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OAS Assistant Secretary General Addresses Aid Coordination Meeting in Haiti

  May 13, 2013

The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, speaking at a meeting of the Coordination Framework for Foreign Development Aid (CAED), says the list of priorities and the development vision presented by the government of Haiti is commendable and will be supported by the organization as part of its efforts to assist the Member State.

Ambassador Ramdin joined with members of the international community including former United States President Bill Clinton, former Canadian Governor General and current UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti, Michaëlle Jean, representatives of Brazil, Canada, the United States and others, meeting with the President of Haiti, Michel Martelly, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and government ministers during the CAED meeting.

Assistant Secretary General Ramdin said, “The OAS is guided by the priorities and needs identified by the Haitian authorities. The framework presented during CAED is essentially a marching order for the international community, since we execute assistance projects under Haitian leadership.” The senior OAS official also spoke of the need for constant review and analysis within the international community, to ensure effectiveness and coordination in projects.

During his visit to Haiti, Assistant Secretary General Ramdin also met with representatives of the country’s Parliament, as well as members of Haiti’s Electoral Council and reiterated that the OAS was looking forward to the holding of partial Senate and local elections within the country, and was prepared to offer technical assistance when requested. “It’s important for all stakeholders to work together to contribute to a politically stable climate, so that social and economic deliverables can be achieved.”

Representatives of the government of Haiti including the Minister of Economy and Finance, Wilson Laleau and members of the Private Sector are expected to travel to Guatemala to attend a high level meeting of CEOs, Chairmen and Ministers from Central America and the Caribbean, hosted by the OAS, in hopes of attracting more investment to Haiti. A trade delegation from specific Caribbean and Central American countries is also expected to travel to Haiti later this year to explore opportunities in the country, under the leadership of the OAS Assistant Secretary General.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

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

Reference: E-188/13