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IN 2006, POVERTY, EDUCATION AND JOB-CREATION ISSUES
WILL TAKE CENTER-STAGE ON OAS AGENDA

The Organization of American States (OAS) will next year devote much greater attention to the key development issues of poverty, education and job creation for the Americas—issues that “need to be on the front-burner of the OAS,” Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin has said.

In a year-end review on OAS Radio’s The Americas Today Ambassador Ramdin, who is in charge of the General Secretariat, looked at developments in the Americas in 2005, describing the year as very hectic for the hemisphere and the international community in general. He said with the new OAS leadership of Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and himself, the focus has been on key political issues such as democratic governance and highlighting the OAS’ own success stories.

As for the outlook for the coming year, he noted priority will be on how, in bringing democratic governability and sustainable economies to the hemisphere, greater focus can be placed on development issues—poverty, education and job creation. Noting there will be some 10 elections in member states in 2006, which will require “dedicated attention from the OAS,” the OAS Assistant Secretary General underscored the relevant role the OAS plays in that regard in the Western Hemisphere, but also stressed the need to examine what happens after elections, in terms of governability.

The OAS Permanent Council plans a January 18 special session “fully dedicated to development issues in the hemisphere,” says Ramdin. That session is intended to bring to OAS headquarters the leaders of the Caribbean Development Bank, the Development Bank of Central America and the Development Bank of the Andean Community to articulate the challenges which they face in their own region. And, argues the Assistant Secretary General, this is one way to bring the development agenda to the fore and link it with the political agenda which emphasizes democracy and human rights.

He said that during 2006, development and solidarity must be given renewed focus. In that sense, he says the Organization proposes to further stress the development agenda because it must be understood that “democracy in itself cannot be an end in itself—it’s just a vehicle for creating that kind of stability, security, a safe environment for the population now, but more importantly for those who come after us.”

Ambassador Ramdin, a former Surinamese diplomat who was elected last June to the second highest office of the hemispheric body, explained that solidarity must be given pride of place on the agenda because, “unless we start understanding each other’s culture and problems, we will not be able to solve those problems and to help each other…. We need that kind of mentality and attitude towards each other in the Western Hemisphere.” He went on to point out that “solidarity will lead us to understand that no country is more important than the other. If we want to build one Americas we will need that kind of attitude, and that should be a norm within the hemisphere.”

Turning to the question of Haiti, the OAS Assistant Secretary General expressed the view that the people of Haiti deserve elections in order to be able to better tackle such issues as economic growth and wellbeing.

Reference: E-298/05