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MORE NEEDED FOR REGION’S POOR—OAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL

The Organization of American States’ (OAS) Assistant Secretary General, Albert R. Ramdin, speaking in Honduras at the weekend, renewed the call for stronger public policies and more investment to boost education and job opportunities and provide basic amenities for the hemisphere’s most disadvantaged citizens.

“It is high time that we collectively change course and start with public policies to strengthen the hands of these Americans,” the Assistant Secretary General argued, pointing to the “stark reality” facing some 230 million of the region’s citizens.

Ambassador Ramdin, who is also Vice Chairman of the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), made the statement in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, at a public-private sector forum convened by the PADF Board of Trustees. Honduran President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales also addressed the meeting, where ministers of the government, other political leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, and PADF trustees and officials were also on hand.

According to the Assistant Secretary General, while democracy, the rule of law and human rights are “critical elements in building peaceful societies and sustainable economies,” they cannot be sufficient in and of themselves. “In the end, our goals should be to visibly improve the lives of the people of the Americas,” he added, asserting that growth without equity is not sustainable but would ultimately undermine the quality of democracy and the ability to govern.

Ramdin also repeated the call for a new development paradigm “that is more pragmatic; has the human being at its core; and is accepted as a shared responsibility of not only the elected Government, but also requires the support from the business community and civil society organizations.” He also cited the need for a more solid strategy to tap the potential of youth across the hemisphere: “Any investment in youth is a strategic investment in the future of that country.”

The remarks by Ramdin came against the backdrop of an agreement signed during the Board of Trustees meeting between the OAS-affiliated PADF and the American Chamber of Commerce to implement the Disaster Management Alliance and other corporate-sponsored development projects in Honduras. PADF Executive Director John Sanbrailo signed alongside the Chamber of Commerce’s Roberto Alvarez, with President Zelaya and Ambassador Ramdin signing as witnesses.

Ramdin also spoke about the upcoming 37th regular session of the OAS General Assembly, slated for early June in Panama City, saying it provides a unique opportunity for government representatives, private sector and civil society leaders of the Western Hemisphere to reflect on a variety of key issues, “especially in the context of the main theme of the General Assembly Energy for Sustainable Development.”

Reference: E-113/07