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OAS Calls for Greater Cooperation between Member States and Port Authorities to Promote Maritime Security

The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert Ramdin, called for closer cooperation and collaboration among Member States and port authorities to ensure greater efficiency in both the security and trade sectors during the International Maritime Conference at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. He reminded an international audience that the OAS continues to strengthen cooperation and to develop regional policies and strategies to address the range of security threats within the maritime sector.

Speaking on behalf of the OAS, Ramdin stressed that the “security of the peoples of the Americas is a key pillar of the OAS” and emphasized the significance of the Organization’s multidimensional security framework approved by all Member States. “Within multidimensional security, the relationship between security and commerce where maritime port protection is the main component of the supply chain security is of vital importance,” he added.

Ramdin also stressed that security and efficiency go hand in hand and are essential for ensuring competitiveness in maritime transport and trade. He further maintained that “given that approximately 90% of global commerce is transported by sea, the international community must help ensure that all states, in particular the smaller states, have the resources to address both maritime security needs and trade effectiveness.”

Ambassador Ramdin also said that “the OAS is the most appropriate platform for continued policy dialogue on the region’s security challenges and needs because early in the decade, the OAS Committee on Hemispheric Security and more recently the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security have been proactively assisting its Member States in formulating and implementing region-wide policies and strategies to enhance security in the Americas.” He added that “as a result, most OAS Member States have improved security of their port facilities, assigned security officials, installed new equipment with the latest technology and adopted new regulations to prioritize maritime security.”

In closing, Assistant Secretary General Ramdin reiterated the commitment of the OAS to increase assistance to its Member States in the area of security. “For the Organization, there is no doubt that security, development and good governance are central to ensuring prosperity, peace and progress among the peoples of the Americas.”

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org

Reference: E-241/10