Bolivia Assumes Chair of the OAS Permanent Council

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Bolivia Assumes Chair of the OAS Permanent Council

The Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the Organization of American States (OAS), Héctor Arce Zaconeta, today assumed the Chair of the Permanent Council, a position he will hold until March 31, 2025.

During the ceremony that took place at the headquarters of the Organization in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Arce said that, since its beginnings as an Organization, the OAS has been "a space where countries felt integrated, free and comfortable to raise their problems and resolve them, a plural space that does not condemn any cultural practice or any ideological, religious or any other difference." Likewise, the new Chair of the Council referred to the elections of the new authorities that will lead the international organization for the next five years: "We are entering a key moment, a turning point in our institutional life as a multilateral organization, the closing of a cycle to make way for an important and urgent reform," he concluded.

For his part, the outgoing Chair and Permanent Representative of Belize, Lynn Raymond Young, said that during the three months he presided the Council, he managed to "ensure the future of the Organization through the meticulous preparation of the 2025 Program-Budget, establish a transparent framework for the upcoming leadership elections and maintain unwavering support for Haiti's stabilization efforts." In addition, he highlighted "substantial progress in the promotion of human rights, particularly with regard to racial equality and the prevention of gender violence," among others. Ambassador Raymond acknowledged that "The success of our initiatives stems from the extraordinary dedication of our member states' representatives and the invaluable contributions of our permanent observers. Your engagement in our recent dialogue exemplifies the spirit of hemispheric collaboration that defines the OAS."

The Vice Chair for the January-March period will be held by the Permanent Representative of El Salvador, Wendy Acevedo.

The Chair of the Permanent Council rotates every three months among the member states of the Organization, in alphabetical order. The Vice Chair also rotates every three months, but in reverse alphabetical order.

Reference: FNE-144173