The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States--in collaboration with major sub regional and hemispheric private sector organizations--organized a dialogue entitled “Connecting Businesses, Connecting People in theAmericas” that took place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 in the Hall of the Americas at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. This dialogue of the private sector was part of the consultation process with social actors in preparation for the VI Summit of the Americas “Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity,” which was held in Cartagena, Colombia on April 14-15, 2012.

Representatives of the private sector organizations of the hemisphere and business leaders participated on-site in the Dialogue; business persons and government officials throughout the hemisphere followed the event over the Internet and social media, generating more than 55,000 visits.

The results of an online survey intended to identify the interests and views of the private sector in the hemisphere on Summit sub-themes (infrastructure, poverty and inequality, citizen security, natural disasters, and access to technology) and other pressing issues of interest to the private sector, were presented as an input into the dialogue.  Participants gave their views on the current and emerging opportunities for businesses in the hemisphere in such areas as: trade, investment, finance, the supply and demand for global talent and the new services and knowledge technology.  Best practices in public-private initiatives were showcased at the dialogue, including on citizen security matters.  Participants also heard about how the expansion of the Panama Canal will further development in the Americas.

The recommendations from this dialogue for actions by governments and/or the private sector to advance integration and regional cooperation for development were presented by private sector representatives on March 14, 2012 to the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG).  The SIRG is where the 34 national coordinators for the VI Summit consided inputs for the draft Declaration by the Heads of State and Government.

This dialogue was one of several upcoming get-togethers between public officials and the private sector that the GS/OAS is sponsoring or organizing to promote joint initiatives for development; such as, the World Business Forum – Latin America in Panama on March 29-30, 2012, the Dialogue of Heads of Delegation with Representatives of the Private Sector on the  42 General Assembly Theme “Food Security with Sovereignty” in Cochabamba, Bolivia on June 3, 2012 and the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Cali, Colombia on October 24-26, 2012.

For more information about the VI Summit of the Americas visit http://www.summit-americas.org/

Results of the OAS Pre-Summit Private Sector Survey

The VI Summit of the Americas convenes in Cartagena, Colombia on April 14-15, 2012, gathering together the heads of state and government of the Western Hemisphere to discuss common policy issues, affirm shared values, and commit to concerted action at the national and regional level to address continuing and new challenges faced in the Americas. The theme of the VI Summit is "Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity." The leaders’ agenda will focus on physical integration and regional cooperation, and consider four sub-themes: poverty and inequality, citizen security, natural disasters and access to technology.

As part of the consultation process in preparation for the Summit, an online survey was disseminated to identify the interests and views of the private sector in the hemisphere on these Summit issues as well as other pressing and/or emerging issues. All interested parties representing private sector interests in the Western Hemisphere were invited to take the survey and offer proposals for public-private initiatives.

The results of this private sector survey were presented at the OAS Private Sector Dialogue entitled "Connecting Businesses, Connecting People in the Americas" on March 13, 2012 at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. The recommendations resulting from this dialogue as well as the findings of the private sector survey were presented by private sector representatives on March 14, 2012 to the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG). The SIRG is where the 34 national coordinators for the VI Summit are considering inputs for the draft Declaration by the Heads of State and Government.

The survey was developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in its capacity as the secretariat of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce of Latin America (AACCLA), and in collaboration with the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States.

Any views either express or implied in the survey questions or the survey findings do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AACCLA, the OAS, its General Secretariat or the OAS member states.

• Scarlett Alvarez, Vice President-Chief Stakeholder Management, Global Utilities, AES
• Margarita Arango, Regional Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Latin America Upstream
  
• Fulvia Elvira Benavides, Advisor, National Coordination of Colombia, VI Summit of the Americas
• Brent Bergeron, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Goldcorp Inc.
• Jodi Bond, Vice President for the Americas, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA)
• Inés Bustillo, Director, Washington Office, Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC), United Nations
• Joseph Cachey III, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Western Union
• Adrian Cooper, CEO, Oxford Economics
• Peter Cowhey, Dean and Qualcomm Professor of Communications and Technology Policy, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego
• John Craig, Representative, Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL)
• Catalina Crane, High Presidential Counselor for Public and Private Management, Presidency, Colombia
• Enrique de Obarrio, Vice President, Private Sector of the Americas
• Luis Niño de Rivera, Vice Chairman of the Board, Banco Azteca
• Sean DeWitt, Director, AppLab Indonesia, Grameen Foundation
• Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas and Americas Society
• Luis Gonçalves, General Manager, Dell Mexico
• Judith Hermanson, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Pan American Development Foundation
• José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General, Organization of American States
• Hans-Joachim Kohlsdorf, Chairman, The Trust for the Americas, CEO Efficient Ideas, Mexico, and President, Executive Committee, Global Companies
• Henry Kronfle, President, Latin American Industries Association (AILA)
• Juan Gilberto Marin Quintero, President, Latin American Business Council (CEAL)
• Robert Mosbacher, Jr., Chairman, Mosbacher Energy Company, former President and CEO
• Escipión Oliveira, Deputy Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency
• Maria del Mar Palau, Director of Strategy, National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI)
• Italo Pizzolante, Chairman of the Board, Pizzolante Comunicación Estratégica
• Rosine Plank-Brumback, Senior Specialist, Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, OAS
• John Sanbrailo, Executive Director, Pan American Development Foundation (PADF)
• Francisco Sanchez, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
• Jorge Saggiante, Executive Secretary for Integral Development, OAS
• Josemaría Valdepenas, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Latin America and the Caribbean
  
• Alberto Alemán Zubieta, Administrator, Panama Canal Authority

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This document presents the recommendations from the OAS Private Sector Dialogue, which was held on March 13, 2012 in Washington, D.C. (www.oas.org/psf).  “Connecting Businesses, Connecting People in the Americas" was the theme of the Dialogue.  Representatives of the various private sector organizations of the hemisphere and numerous business leaders participated directly in the Dialogue, giving their views on each of the issues of the event. The Dialogue was followed by many business persons and government officials of the hemisphere over the Internet and social networks, generating more than 55,000 visits.  It should be noted that in addition to the Dialogue itself and the virtual following it generated, the findings of the OAS private sector survey which was conducted in preparation for the VI Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, were presented at the Dialogue.  

THE PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS on each of the issues of the Dialogue are as follows, for consideration by the Heads of State and Government at the upcoming VI Summit:

• Invest in human capital and provide high-quality education, to develop the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century economy.

• Strengthen public-private collaboration to improve opportunities for labor and better conditions for businesses to increase their competitiveness and promote sustainable economic growth.

• Facilitate integration of youth into the workforce through internships and on-the-job learning, take advantage of the region’s demographic dividend and further prosperity in the countries of the Americas.

• The results of the world survey on labor demand in relation to Global Talent 2021 were presented by Oxford Economics, and included nine countries of the Americas. The study is producing many useful recommendations for public policy-makers responsible for labor force issues in our countries.

• The requirements for creating, carrying out, and facilitating the management of a business continue to be obstacles for the private sector in the region and a disincentive for entrepreneurship and formality.
• Governments should promote reforms that create an enabling environment for private sector development, streamlining business regulations that mostly affect micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Governments should promote a business environment that facilitates access to credit for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, using a market (and not welfare) approach, to lift the bottom of the pyramid out of poverty.
• Investing more and better in research and development and producing an environment conducive to innovation and enterprise are essential for the competitiveness of our countries. Collaboration among public, private, academia and research centers is indispensable.  Innovation creates opportunities for nvestment and trade in high added value products and services and promotes well-paying and stable jobs. Fiscal incentives, intellectual property protection, facilitating the marketing of new technologies, access to financing, and improved connectivity are necessary to strengthen innovation systems.
• Collaboration and coordination between the public and private sectors are essential to the development of modern quality infrastructure. Joint action and parallel progress by countries in this area are the only way to create a competitive region.
• Emphasis was placed on the concept of sustainable competitiveness, geared toward inclusive economic and social development that is balanced, and fully respectful of the environment.
• Businesses must make corporate social responsibility an integral part of their business strategy, creating sustainable prosperity. Governments in the region should promote and foster greater corporate social responsibility.
• Take advantage of business opportunities generated by expanding access to credit and capital for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises

• Through its corporate social responsibility programs, the private sector is capable of working with governments to implement initiatives for vocational training, job promotion, and a culture of peace and prevention, which reduce unemployment and offer alternative opportunities for young people to occupy free time.
• Governments should provide greater space for the private sector to participate actively in the construction of public policy, particularly in the area of elaboration of legislation on money laundering, the admissibility of evidence, and cyber crime.
• Notwithstanding that they may pose a challenge for businesses, public-private partnerships on the reintegration of ex-convicts and ex-combatants should be continued. A good alternative would be to support the creation of microenterprises and cooperatives by ex-criminals and ex-combatants. The private sector could buy products and services from these enterprises and thereby offer indirect employment.

• A universally available information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including mobile broadband and cloud computing, is essential to future economic and social success in the Americas, including its smallest economies. Adopting global technology standards, including spectrum plans that improve regional harmonization, will increase competition and reduce costs.
• Governments will have to reconsider public policies that diminish the benefits of the new ICT infrastructure, the “new services and knowledge technology,” inter alia:
  
  
  • Put an end to regulatory and licensing barriers to new information services and applications;
  • Harmonize banking and telecommunications regulations to enable mobile banking;
  • Create rules and adapt medical systems to promote mobile health innovations;
  • Foster the adoption of ICT solutions to modernize schools and workforce skills training ;
  • Eliminate policy barriers to employee-led innovation and crowd sourcing to fuel innovation on a lifetime basis.

• Remove policies and practices that limit the entry of small and medium-sized enterprises into the formal economy. When they join the formal economy, they can invest more effectively in ICT tools and in worker skills;

• Remove policies and practices that limit the creation of social enterprises that use private capital but pursue social objectives, rather than the maximization of profits for shareholders.

• Enable cloud computing to operate on a cross-border basis to allow countries to benefit fully from the rapid evolution of the global division of labor, including regional production and innovation systems. Adopt national policies on data security and protection of privacy that are least restrictive on cross-border cloud systems and allow continuing industry-led innovation.

• Work in partnership with other governments, business, and civil society to establish compatible national expectations concerning privacy and security.

• There is consensus on the importance of fostering public-private alliances to achieve sustainable social development.

• One example of an initiative by socially responsible businesses to promote inclusion is “reverse trade fairs;” i.e., large enterprises buying from small ones. Private-private and public-public alliances generate public-private alliances.

• The private sector has to learn not to engage in protesting without proposing.

• A proposal for a decade of action was put forth.

• Mention was made of the CEATAL Declaration to the XVII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor, held on October 30 and November 1, 2011, in San Salvador, which emphasized the commitment to freedom and democracy, the necessary environment for sustainable enterprises, youth employment as a priority, education, training, and lifelong learning, the informal economy as an obstacle to development, and social and national dialogue. Reference was also made to the Joint Declaration of COSATE and CEATAL on Youth and Decent Work.
  
  
• The Americas Competitiveness Forum that will be held in Cali, Colombia on October 24-26, 2012 and the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC) were noted as effective mechanisms for dialogue between the public and private sectors, the exchange of experiences among countries and institutions, and joint initiatives.

NEWS:

• Piden considerar tema migratorio en la Cumbre de las Américas
  El presidente del Consejo Empresarial de América Latina (CEAL), el mexicano Gilberto Marín, propuso la inclusión del tema migratorio en la VI Cumbre de las Américas, que se realizará el mes próximo en Colombia. 
  
  
• OAS Secretary General Holds Talks with United States Trade Official
  OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza held talks Tuesday with Francisco Sanchez, the United States Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade.

PRESS RELEASE:

• Private Sector Forum of the OAS Emphasizes Importance of “Sustainable Competitiveness”
  March 14, 2012
• Private Sector in the Hemisphere Wants to Strengthen Democratic Institutions and Judicial Independence
  March 14, 2012
• OAS Secretary General Promotes the Summit of the Americas as an Opportunity for Governments and Private Sector to Work Together to Achieve Sustainable Competitiveness
  March 13, 2012