Argentine Ambassador to deliver ESMOAS keynote address at Texas State

Ambassador Paula Bertol

Paula Bertol, Argentina’s ambassador to the Organization of American States, will serve as the keynote speaker to the Eugene Scassa Mock Organization of American States (ESMOAS) international collegiate student competition, hosted by the Department of Political Science at Texas State University Nov. 1-3.  

Bertol will deliver her address during the awards gala at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3.

Ambassador Bertol currently serves as the permanent representative of Argentina to the Organization of American States.  Previously, Bertol served as a national deputy and secretary of parliamentary relations and administration of the cabinet office of ministers in Argentina. She has served as vice president of the World Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption. Additionally, she is a member of the International Forum for Women, and has served in multiple positions for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, including legislator and national deputy.

Ambassador Eugene Scassa

In order to educate university students on issues related to the Americas, Ambassador Eugene Scassa began the ESMOAS (then called the San Antonio Model OAS) in 1995. Ambassador Scassa served as the Ambassador-in-Residence at Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio from 1994-2000 and 2006-2012, following a distinctive career in the U.S. Foreign Service under the Department of State. 

The ESMOAS competition will also hold a moot court competition for student participants. Featuring a hypothetical case in front of the Inter-American Court on Human Rights, students will argue complex points in front of trained judges in this simulated appellate court. Moot court teams consist of two members, one acting on behalf of the petitioner and the other arguing on behalf of the state. 

In addition to the student competitions, the ESMOAS program features an academic conference. The theme for this year’s conference is “International Relations and the Future of the Global Community,” including papers on topics ranging from migration and immigration in the Americas to the political power of architecture, arts and public space.

Most events are open to the public, but the opening rounds of the moot court competition are closed. For more information, or to obtain award gala tickets, contact Ben Arnold, senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, at ca17@txstate.edu.