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Third Report on Signs of Competitiveness in the Americas - 2014 is Presented at the VIII Competitiveness Forum in Trinidad and Tobago

The latest version of the "Signs of Competitiveness in the Americas – 2014" Report was presented today during the "Meeting with Authorities and Competitiveness Councils of the Americas" in the context of the VIII Americas Competitiveness Forum, taking place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Report, “Signs of Competitiveness in the Americas – 2014,” is a product of the collaboration between authorities and councils on competitiveness of the Americas and the institutions that support the work of the RIAC. The report is comprised of two main sections. The first provides an overview of the human imagination, innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity in the Hemisphere. The second includes more than 55 experiences from countries, institutions and other stakeholders related to the ten general principles of competitiveness.

The Organization of American States (OAS), acting as Technical Secretariat of the Forum and the RIAC—an initiative created by the member states to institutionalize a mechanism for regional dialogue, promote the exchange of experiences and the development of joint initiatives in areas related to competitiveness—supported the elaboration of the document presented at the conference.

The report goes beyond the presentation of case studies as it identifies potential areas of cooperation and seeks not only to compile case studies, but also to serve as a working tool to actually convert into reality the concrete cooperation proposals and actions it contains.

Speaking at the meeting, the OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Sherry Tross, underlined the positive impact of the RIAC 2013 Report, which resulted in the organization of exchange missions between member states, known as "Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship," and the subsequent collaboration among countries. During 2014, two exchange missions were conducted; the first in the United States, in April; and the second in Mexico, in August. More than 80 government officials, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and university leaders from 25 countries had the opportunity to learn first-hand about initiatives in health, agribusiness, manufacturing and the automotive industry in the United States; as well as the information technology, financial and agro-food industries in Mexico.

In the report’s foreword, the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, noted that part of the legacy the Presidency of Trinidad and Tobago leaves in the 2014 version consists of more than twenty articles and interviews of "high intellectual level" on innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

The Ten Principles

During the meeting, the Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development of Trinidad and Tobago and President pro-Tempore of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC) 2014, Bhoendradatt Tewarie, said that the Ten General Principles on Competitiveness of the Consensus of Santo Domingo were the basis on which the report was drafted.

Furthermore, Minister Tewarie said the central theme of the VIII ACF, “The Human Imagination at Work: Driving Competitiveness, Powering Innovation," was developed based on the objectives identified in the Consensus of Santo Domingo, while recognizing that "the roots of competitiveness lie in fostering and exploiting the human imagination to drive our competitive advantage. “The human imagination, therefore, needs to be stimulated and nurtured in order to build competitive capacity as it is a pre-requisite for innovation,” he added.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Tross said that the ACF and RIAC event underscores the importance of having "dedicated spaces for dialogue, for sharing ideas and exchanging experiences, and for building partnerships that contribute to the competitiveness and sustainability in our countries.”

“Member states benefit from having an organization that brings together political dialogue and technical cooperation; that understands that social inclusion is vital for democratic governability, human rights, and citizen security; that sees human development and capacity building as a basic pillar and strategic imperative for sustainability,” added Tross.

2015 Agenda and New Members

The Executive Director of the National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM) of Guatemala, representing the Vice Chair of RIAC in 2014, Jaime Díaz, presented to the plenary the Work Program and Plan of Action for 2015, when his country will assume the RIAC’s presidency. Diaz also provided the central theme of the IX ACF to be held in Guatemala, which is “Trust: The key of the Americas: Strong Institutions, Greater Competitiveness.” The President pro-Tempore of the RIAC 2015 will be the Presidential Commissioner for Competitiveness and Investment of Guatemala, Juan Carlos Paiz.

During the meeting, the RIAC endorsed the addition of three new members: the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá; the University of Texas at San Antonio; and the Orkesta Competitiveness Institute of the Basque country, the latter being the first institution outside the Hemisphere to join the RIAC.

"Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas”

Moreover, during the Annual Meeting of "Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas,” an initiative conducted under the VIII FCA, the Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago and Chair of the initiative and the Working Group on the topic, explained the results of the work carried out during the current period. Ambassador Parsan said Trinidad and Tobago was focused on “the innovative potential of all Member States to promote work force development and in empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)”.

At another point of his speech, Ambassador Parsan said several discussions were conducted in the scope of the Working Group, and added that during his period as Chair his country presented certain procedures and structures to the initiative, saying “Trinidad and Tobago is hopeful that these recommendations may contribute to a lasting foundation on which the initiative could continue to grow and strengthen.”

During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, Winston Dookeran, passed the Chair of the initiative to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Ambassador Rodrigo Vielmann. Also, Panama and other countries identified the need for synergies between the initiative and the Summit of the Americas to be held in Panama in 2015.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

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

Reference: E-431/14