IYc at the 54th Organization of American States Summit

Every year, leaders, delegates from American nations, and members of civil society gather in a capital city of the continent to discuss issues that advance the current regional agenda. This year, the meeting was held in Asunción, Paraguay, where hundreds of representatives came together to discuss the theme of Integration and Security for Sustainable Development in the Region.

The Surprise

The big surprise was Argentina, led by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Diana Mondino, who spearheaded negotiations championing pro-life and pro-family issues. They set an unprecedented example for the nation under the new government of Javier Milei, emerging as a regional ally in the defense of traditional values.

I will call them brave for standing firm in closed-door negotiations against countries attempting to impose a gender and pro-abortion agenda on a relatively new foreign minister. One of Argentina's achievements was introducing a crucial paragraph prohibiting the sale of children, which countries like Canada and Colombia surprisingly opposed. Another victory for Argentina was changing the term 'Sexual and Reproductive Health' to 'Comprehensive Health,' and their third achievement at the OAS was replacing 'Gender Perspective' with 'Vulnerability Perspective.'

Argentina demonstrated that when a nation commits to defending values such as life and family and resists pressures, it can make progress in a hostile environment and attempt to redirect the agenda towards one that advances the real interests of our region: the defense of life, children, and family.

Diana Elena Mondino is an Argentine economist and politician. Since December 10, 2023, she has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Argentina.

The Role of Youth

During the summit, it was very gratifying to see how dozens of pro-life young people made efforts to attend and contribute to the negotiations. Young people from Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Mexico gathered at the event to be a voice for the defense of our values at the Conmebol Convention Center, where the negotiations took place. Many of us decided to introduce ourselves to ambassadors, delegates, and even the President of Paraguay, making our presence felt throughout the venue: showing that it is possible and that there are young people who defend life and traditional values that are so important in our time.

Álvaro Rodas, a young Peruvian who attended the summit as part of a pro-life coalition, reflects:

"On one hand, the challenges in defending life and family are increasing as the influence of the Core Group lobby grows with economic power in several Central American countries. On the other hand, Argentina and Paraguay present an optimistic outlook as they have made it clear that they will not easily pass gender policies. Meeting so many young people from the Americas who share the fight for comprehensive rights for all fills me with enthusiasm and has awakened in me the desire not to wait until the next assembly to take action, but to dream and undertake more efforts that highlight the participation of young people."

Dialogues with the Civil Society

To conclude, I would like to highlight a few more acts of bravery. On the summit's first day, dialogues with civil society took place. Hundreds of social actors gathered at the Paraguayan Olympic Committee headquarters to be heard by the OAS Secretary-General, Luis Almagro, and foreign ministers from each country in the Americas.

Despite the removal of five pro-life and pro-family coalitions, several civil society representatives were able to advocate for the defense of life from conception to natural death. Maria Elena Martínez, from the Guadalupe Life and Family Center coalition, mentioned the concerning fact that the negotiation document had 54 references to gender and only four references to poverty in a continent where more than 400 million people live in precarious conditions.

In an environment filled with LGBT and feminist activists, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Paraguay, Victor Verdún, made an audacious statement:

"We reiterate the principle enshrined in our National Constitution that establishes that the right to life is inherent to the human person, guaranteeing its protection from conception."

Here’s the full intervention in Spanish:

Thank you, Deputy Foreign Minister, for being our voice and for helping us restore hope in an OAS that tries to silence us!

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