SUMMIT IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW GROUP (SIRG) OEA/Ser.E Sixth Regular Meeting of 2008 GRIC/O.6/doc.7/08 December 10-12, 2008 11 December 2008 Hotel Royal Decameron Salinitas Original: E/S El Salvador

Presentation on the Recommendations by Civil Society on the Draft Declaration – Fifth Summit of the Americas

CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO AND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SUB-REGIONAL CIVIL

SOCIETY FORUM

(Held on December 8-9, 2008 in San Salvador, El Salvador)

Subregional Forum for Subregional Forum for Central America, Mexico, Central America, Mexico,

and the Dominican Republicand the Dominican Republic

Civil Society Recommendations Civil Society Recommendations on the Draft Declarationon the Draft Declaration

Fifth Summit of the AmericasFifth Summit of the Americas

December 8 and 9, 2008

San Salvador, El Salvador

Human Prosperity (1)Human Prosperity (1) We recommend that the governments:We recommend that the governments:

• Involve civil society organizations in the work Involve civil society organizations in the work government agencies carry out on behalf of government agencies carry out on behalf of those sectors of the population that are at those sectors of the population that are at economic and social risk.economic and social risk.

• Explicitly recognize the contributions made by Explicitly recognize the contributions made by organizations of the social economy as players organizations of the social economy as players that significantly help in mitigating poverty and that significantly help in mitigating poverty and creating alternatives for employment, thereby creating alternatives for employment, thereby furthering sustainable community development furthering sustainable community development in the countries of the Americas.in the countries of the Americas.

Human Prosperity (2)Human Prosperity (2)

We request an explicit commitment to:We request an explicit commitment to:• Invest in inclusive, quality education to Invest in inclusive, quality education to

ensure the reduction of all kinds of ensure the reduction of all kinds of poverty and to attain growth based on poverty and to attain growth based on sustainable foundations, with sustainable foundations, with distribution systems that are as distribution systems that are as equitable as possible.equitable as possible.

• Universal access to health in the Universal access to health in the Americas, covering attention, Americas, covering attention, prevention, and treatment.prevention, and treatment.

Energy Security (1)Energy Security (1) We recommend continuing to:We recommend continuing to:

• Encourage participation by all sectors of Encourage participation by all sectors of society in decision making, raising the profile society in decision making, raising the profile of the interests and needs of vulnerable of the interests and needs of vulnerable sectors (the poor, indigenous peoples, Afro-sectors (the poor, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, women, children of both sexes, descendants, women, children of both sexes, young people, persons with disabilities). young people, persons with disabilities).

• Guarantee universal access to energy services.Guarantee universal access to energy services.• Latent concern over the production of Latent concern over the production of

agrifuels.agrifuels.• Assign priority to practices for ensuring energy Assign priority to practices for ensuring energy

efficiency and conservation.efficiency and conservation.

Energy Security (2)Energy Security (2) We urge the inclusion of the following:We urge the inclusion of the following:

• One prerequisite for sustainable development One prerequisite for sustainable development is the rational and sustainable use of the is the rational and sustainable use of the potential to generate renewable energy in each potential to generate renewable energy in each of the countries.of the countries.

• Linkages between energy policies and other Linkages between energy policies and other socioeconomic development policies in the socioeconomic development policies in the countries and in the region, containing long-countries and in the region, containing long-term, multigenerational commitments.term, multigenerational commitments.

• Support for research, development, and Support for research, development, and exchanges of leading-edge and autochthonous exchanges of leading-edge and autochthonous technologies.technologies.

Environmental SustainabilityEnvironmental Sustainability

We ask the governments:We ask the governments:• In reiterating their commitment to sustainable In reiterating their commitment to sustainable

development, to declare that this must take development, to declare that this must take place with nondiscriminatory, inclusive citizen place with nondiscriminatory, inclusive citizen participation, under conditions of equality for participation, under conditions of equality for all sectors of the population.all sectors of the population.

• Commitment to ratifying and approving the Commitment to ratifying and approving the Kyoto Protocol.Kyoto Protocol.

• Commitment to reduce greenhouse gases.Commitment to reduce greenhouse gases.

Public SecurityPublic Security In addition to terrorism and organized crime, we In addition to terrorism and organized crime, we

urge the governments to commit to the urge the governments to commit to the prevention and combat of:prevention and combat of:• Stigmatization, discrimination, organ trafficking, and Stigmatization, discrimination, organ trafficking, and

trafficking in human lives for sexual purposes and other trafficking in human lives for sexual purposes and other forms of exploitation, which has become the new slavery forms of exploitation, which has become the new slavery of the 21st century. of the 21st century.

• We also call for a commitment toward protecting the We also call for a commitment toward protecting the victims in order to ensure the effective pursuit and victims in order to ensure the effective pursuit and prosecution of those who commit such crimes.prosecution of those who commit such crimes.

All this, as stated in the Declaration,All this, as stated in the Declaration, in accordance with in accordance with international law (including human rights law, refugee international law (including human rights law, refugee law, and international humanitarian law)law, and international humanitarian law)..

Democratic Governance (1)Democratic Governance (1)

Two concepts were of concern to the Two concepts were of concern to the civil society organizations that met in civil society organizations that met in San Salvador, and they request that San Salvador, and they request that these be included in the Declaration:these be included in the Declaration:• The close relationship between The close relationship between

democracy and equality, as the invisible democracy and equality, as the invisible underpinnings of governability. underpinnings of governability.

Democratic Governance (2)Democratic Governance (2)

• The development and implementation of The development and implementation of participatory democracy, involving all sectors participatory democracy, involving all sectors under equal conditions, as a complement to under equal conditions, as a complement to representative democracy; these are also representative democracy; these are also among the foundations of governability.among the foundations of governability.

These principles gave rise to specific These principles gave rise to specific proposals geared toward the proposals geared toward the establishment of civil society and its establishment of civil society and its nondiscriminatory, inclusive participation nondiscriminatory, inclusive participation in public policies. in public policies.

Summit Follow-Up and Summit Follow-Up and Implementation Effectiveness Implementation Effectiveness (1)(1)

We urge the governments to declare that:We urge the governments to declare that:

• Between May and August 2009, effective Between May and August 2009, effective strategies for effective compliance with the strategies for effective compliance with the Summits will be reviewed.Summits will be reviewed.

• The Finance Ministries, in conjunction with the The Finance Ministries, in conjunction with the multilateral financial institutions, will call for a multilateral financial institutions, will call for a meeting to be held during the last four months meeting to be held during the last four months of 2009.of 2009.

Summit Follow-Up and Summit Follow-Up and Implementation Effectiveness Implementation Effectiveness (2)(2)

We call for:We call for:• The contributions of civil society – which The contributions of civil society – which

are the result of their monitoring of the are the result of their monitoring of the agreements of the Summits of the agreements of the Summits of the Americas under the various initiatives Americas under the various initiatives developed to date – to be adopted.developed to date – to be adopted.

• An Ad Hoc Civil Society Consultative An Ad Hoc Civil Society Consultative Council, attached to the Secretariat, to Council, attached to the Secretariat, to be created.be created.

General RecommendationsGeneral Recommendations Violence and gender awareness must be Violence and gender awareness must be

crosscutting elements within the Declaration.crosscutting elements within the Declaration. The proposals set forth in the Declaration and to The proposals set forth in the Declaration and to

which the States commit must be measurable, which the States commit must be measurable, feasible, and specific. feasible, and specific.

The OAS should include a gender-aware The OAS should include a gender-aware perspective throughout its documents, perspective throughout its documents, language, and policies.language, and policies.

We recommend that the States strengthen the We recommend that the States strengthen the inter-American human rights system and inter-American human rights system and intervene to ensure gender awareness is intervene to ensure gender awareness is incorporated into the actions it undertakes.incorporated into the actions it undertakes.