[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9420 of April 8, 2016

Pan American Day and Pan American Week, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

A decade before the turn of the 19th century, representatives of
countries from across the Western Hemisphere formed what would become
the Organization of American States, striving to ensure peace and
democracy through unity and cooperation among our nations. As we mark
126 years since its founding, we also celebrate the 15th anniversary of
the Inter-American Democratic Charter--a declaration of our belief in
democracy as the common form of government for all countries in our
hemisphere. On Pan American Day and during Pan American Week, we reflect
on the progress our countries have made together, and we recommit to
reaching for a brighter day for all our peoples.
Throughout our hemisphere, increased integration has generated greater
growth and prosperity. Since I took office, exports and imports between
the United States and the rest of the hemisphere have increased by more
than 50 percent. We are involved in more trade and economic partnerships
that reduce poverty, spur opportunity, and empower young people with the
skills and job training they need to compete in the global economy. Our
nations have partnered to develop clean, affordable, and reliable energy
sources and ensure all countries have open access to data to combat
climate change--a reality that threatens all our peoples and that we
addressed in Paris late last year, when the world came together to
negotiate the most ambitious climate agreement in history.
The nations of the Americas have made tremendous progress on important
issues, and our work remains rooted in the bonds of friendship and
family between our peoples. For too long, the United States and Cuba
remained isolated, and while our governments will continue to have areas
of disagreement, our people have long shared common values and ideals.
That is why we reestablished diplomatic relations between our
countries--for the first time in over 50 years, the American flag flies
above our reopened embassy in Havana; and I recently visited

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our neighbor 90 miles to the South, becoming the first United States
President to do so in nearly nine decades. By extending a new hand of
friendship to the Cuban people, we mark the beginning of a relationship
that will offer fresh hope for both our futures and improve the lives of
those living in both our countries. Following my trip to Cuba, I visited
Argentina, which has begun advancing ambitious reforms to spur economic
growth and has pledged to help address important global challenges, such
as peacekeeping and the Syrian refugee crisis.
Across the board, the United States has deepened our engagement in the
Americas. We initiated the 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative to
encourage more exchanges between our hemisphere's students. Last year, I
launched the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, which will
address opportunity gaps that persist for too many of our neighboring
nations' youth by empowering them with the tools and resources they need
to reach their full potential. Just as our countries must foster hope
and prosperity, we must also address serious challenges. We will
continue defending and strengthening civil society, because when all our
people have a voice in shaping the future of our hemisphere, we all do
better. The United States is working with Colombia to reduce violence
and achieve peace, as we do throughout Central America. We will also
keep coordinating with the nations of the Americas to prevent, detect,
and respond to the spread of Zika. And later this year, I look forward
to joining other leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum
in Peru for the next Economic Leaders' meeting.
Millions of people in the United States are tied to the rest of the
countries in our hemisphere through commerce and family. We are more
than just nations--we are neighbors, bound in common cause and
possibility not by our leaders, but by the citizens of the Americas and
the interests we share. Let us move forward, as one people, in a spirit
of unity and cooperation. Together, we can reach a future in which every
young person--from Argentina to Alaska--knows peace, dignity, and
opportunity, and can embark on paths that stretch beyond their
neighborhood and into the wider Western Hemisphere and the entire world.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 14, 2016, as Pan
American Day and April 10 through April 16, 2016, as Pan American Week.
I urge the Governors of the 50 States, the Governor of the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, and the officials of the other areas under the flag of
the United States of America to honor these observances with appropriate
ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of
April, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA