OAS Policy Roundtables Series

The OAS Policy Roundtable Series seeks to link the best in policy thinking to the actions of the OAS in its Permanent Council and General Secretariat through promoting an informed dialogue between policy analysts, practitioners and diplomats.

Using a variety of formats, including lectures, panels, debates and open discussions, the OAS Roundtables will also help to inform the community of policy analysts, especially in Washington, DC, about the on-going programs of the institution.

Six to eight OAS Roundtables are held per year and highlight issues of concern in the inter-American agenda on development, security, human rights and democracy.

Speakers in each of the Roundtables include outside analysts, senior OAS officials and dynamic commentators to promote a lively discussion.

65 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Regional Agenda for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Look into the Future”
February 24, 2015

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    63 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Rights of the Victims of Terrorism”
    November 10, 2014

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    • Program (English) | Program (Spanish)

    • Bios

    • Press Release

    • Photo Gallery

    • Video

    62 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Scholars, Policymakers and International Affairs: Finding Common Cause”
    November 6, 2014

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    61 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Beyond 2015: A New Development Agenda for Cooperation”
    October 17, 2014

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    60 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Multisectorial Perspectives on the Drug Problem in the Americas”
    August 8, 2014

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    • Program (English) | Program (Spanish)

    • Bios (Spanish only)

    • Press Release

    • Photo Gallery

    • Video

    59 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Policy Dialogues on Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities for the Americas”
    June 17, 2014

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    58 OAS Policy Roundtable: “The End of the Affair? The Political Implications of Economic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2014-2019”
    May 20, 2014

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    57 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Women, Drug Policy, and Incarceration in the Americas”
    March 31, 2014

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    56 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Environmental Statistics: Challenges for the Productive Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean”
    March 4, 2014

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    55 OAS Policy Roundtable: “8th Annual IICA DAY 2013 - Water to Feed the Land of the Americas”
    November 12, 2013

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    54 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Forum Discussing the Drug Problem in the Americas”
    November 12, 2013

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    • 53 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Mediation and Dialogue in the Americas in the 21st Century”
    November 8, 2013

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    • 52 OAS Policy Roundtable: Raising Awareness of Domestic Servitude in the Americas  
    June 25, 2013
    17th Street and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC - Hall of the Americas

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    • 51 OAS Policy Roundtable: Power Shifts in Latin America: Current Trends  
    Mayo 31 9, 2013
     

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    • 50 OAS Policy Roundtable: Latin American Economic Outlook 2013: SME Policies for Structural Change  
    April 9, 2013
     

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    • 49 OAS Policy Roundtable: "The Rights of Women: Form Law to Practice"
    March 1st, 2013
     

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    • 48 OAS Policy Roundtable: Milestone and Challenges in the Advancement of the Rights of Afro-Descendants in the Americas”
    February 25, 2013
     

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    • 47 OAS Policy Roundtable: "Challenges in the Protection of Human Rights of Women living with HIV and AIDS”
    November 28, 2012
     

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    • 46 OAS Policy Roundtable on the World Day against the Death Penalty
    October 11, 2012
     

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    • 45 OAS Policy Roundtable: Presentation of the publication: “Financiamiento de los Partidos Políticos en América Latina”
    October 9, 2012
     

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    • 44 OAS Policy Roundtable: “The 13 Mayan Bak'tun: The End of an Era and the Dawn of Another”
    October 2, 2012
     

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    • 43 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Dialogue on the Socially Responsible Performance of Corporate Governance in the Issuance of Corporate Debt”
    September 5th, 2012

                                 

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    • 42 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Priorities for action in combating violence against women” - Launch of the Second Hemisphere Report on the Implementation of the Belém Do Pará Convention
    July 11, 3:00pm
                                 

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    • 41 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Food Security: Towards a more just, equitable and inclusive order"
    April 30, 3:00pm
     

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    • OAS Policy Breakfast: “(In)security and Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean"
    February 15, 8:30 am 2012

     

    40 OAS Policy Roundtable: “The Road to Cartagena: Hemispheric Cooperation to Advance Public Security”
    February 8, 3:00 pm 2012
     

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    • 39 OAS Policy Roundtable: “The Road to Cartagena: Hemispheric Cooperation to Promote Access to Technology”
    January 17, 2012
     

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    38 OAS Policy Roundtable: Presentation of the OAS/UNDP Report
    December 13, 2011
     

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    • 37 OAS Policy Roundtable: Presentation of the OECD 2012 Report
    December 8, 2011
     

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    • 36 OAS Policy Roundtable: The Dialogue between Religious Communities and States in Latin America and the Caribbean
    December 5, 2011
     

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    • 35 OAS Policy Roundtable:  The Road to Cartagena: Hemispheric Cooperation to Reduce Poverty and Inequality
    November 4, 2011 (for R.S.V.P click here)
     

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    • 34 OAS Policy Roundtable:  To Celebrate the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Day 2011: “The Impact of Youth and Innovation in Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean”
    November 2, 2011
                                 

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    • 33 OAS Policy Roundtable:  Peace and Security: the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean; its geo-strategic importance in advancing security in the region
    October 13, 2011
                                 

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    • 32 OAS Policy Roundtable:  The Road to Cartagena: Hemispheric Cooperation to Combat Natural Disasters
    October 6, 2011
     

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    • 31 OAS Policy Roundtable: Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity
    September 14, 2011
     

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    • 30 OAS Policy Roundtable: Inclusion and Democracy in the Americas
    May 23, 2011
     

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    • 29 OAS Policy Roundtable: Women, Peace and Security
    April 7, 2011
     

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    • 28 OAS Policy Roundtable: Representative Democracy or Participatory Democracy?
    January 24, 2011
     

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    • 27 OAS Policy Roundtable to Celebrate Human Rights Day
    December 15, 2010
     

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    • Ambassadors' Policy Breakfast with Marta Lagos
    December 9, 2010
     

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    • 26 OAS Policy Roundtable: "Judicial Independence and the Strengthening of Democracy in the Americas:
    October 12, 2010
     

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    • 25 OAS Policy Roundtable: "Presentation of the 2010 Report: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals with Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean. Progress and Challenges”
    September 8, 2010
                                 

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    • Ambassador's Policy Breakfast:"The Upcoming G 20” with Dr. Il SaKong, Chair of the Presidential Committee for the G 20 Summit
    June 30th 2010
     

    24 OAS Policy Roundtable: "The Participation of Indigenous Peoples in OAS Activities: Recommendations and Next Steps”
    June 24th 2010
     

    23 OAS Policy Roundtable: "The European Union and the Americas: The Challenges of Multilateralism”
    May 4th 2010
     

    Ambassadors' Breakfast with Marta Lagos - Presentation of 2009 Latinobarómetro Report
    April 13, 2010 3:00 pm
     

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    • 22 OAS Policy Roundtable: “To launch the Inter-American Year of Women: Women and Power: for a World with Equality
    February 25, 2010
     

    OAS hosts Ambassador of India to the United States during OAS Policy Breakfast
    February 18, 2010
     

    On February 18, the Department of International Affairs invited the Ambassador of India to the United States, and Permanent Observer to the OAS, Her Excellency Ambassador Meera Shankar, to host an Ambassador's Policy Breakfast with the Permanent Representatives of the OAS Member States. Ambassador Shankar spoke on India's foreign policy objectives and perspectives toward Latin America and the Caribbean, and addressed questions from the representatives of OAS Member States.

    Photo Gallery
    Notes on the Policy Breakfast

    21 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Regional Peace, Development and Security: the Role of Regional Organizations and Civil Society”
    November 23, 2009 - 10:00 Am- 12:30 PM
     

    20 OAS Policy Roundtable: “Promoting Democracy and Inter-regional Cooperation”
    November 19, 2009 - 3:30pm

     

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #19: “Challenges and Future of the Inter-American System on Human Rights"
    November 11, 2009

    OAS Policy Roundtable #18: “Learning to live together: Fostering integration, tolerance and diversity in the Americas"
    September 11, 2009 - 3:00pm

     


    OAS Policy Roundtable #17: “Corporate Social Responsibility in a Time of Crisis”
    September 1, 2009 - 10:30 AM

     

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #16: Post summit briefing: "A New Beginning in Inter-American Relations?”
    May 1st, 2009 - 10:00 - 12:00 pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #15: Latin American economic Outlook 2009
    Presentation of the Latin American Economic Outlook Report 2009
    March 24, 2009 - 3:30 - 5:15pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #14: The Financial Crisis, A Challenge to Democracy?
    Presentation of the Latinobarometro Report 2008
    February 26, 2009 - 3:30 - 4:30pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #13: fifth anniversary of the declaration on security in the americas: current perspectives and new challenges
    February 19, 2009 - 3:00 - 6:00pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #12 in preparation for the Fifth Summit of the Americas: Promoting Environmental Sustainability in the Americas
    February 17, 2009 - 3:00 - 5:00pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #11 in preparation for the Fifth Aummit of the Americas: Youth, Decent Work and Human Prosperity in the Americas co-sponsored by the international labor organization (ILO)
    November 5, 2008 - 2:30 - 5:00pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #10: Opportunities and challenges in the western hemisphere: perspectives from the united states congress
    September 17, 2008 - 9:30-11:00am

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #9 and report launch: making the law work for everyone
    June 13, 2008 - 10:00-11:30am

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #7: Surveying the Americas: indicators and perceptions
    April 9, 2008 - 3:00 - 4:30pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable #6 and book launch: Saving the Americas: the dangerous decline of Latin America and what the U.S. must do - by Andres Oppenheimer
    January 31, 2008 - 2:45 pm-4:15 pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable # 5: Constitutional Reform in the Americas
    November 27, 2007 - 3:00 pm-5:00 pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable # 4: Building a Consensus on Trade Policy in an Era of Globalization
    May 8, 2007 - 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable # 3: Democracy and the Army in the 21st Century:  Lessons from the Chilean Experience
    Monday, April 16, 2007 - 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

     

    OAS Policy Roundtable: International Law: The U.S. Perspective 
    March 6, 2007 - 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm

     

    On March 6, 2007, the OAS held the Second OAS Policy Roundtable “International Law: the US Perspective.”  OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza opened the discussion by making general comments on the international legal system and by introducing the guest speaker, John B. Bellinger III, Legal Adviser to the United States Secretary of State.  Mr. Bellinger centered his speech on the country’s commitment to the rule of law.  The roundtable concluded with a question and answer session, moderated by Irene Klinger, Director of the Department of External Relations.

    Mr. Bellinger highlighted the U.S. commitment to international with a number of recent examples, including a discussion of US efforts to comply with a recent decision of the International Court of Justice on consular notification under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.  Mr. Bellinger discussed the position of the United States with respect to the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating that the Rome Statute contained a number of serious flaws while stressing that the United States respected the rights of other states to become parties to the Rome Statute.  Mr. Bellinger emphasized that the U.S. shared with parties to the Rome Statute a commitment to prevent genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity and noted US support of international criminal tribunals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.  Mr. Bellinger discussed “the global war on terror” and explained that this phrase is not intended to be a legal statement.  He reiterated that the U.S. does not believe that it is engaged in a legal state of armed conflict at all times with every terrorist group in the world or that military force is the appropriate response in every terrorist threat across the globe.  He noted that the U.S. would continue to rely on other tools, including law enforcement mechanisms, particularly in countries with functioning judicial systems.  Mr. Bellinger discussed the status of detainees in Guantanamo Bay, stating that the U.S. had developed specific rules and regulations governing the detention, interrogation and trial of unlawful enemy combatants in the Military Commissions Act and recent Department of Defense directives.  Mr. Bellinger also discussed the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, noting that the U.S. took the work of the Commission seriously and regularly participates in Commission’s activities, filing detailed briefs in U.S. cases and sending large delegations to Commission hearings.

    OAS Policy Roundtable: Surveying the Americas: Indicators and Perceptions (Latinobarometro)
    January 30 - 3:00pm.