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OAS REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT

Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin has reaffirmed the commitment of the Organization of American States’ (OAS) to integral development in the Western Hemisphere as one of three strategic OAS priorities, along with strengthening democracy and enhancing security.

Ambassador Ramdin was speaking today at the opening ceremony for the Meeting of Ministers of the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu, during the 6th Annual Caribbean Week of Agriculture, sponsored by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and hosted by the Government of The Bahamas, in Nassau.

In his address, Ramdin reiterated the importance of the strategic partnership between the OAS and IICA in working towards agricultural and rural development in the Hemisphere by focusing on adding value to traditional agricultural pursuits to support economic progress. According to Ramdin, the OAS will continue to collaborate with IICA to advance a hemispheric development agenda that takes into consideration the unique needs of the smaller countries of the Americas, especially those of the Caribbean sub-region.

The OAS Assistant Secretary General urged Caribbean agriculture ministers to use the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) to as a vehicle to satisfy more of its food needs, in order to reduce the sub-region’s dependency on food imports and to improve food security. He also exhorted the Caribbean to look beyond self-sufficiency and to explore the possibilities for accessing new markets for agro-industrial exports, especially in the context of existing and future trade agreements.

Ramdin alluded to the necessity of identifying and obtaining the requisite technical assistance and development financing from international financial institutions, to meet the challenges of the new agenda and key sectoral plans such as the “Jagdeo Initiative” of Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo, aimed at enhancing security and providing sustainable livelihoods for poor rural communities in the Caribbean

In advocating a focus on development from a holistic perspective, Ramdin stated that this would be critical to every trade and economic agreement. In this context, he reiterated the need for the creation of a policy dialogue space, through the convening of a meeting of Ministers of Trade and Ministers of Development of the Americas. He also urged Caribbean member states to remain engaged with the OAS and IICA at both the sub-regional and hemispheric levels, and called for recommendations to inform preparations for the Meeting of Hemispheric Ministers of Agriculture, slated for Guatemala in 2007.

Reference: E-211/06