Grenada assumes presidency of OAS Permanent Council

Grenada on April 1 assumed the presidency of the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS), when its permanent representative, Gillian Bristol, received the mallet that represents the authority of the hemisphjeric body. She replaced Carmen Lomellin, of the United States.

The Permanent Council is the body that gathers the 33 OAS active member states.

Among Bristol’s first tasks during the upcoming months, is overseeing preparations for the OAS’ 41st General Assembly.

“It is a happy coincidence that El Salvador has chosen the topic of citizens security for this year’s General Assembly,” Bristol diuring her acceptance spech. “As we all know, in the small island states of the Caribbean we are very concerned about the multifaceted nature of the threats that are posed to the security for the integrity and stability of our nations.”

The Grenadian envoy restated her country’s commitment to the issue of security, its multi-dimensional nature and the impact that it has on the development of the countries of the region.

“We must remember that it was the small Caribbean States that championed and brought this perspective to the OAS in the late 1990s, and, eventually, it was embraced by the 34 member states as being, indeed, the more realistic and accurate definition of security,” she said.

Bristol said she will work closely with the vice-presidency of the Council, assumed by the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica, Embajador Enrique Castillo.

OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin, and representatives of various OAS-member countries attended the ceremony.