A summit of challenging horizons.

• Position: Summit of the Americas

On January 10 OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria addressed a distinguished audience at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C., on the future of the Americas. "The future of the hemisphere started almost exactly one month ago as the Summit of the Americas completed its work in Miami," stated Gaviria. "This was not a meeting out of which a `Marshall Plan' or another `Alliance for Progress' was launched," he continued. "The Miami Summit tore down the wall that separated the North from the South of the hemisphere and closed a dangerous and fearsome chapter in our history. In the past, our collective action was motivated by fear. Today, enlightened self-interest commands us to draw from our shared values to confront our common challenges."

The OAS leader went on to discuss the importance of an effective and relevant inter-American system, without which "the nations of the hemisphere will not be able to promote and perpetuate the hold of democracy." He emphasized that a revitalized OAS could exercise a great deal of positive influence in international events.

One of the concrete results of the Summit of the Americas was the commitment by all of the elected heads of state and government of the Americas to the Declaration of Principles, a plan of action outlining a "partnership for development and prosperity, democracy, free trade, and sustainable development" in the Americas. This document specifies the following areas as ones in which the OAS will have a paramount role:

* strengthening democracy * promoting and protecting human...