GENERAL STATEMENT



The Delegation of the Argentine Republic552450885825Eugene Scassa Mock Organization of American States Summit 2019 Position PaperArgentine RepublicPosition Paper for the 2019 ESMOAS Summit of the Americas GENERAL STATEMENTThe Argentine Republic is honored and excited to once again participate in the Summit of the Americas. This year’s summit will mark the twenty-third time the nations of the Americas come together in this setting, and there will hopefully be many more to come. The Argentine Republic firmly believes in the principle of multilateralism and is dedicating its fullest effort to make this Summit a success. Argentina, as the fourth largest country of the Americas, understands itself as a servant leader to the nations of the hemisphere. Its geography encompasses much of the variety the Americas have to offer, from the peaks of the Andes to the wide plains of the Pampas. Its economy reflects the diversity present on the continent, with a tremendous richness of natural resources and potential for agriculture, but also a well-developed industry, nurtured by a qualified and creative workforce. Its population reflects the rich history of the country and its ties to Europe, but also its interconnectedness with all countries of the hemisphere, and its partners all over the world. The characteristics and strengths of the Argentine Republic, as well as the challenges it faces, are much like those encountered by the entirety of the Organization of American States (OAS) and its other member nations. A lack of funds, economic opportunity, and security have impeded the development of both the Argentine Republic and the OAS as a whole. However, with its diversity and richness of ideas, its incredible potential, and its steady trend of economic and social improvement, this delegation is confident that the problems each nation individually and the hemisphere as a whole face can be solved, and that prosperity will lie ahead. The motto of the Argentine Republic, “En Unión y Libertad” (In Unity and Freedom), guides the decisions of this government and this delegation. Argentina invites all nations of the hemisphere to let their actions be guided by this principle as well, empowering the OAS to achieve its four main goals of democracy, human rights, security, and development. Argentine RepublicPosition Paper, Page TwoPARTICULAR STATEMENTSCommittee: General Committee (GC)Topic A: Ensuring Fair and Transparent Campaigns and ElectionsThe Argentine Republic is firmly committed to democracy and will support any measures that will ensure that fair and transparent campaigns and elections - the core element of democracy - are guaranteed in every country of the hemisphere. In particular, the Argentine Republic intends to leverage the strength of the community of OAS member states by cooperating on electoral matters and sharing and promoting best practices. Argentina is proud to be rated as “free” and be described as a “vibrant representative democracy, with competitive elections, lively media and civil society sectors, and unfettered public debate” by such organizations as the Freedom House. Free and fair elections are at the core of democracy, which, in turn, is not only vital to the personal freedom of every citizen, but also to the economic development and overall progress of a nation. A long history of dictatorships and outside interference into governmental affairs have led the nations of the Americas to have great appreciation for the values of democracy, and to be acutely aware of how fragile democracy can be. The hemisphere has made great progress over the previous decades, but much remains to be done. In Argentina, the end of the military dictatorship in 1983 marked the end of almost two centuries of changing government arrangements, and the beginning of a more stable, democratic era. The failures of the past have left painful wounds, and the country is only at the beginning of investigating and coming to terms with the crimes committed during the dictatorship era. This tumultuous past, however, makes a fully developed democracy ever more important to the country. Although most governments have been dominated by Peronism, the political ideology based upon Argentina’s popular president Juan Perón, and represented by the Partido Justicialista (PJ), the election of the current president Mauricio Macri in 2015 has shown that there is room for a strong, independent opposition. Many different opinions are reflected in the Argentine political system, and all of them have equal opportunity to speak with a strong voice. By no means, however, is the Argentine political system and election process perfect. Corruption has long been a major problem, highlighted by the indictment of former president Cristina Fernández Kirchner on charges of bribery and corruption in the so-called “notebook scandal” in 2018. The administration of Mauricio Macri, under the leadership of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Anti-Corruption Office, has addressed this problem by launching the “‘Justice2020’ initiative.” The initiative engaged community leaders in an effort to improve the transparency and efficiency of the judicial and legislative processes, and was successful in enacting a number of key laws. The legislation did not only lead to improvements in the area of corruption, but also improved the political decision-making process overall by providing more information transparency and accessibility for all citizens.Another concern is the equal representation of opinions in the media. While the freedom of the press is widely respected and opinions can be freely expressed, the financial means behind some opinions are greater than others. The majority of the media outlets of the nation are in the hands of a few conglomerates, which in turn can, to an extent, influence which news will receive coverage and which topics fall behind. Previous administrations have attempted to correct this tendency by exercising governmental control over the media, but this is not a path that leads to success. In contrast, the administration of Mauricio Macri believes in the forces of competition and open markets to keep the media landscape free from any kind of domination, be it governmental or private. This delegation will support measures aimed at making the media landscape in Argentina and the Americas overall more independent, diverse, and free from governmental influence to ensure that political campaigns can be carried out in a fair and transparent way.It is evident that, while all nations of the hemisphere are striving for fair and transparent campaigns and elections, some nations are farther advanced in this process than others. Like in Argentina, corruption limits the effectiveness of the political process in many countries of the hemisphere. The media is often influenced by governmental entities or private interests as well. Access to elections is not guaranteed to be fair and equal, and many other challenges are presented daily to the people of the Americas in their quest for democracy. It is not the role of this delegation, however, to point fingers at others and their shortcomings. The Argentine Republic is firmly committed to respecting Article 2b of the OAS Charter, which declares that one of the primary goals of the OAS is “[t]o promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention.” The foreign policy of the Argentine Republic is guided by multilateralism, not by unilateral action that tries to force the standpoint of Argentina onto others. Therefore, the Argentine contribution to ensuring fair and transparent campaigns and elections focuses on mutual support instead of interventionist directives. The fairness of elections depends largely on the ability of all citizens to freely and easily express their opinion by casting a vote that counts. In the past, considerable progress has been made to increase the participation of underrepresented groups, such as the youth, women, and indigenous peoples. Argentina enacted universal suffrage for both sexes in 1946, and lowered the voting age to 16 in 2012. Voting is compulsory to achieve a maximum level of representation, and since 2017, full gender parity is enforced for party lists, listing men and women in alternating order. These measures were successful in increasing fair and equal representation in the Argentine political system, and this delegation encourages all nations of the hemisphere to enact similar measures. The Argentine Republic is looking forward to addressing the crucial issue of fair and transparent campaigns and elections at this Summit, and is excited to hear what solutions to the pressing problems of the hemisphere all the delegations will ic B: Addressing the Problems of a Shrinking OAS BudgetLimited financial means have long been an obstacle to the efficacy of the OAS, and the Argentine Republic hopes that through new measures developed and implemented at this Summit, the financial strain on the OAS budget will be mitigated. The budget of the OAS for the fiscal year is $82.7 million in the regular fund and $5.48 million in the indirect cost recovery fund - a minuscule budget considering that the state of Argentina alone spends five times this amount every single day. The OAS has been surprisingly successful at fulfilling its goals despite this limited budget, thanks to cost-effective operations and the ability to acquire outside support for many of its projects. An increase in funds would clearly allow the OAS to make greater strides towards fulfilling its objectives, and the Argentine Republic is committed to supporting the financial health of this important organization that increases understanding and cooperation and serves the principle of multilateralism in the hemisphere. The problem, however, cannot simply be solved by asking member states to contribute more to the budget of the OAS. The government of Argentina would be thrilled to commit more funds to the OAS, but these funds are simply not available. With a budget deficit of six percent of GDP in 2017, and continued support needed from the International Monetary Fund, the Argentine Republic is struggling with serious shortages of cash itself. Many other countries in the hemisphere find themselves in a similar position, where an increased contribution to the budget of the OAS is unfortunately not within reach.This delegation therefore only sees two possible avenues how the budget problem of the OAS could be solved. First, and most simply, the budget of the OAS could be increased by collecting more funds from outside contributors. Outside funds will most likely not be available to cover the operative expenses of the OAS, but these can hopefully be covered by the contributions of the member states, as they have in the past. Projects developed by the OAS and implemented in the member states, on the other hand, should be supported by acquiring outside funding whenever possible. Without doubt, relying on outside funding comes with detriments, since it is not readily and steadily available, it takes considerable time to acquire, and it possibly brings an amount of outside influence with it. Considering the alternatives, however, it is the most viable mode of funding for OAS projects, and could provide relief especially in the short term. Additionally, the need to cooperate with other agencies can also be seen as a strength, as it further fosters multilateralism and international cooperation, and it allows the OAS to use the knowledge and support systems of other organizations to benefit its programs.A second, more long-term option for an improvement to the OAS budget is to take steps to increase the economic situation of the member states. An Argentine Republic that has experienced a number of consecutive years of stable economic growth, low unemployment, and budget surpluses would undoubtedly be able to contribute a larger amount of funding to the OAS than it is currently able to. Other countries that are currently in a similar situation would most likely be willing and able to contribute more money to the OAS as well if their own domestic economic situation was better. The crucial question, however, is how the economic development of the nations of the Americas could be improved. Given the limited budget of the OAS, any kind of large-scale spending programs designed to boost economic growth are most likely out of reach. The member states must therefore rely on using the OAS as a platform to coordinate other kinds of cooperative efforts that have the potential of increasing economic growth. Free market policies, such as the forming of trading blocs like Mercosur, are promising in this respect. Expanding these trade agreements to nations outside of the hemisphere offers many opportunities as well. This year, the Mercosur area, of which Argentina is a part, and the European Union agreed on forming a free trade area, which will eliminate tariffs on 90 percent of the products currently traded, and will increase foreign direct investment in the region, provide access to export markets, and improve overall competitiveness of the region’s economies. The Argentine Republic encourages all member states to enter into agreements of this kind as well, in addition to any domestic or regional efforts to boost economic growth.Overall, the issue of limited funds and unlimited spending needs is a very pressing one for the OAS, and has been so for decades. The problem will most likely not be solved entirely at this Summit, but the Argentine delegation is confident that considerable progress can be made through the cooperation and good faith of all member states. The delegation is looking forward to hearing about the strategies that other member states have developed to address the budget shortages of the OAS, and hopes for constructive cooperation on this important mittee: Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) Topic A: Promoting Youth Participation in Government and Civil SocietyIn order for the OAS and its member states to thrive, it is necessary to get the youth involved in the political system. It is more than just a cliché that the young people are our future, they indeed are. The education that our children receive shapes the future of our nations, and the future leaders of our countries will come from among them. It is the duty of each country to ensure that its youth is growing up in an environment that prepares and empowers them to take on the challenges of the future.An integral part in preparing and empowering the youth is to make them feel valued and listen to their voices in the present moment. The Argentine Republic has honored the importance of the youth by lowering the voting age to 16, giving the chance to vote to an additional 1.2 million citizens. Even though voting is not compulsory for this age group, young people have used their chance to vote in great numbers, showing that they care about the future of their country. Especially in troubling times like these, it is important that all voices within the population are heard and respected to allow the nation to move forward as a unified body.On a regional level, the same principles hold true. The OAS faces challenges of unprecedented scope, and it is time to get the youth involved in order for the region to move in the right direction. The issues that the OAs faces are not just of political nature, they reach all parts of society. With respect to the young members of our societies, issues such as teen pregnancy, high school dropout rates, and youth unemployment are particularly troubling. The delegation of Argentina believes that the only way to fight these issues is to get the youth involved. Voter turnout in many countries has dropped for those between the ages of twenty and twenty-nine, lessening the chance that the problems that young people in particular face are properly addressed within the legislative system. The Argentine Republic addressed this issue by allowing younger individuals a chance to vote. This legislation, which passed with a great majority, did not only increase the number of young people eligible to vote, it also shows the Argentinian youth that they are valued. One of the reasons that young people do not get involved in politics is because they do not feel as if they can make a difference in the society. By extending the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds, the Argentine Republic expressed its valuation of the opinion of the youth and made political interest and engagement more attractive. Young individuals at this age are criminally responsible, can have children, drop out of school, begin working full time, and make many more important life decisions. Giving them to right to look for a job, but not the right to decide who will give them better job opportunities seems illogical, and those that are the future of our country should have a say in determining what this future should look like.Argentina is in the run-up to a presidential election, and the youth is shaping the campaigns like never before. Young people are expressing their opinions and are getting involved through social media, music, and other platforms. Issues such as unemployment, poverty, inflation, and abortion are crucial to young people, and it is refreshing to see the renewed interest of the youth in politics. This interest, however, has to grow much bigger still, and the opportunities to participate and express opinions have to be increased in all parts of the hemisphere.Besides expanding the opportunities to participate in elections, through both passive and active voting rights, education will be key to a successful campaign for greater youth involvement in government and civil society. The high school dropout rates are very concerning and will have to be addressed to ensure that the future leaders of our country are well prepared both for a competitive labor market and to lead the countries of the hemisphere. It is crucial as well to ensure that civics courses find their way into school curricula, and that the youth learns to appreciate the importance of democracy and civic engagement. Greater education, paired with greater respect and greater opportunities for participation, will ensure that the people that are most crucial to the future of our countries are actively engaged in shaping the governments and civil societies of the ic B: Encouraging the Growth of Micro- and Small-Business DevelopmentThe state of the economy of a nation is crucial to its success on all levels. The countries of the Americas have made considerable progress in this area during the past decades, but much remains to be done. One problem in particular that is plaguing Argentina and, to different degrees, all states of the Americas, is a lack of diversification in their domestic economies. The difficult colonial heritage of the continent have long confined the Latin American economies to agriculture and the export of unprocessed goods with little value added. This imbalance in the domestic economy has led to an imbalance in the trade balances of many countries, which have accumulated large deficits in order to be able to import foreign-made, high-value-added goods. To improve the economic situation of the countries of the Americas and make them more competitive and diversified both domestically and on an international level, more businesses have to be grown locally. Sound structures for the Argentinian economy will have to arise from the bottom up, rooted in communities that know the skills, talents and needs of their people. Small businesses make up a majority of the number of businesses operating in Argentina and other countries in the hemisphere. This number needs to keep growing the keep our economies growing.Many approaches, both on a domestic and a hemisphere-wide level, are available to encourage the growth of micro- and small-business development. The groundbreaking model of microcredit, developed in Bangladesh and now the gold standard in micro-business development, has been implemented in Argentina through the Argentine Network of Microcredit Institutions. Efforts like these need to be expanded on a much larger scale, in Argentina and throughout the entire hemisphere. The OAS as an international body should strive to facilitate the establishment of small businesses through offering or supporting of credit programs, small-business-friendly regulations, entrepreneurship education, and free trade initiatives. The establishment of small business in all regions of the hemisphere empowers local communities, fosters civic involvement, grows the national economies, and establishes a sense of hope and ownership in those that need it the most. Many opportunities present themselves to foster the development of small and micro businesses, and these opportunities will have to be used to let the Americas flourish.C. Committee: Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS) Topic A: Improving Coordination on Border Security and Regional Stability2019 has been a challenging year for the Americas. Intraregional migration, drug trafficking, cross-border criminal operations and political unrest have threatened border security and stability in the region. The nations of the hemisphere are faced with a drug and crime epidemic like never before. In Argentina, prisons are overcrowded and drugs are ever present in public spaces. In the last seven years, drug consumption amongst young people aged 12 to 22 has gone up over 140 percent, with a bone chilling estimate of over 300,000 people that are using or have used cocaine. This is poisoning, and in some cases killing, the next generation of Argentinians. Many nations in the Americas face similar crises, from the opioid epidemic in the United States, to the violent activities of drug smugglers in Mexico, and the widespread involvement in the production of cocaine in Colombia, just to name a few. It is crucial for the nations of the hemisphere to collectively address these problems, since they affect the stability of the entire region and can only be solved on a multinational level. The Argentine Republic urges all member states to invest in the training and staffing of police forces, strong borders, and advancements in border security and crime detection technology to attack this crisis. Argentina has put itself on the cutting edge of border security with the new automated border control terminals installed in airports. These electronic gates, or eGates, are at the frontlines of airport security cutting down lines and getting people into the country faster and safer. Plans to expand the system are already in motion, and eGates will eventually not just be found in airports, but also at dockyards. Technological solutions like these could also be an option for select, high-traffic parts of the inter-American borders. Border security is crucial to the security of the region, but it cannot come at the expense of cooperation and economic exchange between countries. New technologies offer an opportunity to increase border security while still allowing goods and people to flow fairly uninterruptedly across borders. The Argentine Republic acknowledges the need to strike a very delicate balance between protecting the borders and the national sovereignty of any country, while not falling into isolationist or xenophobic patterns. Argentina has always been a nation of immigrants open to the world, and it will continue to uphold this spirit. Border security and international cooperation have to go hand in hand in the effort to stop transnational crime in the hemisphere and establish regional stability. This issue is a very challenging one, but this delegation is confident that through cooperation and resolute action, the problems that the hemisphere is facing can be ic B: Addressing High Rates of Incarceration and Gang ViolenceThe Argentine Republic recognizes the dangers of high rates of incarceration, and affirms the need to ensure secure environments for those incarcerated within Argentina as well as in other nations within the Organization of American States. In accordance with the goals of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, the Argentine Republic would like to continue taking steps towards a corruption free justice system, and the lowering of incarceration rates throughout the country and the hemisphere. It is the hope of this delegation that, as a nation, Argentina can continue striving for the betterment of human rights within the prison systems, and empower fellow nations to pursue lowered incarceration rates, for a unified OAS that collectively seeks justice and security of the rights of the people.It has become increasingly evident that the need to lower rates of incarceration within the Argentine Republic, and to take steps to reduce the corruption taking place within Argentine prisons, is continually growing. In accordance with Article III of the OAS Charter, which points out that “social justice and social security are bases of lasting peace,” this delegation seeks to end all social injustices and breeches of social security in order to create a nation of lasting peace—one that can set an example to its neighboring states. In recent history, the prisons within the country of Argentina have become overcrowded, as the country, led by its law enforcement agencies, has worked diligently in its attempt to keep the nation and its people safe. It is evident that this overcrowding of prisons has led to living conditions that are unacceptable, and increasingly, the guarantee of individual constitutional rights within the prison system was called into question. Within recent years, Argentina has created many “federal and provincial bodies” that have the primary goal of addressing and preventing torture within prisons. Argentina also supported the Optional Protocol for the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) in 2004, and is credited with being one of the first nations to take the executive step in taking action and ratifying it. Under the current Argentinian administration, the government “designated official to form part of the National Prevention Mechanism of Torture.” With the application of the institutions, the Argentine Republic has made significant steps towards creating a better environment within the prisons, and it wishes to pursue further initiatives that will aid in decreasing corruption within the justice system.In addition to maintaining and expanding already existing initiatives that specifically target the violations of human rights within the prison system, the delegation of Argentina would like to continue working towards a greater tomorrow by initiating a committee that would assist in lowering the rates of incarceration within the Argentine Republic, as well as within other member-states of the OAS. This particular committee would consist of law students, attorneys, and paralegals, and it would function to ensure that pretrial detainees are educated about their rights, how they can obtain representation, and the laws in place detailing the specifics concerning pretrial detainment. This committee would also be responsible for monitoring pretrial detainees over the time that they are held to ensure that they are receiving proper care, and are not held longer than the maximum amount of time that each person is allowed to be detained for. Though this committee would not be one that would see drastic change quickly, in the long-term, persons being detained prior to their trial will be given the tools necessary to ensure that they are not stripped of their rights and their liberty before they are even convicted of any crime. The hope is that this committee would see successes over time, that would eventually aid the Argentine Republic as well as other member-states of the OAS with the reduction of incarceration rates through the lowered rate of pretrial detainees who are held in prisons much longer than necessary, and in some cases, much longer than the law would permit.An initiative of this nature is important as currently, “approximately 60 percent of all people behind bars in Argentina are in pretrial detention, and the period of such detention sometimes lasts up to six years.” If as a nation, this delegation can begin to make changes that would positively affect the majority of the prison system within the nation, then the delegation is sure to see positive change and prison reforms in the years to come. The Argentine Republic, with the implementation of such committee, wishes to see the incremental decrease in overcrowding within the prison systems in the nation, as well as the restoration of rights and liberty to those in pretrial detention. With this committee, the nation wishes to also encourage and promote such activity to take place within other member-states for the betterment of the hemisphere as a collective body.References1948. “Charter of the Organization of American States.” Organization of American States, April 30. . “Program-Budget of the Organization of American States 2019.” Organization of American States, November 16. . “Argentina's Youngest Find Themselves Drawn Into Politics” Buenos Aires Times, September 8. . “Argentina Launches Biometric Automated Border Control at Buenos Aires International Airport.” Vision Box, May 9. 2019. “Freedom in the World 2019: Argentina.” Freedom House. . “Key Elements of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement” European Commission, June 28. . “The World Factbook: Argentina.” Central Intelligence Agency. ?. “The World Factbook: Country Comparison: Area.” Central Intelligence Agency. . “Who We Are.” Organization of American States. , Tristan. 2019. “Argentina's First Drug Use Data in Years Confirms Booming Local Market.” Insight Crime, October 7. Del Carril, Santiago. 2018. “'State of Emergency' in Argentine Prisons, Says UN.” Buenos Aires Times, April 21. .ar/news/argentina/state-of-emergency-in-argentine-prisons-says-un.phtmlGaravano, Germán. 2018. “The fight against corruption in Argentina.” Buenos Aires Times, December 22. , Uki. 2018. “Argentina: Ex-President Cristina Fernández Charged in Bribery Scandal.” The Guardian, September 18. International Organization for Migration (IOM). 2017. “Migration Trends in South America.” South American Migration Report 1. , Olga. 2012. “Argentina Lowers Its Voting Age to 16.” The Washington Post, November 1. , Kenneth. 2019. “World Report 2019: Rights Trends in Argentina.” Human Rights Watch, January 17. world-report/2019/country-chapters/argentina Webber, Jude. 2009. “Argentina Gets a Taste of Microfinance.” Financial Times, February 2006. ................
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