News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Tues. June 7, 2011: El Salvador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugo Martínez, is the new President of the forty-first regular session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, (OAS).
Martínez was elected Monday by acclamation at the first plenary session held in the International Convention Center in the Salvadoran capital after the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Patricia Espinosa nominated him, with Guatemala seconding the motion.
Prior to his election, the Provisional Presidency of the Assembly had been held by Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the Guyanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had been elected according to the order of precedence stipulated in the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly.
She wished the newly elected president “every success in his endeavors.”
Foreign Minister Martínez addressed the representatives of the member states, saying it was a great honor to welcome them to El Salvador and thanking them deeply for electing him president of the Assembly. In particular, he thanked his colleagues from Mexico and Guatemala for nominating him for the position.
The Salvadorean minister stated his “commitment to doing my utmost to meet your expectations and ensure positive results from this Assembly.”
At the first plenary session, with the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, in attendance, the delegations adopted the agenda for the two-day meeting and installed the General Committee, which will be presided over by the Permanent Representative of Grenada to the OAS and current Chair of the Permanent Council of the Organization, Ambassador Gillian Bristol.
