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OAS Assistant Secretary General Calls on Leaders of the Hemisphere to Address the Needs of Youth

The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert R. Ramdin, encouraged leaders of the hemisphere to pay more attention to the needs of youth and provide opportunities to young people because “in many cases, even with an education, young people cannot find employment or opportunities for entrepreneurship,” warning that “if this situation continues, the inter-generational transmission of poverty will remain a dismal reality for many young people and the challenges for peace, security and stability will grow.”

Ambassador Ramdin sent this message through a video presented at the American Preconference being held May 24 to 26 in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, in advance of the World Youth Conference of August 2010. The inter-American event seeks to improve understanding of common issues and solutions pertaining to youth in the hemisphere; share best practices that can help guide domestic approaches; explore ideas to create new strategies for youth contribution to the Millennium Development Goals; and network for mutual support to make an optimal impact and advance the youth agenda.

The American Preconference was organized by the Governments of Mexico and Brazil and its participants include Ministers and Highest Authorities of Youth of the region, as well as representatives of civil society organization and international organizations.

“I believe that the collaborative efforts of this audience, composed of policy-makers and experts cognizant of the challenges and potential of youth, will have a significant impact on the situation of youth in the region,” Ramdin said.

The second topmost OAS official also reiterated the Organization’s commitment to address the global challenges affecting youth of the region. “Starting with the 2008 General Assembly in Medellin, Colombia, OAS Member States declared that the participation of young people in decisions relating to their own development is a right and a responsibility, which makes them necessary actors in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policies,” he said.

Finally, Ramdin emphasized the potential of collaborative regional efforts to create a better future for the youth of the hemisphere. “I believe that we need to pay more attention to providing more cultural exchanges across the Americas, strengthening programs for language instruction, providing job training, educating youth to enter the marketplace, and providing mentoring and internship programs, among other initiatives,” he said.

The complete text of Assistant Secretary General Ramdin’s speech is available here

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

Reference: E-198/10