SPECIAL SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS

&

GENDER EQUALITY

When, where and who:

The Special Summit of the Americas was held in Monterrey, Mexico on January 12-13, 2004 bringing together the democratically elected Heads of State and Government of the members countries of the Organization of American States.

Purpose :

The goal of the Special Summit was to facilitate hemispheric cooperation at the highest level of government in order to address current economic, social and political challenges in the region. Approximately one third of Heads of State and Government in the Hemisphere have assumed office since the Third Summit of the Americas held in Quebec City in April 2001. The agenda of the Special Summit focused on three issues:

Ø Economic Growth with Equity to Reduce Poverty

Ø Social Development

Ø Democratic Governance

The Declaration of Nuevo Leon:

" ...The empowerment of women, their full and equal participation in the development of our societies,.. are fundamental for the reduction of poverty, the promotion of economic and social prosperity, and for people-centered sustainable development" Nuevo Leon Declaration Special Summit of the Americas

The Declaration contains 75 paragraphs reflecting the policies and decisions adopted by the leaders on the three Summit topics. For example, in economic growth, they made a commitment to implement sound macroeconomic policies, to create an enabling environment for the private sector, and to reduce the costs of remittances. In the area of social development, the Heads of State recognized that the main challenge is the elimination of poverty, hunger, and inequality. They reiterated that a decisive factor for human development is education and also committed to taking the appropriate measures to reduce the threat of HIV/AIDS. In the area of democratic governance, the leaders of the Americas expressed their support for the Declaration of Santiago on Democracy and Citizens Confidence, as well as their respect for the rule of law, strengthening political parties, and defending human rights. They also committed to fight corruption and acknowledged the role of civil society in the design, execution, and evaluation of public policies.

Gender:

In the Declaration of Nuevo Leon, the leaders of the Hemisphere agreed that the empowerment and full participation of women in all aspects of society are fundamental in the reduction of poverty and in the development of social and economic prosperity. In order to achieve these goals, they committed themselves to continuing to promote gender equality and equity in the Summits of the Americas process. The Heads of State and Government also focused on the importance of the full protection of human rights of all migrants, including migratory workers and their families, and they committed to further cooperate in the fight against trafficking in persons, which particularly affects women and children. Mandates on gender equality and human rights have been part of the Summits of the Americas Declarations and Plans of Actions since 1994.