US Secretary of State, Hillary R. Clinton addresses participants at the Launching of the Inter-American Social Protection Network inaugural session.

The Organization of American States (OAS) launched the Inter-American Social Protection Network on September 22, 2009, in New York City, United States. The event brought together ministers and high level authorities of social development, as well as international organizations, civil society representatives and academia.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary R. Clinton; the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet; the New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg; the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Alberto Moreno; the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin; and the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza participated at the Inaugural session, accompanied by high-level officials of other international organizations. The president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, offered some remarks throughout the day in support of this Network.

Opportunity New YorkProgram to Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development of the Hemisphere.

This initiative follows up on a mandate received from the Fifth Summit of the Americas. At that time, the Heads of Government and State called for the establishment of an Inter-American Social Protection Network to exchange information on policies, experiences, programs and best practices, with the goal of supporting national efforts in reducing social disparities, inequality and extreme poverty.  This Network is also inspired by the agreements reached by the Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development, gathered at their First Inter-American Meeting in July 2008, in Chile. It will also be a substantive component of their Second Meeting, to be held in Colombia in 2010.


President of Chile Michele Bachelet is greeted by the Director of the OAS’ Department of Social Development and Employment for the Launching of the Inter-American Social Protection Network.

The main information resulting from the meeting is shared in the following section:

PRESENTATIONS

Inaugural Remarks

• US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton
• President of de Chile, Michelle Bachelet
• New York City Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg
• OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza
• IDB President,  Luis Alberto Moreno

Introduction

Launching the Inter-American Social Protection Network
• Alfonso Quiñonez, Executive Secretary for Integral Development, OAS

Panel I:  Sharing Experiences: Same goal, different realities

• Arlete Sampaio, Vice Minister, Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Combate al Hambre, Brazil - Bolsa Familia
• Esteban Piedrahita, General Director, Departamento Nacional de Planeación, Colombia  - Red Juntos y Familias en Acción
• Patricio Janson Ledezma, Secretary General-Minister in Charge, Ministerio de Desarrollo Social, Panama – Red de Oportunidades
• Linda Gibbs, Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services, City of New York – Opportunity New York

Panel II:  Public Private Partnership for Social Protection

• Margareth Florez, Executive Director, Red Interamericana de Fundaciones y Acciones Empresariales
• Charles MacCormack, President and CEO, Save the Children US
• Rodrigo Jordán, President, Fundación Nacional para la Superación de la Pobreza, Chile
• Darren Walker, Vice President, Rockefeller Foundation
• Iñaki Urdangarín Liebaert, President International USA, Telefónica Internacional

Panel III:  Hemispheric Cooperation Partnerships

• Paula Quintana, Minister, Ministerio de Planificación, Chile - Social Protection System and Puente Program
• Gustavo A. Merino Juárez, Undersecretary, Subsecretaría de Planeación, Prospectiva y Evaluación, Secretaría de Desarrollo Social, Mexico -  Oportunidades, Vivir Mejor
• Inshan Mohamed, National Programme Director, Ministry of Social Development, Trinidad and Tobago  - Targeted Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (TCCTP)
• Amanda Glassman, Principal  Social Development Specialist, IDB

Special Address:

• Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary, ECLAC
• Jean Maninat, Regional Director, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, ILO
• Rebeca Grynspan, Director, UNDP in Latin America and the Caribbean

Closing Remarks

The Inter-American Social Protection Network and the path ahead
• Francisco Pilotti, Director, Departament of Social Development and Employment SEDI/OAS

OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS AND BACKGROUND

• Agenda September 21
• Agenda, September 22
• Inter-American Social Protection Network: Exchanging Experiences, Expanding Opportunities

PRESS

• La OEA apuesta por una nueva red interamericana para acabar con la pobreza (EFE)
• OEA lanza plan para reducir pobreza en continente americano (AP)
• La OEA abre un "mercado" social (BBC - UK)
• La OEA presenta en Nueva York un plan de lucha contra la pobreza (AFP)
• La OEA va contra pobreza regional (El Universal)
• La protección social como un modelo exportable (La Nación)
• Lanza OEA Red Interamericana de Protección Social en NY (Notimex)
• La Red Interamericana de Protección Social será un arma contra la pobreza, afirma Clinton (EFE)
• Inter-American Network Fights Region’s Poverty, Social Inequality (Otro)
• OAS Secretary General launches Inter-American Social Protection Network (Caribbean Net News)
• OAS will Launch Inter-American Social Protection Network  (only available in Spanish)
• Needed safety net (The Miami Herald)


• Photo Gallery >>

• Informative Bulletin: Inter-American Social Protection Network: Steps Forward >>