Five months since the passing of former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, the vacant position of Secretary General to the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) has finally been filled after Protempo Chairman, President Bharrat Jagdeo, installed Columbia’s Maria Emma Majia Velez. The installation ceremony, held at State House yesterday, was witnessed by Foreign Ministers of Columbia, Venezuela and other representatives of UNASUR member states and their local counterparts, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, and members of the Cabinet.
The new Secretary General will be serving a 12-month tenure before handing over the mantle to her successor, Ali Rodriguez of Venezuela, who will complete the second year.
During the process of appointing a new Secretary General, the Republic of Columbia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela both submitted the aforementioned nominees.
In March this year, the Council of Ministers of UNASUR met in Quito where a consensus was reached on the submission of a proposal for the sharing of the two-year Secretary General position.
The proposal was ratified by heads of states and governments where it was submitted.
In her acceptance speech, the new Secretary General unveiled some duties that she has already set out, many of which she said have already made significant headway.
Among them is the security and defence council meeting which will be entering its fourth ministerial summit to reappraise its action plan and reaffirm the constituting values of South America as a zone of peace.

She added that the recent signing of a declaration one month ago to consolidate a solid, regional electrical integration process will be encouraging, and acknowledged the crucial role UNASUR will need to play in addressing environmental issues, given its prestigious biodiversity resources.
President Jagdeo, who assumed the chairmanship of UNASUR in November last year, however, added on the list of the new Secretary General’s duties the task of forging a South American entity strong enough to give the continent a key role to play in the future.
“If we have a South American entity, we can champion the cause for Security Council reform in the United Nations and get a South American country as a permanent member of the Security Council, because we in South America often have a different perspective on conflicts and wars,” President Jagdeo said.
The UNASUR Chairman is also convinced that South American leadership on the climate change debate can also be successfully achieved, given the lukewarm attitude of the developed world and the shortcomings of the Copenhagen accord.
“If South America does not play a leadership role, and we do not get the world, particularly the developed world, to live up to their responsibilities, we are heading for catastrophe and the forest of which we are proud, the Amazon, which most of our countries have, could disappear,” President Jagdeo said.
The installation of a new Secretary General to UNASUR was hailed by the Guyanese Head of State as timely, given the task at hand to ensure the coordination of activities and the strengthening of the organisation’s capacity to service the work of the several councils and working groups.
President Jagdeo recalled his address at the fourth regular Summit of UNASUR, where he urged the councils and working groups to expedite the process of offering recommendations that can be implemented in the interest of the people of South America.

“It is my hope that we can utilize our human and financial resources wisely, eliminate bureaucratic procedures and work towards practical and implementable outcomes to improve the lives of the peoples of the South American continent,” President Jagdeo recalled.
President Jagdeo was represented at a meeting in Brazilia organized by former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso that gave birth to the idea of UNASUR, and was proud that he is ending his tenure as chairman of the body.  
Guyana is the smallest and only English-speaking country in South America to hold the Chairmanship of UNASUR, maintaining a regional diplomacy that is stronger now than at any other point in its history.(GINA)