Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza,
Distinguished Permanent Observers,
Distinguished Alternate Representatives,
Representatives of International and Regional Organizations,
Specially invited Guests,
Colleagues and Friends of the OAS,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, I am pleased to stand before you to accept the honor of serving this institution for a second term. As I did during my first term, I pledge to work untiringly on behalf of member states and the Peoples of the Western Hemisphere.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that the fundamental questions we should ask ourselves today are:

• How will we strengthen and transform this hemispheric organization in the next five years to respond more effectively to the changing needs of Member States?
• How can we tangibly improve the lives of the peoples of the Americas?
• What can we do to inspire the youth of the Americas with hope and confidence to get them to realize their potential and aspirations?
• How do we further consolidate and deepen our democracies to strengthen development, security and human rights?

Throughout my life, I have been inspired and driven by what I call the three critical P’s: I believe in People, I believe in Peace and I believe in Prosperity. It is in this context that I pledge my dedication and commitment in carrying forward the work of this organization throughout my second term in office to the benefit of all in the Americas.

Distinguished Permanent Representatives, sustainable development can only come through inclusive and equitable social and economic policies. We cannot allow temporary setbacks or differences in approach to undermine or diminish what has been achieved over the past 62 years. We must build on this foundation of established democratic institutions and shared values and principles, and work harder to deliver the promised and therefore legitimately expected benefits of democracy to all our peoples.

Unfortunately, there are still peoples in the Americas who are not yet benefitting from what this institution can offer. I believe every effort should be made to ensure that suspended member states and all the peoples of the Americas benefit from being part of this hemispheric family. I remain fully committed to a united hemisphere in which all member states can work together to advance equitable development and the well being of our citizens. This can only become a reality if we can engage and communicate in a structured manner.

Experiences of the past and current realities make me believe that the traditional development framework must be reconsidered to incorporate greater emphasis on equity, equality and reduction of poverty. What is needed is a more comprehensive development framework that recognizes the vulnerabilities of countries, especially smaller economies. One that places greater focus on combating extreme poverty and social injustice, achieving social inclusion and equality, and also fulfilling the promise of providing more equitable opportunities for all.

A region with our level of development should not have one third of its inhabitants living below the poverty line. This is an unacceptable situation and a disturbing one if we want to work towards social stability and sustained security. It is therefore important to continue with social protection programs to protect human capital in our societies.

Allow me to say here a few words about our sister country of Haiti, a country with historic challenges and which has recently been devastated by a major earthquake. The international community has demonstrated exemplary solidarity and commitment to the people of Haiti. Now the international community must make good on pledges made toward Haiti’s social and economic development.

Whatever efforts are undertaken by the international community and non-governmental organizations worldwide, it must be done with Haitian input and under Haitian leadership. We should be guided by agreed principles of the OAS and other partners: ownership by the people of Haiti, coordination, sustainability, effectiveness, inclusiveness, and accountability.

As the country prepares for constitutionally prescribed Presidential and parliamentary elections by the end of this year, it is critical that we continue to support the progress achieved in Haiti over the last several years as well as its current recovery and reconstruction efforts. That comprehensive and long-term commitment is essential to maintain social and political stability, security and bolster long-term development.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that we need to make a commitment to what I have called “next-generation measures” to strengthen and deepen democracy in our Hemisphere. To my way of thinking, next generation measures must go beyond elections and the juridical establishment of democratic institutions. As a reflection of this new path, governments and multilateral organizations must be willing to:

• modernize political systems and relevant institutions;
• improve efficiency, transparency and accountability of representative bodies and civil service;
• incorporate human rights as a fundamental part of the education and governance framework;
• emphasize development and equality as integral to democratic strengthening;
• promote greater citizen participation by providing effective mechanisms through which ordinary citizens have a voice in decision making; and
• encourage more public-private partnerships for progress.

Ladies and Gentlemen, undoubtedly vibrant, stable democracies help to promote greater security. The reality is that the leaders of our region are confronted every day by a range of traditional and non-traditional security threats, many of which are cross-border in nature. As a hemispheric community, we have a collective responsibility to work toward the security and safety of our citizens. In this context, I believe governments must review how they can create better conditions for stability and security through greater cooperation with respect to judicial reform, law enforcement and information sharing.

I also believe that we must maintain our commitment to the fight against illegal drugs, human and arms trafficking; organized crime and terrorism. The growing challenges of environmental degradation, climate change and natural disasters make hemispheric collaboration a must.

I continue to believe that we should pay greater attention to the epidemic of crime and violence which threatens the security of our citizens. If we are to find real solutions to crime and violence, it is important to not only focus on law enforcement but also to understand the underlying social and economic causes, We also need to establish targeted intervention at all levels, and promote violence prevention methods in partnership with governments, private sector, families, schools and communities.

The OAS must remain a unique vehicle for resolving differences and building consensus. I believe that we should engage proactively, employing structural peace-building efforts and quiet diplomacy as effective tools for assisting Member States to resolve disputes before they evolve into larger conflicts. That process of engagement is essential if we want to be fully responsive to the stated purpose and goals of the OAS in the founding Charter and in the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

Ladies and Gentlemen, during my second term, I will continue efforts to strengthen this organization. I will continue work with all Member States to build a more relevant, efficient and effective Organization of American States. The OAS is an historic institution that is a trusted political space to inspire the nations of the Americas to reach consensus on collective action and move forward a positive agenda of fostering equality and equity for all.

Like you, I continue to have faith in the vision of Simon Bolivar of a united and peaceful Americas. If this Organization is to fulfil the promise and the premise of that early and inspiring vision and be able to respond in a decisive way to both challenges and emerging opportunities, I believe that:

• the future requires an organization that is appropriately staffed, effectively managed and well funded;
• the OAS of the 21st century must retain its dynamism, insight and capacity and become more adept at responding to evolving ideas and the changing needs and priorities of member states and the global environment;
• we must place greater emphasis on revitalizing the inter-American system, through the Summit of the Americas process, as well as strengthening partnerships with other international institutions and Permanent Observer countries; and
• the OAS must continue to be the main political hub for consultation, negotiation and partnership in the Americas, while recognizing the valuable work carried out by sub-regional integration entities.

Additionally, as we seek to strengthen the OAS, I fully intend to continue the modernization of our institution and the implementation of sustainable policies that, among other things, will result in a “green” OAS that complies with sound environmental policies resulting in increased efficiency and timeliness in the delivery of services.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in closing, it is my firm belief that the relevance of this institution will be enhanced when we focus equally on dialogue, action and results.

We must live up to the expectations of the Peoples of this Hemisphere who expect that OAS actions will ultimately provide them and their children a safe and stable environment with economic opportunities to improve their lives in a meaningful way.

So let us not forget that whatever we do, it is always in the service of People, Peace and Prosperity.

I thank you !