprietors and operators of small tourism companies, many of whom have not had any formal instruction or training in tourism. Implementation started in June 2009 and the countries taking part include Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador.

With FEMCIDI resources, the STEP program was also launched in the Andean countries in 2009. It incorporates best practices learnt from tourism development and application of the STEP program in the Caribbean and Central America. This first project, “Technical Assistance Program for Small Hotels in the Countries of the Andean Region: Strengthening the Competitiveness of Micro, Small, and Medium-Size Hotel Enterprises and Creation of Regional Association Mechanisms,” is designed to provide specific, participatory, and personalized support to small hotels in the subregion; - 57 - offer technical training programs (on-site and online) to improve their competitiveness; and introduce mechanisms to develop, validate, and adopt standards and certification mechanisms for these hotels. This project is being implemented in cooperation with the Federation of Tourism Chambers of Ecuador and in close coordination with the tourism ministries and national hotel associations of the participating countries. March 5, 2010, saw the holding in Lima of the first meeting of the Regional Technical Committee, which was attended by representatives from the ministries of tourism and hotel associations of the countries involved: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.

The STEP program was presented as a successful case story at the High-Level Meeting on South-South Cooperation and Capacity Building held in Bogota, Colombia, on March 24 and 25, 2010, and was among the 100 initiatives selected.

The DEDTT worked with the OAS Department of Sustainable Development to implement an initiative to provide interventions integrated at the national and regional levels to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism activities on the biological resources of the six countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This activity was part of a broader USAID/OECS biodiversity protection project originally titled “Protecting the Eastern Caribbean Region’s Biodiversity” (PERB). The joint activities carried out in this project included: review and recommendation of legal, policy, and institutional needs of the OECS countries to enhance protection of biodiversity in tourism activities; identification and design of economic instruments to evaluate the impact of tourism on biological resources; training on the application of these instruments for the staff of regional parks and tourism operators; networking mechanism for information exchange among tourism and environmental officials; and preparation of guidelines for management of tourist visits to national parks and protected marine areas. Two regional workshops were held in 2009 (in June and November), which were attended by senior officials from the ministries and tourism and environmental agencies of the participating countries. Through a memorandum of understanding with the US Department of the Interior (DOI) on Conservation of Natural and Cultural Resources for Sustainable Tourism Development, the DOI provided support for the regional workshop to be held in Saint Lucia. This project receives funding from USAID and the OECS.

For the second straight year, the OECS pilot project “Supporting Our Caribbean Enterprises” (SOURCE) continued to train large numbers of Caribbean artisans with a view to promoting their profitable business and increasing the tourism sector’s impact on local and regional communities by strengthening and expanding business between hotels and artisans in the Caribbean In the project’s first year activities centered on Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. For the second year it was be extended to Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The NGO Aid- to-Artisans Inc. (ATA) was hired to provide technical assistance and carry out training activities in each country. The approach aims to boost the competitiveness of local producers through the creation of replicable strategies and business models that encourage ties and mutually beneficial trade relations between producers (local artisans) and points of sale to tourists, including hotels, resorts, and gift shops. The promotion and marketing of products and the expansion of productive capacity are included as components of the project

The DEDTT is currently seeking financing for the project Women in New Tourism Enterprises (WINTE) in the countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. WINTE was - 58 - designed as a two-year project to provide business development services for women entrepreneurs in micro and small enterprises in the tourism industry. The project targets: (i) Women entrepreneurs with a viable concept for starting their first business; and (ii) Women entrepreneurs with businesses less than two years old. Those selected receive training in business management and development as well as instruction on how to incorporate information technology tools to make their companies more competitive. A mentoring program will also be implemented in partnership with local small-business associations and women’s organizations, in which the women entrepreneurs will be assigned coaches from the local business community.

In the CARICOM region, the execution continued in 2009 of the project “Improving Competitiveness through a Data Gathering System to Inform Strategic Decision Making by Caribbean Member States.” This project is implemented in partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and is designed to improve access for CARICOM countries to statistical information needed for decision-making, planning, negotiation, product development, and training, through the creation of the Caribbean Tourism Research Centre (CTRC), which would become the regional hub for overall tourism research, visitor statistics, and other relevant data for the tourism industry.

OAS/SEDI, through the Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, implements, in partnership with the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) and the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the project “Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility in Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises in the Caribbean.” This initiative seeks to raise CSR awareness in the tourism industry and its contribution to socioeconomic development. One regional and two subregional workshops were held for high- ranking tourism officials and owners/managers of small tourism enterprises in the 14 CARICOM states that are members of the OAS. The participants were equipped with tools and skills for conducting and promoting successful CSR activities, instruction in replicating the training, and reference materials on CSR case studies in the Caribbean tourism industry. The DEDDT is in the final planning stages of a regional workshop on CSR, tourism, and certification in the Caribbean to be held in Grenada. This workshop is a joint effort with Green Globe, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), and the program which the DEDTT implements to raise awareness of social responsibility in Latin America and the Caribbean, to which the Government of Canada provides assistance through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The workshop is to be held in Grenada; the final dates are being negotiated.

The Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism continued to carry out two capacity building projects in Haiti with FEMCIDI funding. The Haiti Public Attitudes and Awareness Project (HTAAP) was designed in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism of that country as the national tourism development plan. Its prime objective is to “improve public perception and understanding of the tourism industry and what is needed for it to succeed.” One of the many successes of this project was the radio, television, and print media campaign that highlights the importance of tourism as a tool for the community and economic development. Another important step was the development of the Haiti training manual for community-based tourism guides. This manual can be used for continuing training and certification of local tourism guides and contains information, techniques, and tools to make them more effective and positively impact their personal and professional advancement. In the wake of the devastating earthquake the project will center on the development of a travel and tourism website to promote tourism in the north of the - 59 - country. The website will be maintained by the Ministry of Tourism and function as the main information and tourist travel guide for Haiti, one of few countries in the western hemisphere without an official travel and tourism web page. The website will considerably facilitate market access and promote the country and its various tourism sites, services, accommodation facilities, and attractions.

Before the earthquake, the Hospitality Training and Certification Project was being implemented in cooperation with Haiti’s Ministry of Tourism and the Haitian Tourism Association, offering training and technical assistance to workers in the tourism industry, especially in the micro, small, and medium-size enterprise sector. The purpose of this project is to offer training to the sector in order to meet current industry needs and also to furnish the capacity for further training through certification of instructor trainers and, for supervision purposes, certified instructors from the Hospitality Department. The project also seeks to equip the country with the material resources needed to enable this training through resource centers at each of the key tertiary institutions identified as participants and partners in the project. This project will take advantage of the training systems, processes and products already established in the Caribbean Small Tourism Enterprise Program (STEP), which was financed by the OAS and USAID, as well as its ties to the Educational Institute (IE) of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) and a number of the programs already implemented by the CTO for tourism guides and tourism site managers.

In view of the dramatic situation facing Haiti after the earthquake of January 2010, the Management Board of the IACD, in coordination with the Government of Haiti (AICD/JD/DE- 72/10), decided to transfer the unexecuted balances of these two projects to a “FEMCIDI-Haiti” subaccount. In coordination with, and under instructions from, the Government of Haiti, the Executive Secretariat will assist in the preparation, and supervise the execution, of a new Haitian emergency support project; this is to receive funds from the “FEMCIDI-Haiti” subaccount, which will go through the ordinary FEMCIDI evaluation and approval channels in due course.

In collaboration with the Department for State Modernization and Governance, the DEDDT has launched an online course called Integral Tourism Strategies in Latin America. The course consists of an introduction to integral tourism development and targets municipalities and local governments in Latin America. This course is imparted in the framework of the CapaciNet project. Participants learn strategies for an integral and community-oriented approach in tourism development.

Through FEMCIDI funding was provided for a total of eight projects worth US$315,000 overall, in which the following countries participated and benefited: Belize, Dominica, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Haiti. - 60 -

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

Mandates:

OAS/SEDI collaborates with Member States in formulating and implementing cooperation policies, plans, and projects aimed at integrating environmental priorities with poverty alleviation and attainment of social and economic development goals. Programs and projects carried out and supervised by the OAS-SEDI through its Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) are pursued within the framework of and pursuant to mandates established in the 2006-2009 Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development, the 2006-2009 Inter-American Sustainable Development Program, the Declaration of Santa Cruz + 10, and the Declaration of Panama: Energy for Sustainable Development (AG/DEC. 52 (XXXVII-O/07). The activities undertaken are also carried out pursuant to Summit of the Americas and General Assembly mandates. In addition, the activities are intended to promote the principles of the inter-American Democratic Charter, particular aspects related to public participation and democratic governance.

In response to an offer by the Government of the Dominican Republic, CEPCIDI convened the Second Inter-American Meeting of Ministers and High-Level Authorities on Sustainable Development, to be held in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, from October 6 to 8, 2010. Preparations for this meeting are already under way, and will be supported by the DSD in its capacity as Technical Secretariat of this ministerial process.

The main activities of OAS/SEDI are related to integrated and sustainable water resource management, particularly in trans-border basins; development and use of renewable energy, clean fossil fuel-based energy, and efficient energy technologies and systems; incorporation of natural hazards risk management in public policies and development planning; strengthening and development of the institutional system and legislation in member states in the area of environment and sustainable development; and information exchange for decision-making and public awareness on issues related to biodiversity conservation in the Americas. Other activities underway include safe handling of chemicals and development of innovative financial mechanisms for environmental conservation, including payment for environmental services (PES).

Work undertaken within the framework of the OAS/SEDI through its Department of Sustainable Development supports the member states’ efforts to fulfill the Millennium Goal to “Ensure environmental sustainability.” Accordingly, the DSD has been working with new players engaged in public policies for environmental sustainability, among them local and international companies, the private sector, and civil society. These efforts seek to address the shared challenge of not only knowing how to mobilize scarce resources, but also of how to prioritize and coordinate efforts on the basis of shared responsibility and institutional transparency. The OAS/SEDI also seeks to promote development in designing and implementing technology transfer mechanisms to support initiatives related to sustainable development and environmental protection.

Partnerships:

A major goal of the OAS/SEDI is to enhance its defense of sustainable development and influence policy through participation in global networks, initiatives, and conferences. Accordingly, the OAS/SEDI, through the DSD has played a decisive role in planning for the First Global - 61 - conference on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change, held in Alaska in April 2009, and in regional preparations for the Fifth World Water Forum held in Tunisia in March 2009. In addition, the Department’s ground-breaking work in sustainable energy and disaster risk management is internationally acclaimed.

To bring its operations in line with intergovernmental agencies and donors, and in order to guarantee that full advantage is taken of joint effort at the departmental and inter-departmental levels, the OAS/SEDI has taken a program approach and in April 2009 published a five-year work program for sustainable development. This approach has enabled identification of opportunities for joint programming within the OAS, involving particularly the SEDI departments in programs such as biodiversity (with the Inter-American Committee on Ports) , energy efficiency (with the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation) and health and environment (with the Department of Social Development).

The OAS/SEDI is especially proud of the many things it accomplished last year, in capacity- building for national, sub-regional and regional institutions and agencies that moved from being beneficiaries of DSD support to partners in donor-funded project execution. One recent success story was the establishment of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC), stemming from the Caribbean Planning for Adaption to Climate Change (CPACC) project executed by the OAS/SEDI/DSD. In April 2008, the OAS Secretary General signed a cooperation agreement with CCCCC, in which both institutions undertook to jointly strengthen the capacity of OAS member states to tackle the effects of global climate change in the Hemisphere. Similar initiatives are being pursued in collaboration with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and with the Inter-Governmental Coordinating Committee of the La Plata Basin Countries (CIC).

Cooperation mechanisms, programs, and projects:

The OAS/SEDI promotes the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter by assisting member states in implementing policies and strategies to protect the environment. These activities also promote sustainable development goals to benefit future generations (Article 15) as well the full and equitable participation of women as a vital aspect of democratic culture. Realized through the activities of the DSD, these principles are promoted through the following hemispheric programs and networks:

 Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision- Making for Sustainable Development (ISP)  Sustainable Energy Partnership of the Americas (SEPA)  Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN)  Inter-American Environmental Law Forum (FIDA)  Inter-American Network for Disaster Mitigation (INDM)  Inter-American Water Resource Network (RIRH)

In September 2008, with support from Austria’s Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs, OAS/SEDI convened the second meeting of OAS national focal points for water management. The meeting was convened as a follow-up to the August 2007 meeting and emerged with a project proposal to promote integrated water resource management. - 62 -

The OAS/SEDI also continued to promote the INDM, under a 2007 agreement between the OAS General Secretariat and the Secretariat of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) “for advancing the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action in the Americas.” Under this agreement, the UN/ISDR has designated the Department as the main executing agency for the Regional Platform. The Department is also in the process of executing two projects on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the development of early warning systems.

Integrated Water Resource Management: 2009 and the outlook for 2010 have marked an important transition given the issues that have arisen in the period under consideration in the area of water resource management.

Ongoing activities:

The following projects were implemented with a highly positive degree of success:

 Strategic Action Program for the Binational Basin of the Bermejo River (Argentina- Bolivia): close of activities as of March 2010, financed by the GEF.  ISARM Americas Program (Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management): Completion of Book III and start of Book IV on SATs strategies, financed by FEMCIDI.  Project for Sustainable Transboundary Aquifer Management on the Island of Hispaniola: Artibonito-Massacre (Haiti-Dominican Republic): Preparation of the documentation for this project has concluded with a view to its submission to the GEF through the UNEP. Confirmation is awaited of its inclusion in the July 2010 financing round.  Regional Framework for the Sustainable Use of the Rio Bravo (Mexico-United States): This project has been submitted to the GEF for financing; its final approval is expected in July 2010.  Framework for the Sustainable Management of the Water Resources of the Plata Basin (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay): The preparation of this project has been concluded; it is expected to begin in 2010, with GEF funding.  Integrated Water Resource Management in the Negro River Basin (Honduras- Nicaragua): Completed; all that remains pending is a return to normalcy in Honduras, so that the presentation may be made to the OAS Peace Fund for financing.  Network of National Focal Points on Integrated Water Resource Management: This initiative continues to operate on a virtual level within the DSD. The aim is to strengthen the communication nodes by 2010. The Government of Finland is still considering possible funding.  Brasilia Office Projects: São Francisco River Basin Project, in process of adaptation; Institutional Organization Program for the Consolidation of National Water Resource Policy; Technical Cooperation Project for the Improvement of Urban Environmental Management in Brazil, and Project on Integrated Measures for Sustainable Development Planning in the Amazon (Prodesam). These projects are financed by Brazil. - 63 -

Activities under formulation for 2010:

 Project on Integrated Management of Water Resources of the San Juan River Basin (Nicaragua-Costa Rica), with a view to securing seed funds from the OAS Peace Fund and possible financing from the GEF.  Design of a project on sustainable transboundary aquifer management in Mesoamerica (Central America-Mexico), Finnish Cooperation Agency.  Conference on “Water and Peace in the Americas”  Cooperation with the Government of Israel under a memorandum of understanding.  Negro River (Honduras-Nicaragua) Presentation of results of the IHRM study.  Design of a project on sustainable transboundary aquifer management in Mesoamerica (Central America-Mexico), with a view to securing financing from the GEF.

Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change. Pursuant to Summit of the Americas mandates and instructions and General Assembly resolutions, in 2009 the Department continued to execute the Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change Program (RISK- MACC), adopting a dual approach: support for implementation of the Regional Platform of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in the Americas; and the Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) and its strategic plan (IASP), as well as promotion of comprehensive approaches to increase the resilience of local communities and reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters.

The Department continued implementation of the Inter-American Network for Disaster Mitigation (INDM) with funding provided by Canada’s Inter-American Cooperation Program, as well as operating its internet portal and inputting data in its online database and Dynamic Institutional Mapping Tool. Of note was the Training Course in Teledetection Applied to Flood Risk Reduction developed in cooperation with the National Space Activities Commission (CONAE) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Worship of Argentina. The course was given at the Mario Gulich Institute for High Space Studies, in the city of La Falda, Córdoba Province. Also worth mentioning is the organization of the Second Hemispheric Encounter on National Mechanisms and Networks for Disaster Risk Reduction, Meeting of Santa Marta: From Theory to the Practice,” which is scheduled to be held from April 14 to 16, 2010, in Santa Marta, Colombia. The Meeting of Santa Marta has been organized and convened by the Government of Colombia through the Ministry of the Interior and Justice and its Department of Risk Management (DGR), OAS/SEDI and UNISDR Americas. The Meeting is being held in the framework of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and its main purpose is to provide a forum for exchange of successful experiences and good practices in the area of Disaster Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change implemented by the National Networks and Mechanisms in place in the hemisphere, as well as to move forward in the construction and strengthening of National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction under the Hyogo Framework for Action. The Meeting also seeks to pave the way for the creation of a regional mechanism by which to divulges these experiences and make them available to vulnerable populations, so that they might be replicated at the community level in our countries.

Implementation concluded of the project “Applying Information and Communication Technology for Disaster Mitigation in the Central American Isthmus,” which received funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), through the Institute for Connectivity - 64 - in the Americas (ICA). A notable outcome of this project is an up-to-date analytical inventory of ICT implementation in the Central American isthmus, with country profiles whose coverage extends from legislative and regulatory frameworks to technology platforms in use and specific advances with respect to communication and broadcasting. Also significant is a web portal organically integrated with the functions of the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), the integration process of the Central American Integration System (SICA), and the Central America Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters (CEPREDENAC), which will continue in 2010. In addition Phases I and II were executed of the “Central America Small Valleys Flood Alert and Vulnerability Reduction Program (SVP): Regional Platform Development,” with support provided by the United Nations Platform for the Promotion of Early Warning (UN/PPEW) and UNISDR Americas, as well as funding from the Government of Germany and OAS/SEDI through the DSD. The DSD continued to implement the White Helmets Program, which is co-funded by the Government of Argentina and the Inter-American Development Bank after the OAS-IDB-White Helmets Cooperation Agreement concluded successfully.

In 2009, the DSD carried out a mission to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and prepared an analytical report on the Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) mechanisms proposed by the DSD. This mission followed up on the project on the Haiti Building Standards Development Project designed by the DSD as part of the technical assistance that the Department offers to the Government of Haiti.

OAS/SEDI supported the Office of the Assistant Secretary General in the organization and presentation of the Inter-American Workshop on Emergency Assistance and Disaster Management in the Americas and, in collaboration with the office of Ambassador Ramdin, drafted a publication that has served as the basis for discussions at meetings of the Permanent Council and the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CHS) of the OAS. Finally, OAS/SEDI supports the CP-CEPCIDI Working Group formed pursuant to the mandate contained in AG/RES. 2492 (XXXIX-O/09).

Environmental Law, Policy, and Governance Program: In 2009, with funds from the United States Government, OAS/SEDI contributed to capacity-building in environmental management in the context of regional economic integration and trade liberalization. With respect to regional trade agreements, member states received support in trade and environment, environmental governance, and institutional strengthening. Notably, the DSD published the first evaluation report on progress on the environmental cooperation agenda of the DR-CAFTA countries.

The DSD worked to promote market-based conservation mechanisms. In particular, it conducted a review of the legal and institutional situation in eight countries for the implementation of payment schemes for environmental services, and a variety of training courses were held on trade- related and environmental issues.

OAS/SEDI jointly with the CARICOM Secretariat and with support provided by the World Bank launched in Barbados the Caribbean Emergency Legislation Project (CELP). It also made progress in the preparation of recommendations on ways to improve legal instruments and administrative procedures during and immediately after a natural disaster. This project will continue in 2010.

The project on the sustainability of soy production coordinated by the DSD with the participation of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay concluded. In the area of climate change - 65 - adaptation the department worked with the Government of Jamaica on an assessment of rural community vulnerability to the effects of climate change and the necessary adaptation measures.

Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management Program: Under the purview of Inter- American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) project, in 2009 the OAS/SEDI continued to promote the creation and standardization of national and local databases on species/specimens, invasive species, ecosystems, protected areas and pollinators. It also promoted interoperability and integration through the IABIN catalogue and created value-added tools for decision-making. IABIN has awarded 127 grants —each worth $10,000.00— to computerize biodiversity information and conduct multilingual training sessions. These training sessions on using tools for data creation build on the countries’ capacity to develop data that comply with international standards through their involvement in the IABIN network. In June 2009, the DSD held the Sixth IABIN Council Meeting in the Dominican Republic. The Council is composed of the Network’s focal points in the participating countries.

In 2009, the DSD carried out the second phase of the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative (WHMSI), a hemispheric project based on the 1940 Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere. Funded with a second grant of US$100,000 from the OAS/FEMCIDI and $26,000 from the US Department of the Interior’s Fisheries and Wildlife Service, the project revolves around three regional partnerships for joint management, with plans for three training workshops a year to study capacity-building needs for the conservation of migratory species. A complete list of FEMCIDI projects appears below as Annex III, and is also contained in the FEMCIDI project database on the OAS/SEDI website: http://www.apps.oas.org/projects.

In 2009 and in coordination with a countries (the Andean nations and Costa Rica), the DSD implemented the Regional Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of High Andean Wetlands (HAW) in order to move forward with the development of programs on valuation of and payment for environmental services in 2010.

Finally, through the ReefFix project, the DSD carried out case studies in Jamaica, Argentina, Haiti, Saint Vincent, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Barbados which facilitate experience and information exchange among OAS and CARICOM member states on marine park management. ReefFix provides training to participating countries in economic valuation methodologies for ecosystems and management techniques for the restoration of coral reefs, mangrove ecosystems, and watersheds based on integrated marine park management. The results of the initiative strengthen the management frameworks that govern coastal activities and under which climate change adaptation plans are developed together with solutions for the adaptation of coral reefs and mangroves. The outcomes of these workshops include: (i) Strengthened capacities in Caribbean countries in ecosystem valuation methods in order to collect and manage data on protected areas in accordance with their specific needs; (ii) improved protected-area data management systems based on different case studies at the national level; (iii) centralized administration systems for the Caribbean region; and, (iv) ICZM capacity building activities that result in healthy marine ecosystems and an improvement in human well-being. These efforts will continue in 2010.

Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Program. One of the objectives of the Department is to promote the sustainability of the energy sector, including an increase in the use of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies and systems. The program is based on the - 66 - mandate on Energy for Sustainable Development that came out of the 2008 General Assembly, and on the Fifth Summit of the Americas in 2009, whose main themes included Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability. The program is organized around the Sustainable Energy Partnership of the Americas (SEPA) and is active in every subregion of the Americas through a variety of sustainable energy-oriented projects. Since 2008 the DSD has been organizing regional sustainable energy conferences; the first three were held in Chile (for the Southern Cone region); the Bahamas (for the Caribbean region), and El Salvador (for Central America and North America). These conferences, held with support from the U.S. Department of State, led to the organization of the Americas Energy and Climate Symposium held in Lima in June 2009. The Symposium brought together high-ranking authorities and experts on energy in Latin America and the Caribbean to identify collaboration measures by which effectively to tackle the climate change and energy challenges that arise in the Americas. It also addressed the formalization of an energy and climate partnership for the Americas to promote energy security in the region.

Based on the needs put forward at the Symposium in Lima and the mandates of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, held in Trinidad and Tobago, in 2009, the DSD was selected to support the development and coordination of the Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas (ECPA). The ECPA is a voluntary mechanism for promoting energy security and combating climate change The Partnership will stimulate sustainable energy-related activities in the OAS member states. In the framework of the ECPA, in April 2010 the OAS and the IDB provided support for the organization of the Ministerial Meeting on Energy and Climate convened by the United States. In addition, the U.S. Department of State has been providing the DSD with continuous financial support for implementation of ECPA initiatives in the Caribbean, and for the ECPA’s clearinghouse activities.

The DSD continues to move ahead with the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP), funded with a grant of US$2 million under the European Union Energy Initiative (EUEI). The goal of the project is to increase the sustainability of the energy sector in the Caribbean through improved governance and management. The project is implemented in Saint Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Bahamas. In 2009, the DSD assisted several of these countries in the development of their National Energy Policies and Sustainable Energy Plans. This work will continue in 2010. This project also led to several developments in which renewable natural resources, such as geothermal, wind, and solar energy, are used.

The DSD also continues to support the activities of the US-Brazil Biofuels Partnership. The Partnership was launched in March of 2007 and includes the signatory countries plus engages several third-party countries including El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Honduras, and Guatemala. The project’s activities in Honduras have been suspended since July 2009 in keeping with resolution AG/RES. 2 (XXXVII-E/09). The OAS successfully contributed, with US$2.4 million in financial support from the U.S. Department of State, to the execution of biofuels feasibility studies in Saint Kitts and Nevis and El Salvador, and policy/planning support activities in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. A plan of action for technical assistance in Haiti has been developed jointly with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Further, the OAS has supported the exchange of biofuels experts between the project countries and has contributed to several regional conferences on this subject. - 67 -

Under the auspices of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Partnership (REEEP), in 2008 the OAS/SEDI provided member countries with direct support to put in place policies and regulatory mechanisms to develop renewable energies and energy-efficient technologies in the region. As REEEP’s Regional Secretariat, the DSD organized the Fourth Regional Preparatory Meeting in Brasilia in October 2009. The purpose of the meeting was to examine the impact of current and past REEEP projects implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to review and update the priorities of the regional program in financing, policies, and regulations. Senior participants from the energy sector in Brazil, Latin America, and the Caribbean participated in this forum. In 2009 REEEP funded seven renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the region.

With the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in 2009 the DSD implemented the Caribbean Solar Financing Program (CSFP). The goal of the program is to facilitate the access of low- and middle-income segments of Grenada’s population to solar hot water systems. The program has carried out a training course on loans for solar hot water systems for credit union officers. A pilot loan program for the purchase of these systems was also introduced.

With a grant from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), in 2009 the DSD implemented the project Solar-Powered Telecenters in Rural Telesecondary Schools The project supplied two schools with computers, an internet connection, and solar energy equipment. Training courses on use and maintenance of the equipment were also offered for educators in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of telesecondary schools.

In 2009 the DSD represented OAS/SEDI at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change held in Copenhagen for the Fifteenth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Through FEMCIDI, 14 projects were implemented worth a total of approximately $900,000. Among these mention should be made of the Cooperation on Conservation Program: An Initiative on Migratory Species in the Western Hemisphere. Coordinated by the DSD, the project has succeeded in signing seven memoranda of understanding with key international organizations that specialize in conservation of migratory species and whose responsibility will be to support countries in their protection efforts. The project has also held subregional training workshops appropriate to the needs of each region in the area of protection and conservation of migratory species. - 68 -

CULTURE

Mandates:

OAS/SEDI’s work in support of the member states’ efforts in the area of culture is based on mandates from the Meetings of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities and from the General Assembly and the Summits of the Americas.

Among the recent guidelines, at the Fifth Summit (Trinidad and Tobago, 2009) attention was drawn to culture’s dual influence, first as a bond of identity and inclusion of peoples, especially youth, and second as a source of jobs and income. The Fourth Inter-American Meetings of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities (Barbados, November 2008) dealt with the topic: The Economy of Culture in the Americas: A Path to Sustainable Growth and Social Inclusion.”

At their meeting in Barbados, the ministers gave mandates to the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC), supported by the OAS/ SEDI, to develop a network of policy authorities, other experts, and civil society in the area of culture in development; to work jointly with the education and finance sectors in particular; to exchange good practices on cultural industries and experiences in involving communities in protection and appreciation of their cultural heritage; and to support activities carried out at the hemispheric level in 2011, the “Inter-American Year of Culture.” In their four meetings in the framework of CIDI, the ministers have established the following priority areas: protection and preservation of cultural heritage; culture and the creation of decent work and overcoming poverty; culture and the enhancement of dignity and identity of our people; culture and the role of indigenous peoples; and cultural information systems as a cross-cutting priority.

The new officers of the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC), elected at the fourth regular meeting of the CIC, in November 2009, outlined a CIC Work Plan for the 2010-2011 term at their April 2010 planning meeting, with specific measures described below, based on resolutions AG/RES. 2468 (XXXIX-O/09) and CIDI/RES. 226 (XIV-O/09), “2011: Inter-American Year of Culture.” The planning meeting of CIC officers also launched the preparations for the Fifth Inter- American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 2 and 3, 2010.

Partnerships:

There was continued strengthening of partnerships with other intergovernmental organizations such as the Inter-American Culture and Development Foundation, UNCTAD, IFACCA [International Federation of Arts and Culture], and the OEI [Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture] for the exchange of information, dissemination of joint and individual initiatives, and cooperation on specific projects and/or activities.

Since 2009, efforts have been made to promote a practical partnership between the educational and cultural sectors, through the work of the CIE and the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC). This partnership seeks to more effectively merge the work of these sectors for learning and cultural activities within educational systems. Additionally, these efforts seek to strengthen young peoples’ identities and sense of belonging, appreciation for diversity, creativity, and job skills. - 69 -

Cooperation mechanisms, programs, and projects:

Fostering Cultural Diversity and Creative Expression through Education: Sharing Good Practices. This project was launched in 2009 to encourage cooperation and experience exchange between these sectors through a policy mapping process, publication of best practices, and an inter-American seminar. The activities programmed under the joint project cover two modules: the first, of a virtual nature, started in December 2009 with a discussion forum. The second will be an on-site event held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in June 2010, sponsored by the CIC and the CIE, the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Dominican Republic, the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of China, and the Democracy and Development Foundation (FUNGLODE/GFDD) of the Dominican Republic.

Culture in Development: An Inter-American Information Network. With funding from Canadian cooperation, the project moved forward. Its purpose is to establish a network of member states, civil society, and international organizations in order to: (1) facilitate the planning and implementation of public culture policies by the member states; (2) strengthen human and institutional capacities of the member states to carry out cultural development initiatives; and (3) promote awareness of culture’s potential to contribute to economic growth and social inclusion. A communications strategy was developed on the importance of the arts and culture as generators of economic growth, social inclusion, and stronger democratic values; the site map of the website and databases on cultural policies for the exchange of information among policymakers, legislators, representatives of civil society, and the private sector; and a network of cultural policy experts (government officials, researchers, civil society, international organizations) to promote the exchange of experiences and programs, facilitate cooperation and promote coordination with other organizations to establish culture as an engine of economic growth and social development. To aid this initiative support was received from an advisory group composed of different member states and agencies. Thus far most of the communications strategy has been designed and the website is under construction. Finally, in early 2010 the first invitation was issued for technical assistance missions in order to exchange specific promising experiences in cultural development between two or more countries.

Seventeen (17) proposals were received in response to the invitation; eleven (11) of these were selected. Also, the project communications strategy called for the development of a publication on good practices that would use specific stories to illustrate, in the various American national contexts, how culture becomes a factor in social and economic development. After the invitation period was closed, 32 proposals listing possible practices were received; these are under evaluation.

Youth Arts Policy Forum: Ignite the Americas. The Ignite the Americas forum (Canada, September 2008) was held to show practical ways that youth-led civil society organizations have promoted social inclusion and prevented violence associated with youth gangs. For one week, 50 youth from 30 countries of the Americas discussed and worked on three products: databases for a series of tools/resources that youth and artists might use to establish and maintain a business in the culture sector; a strategic framework and plan of action for creating a youth art network of the Americas; and a series of recommendations for the establishment of a cultural policy that uses the arts and cultural expressions as effective tools for the promotion of social inclusion of youth and continuous economic growth. The recommendations from this forum were presented at the Fourth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities. A second - 70 -

Ignite the Americas forum will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the framework of the Fifth Inter- American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities to be held on December 1 and 2, 2010.

Video “Toward a Culture of Nonviolence: The Role of the Arts and Culture” at the Planning Meeting of the Officers of the CIC held in Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the officers decided to commission the Department of Education and Culture to produce a video that illustrates the positive impact of the arts and culture in preventing violence, especially among youth. The video was produced and since June 2009 has been screened at several policy forums, including the Second Meeting of Ministers of Public Security of the Americas held in the Dominican Republic in November 2009 and the National Congress on Prevention of Violence held in Guyana that same month.

Preparations for 2011: Inter-American Year of Culture. In the area of culture, in response to the request from the ministers of culture, the OAS General Assembly, as its session in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in June 2009, adopted resolution AG/RES. 2468 (XXXIX-O/09), declaring 2011 as the “Inter-American Year of Culture.” Observance of this inter-American year will be the context for highlighting the role of culture in the social and economic development of the countries of the Americas and for promoting and conducting several projects and events at the local, national, and inter-American levels. A working group of member states will be formed to lead the planning and coordination of the Inter-American Year, including its logo, theme, communications products, and work plan. The Year will be launched during the Fifth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities, to be held in December 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - 71 -

COOPERATION

This section of the report complements the activities, projects, and programs carried out in the framework of the different departments of SEDI/OAS and describes the activities implemented in the context of the Inter-American Cooperation Network and the Special Multilateral Fund of CIDI.

Inter-American Cooperation Network: Following up on the Course of Action of Playa del Carmen (CIDI/COOPTEC/doc.6/08) adopted at the Special Technical Meeting of National Cooperation Authorities and Experts, and as a result of the Specialized CIDI Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities held in Bogotá in October 2009 (CIDI/RECOOP/doc.8/09 rev.3), the Inter- American Cooperation Network (www.cooperanet.org) was launched, creating a space for analysis and dialogue by national authorities on cooperation and for the participation of other institutions involved in technical cooperation activities in the region. This Network facilitates the exchange of information, successful experiences, and methodologies that bring together regional initiatives on the effectiveness of cooperation. At the Bogota meeting a document entitled “Effectiveness of Hemispheric Cooperation” was presented, which provides an overview of the current architecture of international cooperation and puts forward proposals and suggested measures for the member states of the Organization.

In the period from June 2009 to May 2010, the Network moved forward in its consolidation as a cooperation mechanism designed to strengthen dialogue among policy makers, experts, and civil society. As part of the working groups to strengthen CEPCIDI and CIDI it has succeeded in positioning itself as a tool for bolstering partnership for development measures in these two entities.

At present 26 member states of the Organization are part of the Program, represented by their high authorities on cooperation (ministries, secretariats, and national and international agencies) which have assigned focal points or groups of experts to act as a liaison for the activities to be carried out within the network’s action framework.

Also, SEDI, through its Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism (DEDTT), has participated in important forums, including the “Country Evaluation in the Framework of the Paris Declaration” Bogota, Colombia (November 2 and 3, 2009), “The Capacity- Development Perspectives of the South-CD Alliance,” Paris (December 1 to 4, 2009) and the “High- Level Meeting on South-South and Triangular Cooperation (Exploring New Opportunities for Future Collaboration under Innovative South-South and Triangular Partnership Arrangements)”, Washington, D.C. (December 14, 2009). These participations help to position SEDI as the principal promoter of partnership for development in the hemisphere.

As a result of these exchanges and a series of videoconferences with a number of participating authorities, the following action areas, which can be channeled through the Network, have been identified: implementation of information systems for administration of non-financial cooperation assistance; exchange and transfer of best practices in technical cooperation; and capacity building on partnership for development themes (methodologies, policies, and tools).

In addition, strategic partnerships have been established with affiliated organizations to support the dissemination of initiatives and identification of best practices. These are the World Bank Institute (WBI), Secretariat of Central American Social Integration System (SISCA), and the Task - 72 -

Team on South-South Cooperation (SSC-TT). For the latter, five initiatives implemented in the SEDI framework have been identified to participate in a South-South cooperation call for case stories.

Beginning in March 2010, with a focus on realizing the following opportunities for exchange, according to offers from different countries:

- Colombia, through its Presidential Agency for Social Action and Foreign Ministry has offered its cooperation map together with the necessary technical support to implement information systems in interested countries.

- Costa Rica and its Department for International Cooperation will provide technical assistance for the design of methodology and procedure for identification of best practices based on its past experience.

- Mexico, represented by its Unit for International Cooperation hopes to offer technical assistance and guidance on triangular cooperation issues.

- Peru, through its International Cooperation Agency has offered an online donor registration system through which to centralize and systematize their information.

Another activity worth noting is the roundtable on “Subregional, Regional, and Interregional Perspectives on SSC and CD,” to be held in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The roundtable will take place at the High-Level Meeting on South-South Cooperation and Capacity Development to be held in Bogota, Colombia, from March 24 to 26, 2010. In the framework of this event, OAS/SEDI, in coordination with the Government of Colombia and other institutions (OECD, UNDP, ECLAC, IDB, SEGIB) convened and facilitated a Regional Dialogue on the Effectiveness of Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean on March 26, 2010. The dialogue, which was attended by around 100 individuals, including representatives of 20 member states, other countries, international agencies, and nongovernmental organizations, addressed the effectiveness of cooperation in the region as well as the region’s efforts and proposals with regard to the reconstruction of Haiti. The discussions made clear the importance of these forums for enabling cooperation actors to share information and coordinate their cooperation processes, as well as allowing the region to have a more active and coordinated involvement in international discussions on cooperation, particularly in the events leading up to the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness be held in Seoul in 2011. It was noted that regional dialogues spaces, such as Cooperanet, could be useful in this regard.

Activities scheduled for April and May 2010 include organizing on-site and virtual workshops on topics such as south-south cooperation to foster knowledge transfer; developing and implementing on-line pilot courses to develop skills and provide information on cooperation policy development and implementation; supporting research through publication of findings, and dissemination of the activities of all the high-ranking authorities on cooperation in the region.

SPECIAL MULTILATERAL FUND OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (FEMCIDI) - 73 -

The program highlights are supplemented with the projects and programs financed last year by FEMCIDI. The 70 projects approved last year in the FEMCIDI framework for about $4.3 million add to the portfolio of more than 1,000 projects implemented in previous years throughout the Americas at a cost of more than $100 million and benefiting hundreds of communities and thousands of families. To illustrate the sort of projects carried out in this framework, the report for each area includes outstanding examples of a cooperation mechanism financed by member states’ contributions in the OAS framework.

Established in 1997 to convert the policy priorities identified by member states into concrete development activities, the mechanism of voluntary contributions and grants of the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI) is an instrument that since its inception has enabled the implementation of more than 1,000 projects for a total amount in excess of $100 million.

Since its creation, FEMCIDI has been applying many of the principles that have come to be recognized by the international community as critical to the success of development initiatives, in particular in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, 2005. Apart from its unique characteristics, FEMCIDI occupies a strategic and favorable position in the area of cooperation in the hemisphere. For instance, as the instrument of a well-established policy organization, the Fund enjoys advantages that are not readily available to other donor agencies.

For the past 12 years the Secretariat has been managing, following up on, and monitoring the projects financed by the Fund. This process has evolved and been refined over the years. Furthermore, with a view to strengthening the process and the Program, the Executive Secretariat has been planning and implementing new initiatives in 2009, including i) external supplementary fundraising activities for projects financed through the Fund, and ii) establishment of standardized mechanisms for disseminating results and consolidating the visibility of the program’s activities. The Secretariat has also continued to work toward capacity building for countries in the area of project design and carried out ex-post evaluations of past projects financed by the Fund.

In the area of fundraising, the Secretariat implemented a pilot exercise with the Pan American Development Foundation (FUPAD) to identify projects approved by member states in the framework of the 2008 FEMCIDI Programming Cycle that could be of interest to FUPAD’s partner donors in the private sector interested in investing in the creation of economic opportunities for vulnerable populations in a given number of countries. The projects were included in a catalogue published and presented by the Foundation to its partners. Of these, four ongoing FEMCIDI initiatives in Belize, Dominica, Panama, and Saint Lucia were selected, and several donors offered co-financing of over US$80,000 to support their implementation and sustainability.

At the beginning of 2010 the Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FUPAD to formalize the initiative and continue to work together in mobilizing funds for FEMCIDI projects.

In order to maintain a better channel of communication to countries, the Secretariat has been publishing periodic newsletters highlighting the work of the implementing agencies and successful results achieved. Furthermore, with the support of the OAS’s Country Offices it has been working to disseminate results in the local press in different countries. - 74 -

In order to help countries strengthen their development project design capacities, the Secretariat organized and facilitated Logical Framework of Workshops held in 2009 in the following countries: Grenada, Ecuador, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Secretariat has also facilitated a workshop held for officials of the Central American Integration System (SICA).

In response to the mandate assigned to the Secretariat by the member states, the ex-post evaluation has been coordinated of 16 projects. These evaluations have drawn attention to the importance of design in ensuring impact and sustainable results. In the course of the Annual Meeting of the CENPES, SEDI also took note of the comments of the experts that came to evaluate the project proposals submitted for the FEMCIDI Programming Cycle for 2009. These observations will help strengthen not only the Fund but also the steps taken by the Secretariat in the area of project monitoring and follow-up. - 75 -

ANNEXES

*To access the documents, please click on the link for the appropriate Annex.

Annex I: OAS activities

Annex II: Scholarships

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