E-220-01 November 1,  2001   OAS CALLS FOR ACTION TO DEAL WITH SOCIO-ECONOMIC  CONSEQUENCES OF TERRORIST ATTACKS   The Organization of American States (OAS) has called for more intensive action to deal with the socio-economic impact of the recent terrorist attacks on the United States.  Eight specific steps to accomplish this were identified in a resolution adopted at a five-hour special session of the Permanent Council on October 31, which heard from Secretary General Cesar Gaviria and Inter-American Development Bank President Enrique Iglesias.   The resolution, presented to the Council by Ambassador Joshua Sears of the Bahamas on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), provides a framework in which the inter-American system can organize responses in areas as diverse as tourism, the management of public records, and financial flows. These socio-economic measures will complement the anti-terrorism measures already underway in the hemisphere since September 11.  Among the steps identified is a call for the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD) to present proposals and implement measures to improve social and economic conditions, reduce poverty, and provide quality education throughout the Americas.  Inter-American agencies are also asked to facilitate the economic recovery of member states, and factor into their programs the needs of, and conditions in, smaller, more vulnerable states.  The meeting drew the participation of twenty-eight Ambassadors to the Organization who provided information about the sharp drops in economic activity and government revenues, with damaging consequences for employment and living standards throughout the hemisphere, with particular repercussions for the small countries of the Caribbean and Central America, which have particularly intense relationships with the United States.   **********