UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL’S HIGH-LEVEL RETREAT WITH HEADS OF REGIONAL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
January 11-12, 2010, Long Island, New York
On January 11 and 12 of 2010, Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of the American States (OAS), participated in a High Level Retreat hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The retreat was held on Long Island, New York, and included 12 heads of regional and other organizations to address the theme "Cooperation in Times of Crisis". SG Insulza was accompanied by Dr. Irene Klinger, Director of the Department of International Affairs/ SER.
Participants in the informal forum were able to discuss issues of critical concern to their respective regions and to identify possible new avenues for improving future cooperation in times of crises between the UN and regional organizations.
Discussions began with an address by Mr. Ban Ki-moon on “Global Realities and Regional Challenges”. Regional leaders then focused on three themes in the following panels. SG Insulza presented the opening remarks in the first session on “Cooperating in Times of Crisis: Crisis Prevention and Mediation”. He also intervened as a discussant in the other two panels on “Cooperating in times of crisis: crisis management and implementation of agreements” and “New avenues for cooperation”
Along with SG Insulza, participants in the High Level Retreat included the heads of the African Union Commission (AU), Caribbean Community, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), European Commission (EC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), League of Arab States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIF), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). SG Insulza met bilaterally with the UN Secretary General and with the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Mr. Marc Perrin de Brichambaut and agreed to follow up with the latter for intensified institutional cooperation during 2010.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe