Senator the Honourable Dennis Moses, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs chaired the 51st Special Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) which was held on 31st October, 2016 in Washington, D.C., United States of America.
The Organisation of American States (OAS) is the premier multilateral institution in the hemisphere and constitutes all thirty-five (35) independent States of the Americas. Nations from other parts of the world participate as permanent observers, which allows them to follow closely the issues that are critical to the Americas. The Organization fosters closer collaboration among the Member States on issues such as democracy, human rights, hemispheric security and sustainable development. The OAS provides further support for augmenting the institutional capacity of Member States in political, economic and social spheres through its various programmes and projects. The Organization has also designed and utilized mechanisms for monitoring progress in respect of the achievement of hemispheric goals in Member States.
Minister Moses guided the discussion at the Special General Assembly of the Organization of American States, which assisted in bringing Member States to a consensus to approve the 2017 Program Budget of the regular fund for the hemispheric institution as well as the Comprehensive Strategic plan that will guide the work of the Organization in the future.
The Special Session will be dedicated to OAS financial matters and will afford an opportunity for political sign-off on the 2017 Programme-Budget by Member States. Member States are also likely to use the Session as a platform to protect their particular interests and present perspectives on what should constitute the priorities of the Organization during the upcoming financial period, in view of the budgetary constraints facing the Organization. In this regard, the Integral Strategic Plan of the Organization of American States, which will also be considered during the 51st Special Session, is of interest to Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago signed and ratified the Charter of the OAS in 1967, making it the first Commonwealth country to become a member of the OAS. Since that time, the country has been an active member of the Organization and remains committed to the ideals and principles shared by the Member States of the OAS. Trinidad and Tobago has benefited from funding for several development projects in areas such as education, security, social and sustainable development, labour and science and technology and has also contributed in its engagement with the various agencies and entities of the OAS.
Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs
View official media release with photo - OAS Special Session of the General Assembly
