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OAS Participates in Fifth Americas Competitiveness Forum and "Pathways to Prosperity" Meeting, and Organizes Events for RIAC and Ministers of Economy, Finance, Industry and Commerce

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, will participate this October 5th and 6th in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in the Fifth Americas Competitiveness Forum and the Fourth Ministerial Meeting "Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas." Furthermore, in the framework of the Fifth Americas Competitiveness Forum, the hemispheric organization will organize on Wednesday the Annual Meeting of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC) and on Friday the Meeting of Ministers of the Economy, Finance, Industry and Commerce of the continent.

On Wednesday at 15:45 local time (19:45 GMT) in the Hall of Conference of the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary General Insulza will participate in the panel "New Opportunities for Development," part of the IV Ministerial Meeting "Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas," alongside representatives of the United States Department of State, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF). "Pathways to Prosperity" is a dialogue that links ministers of commerce and foreign affairs from all the countries of the Hemisphere to promote inclusive development, prosperity and social justice. The meeting's agenda is available here.

Also on Wednesday the 5th and in the framework of the Fifth Americas Competitiveness Forum, the OAS will organize the meeting of the RIAC, a high-level mechanism that seeks to promote dialogue, cooperation, and the exchange of experiences and best practices and the adoption of joint initiatives to strengthen and promote competitiveness in the Americas. The OAS Executive Secretariat for Sustainable Development acts as the Network's technical secretariat. On this day, the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert R. Ramdin, will offer closing remarks at the meeting, to be held in the Renaissance Jaraguá Hotel in Santo Domingo. The meeting's agenda is available here.

The RIAC meeting will bring together experts from the region in the area of competitiveness, including the acting OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Jorge Saggiante. A presentation on the initiatives of RIAC will be made at the event, including studies on innovation in the areas of services, business environment, trade facilitation, and renewable energy; and the event will feature a Hemispheric Call for the Collection of Successful Experiences and the Americas' Competitiveness Observatory. Furthermore, a report will be presented on the initiative "Improving local competitiveness," including progress and further steps for the development of indicators, rankings and sub-national or regional competitiveness agendas, among other things.

Finally, in the Framework of the Competitiveness Forum, the OAS will organize on Friday a Meeting of Ministers of the Economy, Finance, Industry and Commerce of the continente. The agenda of the Meeting of Ministers is available here.

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

WHAT: Annual RIAC Meeting; Meeting of Ministers of the Economy, Finance, Industry and Commerce of the continent; and IV Ministerial Meeting "Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas"

WHEN: Wednesday, October 5th to Friday, October 7, 2011

WHERE: Renaissance Jaraguá Hotel and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Reference: E-866/11