OAS works to empower the poor

The Organization of American States (OAS), led by its Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, held their Ninth Policy Roundtable and Report Launch: a discussion on “Making the Law Work for Everyone.” Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State of the United States, began the discussion. She said that the majority of the world’s people are unable to use the law correctly; there are approximately four billion people worldwide that are outside the system in which law can work for them. Because of this, Albright explained that a vicious cycle is created that makes it even harder for poor people to escape poverty.

The Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor is an independent commission hosted by the United Nations Development Programme and has many influential members such as Albright, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Anthony Kennedy, and Ambassador Roberto Alvarez. All three agreed upon the need to form a law which helps and protects everyone without discrimination. They also stressed that the commission needs to broaden its scope, focusing on four pillars: access to justice and the rule of law, property rights, labour rights, and business rights.

Kennedy explained how countries need to bond together as a region and take a common interest in fixing the law. He said that those in poverty view the law as a foe rather than a friend, and if the law does not accommodate their needs, they will go around it to make ends meet. Kennedy said that this view needs to be changed and that a legal system which is not corrupt needs to be created.

Alvarez agreed with Kennedy and said that corruption is the key obstacle when looking at poverty. He explained that the commission’s historical mission cannot be living in freedom with hunger, without education, and without healthcare. More possibilities need to be considered, education must be stressed, and more resources for the poor need to be created.