COOPERATION IN ACTION

OAS-SEDI: Forging New Partnerships for Development

Washington, DC. April, 2014
OAS - Costa Rica Agreement to Foster Triangular Technical Cooperation. The government of Costa Rica will strengthen its collaboration with the OAS to share and facilitate the transfer of successful experiences and lessons learned with other countries in the region.  The agreement highlights the value of existing OAS-SEDI specialized networks as effective platforms to materialize cooperation, consistent with current efforts lead by the Directorate of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Areas of interest include micro, small and medium enterprises, education, distance education, tourism, sustainable development, environment, social protection and competitiveness.

Washington, DC. April, 2014
Partnerships promote the work of the Inter-American Social Protection Network (IASPN). Three webinars concluded in April under the series "Inter-American Social Protection Dialogues (DIPS)" undertaken in partnership with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), Catholic Relief Services, the Institute of Peruvian Studies, Fundación Capital, VSL Associates and Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE). The OAS-SEDI monthly series of webinars aims to promote the exchange of ideas and solutions on social protection in the Americas through the IASPN.

Washington, DC. April, 2014
OAS partners with Vrije Universiteit Brussel to offer over 300 new scholarships in Belgium. The OAS-SEDI and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) will shortly open a new scholarship offering for citizens of the Americas.  Sixty (60) scholarships for PhD studies will be offered each year, for the next five years and an additional thirty (30) scholarships for master level programs will be made available in 2015. These scholarships are valued at over 15 million US dollars. Additional details to be announced shortly. For further information on current and future OAS Scholarships opportunities visit http://www.oas.org/en/scholarships/.

OAS- SEDI and CIM promote gender inclusion for development. The OAS Inter-American Social Protection Network (RIPSO) and the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) joined forces to develop a methodology for Participatory Gender Assessments in Social Development Ministries in the region, as a way to contribute to mainstreaming a gender equality perspective in public policies. The first exercise to implement the diagnosis was carried out from March 26 to April 11 in Guatemala with the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) and the Presidential Secretariat for Women (SEPREM).