"Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American Responses to Climate Change"

December 10, 2008 - World Bank

The World Bank Group presents: "Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American Responses to Climate Change" on December 10, 2008 at World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The event will feature an opening by Pamela Cox, Vice President - Latin American and Caribbean Region, a presentation by the author, Augusto de la Torre, Chief Economist - Latin America and the Caribbean Region and John Nash, Lead Economist - Sustainable Development Department, Latin America and the Caribbean Region, a discussion by Christopher Flavin, President - Worldwatch Institute. The discussion will be moderated by Sergio Jellinek, Manager - External Affairs, Latin America and the Caribbean Region.

"Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American Responses to Climate Change" Flyer (.pdf)

Sixteenth APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting “A New Commitment to Asia-Pacific Development”

Lima, Peru - November 22-23, 2008

The 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) agreed at the 16th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in Peru from November 22-23 to take economic and financial measures to solve the world financial crisis, vowing as well to boost regional economic integration and food security, and to combat climate change and corruption, as stated in the Declaration of Lima, issued Sunday, November 23 by APEC leaders.“We welcomed the monetary and fiscal stimulus provided by APEC member economies and will take all necessary economic and financial measures to resolve this crisis, taking the necessary actions to offer hope to those most in need”, indicates the Declaration.

The theme for this year's meeting, "A New Commitment to Asia-Pacific Development," highlighted the importance of reducing the gap between developed and developing member economies, said the Declaration of Lima.  "We are committed to strengthening the social dimension of globalization and ensuring that all members and all sectors of our economies can access the skills and opportunities to participate in, and benefit from, regional and global trade and investment," it said.

On Saturday, Japan offered to grant loans for up to 100 billion dollars to the emerging economies through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order that they can overcome the financial crisis that restricts the credit lines of the international banking. Strengthening of the financial market in the region was emphasized as a measure to advance in the regional economic integration.  

According to the Declaration, the present world financial crisis is one of the most serious economic challenges that economies have ever faced, so they will act decisively to face the imminent global economic slowdown.

Established in 1989, APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

APEC Leaders Declaration (.pdf)

OAS Assistant Secretary General meets with Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat

November 11, 2008 

OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin called on Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, Deputy Secretary General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba and a group of senior officials to review relations between both organizations.

The Commonwealth and the OAS promote development, democracy, and political stability. Both organizations are very concerned with the state of food, fuel, and finance in today’s global economy, especially in the wake of recent and current events that are driving markets down and levels of human anxiety up.

A major objective of both organizations is to mitigate the effects of environmental degradation, and they are striving to ensure that global trade relationships are equitable and sustainable. They agreed that the Commonwealth and the OAS are organizations whose interests and activities are converging, and that it is in both organizations’ interests to define new ways in which they could cooperate, especially on issues and in regions where their interests and mandates intersect.

Photo Gallery

APEC LEADERS’ SUMMIT WILL GATHER MORE ATTENDANTS THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS

November 16-23, 2008

• Almost every Leader from the Asia-Pacific Region, which represents 49% of world trade, has confirmed his/her attendance to the APEC 2008 Summit.

• 55 Ministers of the Asia-Pacific Region, as well as 26 spouses who will have a special program of activities, will also arrive to our country

A week prior to APEC Peru 2008 Leaders’ Week, almost all Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Region have already confirmed their attendance to the world event to be held in our country, announced Vice-Admiral (r) Luis Giampietri, Chairman of APEC Peru High-Level Commission, who presides this great event.

“The High-Level Commission has also got the confirmation of the attendance of 26 spouses, both from Ministers and Leaders of different APEC Member Economies, who will participate in this Summit Week. We have up to 3,618 confirmed Delegates, among Leaders, Ministers, Senior Officials and international security, who will come from the Asia-Pacific Region. This is a Summit that is gathering the most attendants throughout APEC history”, he stressed. Therefore, so as to protect the Leaders’ security, 687 security officers from the delegations, who will be included into the Security Plan established by the APEC 2008 Organizing Commission, will arrive.

With regards to delegations arriving to Peru within the next few days, the largest one is the United States with over 900 Delegates, followed by Japan with around 500 Delegates, and then China with around 300 Delegates.  

Likewise, in order to attend 2,700 national and international accredited media covering Leaders’ Week, the final details of the International Media Center (IMC) at the Ministry of Defense (MoD), located in San Borja, are being completed. This media center is 8 thousand m2 large and has work areas, computers, internet, TV studios and press conference rooms, among other facilities for the media, besides opening 24 hours from 16 – 23 November 2008.

“APEC is a unique opportunity for Peruvians. It is foreseen that in the following years investments for up to 10 thousand million dollars for Peru, coming from the Asia-Pacific Region will be generated. Leaders are aware of the importance of topics such as Corporate Social Responsibility, especially at SMEs level. This is a subject proposed by Peru as APEC Host Economy. Within this context, the 2nd SMEs Summit to be held on 17 November at the Convention Center that has been implemented in the Real Felipe Fortress in Callao, as part of Leaders’ Week, is really important”, concluded Vice-Admiral Luis Giampietri. APEC concentrates 49% of world trade and represents 55% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the world.Courtesy of: www.Apec2008.org

OAS Policy Roundtable #11 in preparation for The Fifth Summit of the Americas: YOUTH, DECENT WORK AND HUMAN PROSPERITY IN THE AMERICAS Co-sponsored by The International Labor Organization (ILO)
November 5, 2008 2:30 - 5:00pm
Hall of the Americas, OAS Main Building (17th Street and Constitution Ave.)

• Invitation (English)
• Invitación (Español)
• Photo Gallery
• Opening Remarks by Honorable Rennie Dumas, Minister of Labor and Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Trinidad and Tobago
• Remarks by OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza

Luncheon for Partner Institutions

October 22, 2008

The Department of International Affairs hosted a luncheon for institutional partners in the Americas. The working lunch featured lively discussions on major institutional developments, priorities in the Hemispheric agenda, host country relations and on areas of collaboration between the partnering institutions and the OAS. Partners in attendance included representatives from the following institutions: the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank Group, the UN Development Programme, the UN Information Center DC, and the UN World Food Programme. The program also featured a guided tour of the current exhibit at the Art Museum of the Americas featuring a celebration of the 100th Birthday of Architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Agenda | Photos | Press Release

2008 Annual Fall Meetings of The World Bank and International Monetary Fund

October 10-12, 2008

The 2008 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) were held October 10 – 12, 2008 at the World Bank and IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C. amidst the current, rattling global financial crisis. While necessarily including the financial crisis in the discussions, the main focus of this year’s meeting was meant to be on “High Food and Oil Prices”.  

The 2008 Annual Meetings addressed the impact that rising food and oil prices are having on the world, and particularly the impact they are having and will continue to have on developing countries.  Sessions of the 2008 Annual Meetings dealt with:   

• High Oil Prices: Origins and Prospects?
• The Shame of Hunger By Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate
• The Food Crisis: What Happened and What Should be Done?
• Global Turbulences and Slow Down in G7 Growth: Can Developing Countries Sustain High Growth and How
• Turmoil in Global Financial and Commodities Markets – Prospects and Policies

In addition to the formal discussion panels, financial experts and government ministers as well as leaders of many countries affected by the current financial crisis joined in a coordinated effort to halt a possible global financial collapse.

The world financial system is teetering on the "brink of systemic meltdown", the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned.  At the 2008 Annual Meetings, Dominique Strauss-Kahn said rich nations had so far failed to restore confidence, but he endorsed a new action plan by the G7 group.  He underlined that the IMF was ready to lend to step in and lend to countries in dire need of capital.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick made a plea to the leaders of the world’s richest countries not to forget developing nations, even as they hammer out ideas to steady their own economies.  “The financial crisis will only make it more difficult for developing countries to protect their most vulnerable people from the impact of rising food and fuel costs.”

Annual Meeting of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

September 29, 2008

The Ministers of Health of all the countries of the Americas will gather for the annual meeting of the Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The opening session will take place Monday, September 29, at 9 a.m., at PAHO headquarters in Washington DC, with comments by PAHO Director Mirta Roses, World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan, Secretary General of the Organization of American States José Miguel Insulza, and President of the Inter-American Development Bank Luis Alberto Moreno.

The purpose of the meeting is to make new policy decisions that address the critical health problems of the region. Among key topics to be discussed are: cervical cancer prevention, neonatal health, adolescent and youth health, prevention and management of diabetes and obesity, response to vector-borne diseases, and the presentation of the Director’s Annual Report.

A Roundtable on "Climate Change and its Impact on Public Health: A Regional Perspective" will be held on Tuesday, September 30th.

The Pan American Health Organization, founded in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their peoples. It serves as the Regional Office of the UN World Health Organization.

• Provisional Agenda for the Program of Meetings
• Insulza destaca trabajo compartido para superar las carencias en salud, al celebrarse el 48º Consejo directivo de la OPS (Español) (Courtesy of MetroLatino USA)
• Photo Gallery

OAS Department of Sustainable Development wins World Bank Global Development Marketplace Award

September 26, 2008

The Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States together with the Instituto de Derecho y Economía Ambiental de Paraguay (IDEA) won the 2008 Global Development Marketplace: Sustainable Agriculture for Development award. The award ceremony took place on Friday, September 26, 2008 at World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The Development Marketplace is a program that appropriates funds to help identify and finance innovative projects that promote development. The program is administered by the World Bank and financed by the IFC, GEF, GTZ  and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The 100 finalists that participated in the competition this year were chosen from 1800 proposals. The jury, composed of professionals in the field of development and other experts, selected the 22 projects that were given prizes.

The project "Pago por servicios ambientales y agricultura sostenible," ("Payment for Environmental Services and Sustainable Agriculture") presented by the OAS/DSD and the IDEA, was one of the 22 winders that received funds of $2,000.00 for implementation.

The objective of this project is the improve the socio-economic wellbeing of 500 homes and protect the service capacity of the ecosystem through the implementation of a series of agro-forest practices combined with a scheme of Payments for Environmental Services (PES). The project will be implemented in three pilot sites located in the San Pedro Department, that includes a portion of the Atlántico de Alto Paraná Forest and other delicate ecosystems.

The Department of Sustainable Development

OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, meets with Presidents and Foreign Ministers of the Western Hemisphere during the UN General Assembly

September 25, 2008

During the framework of the sixty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza took the opportunity to meet with numerous heads of state, representatives and foreign ministers from the Americas and Europe.

Included in those meetings were talks with Fernando Lugo, President of Paraguay, President Evo Morales of Bolivia; as well as the Foreign Ministers of Belize, Guatemala, Ecuador, Brazil. Also, Secretary General Insulza attended meetings of the Grupo de Amigos de Colombia and the Key Players of Haiti. Additionally, Secretary General Insulza sat down with the Secretary General of the European Council, Terry Davis, and the Commissioner for External Relations for the European Commission, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Topics of discussion between Insulza and the various global leaders ranged across topics impacting the hemisphere from democratic governance to trade to public security.

• Photo Gallery
• El Secretario General de la OEA se reúne con el Presidente Evo Morales (Español)
• Insulza se reúne con Presidentes Lugo y Morales en la Asamblea de las Naciones Unidas (Español)

Sixty-third Session of the United Nations General Assembly

September 16, 2008

The sixty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly will open on September 16, 2008 and the general debate will take place from September 23, 2008 to October 1, 2008. Schedule of events as follows: 

September 16th:  Formal Opening Session
September 21st:  Arrival of Heads of State and Delegations
September 22nd:  Special High-Level Meeting on African Development Issues
September 23rd: Opening of General Debate, lasting until October 1st
September 25th: Special High-Level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals
October 2nd: Meeting on Almaty Program of Action for Least-Developed UN Members

• Provisional list of speakers (.pdf)
• For more information on the UN General Assembly
• Summary Outcome of UN General Assembly

Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) Twelfth Annual Conference

September 14, 2008

The Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) will hold its twelfth annual conference on trade and investment in the Americas will take place from September 10 and 11, 2008 in Washington, DC at the Carnegie Endowment for Democracy. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza will be present at the conference delivering welcoming remarks and addressing the upcoming 2009 Summit of the Americas.

Preliminary Agenda
More about CAF

OAS and UN in seminar about relations on Colombia-Ecuador border

September, 2008

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations (UN), together with FLASCO, have jointly organized a two-day seminar under the name “Building bridges: Policy of peace and development for the Colombo-Ecuadorian border” from September 8th-9th, 2008, that will take place in Quito, Ecuador. 

The objective of the seminar is to reestablish trust and diplomatic relations between the neighboring nations through public policy proposals that produce greater understanding between border residents of Ecuador and Colombia.  The gathering will be attended by experts and academics of both countries, among them ex-Colombian Chancellor, María Emma Mejía.

OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza meets with UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs, Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe

August 22, 2008

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza met with the UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs, Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe to discuss OAS-UN collaboration. Photo Gallery

Update on Annual Meetings and Summits of OAS Partner Institutions and Regional Integration Secretariats

August 1, 2008

The OAS Institutional Relations section is charged with promoting engagement with institutional partners in order to strengthen the capacity and breadth of OAS activities in the Hemisphere. In the months of June and July, OAS representatives took part in the 32nd UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the 32nd Central American Integration System (SICA) and the 35th MERCOSUR Summit. Below is a summary of these meetings.

Update Summary

Annual Ministerial Substantive Review of the ECOSOC

June 30-July 25, 2008

The Annual Meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was held from June 30 through July 25, 2008, in the United Nations headquarters in New York. At this meeting the 2008 Annual Ministerial Review took place. 

This is a new function of the ECOSOC mandated at the 2005 World Summit, whose purpose is to assess the progress made towards the Millennium Development Goals and the implementation of the other goals and targets agreed at the major UN conferences and summits over the past 15 years. 

The first Annual Ministerial Review took place in 2007 on the theme of “The eradication of poverty”.  The theme for the 2008 Review was “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to sustainable development”.   

The theme for the 2009 Review will be “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health”.  The ECOSOC annual report was presented to the Member States, which underscores the benefits of coordinating practices and approaches in the area of sustainable development, particularly through using the common country assessment and the UN Development Assistance Framework. 

Annual Ministerial Review
2008 ECOSOC Review Meeting

OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin meets with IICA Director of Operations for the Caribbean Region, Trevor Murray

July 29, 2008

The OAS Secretary General met with the Director of Operations for the Caribbean region of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Trevor Murray, on July 29. The two met to discuss areas of mutual cooperation.

Photo Gallery

OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza greets participants of the Advance Program for Government Officials about the Doha Round

July 18, 2008

OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza met and greeted participants of the Advanced Program for Government Officials about the Doha Round. Photo Gallery

29th Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the CARICOM

July 1-4, 2008

OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, and Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin participated in the 29th Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the CARICOM from July 1-4, 2008 in Antigua. Photo Gallery

OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, meets former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine K. Albright and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy

June 13, 2008

OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza met with former United States Secretary of State, Madeleine K. Albright and United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy at OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Albright and Justice Kennedy spent time at the OAS that day in their roles as members of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, an independent commission hosted by the United Nations Development Programme. The Commission launched it's latest report: "Making the Law Work for Everyone" in the framework of the Ninth OAS Policy Roundtable on June 13 at OAS Headquarters.

Photo Gallery

U.N. ECOSOC Special Meeting on “The Global Food Crisis”

May 20, 2008

A special meeting on “The Global Food Crisis” organized by United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) took place at United Nations (UN) headquarters. Representatives of U.N. member states, regional organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations participated in the meeting.

Mr. Leo Merores, President of the ECOSOC, chaired the meeting. The keynote speaker was Dr. Joachim von Braun, Director-General of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). During the meeting the representatives highlighted the gravity and the widespread nature of the current food crisis and its impact on the poor. The participants recommended urgent and coordinated action by the U.N. and the international community. 

The meeting was attended by Ms. Sherry Stephenson, of the Department of International Affairs, on behalf of the OAS.

Summary of meeting

EU/LAC Lima Summit

May 16-17, 2008

The Fifth EU/LAC Lima Summit took place on May 16^th and 17^th, 2008, in the Museo de la Nacion in Lima, Peru.

Sixty Heads of State and Government from the European Union (EU), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) met to discuss timely issues of mutual interest hoping to deepen cooperation between their countries to tackle these issues. José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission, was the top representative of the European Commission at the summit.  

The topics of the Fifth EU/LAC Summit were: i) poverty, inequality, inclusion; and ii) sustainable development: climate change; environment; and energy. The Fifth EU/LAC Summit concluded with the signing of the Declaration of Lima: “Addressing Our Peoples’ Priorities Together.” In matters of poverty, inequality and inclusion, the signatories agreed to: I) Formulate and implement effective social policies; II) Promote economic growth with more equitable distributive impact; III) Promote social participation and sense of belonging; and IV) Implement the Lima Agenda on eradication of poverty, inequality and exclusion. In matters of sustainable development, the signatories agreed to: I) Promote bi-regional cooperation on climate change; II) Promote bi-regional energy cooperation; III) Foster environmental sustainability; IV) Implement the Lima Agenda for sustainable development: climate change; environment; and energy.  

Overall, the participants agreed to increase mutual cooperation and resources to tackle these issues.For more information, visit the EU/LAC Summit site

Alicia Bárcena of Mexico appointed Executive Secretary of ECLAC

May 13, 2008

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on May 13th, 2008 the appointment of Alicia Bárcena Ibarra of Mexico as Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). 

On July 1st she replaced Executive Secretary José Luis Machinea.  Prior to this appointment, Bárcena served as the Under Secretary General for Management, before that as the Chief de Cabinet to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and earlier in her career, as Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC where she was able to increase interagency collaboration to provide a regional perspective on the Millennium Development Goals and on Financing for Sustainable Development.

For more information, visit the ECLAC site

“Programmatic Exchange” was held between OAS staff and UNICEF Country Representatives in the Americas

April 25, 2008

During the meeting staff members of these institutions shared information on areas of common work and they identified potential areas for collaboration. The program began with remarks from Ms. Suzanne Laporte, Secretary of the OAS Secretariat for External Relations, who voiced her belief in partnerships between institutions working on common issues in the Western Hemisphere. Ms. Irene Klinger, Director of the Department of International Affairs, gave an overview of the OAS, focusing the four pillars of its work: promotion of democracy; human rights; multidimensional security; and integral development. Mr. Nils Kastberg, Regional Director of UNICEF, spoke on behalf of the UNICEF representatives and pointed out the numerous common areas of work in which the two institutions were engaged.  The participants suggested exploring some form of framework agreement to enhance synergies and to facilitate the sharing of best practices between the OAS and UNICEF. 

Programmatic Exchange - UNICEF-OAS (Agenda)
Report on Programmatic Exchange - UNICEF-OAS

"Crisis in the Andes: The Border Dispute Between Colombia and Ecuador, and Implications for the Region."

April 10, 2008

OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza participated as a briefer at the hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere about: "Crisis in the Andes: The Border Dispute Between Colombia and Ecuador, and Implications for the Region."

Committee on Western Hemisphere Affairs Hearing Information 

OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, delivers speech at the 2008 Inter-American Development Bank Annual Meeting

April 7, 2008

Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, delivered remarks to the participants of the 2008 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Annual Meeting. Insulza discussed issues regarding the effectiveness of macroeconomic reform and its impact on long-term economic growth. The Secretary General noted the influence of ineffective reforms on the proliferation of poverty and inequality, highlighting the need to address the root causes of these issues, such as institutional shortcomings and poor governance.

Speech (English) | Speech (Spanish)
Information on the IDB Annual Meeting

49th Annual Meeting of the IADB Board of Governors

April 3-8, 2008

The 49^th Annual Meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) Board of Governors was held from April 3^rd through 8^th, 2008, in Miami, Florida. Governors of the IADB, who are finance ministers, central bank presidents and high ranking financial officials of the 47 member countries, were joined by approximate 6,000 other participants, including OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza.  

In his opening remarks the President of the IADB, Luis Moreno highlighted the power of partnerships to improve people’s lives. President Moreno also announced a $2.million grant from the Multilateral Investment Fund of the IADB to further the Partnership in Opportunities for Employment through technology in the Americas, which is a program headed by Microsoft and the Organization of American States.

The issues addressed during the individual sessions of the annual meeting were: infrastructure finance, philanthropic capitalism, youth leadership, climate change, renewable energy sources, microfinance, and U.S. foreign policy towards Latin America. Distinguished speakers from all spheres addressed the issues.

Among the most notable speakers were Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Emilio Azcárraga, Chairman Televisa Group, Roberto Kriete, Chairman and CEO, TACA Group, and Anna Escobedo Cabral, United States Treasurer. The 2009 IADB Annual Meeting will be hosted in Medellin, Colombia; this meeting will commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the IADB.For more information, visit the IDB Annual meeting site

OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, meets with U.S. Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN)

March 31, 2008

The Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, met with United States Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) in his Congressional offices to exchange views on the current political, social, and economic conditions of the Hemisphere, the situation in Haiti as well as a number of issues of common interest. Ramdin briefed the Congressmen on the situation and Haiti and they exchanged dialogue on the upcoming Coast Guard authorization Bill which will include the training and donation of a number of U.S. vessels to Haiti. Congressman Oberstar is the Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over the nation's surface transportation, international maritime commerce, and the Economic  Development Administration among other issues.

Photo Gallery | Press Release

“Programmatic Exchange” between staff of the Organization of American States and the World Bank was held in Washington, DC at the World Bank headquarters.

February 11, 2008

The purpose of the discussion was to share information on issues of common interest and to identify potential areas for collaboration. The three programmatic areas of focus covered in the exchange were:  crime and violence, governance and climate change.

After extensive discussions on ongoing work and future projects, the participants recommended: (i) that Inter-institutional policy roundtable discussions could be organized on major reports prepared by the OAS and the World Bank; and (ii) Representatives of the Department of International Affairs of the OAS and the External Affairs Unit in the Latin American and the Caribbean Region of the World Bank could meet on a periodic basis (perhaps bi-annual) to review the effectiveness of collaboration in the three areas above and facilitate future exchanges which could include more thematic areas.

Programmatic Exchange - World Bank-OAS (Agenda)