Georgetown : Five months since the passing of former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, the vacant position of Secretary General to theUnion of South American Nations (UNASUR) has finally been filled after Chairman President Bharrat Jagdeo installed Columbia’s Maria Emma Majia Velez.
The installation ceremony, held at State House today was witnessed by Foreign Ministers of Columbia, Venezuela and other representatives of UNASUR member states and their local counterparts Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett and members of the Cabinet The new Secretary General will be serving a twelve-month tenure before handing over the mantle to her successor Ali Rodriguez of Venezuela who will complete the second year.
President Jagdeo who assumed the chairmanship of UNASUR in November last year added on the list of the new Secretary General’s duties the task of forging a South American entity strong enough to give the continent a key role to play in the future.
“If we have a South American entity we can champion the cause for Security Council reform in the United Nations and get a South American country as a permanent member of the Security Council because we in South America often have a different perspective on conflicts and wars,” President Jagdeo said.
The UNASUR Chairman is also convinced that South American leadership on the climate change debate can also be successfully achieved given the lukewarm attitude of the developed world and the shortcomings of the Copenhagen accord.
“If South America does not play a leadership role and we do not get the world, particularly the developed world to live up to their responsibilities, we are heading for catastrophe and the forest for which we are proud, the Amazon, of which most of our countries have, could disappear,” President Jagdeo said.
The installation of a new Secretary General to UNASUR was hailed by the Guyanese Head of State as timely given the task at hand to ensure the coordination of activities and the strengthening of the organisation’s capacity to service the work of the several councils and working groups.
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