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OAS Assistant Secretary General Visits Guatemala

The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert Ramdin, held conversations last week with high-level authorities of the new government of Guatemala and private sector representatives, in the framework of the launching of the Central American country’s Economic and Social Council.

During his visit, the Assistant Secretary General met with President Otto Pérez Molina, who thanked the support of the OAS for his government’s efforts to strengthen democratic institutions.

President Pérez Molina communicated the vision of the new government and the need for the collaboration of the OAS in the three axes of his government proposal, which include security, peace, and justice; social development; and economic development. The Assistant Secretary General reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to focus its collaboration in accordance with these priorities, and he highlighted the programs directed to support national efforts in confronting insecurity, organized crime and poverty.

As part of his visit, the Assistant Secretary General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Harold Caballeros, signed an amendment to a cooperation agreement for the donation of four firearms marking machines. This donation was made in response to a request for additional equipment made by the Government of Guatemala to the OAS.

“Through this and other initiatives in the area of security, the OAS contributes to strengthen the capacity of the Member States to respond to the growing levels of crime and violence generated by firearms trafficking,” said the Assistant Secretary General.

Members of the private sector grouped in CACIF, Fundesa and CEAL also held a dialogue with the Assistant Secretary General, who said that “during this visit we have found great optimism about the future of the country. This optimism is necessary and hopeful because, in the face of the important challenges facing Guatemala, we need for the entire society to walk in the same direction.”

The high-level OAS official added that he has a positive vision of the recent approval by Congress of the establishment of the Economic and Social Council, in which participate entrepreneurs, the labor sector and cooperatives. Upon adding that social issues are of paramount importance, the Assistant Secretary General also congratulated the recent creation of the Ministry of Social Development. “The OAS, through its Inter-American Social Protection Network, will be able to support this new Ministry with training, the exchange of successful experiences in other countries, and the strengthening of public policies in this area,” he said.

The Assistant Secretary General thanked the offer by the government of Guatemala to host the OAS General Assembly in 2013, and announced that the Member States will make a decision during the next General Assembly, to be held in June in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-035/12