The
President of the Republic Pedro Castillo on Wednesday morning inaugurated the dialogue that the heads of delegation of the Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) held with representatives of civil society organizations and other social actors, prior to the inauguration of the period of sessions of the OAS General Assembly.
"We cannot make decisions with our backs turned (to the region) and without listening to social actors and representatives of civil society, who carry the voice and wishes of our peoples," the dignitary said in his speech.
The aim of this dialogue is to address the issues of inequality and discrimination, as referred to in the main theme of the General Assembly "Together against Inequality and Discrimination," proposed by Peru for the development of this event.
It should be noted that this event witnessed the participation of 430 civil society organizations from all over the continent, which work on issues such as democracy, human rights, development, education, gender, family, culture, religion, health, work, among others.
Likewise, the event was attended by representatives of workers' organizations, entrepreneurs, and indigenous peoples.
The Head of State remarked that the health and economic crisis that has persisted for 2 years now has severely hit all countries, particularly harming the most vulnerable sectors, which leads to offer urgent responses to their demands, in line with the commitments adopted in the United Nations 2030 Agenda and on the basis of firm democratic convictions.
"Our goal is also to ensure equal rights and opportunities for the great majority of the population, such as indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants, who demand better living conditions and the eradication of all forms of discrimination," he added.
Mr. Castillo considered that the holding of the 52nd OAS General Assembly is an opportunity for the country to include the reduction of social gaps and the effective enjoyment of society's human rights on the hemispheric agenda.
"For this reason, Peru has presented a draft declaration on these cross-cutting issues, and the most pressing concerns in current international context have been identified," the top official underlined.
"Peru has sought to lead initiatives aimed at enabling healthcare responses, including mental and reproductive health, as well as actions to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable populations," he added.
The President called on representatives of social organizations to continue to actively participate by proposing ideas and action alternatives to the States, as well as to continue monitoring the work of governments closely and proactively.
"The development of our region and our populations will only be possible through joint, cooperative, constructive, and open-to-dialogue work with all sectors of society without discrimination," Mr. Castillo pointed out.
"For this reason, I invite you to continue on this path, to become agents of change, and to participate firmly and inclusively in this shared effort to build a more just and equitable society, as our continent deserves," he said.
The event was held at Lima Convention Center in the Peruvian capital's San Borja district within the framework of the 52nd OAS General Assembly, which is set to take place in Lima between October 5 and 7.
The meeting was also attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Cesar Landa, Peru's Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) Harold Forsyth, and OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro.
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Published: 10/5/2022