The Permanent Representative of Brazil to the Organization of American States (OAS), Benoni Belli, today assumed the Chair of the Permanent Council, a position he will hold until June 30, 2025.
During the ceremony held at the Organization's headquarters in Washington, DC, Ambassador Belli indicated that during his tenure, Brazil will prioritize the fight against hunger and poverty, as well as respect for diversity and the promotion of inclusion. "We must not fail to identify with courage and determination the discrimination, violence and exclusion that is the reality of millions in our hemisphere," he said. The new Chair of the Permanent Council assured that the OAS must be "efficient" and have "the capacity to contribute to concrete solutions, respecting the sovereignty of member states and the plurality of visions, while still helping governments to comply with their commitments and obligations." To this end, he announced that during his tenure he will promote "the strengthening of multilateralism, respect for international law, and the enhancement of our procedures and methods of work, in order to ensure equal opportunities for all delegations to express their views and participate actively in the debates."
For his part, the outgoing Chair and Permanent Representative of Bolivia, Héctor Arce Zaconeta, assured that he had fulfilled his work plan in its entirety. "We leave the post with the tranquility of having fulfilled our duty, with the satisfaction of having put a small grain of sand in the long and complex construction of an organization on which, beyond its lights and shadows, the expectations of the majority of the peoples of our region, so desirous of greater justice, democracy, security, institutionality and, above all, greater preeminence of human rights, are based." The Ambassador highlighted the "great professionalism, wisdom and integrity" of the new Chair of the Permanent Council, and expressed his certainty that "his term as chair will be exemplary and of great benefit to our Organization."
The Vice Chair for the March-June period will be held by the Permanent Representative of Ecuador, Manuel Montalvo Samaniego.
The Chair of the Permanent Council rotates every three months among the member states of the Organization, in alphabetical order. The Vice Chair rotates every three months in reverse alphabetical order.
Reference: FNE-144290
