Foreign Minister Allamand stresses to the OAS the importance of multilateralism as a response to global phenomena

Within the framework of the 51st General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrés Allamand, stressed the importance of cooperation and collective actions in response to global phenomena, such as the pandemic of the Covid-19.

Along with this, he reiterated Chile's commitment to the OAS and highlighted its role as a "fundamental entity for the strengthening of democracy, the respect and promotion of human rights, the preservation of security and peace and the advance towards an integral development of the region."

During his presentation, the Secretary of State highlighted the challenges that the pandemic has left for the continent and highlighted Chile's work to advance towards a binding Global Treaty, which allows facing future pandemics and includes the strengthening of international health organizations, early warning, and coordinated response mechanisms.

In turn, he listed the pending challenges such as migration, gender equality, economic recovery, and progress towards the so-called "knowledge society."

Then, the Foreign Minister highlighted the motto proposed by Guatemala for this Assembly: "For a renewed America," emphasizing the need to work for an America "with a strong democracy, with solid institutions, with a growing economy, with a State efficient at the service of citizens, with gender equality and with a robust commitment to combat climate change."

In this sense, he stressed that support for democracy in the region continues to be dominant, but dissatisfaction with its performance is increasing. "And not to be confused: at the end of the day the second ends up eroding the first," he emphasized.

"It must be clearly stated that dictatorial or authoritarian regimes that suppress citizen guarantees, make the rule of law illusory, destroy the independence and separation of powers, and rig elections to perpetuate themselves in power," he added.

Response to Bolivia

Faced with the words of Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta, who pointed out that Bolivia reaffirms its inalienable right to obtain a free, sovereign, and useful exit to the Pacific Ocean, Minister Allamand recalled that the Bolivian maritime aspiration is an issue resolved both by the Treaty of 1904 and by the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague of October 1, 2018, which expressly stated 'Chile does not have the obligation to negotiate with Bolivia to reach an agreement that grants Bolivia fully sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean'."

In addition, the Foreign Minister informed the participating countries that, since April, Chile and Bolivia have been working on normalizing relations. "We are working on more than 14 specific issues, we have had about 30 working meetings and we have made mechanisms work that did not exist for a decade," he concluded.