By Odeen IshmaelOn October 29, 2011, the Government of Guyana,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, after holding the annual rotating position of pro-temporeOdeen Ishmaelchair of UNASUR since November 26, 2010, handed over the gavel to Paraguay at the fifth meeting of the Council of Heads of State and Government held in Asuncion, the Paraguayan capital. During the year of Guyana’s chairmanship, the South American bloc made some strident advances in institutional building while continuing to make headway in gaining a firmer foothold on the world stage.Significantly, Guyana in its chairing role, had earlier last year made a formal application for UNAUR to attain Observer Status at the UN General Assembly. This application was subsequently approved on October 22 by the General Assembly after the committee of judicial affairs unanimously approved the request. The new status now places UNASUR’s future engagement with the UN on a firm and sustainable footing allowing for an enhanced profile of the South American integration movement in the international community.Actually, UNASUR had already started implementing actions in that direction. It should be noted that the organisation, in propagating South-South cooperation, has institutionalised, over the past five years, joint summits and ministerials with the African Union and the Arab League. Such close links with the African and Arab nations have since resulted in improving political understanding and cooperation. They have also led to a higher flow of exports to these areas from South America, with Brazil and Argentina being the main beneficiaries.And more recently, on November 28-30, the first joint meeting of education ministers of UNASUR and the Arab League was held in Kuwait and adopted a plan to work together to provide scholarships and promote science and technical and language training in the two regions.During Guyana’s one-year stewardship, there were also significant institutional advances within the South American bloc. On March 11, 2011, the foreign ministers met in Quito to celebrate the entry into force of the UNASUR constitutive treaty and discuss the appointment of a secretary-general. For this post, it will be recalled that two nominees (from Colombia and Venezuela) were submitted by their respective countries. To avoid a deadlock, the Foreign Ministers agreed on the sharing of the two-year term by the two candidates, and this proposal was subsequently ratified by the South American presidents. As a result, Columbia’s Maria Emma Majia Velez, a former foreign affairs and education minister,Asics Shoes Cheapest Online, was chosen for the first year; Ali Rodriguez who has held leading posts in the Venezuelan government will take up the position during the second quarter of this year.With this administrative hurdle out of the way, the second meeting of the Council on Social Development and the twenty-ninth meeting of the Council of Delegates were held in Guyana during the period March 24-31.The Council on Social Development reviewed the 2009-2011 action plan adopted by its first meeting in Ecuador back in 2009. This current action plan includes the formulation of guidelines for the establishment of common social development policies among the member states, as well as the creation of technical working groups in the field of social development and the promotion of cooperation in border districts, in the on-going effort to reduce poverty in those areas.The Council of Delegates reviewed the activities of the various administrative Councils and working groups in order to provide guidance to the work being undertaken by these bodies in 2011. This meeting also examined a proposal by Guyana on the organisational structure and budget for the Permanent Secretariat currently being constructed in Quito, Ecuador.These two meetings were followed by the formal installation on May 9 of the secretary general at a ceremony held in Georgetown, Guyana. Since then,Jerseys NBA China, the secretary general has commenced operations at a temporary location provided by the government of Ecuador in Quito.In addition, considerable achievements have been made in the various Councils and working groups in keeping with the mandates of the Council of Heads of State and Government in accordance with the objectives established in the organisation’s constitutive treaty.Among these significant achievements were the conclusion on May 27 in Quito of the agreement for the Centre of Strategic Studies, and the inauguration of the South American Institute on Health on July 25 in Rio de Janeiro.Soon after, a review of the financial and economic aspects of UNASUR was undertaken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Finance and Economy and Governors of Central Banks in Argentina on August 12. Most of the issues discussed related to a mandate