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REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS PUT DEVELOPMENT CENTER STAGE AT OAS FORUM

Anti-poverty measures and other strategic initiatives to advance development in the Americas were at center stage at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington today, as regional development experts considered how to more effectively ensure that the benefits of democracy can be brought to the majority of the hemisphere’s citizens.

The leaders of key regional institutions highlighted what is being done to promote development at the respective regional and subregional levels. Represented were the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

Ambassador Ellsworth John of St. Vincent and the Grenadines opened the joint meeting of the OAS Permanent Council and the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI), expressing concern about the gap between rich and poor. “There is a growing sense that a market economy with monetary stability, fiscal equilibrium and privatization is not delivering equitable benefits for all, and seems to aggravate the situation for those persons already living in poverty,” said Ambassador John, the Permanent Council Chairman, adding that the OAS can provide focused cooperation assistance for member states to tackle this problem. John also stressed the importance of public/private partnership especially in skills training and job creation.

In welcoming the presenters, Secretary General José Miguel Insulza talked about the Millennium Development Goals, calling for some adjustment to meet the needs of the hemisphere’s nations and to better determine progress being made in combating poverty. He emphasized that good and effective public policies are vital to achieving development targets already identified, but he spoke as well about the need to tackle racial and social discrimination, which he said has driven much of the poverty that besets the region.

IDB Executive Vice President Ciro de Falco noted that the region has seen good economic progress on the whole, but added that it needs to address social issues without reverting to the failed policies of the past, taking advantage of the benefits of globalization, science and technology, and agroindustry, among other strategies. For his part, the President of the CAF, L. Enrique García, outlined his organization’s programs to advance competitivity and integration among member countries.

Harry Brautigam, Executive President of the 43-year-old Central American Economic Integration Bank, accentuated increased productivity in the subregion, but argued for stronger political commitment to removing some of the obstacles to realizing necessary economic transformation. He argued for a multidimensional approach to development in the region, such as the need to reduce Central America’s dependency on imported oil and to focus on developing new and renewable energy resources.

Caribbean Development Bank President Compton Bourne said the Caribbean region’s human resource base needs renewing and expanding. He stressed the need to foster inclusive social development, promote good governance, and foster regional cooperation and integration as well as environmental sustainability and disaster risk management and reduction. Meanwhile, CTO General Secretary Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, stressing tourism as the number one economic activity in the Caribbean, highlighted the partnership with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association to promote regional tourism as a single brand. He explained the approach in viewing tourism as everyone’s business, since it influences almost every area of activity in the countries. He also noted that the CTO is about to sign a memorandum of understanding with the OAS pertaining to training and development for the Caribbean tourism industry.

CEPCIDI Vice Chair Margarita Riva-Geoghegan of the US delegation, thanked the presenters for their contributions to the discussion on regional development issues, while OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin focused his closing remarks on the need for more synergy as a way of pushing regional development, without duplication of effort.

Reference: E-090/06