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OAS URGES NEW, STRATEGIC APPROACH TO NEW REALITIES

The Organization of American States’ (OAS) Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin, told a gathering of intellectuals, diplomats, business leaders, students and other special guests in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, on Wednesday, that the old paradigms no longer apply and new strategies are needed, given the dramatic changes the world has seen in the last 25 years. “We recognize that international relations and diplomacy have changed in its nature, in its conduct and in its objectives, and that this process will continue to evolve,” he said.

“We acknowledge this reality and we join to chart a new course for the nations and peoples of the Americas,” declared Ambassador Ramdin, addressing a conference on the "Re-Mapping of the Americas, Globalization, Regionalization and the FTAA,” jointly hosted by the University of the West Indies and Canada’s University of Alberta. But, in noting how “it is increasingly clear that the national, the regional and the global can no longer be cleanly separated,” the OAS Assistant Secretary General went on to state that, “even as countries pursue their own agendas, there is at the same time a convergence of interests, in many areas. Changes in perception and strategy are therefore necessary.”

Chief among ideas Ambassador Ramdin emphasized were strategic political and social partnerships; enhanced promotion of understanding among the peoples of the hemisphere to reduce conflict and bolster stability; and legislative reform to strengthen the institutions that safeguard democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, ensure transparency, accountability and good governance. He argued as well that the inter-American system should be strengthened to make multilateralism work more effectively by defining a specific and clear mandate for organizations in developmental and political processes in the hemisphere.

He also called on governments to invest more in education and make it a stronger priority. “The private sector must be willing partners in this regard, providing internships, assisting with training, and supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Ambassador Ramdin stressed the new OAS leadership's commitment to strategic partnership, constructive action and results. “We are charting a new course that brings a reinvigorated holistic approach to the hemispheric agenda, an approach that emphasizes strategic partnership, constructive action and measurable results on priority issues such as promoting democracy and security.”

Turning to the upcoming fourth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Ambassador Ramdin reiterated its theme, “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance." He expressed the firm conviction of the OAS and its member states that “movement toward the realization of these objectives is both necessary and urgent. If development is to be inclusive then economic reforms, trade agreements and business initiatives must provide benefits that are accessible to all.”

Reference: E-244/05