april press release banner.GIF (28732 bytes)

(E-090/00)
April 27, 2000
 

 

COMBATING POVERTY WILL BE A PRIORITY OF THE
INTER-AMERICAN AGENCY FOR COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

 

The Management Board of the new Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) held its first meeting under the leadership of Ronald Scheman, with a call to redouble efforts to combat poverty in the Hemisphere and fulfill the mandates of the Summit of the Americas.

The Inter-American Agency, the only one among the international entities of its kind that respond to a Management Board and not a political body, was created in January of this year with the objective of formulating strategies to attract external resources and promote the development of the OAS member states.

The Secretary General of the OAS, Cesar Gaviria, maintained that the implementation of the Inter-American Agency "will make it possible to find concrete methods to address, on a priority basis, the cooperation needs of those countries that most need it and where its impact would be greatest.

Ronald Scheman, appointed by the Secretary General as its first Director General, affirmed that the principal challenge that must be confronted by the countries of the region is to improve the levels of education. "Education is one of our most critical objectives. Good government requires comes from an educated citizenry. Competitiveness comes from an educated citizenry. Accountability comes from an educated citizenry, and the defeat of poverty will come from education, maintained the high level official.

Besides affirming that the most important resources of any nation are the brains and hands of its people, Mr. Scheman pledged the efforts of the Agency to assist the countries in improving the quality of education. He also emphasized the need to develop programs in the age of the Internet and computer revolution, adding that "it will be our priority to assist the governments to expand their capabilities in order to enter the new world of technology".

 

 

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