January 15th, 2015 -- The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Government of the Federal District of Mexico signed today at the headquarters of the hemispheric Organization in Washington, DC, a cooperation agreement with the aim of providing advisory services to help improve the delivery of public services and to attend and respond to citizen demands in a transparent, effective and sustainable way.
The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, said the agreement seeks to fulfill one of the most important challenges facing the countries of the region: finding initiatives to ensure the provision of quality public services and, in turn, involve all segments of society in the development of public policy. "The OAS, through theDepartment for Effective Public Management , is promoting and developing initiatives that contribute to strengthening public institutions to make them increasingly transparent and effective and to ensure they include mechanisms for technical cooperation," he said.
Secretary General Insulza said the agreement aims to promote cooperation on issues related to strategic planning, process management, organizational redesign, and the promotion of open government and effective practices for government purchases through networks of experts and the provision of training courses through the OASVirtual Campus that is intended for public officials in the region.
The OAS leader also recalled that the hemispheric institution and the Mexican federal government are promoting the creation of a network of young leaders to be agents of change and promoters of the principles of open government in the region. "These principles of transparency, accountability, participation and collaboration with different sectors of society are essential for the modernization of public administration and in order to meet the demands of citizens," he added.
The Head of Government of the Federal District of Mexico, Miguel Ángel Mancera, said that the signing of the document will allow his government to coordinate with the OAS in implementing initiatives to improve practices and public policies. "This agreement reaffirms the commitment of the government of Mexico City to make progress against permanent threats against the city such as corruption, anti-transparent practices and issues that affect human rights," he said.
The chief executive of the Mexican capital placed special emphasis on work programs to increase the efficiency of government management. "We are convinced that an efficient government should seek to simplify the lives and improve the welfare of each and every one of its inhabitants. We endorse the idea that the government receives a mandate, and should be under continuous observation by the citizens," he said. "With the signing of this agreement we are marking a clear line of action in the City of Mexico," he concluded.
The Permanent Representative of Mexico to the OAS, Emilio Rabasa, present at the event, recalled that Mexico City has more than nine million inhabitants, receives several million people each day, and has the largest number of companies and businesses in the country, "which makes it the city that contributes the most to the gross domestic product, and has the highest number of universities and research centers, and the largest numbers of centers and cultural activities. It is one of the main cities of the region and the world.”
The Mexican diplomat said the Mexican Federal District has made significant progress in recent years, adding that "certainly among the main challenges is the need to deepen its vibrant democratic life and strengthen the rule of law." In this regard, Ambassador Rabasa predicted that the agreement will promote a series of initiatives and programs that will help improve "public management in Mexico City, promote and protect the rights of its citizens, and combat scourges such as corruption, poverty and insecurity."
Before the signing ceremony, Secretary General Insulza met privately with the Head of Government; Ambassador Rabasa; the OAS Secretary for Legal Affairs, Jean Michel Arrighi; the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Emilio Álvarez Icaza; the OAS Director of the Department of International Law, Dante Negro; the OAS Director of the Department of Legal Cooperation, Jorge García González; and the OAS Director of the Department for Effective Public Management, María Fernanda Trigo.
A gallery of photos of the event is available here.
The Video News of the event will be available here
The B-Roll of the event is available here.
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