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IICA and the OAS call for creation of hemispheric partnership for development

JOINT OAS/IICA PRESS RELEASE

Assistant Secretary General of the OAS visits IICA


San Jose, Costa Rica, January 26. The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert Ramdin, and the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Chelston Brathwaite, agreed on the need to create synergies among the organizations that make up the inter-American system, with a view to working together in shaping a development agenda.

During a visit to IICA headquarters in Costa Rica on January 25, Ambassador Ramdin was welcomed by Brathwaite and his key advisors, and then delivered a brief address to the staff of the Institute.

The IICA Director General explained to the Ambassador the model being promoted by his administration. This model is based on participation, consultation, transparency and accountability, thus ensuring that all actions taken by the Institute are closely aligned with the priorities of each country and its development plans. “The cornerstone of the model is our commitment to the improvement of rural life,” Brathwaite said.

On January 20, during the inaugural ceremony for his second term (2006-2010), Brathwaite called on other organizations to work together in building a sustainable rural development agenda for the Americas.

“Such an agenda is necessary because the problems that burden rural development and agriculture in the hemisphere are so challenging in their scope and complexity that they require strategic and operational partnerships among and between governments, international agencies, NGOs and the private sector to maximize the opportunity for achieving lasting solutions,” he explained during the same ceremony.

Ambassador Ramdin commended Brathwaite on his stewardship of the Institute and acknowledged the importance of “bottom-up,” demand-driven cooperation with the member states, and the vision shown by the Director General in promoting agricultural development in the hemisphere.

Ideal time for change

Ambassador Ramdin noted that 2006 would be particularly significant year for the Americas in view of upcoming elections in 15 countries and changes in the leadership of some organizations of the inter-American system. At the OAS, Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and Ambassador Ramdin assumed their posts only a few short months ago. At the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Luis Alberto Moreno, from Colombia, was recently named President. At IICA, Chelston Brathwaite received the endorsement of the countries for a second term. Mirta Roses heads the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Ramdin was emphatic when saying that this was a time when important changes could take place. He added that in any joint efforts involving the agencies of the inter-American system, cooperation with the countries must take into account the diversity of objectives and interests. In this regard, he said that the hemisphere was very diverse and that what worked for the Andean countries might not for those in Central America or the Caribbean. He went on to say that, despite this diversity, “we must think as one”-- that is to say, adopt strategic approaches to development.

Ambassador Ramdin, from Suriname, identified what in his opinion are the major challenges facing the Americas: democratic governance, conflict resolution (not only from a political perspective) and development.

In addressing the challenge of development, he highlighted three important aspects: job creation, poverty reduction and education. He noted that twenty years into the democratization process, democracy had failed to create well-being, prosperity and development for all our peoples.

In that context, he referred to the situation in Haiti, saying that the challenge was not the February 7 elections, but rather what would follow. That Caribbean nation, he said, needed sustainable development and IICA could play a useful role in that area.

He said that the most important thing we could do was to deliver significant products to our peoples, and that what they expected from the agencies of the inter-American system was real results.

Reference: IICA-OAS-1