Dokument #1053753
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
The information that follows was provided
during a 1 June 2000 telephone interview by staff responsible for
public information and visitors at the Office of Institutional and
Citizen Initiatives (Oficina de Iniciativas Ciudadanas e
Institucionales, OICI) of the Congress of Peru.
The legal operational framework of the
Peruvian Congress defines the existence of OICI under its current
name. However, after its operations began expanding and gaining
visibility, approximately in 1996 and 1997, OICI became known as
the Office of Citizen Orientation and Participation (Oficina de
Orientación y Participación Ciudadana, OPC). It
operated under that name until 1999 when, under the congressional
presidency of Marta Hildebrant, it was noted that the name of this
congressional office was legally defined as Office of Institutional
and Citizen Initiatives, so instead of modifying the legal
framework the organization reverted to the name originally defined
in the laws and regulations of Congress.
OICI has been since its inception a
non-partisan office of Congress responsible for facilitating access
to the Peruvian Congress to Peruvians everywhere. The two main
areas of activity of OICI are participation and orientation. Its
mandate and activities have remained largely unchanged over the
years, but the latter have expanded; the most recent additions to
its activities are long-distance courses (cursos a
distancia) and long-distance inquiries and requests service
(consultas a distancia).
The information that follows was found in
Spanish on the Internet Website of OICI, at http://www.congreso.gob.pe/oici/index.htm.
OICI has 11 persons on its staff: one
assistant (auxiliar), one secretary, four "technical"
staff and four "parliamentary specialists" (OICI 11 October
1999)
Through OICI, persons can learn about the
history, operations and members of Congress, request information,
submit opinions on proposed laws, and participate in discussions.
OICI also provides an electronic mail (e-mail) subscription service
to publications produced by other branches of Congress, including
the weekly Congressional Agenda, Síntesis
Informativa, Gaceta del Congreso, Ultimas
Noticias, and invitations to public events (ibid. 23 May
2000).
OICI handles a variety of inquiries and
requests from citizens and organizations addressed to the Congress,
including legislative suggestions, petitions, complaints, memos and
letters, through e-mail, fax and telephone (ibid.).
To orient citizens about the history,
constitution and operations of Congress, OICI provides a Website
with information and links, carries out guided tours, organizes
congressional meetings outside the capital, participates in a radio
program called Punto de Encuentro...con el Congreso
("Meeting Place...with the Congress"), participates in trade shows
and fairs, and produces and distributes information products such
as flyers, guide books and other publications (ibid.).
References to the OICI staff selection
process or to a particular treatment of persons who are selected
and refuse to participate in it could not be found among the
sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of additional sources consulted in researching this
Information Request.
References
Oficina de Iniciativas Ciudadanas e
Institucionales (OICI), Lima. 1 June 2000. Telephone interview with
staff.
OICI: Oficina de Iniciativas
Ciudadanas e Institucionales [Lima]. 9 August 1999-23 May
2000. http://www.congreso.gob.pe/oici/index.htm
[Accessed 31 May 2000]
Additional Sources Consulted
Andean Newsletter [Lima].
1998-Feb. 2000.
IRB Databases.
Latinamerica Press [Lima].
1998-Apr. 2000.
Latinamerican Regional Reports:
Andean Group Report [London]. 1998-Apr. 2000.
REFWORLD.
World News Connection (WNC).
Internet websites and search
engines.
Note:
This list is not exhaustive.
Country-specific books available in the Resource Centre are not
included.