The hemispheric legacy of João Clemente Baena Soares

Mr. Chair,

Dear colleagues,

Mr. Secretary General and Mr. Assistant Secretary General,

Family and friends of Ambassador Baena;

Distinguished panelists,

It is an honor for our delegation to join in a heartfelt tribute to the memory, and celebration of the life, of Ambassador João Clemente Baena Soares, a titan of inter-American diplomacy.

We thank the Permanent Mission of Brazil for the initiative of proposing this meeting to consider the legacy of the illustrious former Secretary General, in whom we recognize exemplary professional and personal qualities as well as a historic commitment to the inter-American community and system.

The Dominican Republic honors the efforts to keep alive the memory of the great contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution of this hemispheric Organization, as did former Secretary General João Clemente Baena Soares.

In the former Secretary General we recognize a skillful, capable and committed public servant of the Americas, with a long and intense career in diplomacy marked by discretion, patience and prudence, and with influence on many areas and issues of the Organization.

At every opportunity he used his negotiating skills and shrewdness to put an end to attacks on the principles of our Organization and of other multilateral forums.

Ambassador Baena Soares took charge of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States at a critical period in the history of the Americas. It was a time marked by authoritarian regimes, human rights violations and armed conflicts. In that setting his leadership stood out as a beacon of prudence, of patience and, above all, of commitment to democratic ideals.

With strategic skill and unmatched political insight, Ambassador Baena Soares became a catalyst for the transition from despotic regimes to more inclusive and just democracies. At every opportunity he used his negotiating skills and shrewdness to put an end to those departures from the principles of our Organization and of other multilateral forums.

He was a key actor in the peace processes in Central America, working in close collaboration with the United Nations and with nations of strong democratic tradition to end the conflicts in that region.

His influence was decisive in the negotiations that culminated in the Esquipulas accords and others, which changed the course of history in Central America.

His vision of electoral processes and democracy was, and remains, a model to follow. It was under his mandate that the OAS Charter was reformed to give the General Secretariat greater powers in the promotion and defense of democracy.

That was a crucial step that laid the foundations for Resolution 1080 and other instruments that eventually culminated in the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The electoral observation missions as we know them today, moreover, unmistakably bear the stamp of his time at the General Secretariat.

But his legacy is not confined to the promotion of democracy. He was also a pioneer in the field of integral and sustainable development, promoting the 1993 Protocol of amendments to the Charter, a key instrument for the eradication of poverty in our region.

He was a fervent defender of integration and multilateralism; under his leadership several Caribbean States and Canada joined the OAS, thereby strengthening hemispheric cohesion.

The Dominican Republic, which has benefited from these mechanisms in its own democratic transition since 1978, bows with respect and gratitude before this monumental legacy.

We remain committed to defending and strengthening these mechanisms, which have been fundamental not only for our nation but for the entire Hemisphere.

We are pleased that a room of the OAS bears his name as a lasting reminder of his contribution to our community of nations. The dedication of the room to his memory will remind all who set foot in these premises of his legacy, which serves as an inspiration and an example of vocation for service, professionalism, rectitude and values.

In sum, the life and work of Ambassador João Baena Soares bear eloquent witness to what it means to serve with integrity, professionalism and an unbreakable commitment to democratic and humanist ideals.

His legacy is a source of inspiration for us all, and his name is already, deservedly, engraved in the annals of history.

It falls to us, the present and future generations, to emulate his example and continue his work.

Thank you very much.