Civil Society presents recommendations to OAS member states on the theme of the upcoming General Assembly

The Organization of American States (OAS) hosted on Friday 10th May a special session of the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) to receive the recommendations agreed to on Thursday by the participants in the 10th Hemispheric Forum with Civil Society and Social Actors on the central theme of the General Assembly of the hemispheric institution, "Toward a Comprehensive Anti-Drug Policy in the Americas."

The Secretary for External Relations of the OAS, Alfonso Quiñonez, on behalf of Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, opened the session by stating that "in the OAS, civil society is an invaluable partner to ensuring the success and sustainability of the policies and programs adopted by Member States."

For his part, the Chair of the CISC, Permanent Representative of Panama to the OAS and current Chair of the Permanent Council, Ambassador Arturo Ulises Vallarino asked the General Secretariat of the OAS to ensure that the Forum's recommendations "are sent as soon as possible to the Commission that is working on the Declaration of Antigua, Guatemala."

The recommendations that emerged from the forum were grouped into three areas: challenges to public health and the development of a comprehensive anti-drug policy in the Americas; challenges to public security; and challenges to democracy and access to justice.

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