Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Permanent Representatives,
Distinguished Permanent Observers,
Alternate delegates,
Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Women, Carmen Llomelin,
Collegues from the OAS,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since 1982, February 18, has become firmly etched as a significant OAS landmark. On this day each year, we celebrate the Day of the Women of the Americas and yet another anniversary of the founding of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM).

Today, we acknowledge the remarkable contribution made by the Commission to the struggle for women’s political, civic and human rights. CIM, as the forum for the generation of hemispheric gender policies, has been at the vanguard for the promotion of women’s leadership, participation and transformation to eradicate gender-based discrimination. We applaud CIM for the quantum leap it made in amplifying the role of women in the Americas and making a quantifiable difference in the political, economic and civic possibilities for women.

In this 81st year, we continue to recognize the invaluable and pioneering work done in confronting violence against women since the 1994 Convention of Belem do Para entered into force. We note the tremendous gains which its critical follow-up instrument, the MESECVI has realized and continue to push for more funding to better leverage the work of this instrument. CIM’s work in addressing gender-based violence, especially violence against women continues to be a very relevant area for the hemisphere since there are still alarming levels of gender-based violence occurring in the region.

Additionally, with the purpose of embedding a gender perspective throughout the OAS work, CIM has strategically managed to bring its work into the mainstream, to better inform and impact the OAS’ work in democracy, security, development and human rights. Consequently, CIM must be recognized in its efforts at gender mainstreaming in Labor, Justice, Education and Science through the mechanism of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality adopted by the OAS General Assembly some eight years ago.

We recall that in its eightieth year, CIM in acknowledgment of AG/RES. 2427 (XXXVIII-O/08) honored all the women leaders in the Inter-American System to further encourage the OAS to work harder to attain 50:50 gender parity at an organizational level. Mindful of the recurrence of this mandate, admittedly there is room for even greater compliance in realizing gender integration into the development of programs and activities of all the organs, agencies and entities of the OAS. Even in the face of serious resource constraints, we ought not to neglect this important commitment.

This 81st anniversary falls in times of great uncertainty as the world confronts the exponential growth of myriad economic, political, environmental and social challenges. Yet, this ought not to allow us to fall back on our commitment to attaining gender equity and equality for as we know it is women - especially single women with families and dependents - who are among the most adversely affected in times of economic stress and distress.

I wish to congratulate the new President of the CIM, Laura Albornoz Pollman of Chile, the Vice-President and the new Executive Committee on their recent election. Already, the new CIM President is working to revitalize, reposition and rebrand the CIM for greater impact. We stand ready to support President Albornoz and her team in these efforts.

In closing, let me invite our esteemed ambassadors and alternate representatives - as well as representatives of permanent observer missions - to renew our collective commitment to drive forward the agenda for gender equity and equality.

Lastly, I acknowledge the hard work of the Permanent Secretariats of the CIM, under the able guidance of the various Executive Secretaries of the CIM.