Washington, DC:
ORGANISERS OF the Fifth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in mid-April, are keeping their fingers crossed that civil-society groups will be participants in the meeting rooms, rather than protesters on the streets.
Mass demonstrations have marred international conferences on sociopolitical and economic issues in the past. In recent days, there have been marches in several European cities ahead of the meeting of the heads of the Group of 20 (G-20) industrialised countries in London, England, tomorrow.
However, a spokesman for the Organisation of American States (OAS) has downplayed suggestions that the hemispheric summit of 34 countries in Trinidad and Tobago from April 17-19 could attract public protest, citing the deep involvement of civil-society groups in the summit process.
The Trinidad Summit will be attended by the heads of governments of the 34 participating states, including United States President Barack Obama.
David Morris, director of the Summit of the Americas Secretariat, told Caribbean journalists in Washington on Monday that several forums involving "social actors" will precede the meeting of political leaders. A civil-society forum will be held from April 15-16, involving about 300 leaders and directors of international and regional NGOs, academicians, indigenous leaders, international development agencies, faith-based groups and other social-actor networks from across the Western Hemisphere, the OAS stated in a bulletin.
Finding solutions
According to the OAS, the objective of the forum is to find solutions jointly to common problems through shared experiences and to examine ways to build capacity to implement these solutions and to enhance the sharing experience.
"The government has done all it can to set up conditions conducive to a smooth summit process," Morris noted. "Without wanting to promote confrontation, I think a healthy debate among social actors and governments, to hold governments to account, is a positive sign of democratic governance. So, I am sure there will be demonstrations," he added.
Reacting to reports that the trade union representing oil workers in the twin-island republic have threatened industrial action during the summit, Morris disclosed that labour groups were organising autonomous consultations, and would then send a delegation to meet with foreign ministers on the morning of the summit inauguration.
"Space has been created for each of those groups meeting at the pre-summit to have discussions with the foreign ministers," said the OAS official.
His view is shared by Hector Morales, United States permanent representative to the OAS, who described as "tremendous", the work the Caribbean country is doing in preparation to host the summit.
Morris also disclosed that, in preparation for the Fifth Summit of the Americas, the OAS had promoted the participation of civil-society representatives in a series of three subregional forums, as well as a hemispheric forum.
The objective of these forums was to stimulate dialogue and the exchange of ideas among civil-society organisations that are actively involved in OAS activities and the inter-American agenda. The consultations also sought the input of civil society in the implementation of the mandates of previous summits.
Notwithstanding the involvement of civil society in the summit process, Morris pointed to assurances from the Trinidadian government that they "are doing everything they can to maintain security."
Jamaica has sent a contingent of 94 soldiers and 30 policemen to assist with security arrangements.