COOPERATION IN ACTION

OAS-SEDI: Forging New Partnerships for Development

August 30, Guatemala - September 16, Argentina
OAS facilitates new cooperation agreements on Science and Technology. New cooperation actions in science and technology are advancing priority areas identified by countries in their last Ministerial Meeting (Panama Action Plan 2012-2016). The Council on Quality Infrastructure of the Americas (CICA) was established in Guatemala by the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM), the Pan American Accreditation Commission (IAAC), and the Inter-American Cooperation for Technical Standards (COPANT) to promote regional cooperation on Quality Infrastructure (CI).

In addition, The Engineering Education in the Americas Program (FINAM) was launched in Buenos Aires, in an effort to increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and technical education. The agreement was signed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Argentina, the Ministry of Education of Argentina, the American Association of Engineering Education Institutions and the Pan American Union of Engineering Associations.

It is expected that these new agreements will produce concrete results in the short term, as countries prepare for the Fourth Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology (REMCYT IV) convened this month in Guatemala City on 10 and 11 March 2015.

September 11, 2014. Guatemala City
OAS brings Integral Development and Human Rights perspective to high-level meeting on Social Protection. The Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS) convened a high-level meeting to discuss the future of social protection in the Americas. Sherry Tross, OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development (SEDI) and Emilio Álvarez Icaza,, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ICHR) participated in the panel on “Trends, Challenges and Policy Answers on Pensions and Employment Issues.” Labor issues are a main concern for the OAS, which for over 50 years has worked with Ministries of Labor through the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML), and its mechanism for cooperation - the Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL).

September 18 and 19, 2014. Buenos Aires and San José
OAS and partners prepare for the VII World Water Forum. International and regional organizations gathered at the OAS for the Meeting "Building a water agenda for South America: Road to Korea 2015". The meeting is part of the preparatory process of the Americas towards the VII World Water Forum (WWF VII); where different agencies are analyzing the current situation in the water sector to define strategic hemispheric actions, to be included in the regional agenda for the next three years. Participating organizations include the OAS, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the National Association of Water of Brazil (ANA), the American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), and the Global Water Partnership (GWP), among other institutions.

OAS-CIP and the Port of Arica, Chile sign agreement. The new agreement is part of the institutional efforts to improve the dissemination of best practices, the integration of different areas related to port development, and capacity building, among other areas of work. The Empresa Portuaria Arica is a state-owned autonomous enterprise from Chile, with recognized expertise in the sustainable management of its port; including the recognition awarded by the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) as the winner of the First Edition of the Maritime Awards of the Americas in the category of Environmental Waste Management in Ports. The MOU includes preliminary environmental issues, specifically carbon footprint, water footprint, and energy efficiency.