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BELIZE ELECTED TO HEAD HEMISPHERIC MANAGEMENT BOARD

  October 23, 2002

Belize was elected today to chair the Management Board of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD), the technical cooperation arm of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Ambassador Lisa M. Shoman, the Belizean Permanent Representative to the OAS, was elected as Chair, as the tenth meeting of the IACD Management Board got underway at OAS Headquarters. Ambassador Marco Naslausky, Director General of the Brazilian Agency for International Cooperation, was elected as Vice Chair.

Delegates to the two-day meeting are considering a wide-ranging agenda that includes a report on the follow-up strategy for the Monterrey Conference, where last April industrialized nations pledged to contribute more to spur development in the developing and underdeveloped countries. The delegates will also consider reports on the best practices initiative and how to strengthen FEMCIDI, the fund that provides grant for projects in member states.

The Management Board is expected to wrap up its proceedings Thursday, after considering a number of progress reports on the Agency's activities as well as financial reports, along with new, forward looking policy documents of the Agency.

L. Ronald Scheman is the Director General of the IACD, which was established in 1999 as a subsidiary organ of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI). The purpose of the IACD is to promote, coordinate, manage, and facilitate the planning and execution of programs and projects in OAS member countries.

Reference: E-213/02