Jagdeo urges UNASUR member states to remove hindrances to free movement

President Bharrat Jagdeo on Monday, May 9, urged officials of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to remove hindrances to free movement, and communication barriers which isolate member states.

The president was speaking at the installation ceremony of newly- appointed UNASUR Secretary General Maria Emma Mejia Velez.

President Jagdeo, in his capacity as chairman of UNASUR, presented Mejia with the instrument of appointment at a State House ceremony.

Velez is a former foreign affairs minister of Colombia, and has served in several ministerial and ambassadorial postings in the Colombian government.

She is also a trained journalist who has worked with the BBC World Service.

In his address, Jagdeo reiterated his call for the South American body to move quickly from general discussions to actually making recommendations that are implementable in the interest of its people.

Improving lives

“The appointment of a new secretary general is therefore a very timely one, given the task at hand to ensure the coordination of activities and strengthening the organisation’s capacity to service the work of several councils and working groups,” the UNASUR chairman said.

President Jagdeo expressed hope that the organisation will utilise its financial and human resources wisely to eliminate bureaucratic procedures, and work towards practical, implementable outcomes to improve lives in the South American continent.

Velez Mejia’s appointment comes at a time when the various integration bodies in the region are forced to keep step with the fast changing patterns in the world’s environment. The head of state mentioned that UNASUR must keep pace with these changes, and ensure that the final plan of action is adequate enough to support the organisation’s mandate.

President Jagdeo expressed hope that much more use will be made of available technology to conduct the bloc’s work programme. He also acknowledged that there is much more to be done to lower the language barrier.

He said this goal should remain as one of the body’s top priorities.

The UNASUR chairman pointed out that a major building block to integration is the free movement of people in and amongst the countries involved. The member states of UNASUR have agreed to expedite putting into force the agreement to facilitate the movement of people without Visas and the need to carry passports. While the agreement would allow for the retention of the passport requirement as a preference for some countries, general forms of identification would be acceptable, the head of state said.

Coupled with free movement is the opportunity for people to work and establish businesses.” He mentioned that member states should ensure that social security and healthcare systems are prepared to accommodate this as enshrined in the treaty. “I believe that the Union of South American Nations and the Caribbean community can find common areas on which they can collaborate and we should encourage this. Beyond that is the real prospect for Guyana and Suriname to use their critical links on the continent to provide access to market for both the Caribbean and South America.

The president also spoke of combating climate change, the impact of the global financial crisis, and drug-related crimes, which he listed as priorities on UNASUR’s agenda.

He related that if the organisation had served no other purpose but breaking down the language and communication barriers between countries, it had justified its existence.

“Even among those countries which speak Spanish, there was such alienation among the leaders there was no contact between them. They knew of each other, but never had a chance to interact and work with each other.” Jagdeo boasts that South American leaders can today pick up the telephone and call each other and have a common purpose, which has immensely reduced tensions.

Meanwhile, in accepting the appointment, Velez Mejia pledged her organisation’s full support towards reducing the language barrier. “A year ago, it was impossible to have the minister of foreign affairs from Colombia sitting next to the minister of foreign affairs of Venezuela interpreting your speech, Mr President,” Velez said amidst loud applause.

The secretary general post will be shared between Velez and former Venezuelan Minister Ali Rodriguez. Velez said the shared secretary generalship between Colombia and Venezuela is a tangible political statement of the organisation’s commitment to work together.