The Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Steve Ferrol, today assumed the Chair of the Permanent Council during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the hemispheric Organization.
"The OAS, as the hemisphere's principal political forum, has a unique role to play in promoting coherence, dialogue, and a shared sense of purpose. We will explore how the OAS can help build a more coordinated and inclusive hemispheric agenda," Ambassador Ferrol said.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Ferrol presented his work plan for the current quarter, which focuses on strengthening the governance and effectiveness of the Permanent Council, as well as reinforcing the role of the OAS in hemispheric integration. The plan also seeks to strengthen the Organization's capacity to respond to the political, economic, social, and security challenges facing the hemisphere.
The work plan is structured around three main priorities:
1. Improving the governance and effectiveness of the Permanent Council through more strategic agendas, stronger follow-up on decisions, and closer coordination with the committees and the General Secretariat, with the goal of making the Council more predictable, efficient, and impactful.
2. Strengthening the relevance of the OAS in addressing the hemisphere's current challenges by promoting thematic discussions on issues such as democratic resilience, inclusive growth, digital governance, and cybersecurity, enabling the Organization to contribute more effectively to these priorities.
3. Reinforcing the role of the OAS in hemispheric integration by fostering dialogue among the region's various cooperation mechanisms and promoting a more coordinated and inclusive hemispheric agenda through a series of integration dialogues and stronger engagement within the Inter-American System.
The Chairmanship will also place special emphasis on the needs and perspectives of small states and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), underscoring that integration and cooperation must benefit all countries of the hemisphere, regardless of their size.
The Permanent Representative of Brazil, Ambassador Benoni Belli, will serve as Vice Chair of the Permanent Council. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Council rotate every three months among the OAS Member States.
The Permanent Representative of Costa Rica, Ambassador Alejandra Solano, and the Permanent Representative of Canada, Ambassador Stuart Savage, served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Council during the previous quarter.
Reference: FNE-144938
