Address by Minister of State Yelich to OAS General Assembly

June 15, 2015 - Washington, D.C.

Check Against Delivery

I am pleased to have the opportunity to address this year's General Assembly, since it represents important milestones for both Canada and the Organization of American States.

For Canada, this year marks our 25th anniversary of joining the organization. Canada is also proud to be hosting the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games in July and August. The Pan Am Games bring us together and are a reminder that we are all part of the same hemisphere and they act as a landmark event to strengthen the people-to-people ties between our countries.

Since joining the OAS in 1990, Canada is proud to have partnered in some of the organization's greatest collective achievements, most notably, the establishment of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

Canada has been committed to the crucial work of the OAS in safeguarding stability, security, democracy and respect for human rights throughout the hemisphere.

These ideals are easy to agree upon. We all want freedom, peace and security. We all want to grow the prosperity and success of our hemisphere.

This General Assembly also marks an important milestone for the OAS itself as it welcomes a new Secretary General. I wish to take this opportunity to offer Secretary General Almagro Canada's full support as he takes on the leadership of this organization. On behalf of Canada, we look forward to working closely with you, Secretary General Almagro, and with Assistant Secretary General-elect Méndez in advancing shared priorities and moving forward the OAS reform and modernization agenda.

The Americas are a foreign policy priority for Canada. As neighbours, Canada firmly believes that honest, constructive dialogue and engagement with all of you is essential to address issues of common interest, and of hemispheric and global importance. Canada is committed to boosting mutual economic opportunity, strengthening security and institutions, and fostering lasting relationships through stronger people-to-people ties.

These objectives are integral to our shared fundamental commitment to democratic values, including respect for human rights. We all share similar goals for a more democratic, secure and prosperous hemisphere.

The OAS is the hemisphere's premier political multilateral forum, and is essential to advancing these shared objectives. Canada's membership in the OAS is an integral part of our engagement in the Americas and most importantly, the OAS provides a central and indispensable forum for engagement and cooperation for all of us.

First and foremost, the OAS is a strong and steadfast partner in advancing democracy. Canada is deeply committed to strengthening democracy in the hemisphere, and believes the OAS is well placed to take forward the defence, consolidation and promotion of democracy in the region. The Inter-American Democratic Charter is a landmark achievement in this regard and can guide us as we aspire to do more.

Along with strengthening democracy, Canada considers the promotion and protection of human rights to be among the top priorities and areas of greatest expertise of the OAS, and we will continue to support the central role played by the inter-American human rights system in securing existing, internationally recognized rights for all citizens.

For example, Canada recognizes the need to show unprecedented resolve to promote equality between men and women, to end all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, to strengthen maternal and child health, and to promote full participation and empowerment of all women and girls.

Canada has been working globally to end child, early, and forced marriage and unions. We would welcome the opportunity to understand how early marriage and unions impact girls and women in the Americas, and what we could do together to improve conditions for teenage girls in the hemisphere.

Canada also values the role that the OAS can play as a credible platform for dialogue and cooperation among OAS member states for the prevention, management, mediation and settlement of conflicts, and in addressing security challenges whose implications can quickly reach across borders.

Canada is convinced that democracy, respect for human rights and secure and stable societies are a critical foundation for meaningful and sustainable social and economic development in the hemisphere.

As we face new challenges in the 21st century, there has never been a greater need for a strong, purposeful and a well-supported OAS. To achieve this, two steps are critical: setting clear priorities within the OAS and getting the OAS's financial house in order.

Setting priorities means deciding not only what the OAS should be doing, but also what it should not be doing. The work of establishing a strategic vision for the organization is crucial to strengthening the organization's capacity to do what it does best and deliver real results in the hemisphere.

I am very encouraged by the work we have done so far, but we still have a ways to go.

The OAS is facing severe financial challenges and we need to work together to overcome them. Canada believes that member states must take the difficult decisions that are necessary to establish clear priorities for the organization in order to stabilize its financial situation and to reaffirm and continue OAS leadership in those areas that member states have signalled as shared priorities.

OAS programming should be prioritized by taking into account core mandates as laid out in the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, as well as by considering the organization's comparative advantage among many international and regional bodies.

Reform initiatives undertaken so far are encouraging and are setting us on a path to make the OAS more focused, effective and efficient, and to address chronic financial difficulties.

The OAS must seek more effective ways of doing business by developing organizational strategic plans, undertaking regular evaluations that assess the effectiveness and sustainability of OAS activities, and linking the disbursement of OAS resources with its core values and areas of greatest expertise. These processes have the potential to significantly strengthen the ability of the OAS to play an effective role in the hemisphere.

Now is the moment to redouble these efforts and move forward to ensure the implementation of outcomes that are both practical and meaningful.

Canada looks forward to continuing this important dialogue and to continuing to work with the OAS and our partners in strengthening the OAS. We believe that together, we can all contribute to even greater future collective achievements for the hemisphere that Canada will be able to celebrate on its next major anniversary of OAS membership.

Thank you.

Contacts

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Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular)
343-203-5975
erica.meekes@international.gc.ca

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