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Seminar Co-Organized by the OAS on Public Policy on Women in Ports of the Americas Opens in the Dominican Republic

The Organization of American States (OAS) today inaugurated in Santo Domingo a Hemispheric Seminar on Public Policies and Visibility of Women in the port sector of the Americas, with the participation of over 140 hemisphere’s representatives from the public and private sectors.

OAS Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, Sherry Tross, highlighted the importance of women's participation in port development in the Americas during the opening ceremony, and urged a stronger leadership role for women in the sector. The Minister of Women from the Dominican Republic, Alejandrina Germán, who gave a keynote speech on gender policies in her country.

The event, which is taking place until tomorrow, Friday, March 15, was organized by the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) and the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), both of the OAS; the Dominican Port Authority (APORDOM); the Presidential Commission for Modernization and Port Security (CPMSP) of the Dominican Republic; and the Ministry of Women. The seminar is part of the activities of the Technical Advisory Committee of the CIP on Corporate Social Responsibility and Women in Ports.

The meeting is being attended by representatives of the public and private sectors and experts from Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, as well as delegates from regional and international organizations such as the Central American Commission on Maritime Transport (COCATRAM), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA).

Also taking part are CPMSP President, Juan Carlos Montas; the Representative of Women in the port sector of APORDOM, Ernestina Arias; the OAS Representative in the Dominican Republic, Ambassador Aníbal Quiñónez, and the head of the CIP, Maryse Robert.

The CIP is the highest level permanent Inter-American forum on port issues, and promotes the strengthening of dialogue, technical and institutional capacities and joint cooperation with public-private partnerships in the 34 Member States of the OAS. The CIP was established in 1956 as the Inter-American Port Conference, and became the Inter-American Committee in 1998.

While attending the conference, Executive Secretary Tross also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Foundation of Valencia (Spain) for Research, Development and Commercial Studies Valenciaport (Valenciaport Foundation), to promote the exchange of experiences, knowledge and best practices to achieve the integral development of the ports of the Americas.

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

Reference: E-093/13