DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

(DIA) 

SECRETARIAT FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS(SER)

January 10, 2010

MISSION OF SER

To disseminate the role of the Organization as the institution for promoting democratic governance, sustainable development, multidimensional security, and respect for human rights in the Hemisphere through communication strategies To contribute to the strengthening of the Organization’s institutional image through a uniform message based on the Organization’s prioritiesTo strengthen ties with international and hemispheric agencies and institutions to coordinate policyTo foster cooperation with the host country, as well as with observer countries and multilateral organizationsTo coordinate fundraising for programs and projects with donors and partnersTo promote the participation of civil society in matters related to OAS priorities

STRUCTURE OF SER

• The Department of Strategic Communication and Image

• The Press Department• The Department of International Affairs• The Department of Cultural Affairs• The Department of Strategic Partnerships

and Host Country Relations.

DIA

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (DIA)

Relations with Permanent Observers

Relations with Civil Society

Relations with Institutions

Outreach programs

DIA’s FUNCTIONS

Permanent Observer Relations SectionPART I

Advises the General Secretariat and the political bodies, through the Secretary for External Relations, on matters concerning the Organization’s relations with permanent observers and multilateral organizations

Develops, in coordination with the Secretariats for Multidimensional Security, Political Affairs, and Legal Affairs, the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, and the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights fundraising strategies for OAS priority projects and programs

Maintains daily contact with Permanent Observers and holds briefing sessions on the inter-American agenda, the role of the OAS, and specific priority program areas.

DIA’s FUNCTIONS

Permanent Observer Relations SectionPART II

Gathers information on donor policies and priority areas for better understanding of the agenda of Permanent Observers

Promotes the participation of Permanent Observers in special meetings of the OAS, including the General Assembly and ministerial meetings

Prepares, in coordination with the Secretariat for Administration and Finance, reports on contributions to the OAS by Permanent Observers

DIA’s FUNCTIONS

Civil Society Relations SectionPART I

Advises the Secretary General on all matters relating to civil society and directs and coordinates activities in this area with all the dependencies of the General Secretariat.

Provides secretariat services and technical support to the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities of the Permanent Council in all matters related to civil society participation.

Informs civil society organizations, with the support of the Secretariats for Multidimensional Security, Political Affairs, and Legal Affairs, the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, and the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights about the policy agenda of the Organization.

DIA’s FUNCTIONS

Civil Society Relations SectionPART II

Coordinates relations with nongovernmental organizations and promotes and harmonizes the work of the different dependencies of the General Secretariat in their efforts to encourage civil society to take part in the Organization’s activities

Develops and executes strategies and activities designed to promote and broaden civil society participation in activities related to the Organization

Promotes participation by civil society organizations in special meetings of the OAS, including the General Assembly and ministerial meetings

Conducts the process of registering civil society organizations in the OAS.

DIA’s FUNCTIONS

Public Liaison and Inter-Institutional Relations Section

Coordinates and executes the Lecture Series of the Americas and serves as Secretariat to the Council of the Lecture Series of the Americas

Develops, promotes, organizes, and carries out the Model OAS General Assembly at headquarters and, when necessary, in other member states and prepares guidelines to ensure proper implementation of the model in the Hemisphere

Creates a database of MOAS participants

Develops and implements a program of round table discussions on OAS policies to informally promote debate on the hemispheric agenda by bringing together policy analysts and the diplomatic community to debate key issues affecting the region

Develops and implements a program of briefings on OAS activities and priorities for various audiences related to the Organization

DIA’s PRIORITIES2010

Further disseminate the role of the Organization through the development of outreach programs that reach out to the widest possible population in the Americas (Lecture Series of the Americas, Policy Roundtables, MOAS, briefings)

Advance and strengthen ties with multilateral, regional and Inter-American organizations

Continue strengthening ties and coordinating fundraising efforts from POs and other donors for OAS programs and projects

Promote increased participation of civil society in OAS activities through the development of strategies aimed at further engaging CSOs in the work of the Organization

Strategic GoalsOutreach Programs

LECTURESERIES OF

THE AMERICAS

LECTURE SERIES

• Continue to identify the appropriate speakers and to expand the reach of the outreach program among broad audiences

• Continue to consolidate the recently created Academic Board to promote the lecture among academic circles, as well as the use of lecture material for academic purposes.

• Continue to expand the donor base in order to increase financial resources needed to cover lecture expenses, such as satellite transmission, conference services, travel of the speakers, production of annual publication of the lectures, among others.

• Work with OAS country representatives for further dissemination of the lectures at local level. Enhance the promotion of the program by reaching out to local and regional media, and advertising the free of charge satellite transmission of the lecture.

• Enhance the promotion of the program through innovative technological tools such as Facebook, YouTube, FORAtv, Twitter, etc in order to increase the audience.

STRATEGIC GOALS

Strategic GoalsOutreach Programs

POLICY ROUNDTABLES

POLICY ROUNDTABLES

STRATEGIC GOALS

Discuss book and report releases related to topics of the Inter-American agenda.

Mobilize resources to cover roundtable expenses. Increase coordination with technical areas for the identification of topics, contacting speakers, providing funds, etc.

Enhance the promotion of the program.

Organize policy breakfasts with the Member States to discuss high level reports and generate policy dialogues

MODEL OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

STRATEGIC GOALS

Continuar fortaleciendo la visibilidad del Programa MOEA entre los Estados Miembros, Observadores Permanentes, así como organizaciones privadas y no gubernamentales, para promover la mayor participación de estudiantes del hemisferio y el financiamiento de las actividades del programa.

Fortalecimiento de la Plataforma Virtual del MOEA.• Crear una guía interactiva para el usuario, a fin de facilitar el

uso de estas nuevas tecnologías. • Hacer de la Plataforma una herramienta de comunicación

eficaz que brinde beneficios para los usuarios. • Automatización de las diversas aplicaciones de la plataforma

Incentivar la organización de MOEAs nacionales a nivel secundario y universitario en los países de las Américas. Idealmente, tener un MOEA secundario al año en algún país del Hemisferio y promover la participación de colegios secundarios latinoamericanos en el MOAS/HS que se lleva a cabo normalmente en Washington.

Strategic GoalsOutreach Programs

MODEL OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

MODEL OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLYSTRATEGIC GOALS I

Continue to strengthen the visibility of the MOAS Program among Member States, Permanent Observers, as well as private and non-governmental organizations, to promote greater participation of students from the Hemisphere and to secure financing for the program activities. Disseminate the results and achievements of the MOAS Program among the Member States and Permanent Observer representatives to maintain their support.

Further develop the MOAS Virtual Platform to establish it as the main communication tool among MOAS participants by improving automation among its applications and developing a user Interactive Guide to facilitate its use.

Promote the organization of national MOAS at both high school and university levels in the Member States. Ideally, hold one such MOAS per year, and encourage the participation of Latin American and Caribbean students in the MOAS for high schools held annually at OAS Headquarters in Washington DC.

MODEL OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLYSTRATEGIC GOALS II

Hold a Hemispheric MOAS prior to the General Assembly in Lima, Peru, and another in the Caribbean or another country of the Hemisphere.

Continue to hold the following MOAS:One university MOAS in the same country hosting the

General Assembly, as one of the official activities to promote the work of the OAS and the Inter-American agenda prior to the General Assembly.

Three (3) Models of the Permanent Council for OAS Interns per year, together with the Department of Human Resources.

One MOAS for high schools at OAS Headquarters in Washington DC.

One Washington MOAS for universities every April together with the Institute for Diplomatic Dialogue in the Americas (IDDA).

Disseminate information about the MOAS Program among student groups visiting the OAS through the Briefings Program, to promote participation of new universities and high schools in the MOAS.

Strategic GoalsOutreach Programs

BRIEFINGS

BRIEFINGS

STRATEGIC GOALS

Continue the program of briefings to diplomats, government officials, military officers, university faculty, policy analysts and students, as well as to the general public.

Continue developing strategic alliances with key partners such as the Inter-American Defense College, the U.S. State Department International Visitors Program Foreign Service Institutes, and Military Academies to promote greater international awareness and understanding of the OAS and of its General Secretariat . 

Continue developing evaluation methodologies and visual aids for the briefings program 

Continue the work, coordination, and participation with OAS technical areas in the support for the program of briefings

RELATIONS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY

RELATIONS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY

STRATEGIC GOALS

Continued development of OAS policy with regard to CSO involvement through the support to Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) to facilitate partnership of Member States and CSOs

Enhanced Web and communications mechanisms to facilitate and promote CSO participation

Resources mobilized  to promote and facilitate civil society participation in the OAS activities

Enhanced internal coordination of civil society participation in OAS activities

RELATIONS WITH PERMANENT OBSERVERS

RELATIONS WITH PERMANENT OBSERVERS

STRATEGIC GOALS

Continued information sharing and strengthening of ties and communication mechanisms to facilitate their involvement and support to OAS activities

Work with OAS technical areas to identify priority needs for specific funding and improve programs and project submission

Continued developing methodologies to maintain and possibly expand contributions from Permanent Observers and other potential partners to priority OAS programs

RELATIONS WITH INSTITUTIONS

RELATIONS WITH INSTITUTIONS

STRATEGIC GOALSPART I

Develop and strengthen strategic alliances with selected priority multilateral and regional institutional partners

• Discuss, draft, and/or revise and update Cooperation Agreements and MOUs with institutional partners

• Carry out Programmatic Exchanges• Organize visits of staff and heads of institutions • Participate in annual and other relevant meetings of selected key

partner institutions

Develop and carry out joint activities in key issue areas with selected priority multilateral and regional institutional partners• Design, organize and execute joint conferences and projects• Suggest and develop collaborative programs in areas of

common institutional interest and focus• Facilitate the contribution and participation of the OAS technical

units to joint institutional activities

RELATIONS WITH INSTITUTIONS

STRATEGIC GOALSPART II

Coordinate and promote institutional knowledge and institutional relations within the OAS Secretariat and between the OAS Secretariat and multilateral and regional institutional partners

• Research and disseminate information on new programs and publications, and on forthcoming events of note in partner institutions

• Research summarize and disseminate outcome of annual meetings of priority partner institutions

• Create files and Cooperation Profile notes on selected priority multilateral and regional institutions for the DIA/SER public folders

• Keep up-to-date the Institutional Relations section of the DIA website