Conference
Supranational democracy: decision construction within CPLP
Hélder
Vaz, General-Director, Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries
Comments: Boaventura
de Sousa Santos
January 9th, 2009, 14h30, CES Seminar Room
Organization: Doctoral Programmes “Democracy in the Twenty-First Century” and "Postcolonialisms and Global Citizenship”
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Presentation
Whilst Portugal holds the biannual Presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), this seminar aims to reflect upon this institution’s governance, and to understand in what manner are decisions taken by the different organs belonging to it.
Today, as summarized by the penultimate CPLP Executive Secretary, Ambassador Luís Fonseca, CPLP is prioritly an “instrument of bondage and cohesion of its countries that, without geographical contiguity, share, besides an historical past and a cultural affinity centred on the Portuguese language, a vision of a pluralist world and the struggle for a project of larger balance of the international scene, aspiring for development and eradication of poverty”.
In spite of the exiguity of resources it disposes of, CPLP’s vitality reflects itself in the defense of Democracy and in the high number of joint measures that the member-States have adopted in order to harmonize policies, activate common proceedings and cooperate in fields as important as Justice, Education, Armed Forces, Environment and Migrations, among others.
Whilst Portugal holds the biannual Presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), this seminar aims to reflect upon this institution’s governance, and to understand in what manner are decisions taken by the different organs belonging to it.
Today, as summarized by the penultimate CPLP Executive Secretary, Ambassador Luís Fonseca, CPLP is prioritly an “instrument of bondage and cohesion of its countries that, without geographical contiguity, share, besides an historical past and a cultural affinity centred on the Portuguese language, a vision of a pluralist world and the struggle for a project of larger balance of the international scene, aspiring for development and eradication of poverty”.
In spite of the exiguity of resources it disposes of, CPLP’s vitality reflects itself in the defense of Democracy and in the high number of joint measures that the member-States have adopted in order to harmonize policies, activate common proceedings and cooperate in fields as important as Justice, Education, Armed Forces, Environment and Migrations, among others.
Biographic Note
Born
in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Helder Vaz degreed in philosophy at the
Portuguese Catholic University. Attended the Masters in
Administration and Public Managing at Albany-SUNY University. Between
1993 and 2004 was adviser of several entities, namely the United
Nations Programme for Development, USAID, TIPS (Trade and Investment
Project support) and Grupo Águas de Portugal (1994-2004) and Minister
of Economy and Regional Development (2000-2001);
Between 1987 and 1992 was Director of the Bureau for Studies and Planning, CENFIC, Portugal, having during the same period, performed the function of Advanced Trainer fro Business Owners, Managers and local government officials in the areas of Strategic Planning and access to Community Funds. Between 1999 and 2004 was President of a political party in Guinea-Bissau, having been General-Secretary of the same party between 1991-1996.
From 2004 till 2007 was Senior Advisor and Coordinator of the Department of International Relations of UCCLA (Luso-Afro-American-Asian Capital Cities Union). Represented UCCLA at the Economic and social Board of the United Nations and at the UN Regional Economic commissions for Africa, Latin-America, Asia and the Pacific and Europe, from 2005 till 2007.
Between 1987 and 1992 was Director of the Bureau for Studies and Planning, CENFIC, Portugal, having during the same period, performed the function of Advanced Trainer fro Business Owners, Managers and local government officials in the areas of Strategic Planning and access to Community Funds. Between 1999 and 2004 was President of a political party in Guinea-Bissau, having been General-Secretary of the same party between 1991-1996.
From 2004 till 2007 was Senior Advisor and Coordinator of the Department of International Relations of UCCLA (Luso-Afro-American-Asian Capital Cities Union). Represented UCCLA at the Economic and social Board of the United Nations and at the UN Regional Economic commissions for Africa, Latin-America, Asia and the Pacific and Europe, from 2005 till 2007.