ST. LUCIA – Ambassador Michael Louis, the new St. Lucian Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), delivered his first formal address to the Permanent Council Friday, August 29, praising the work of the hemispheric organization and its Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, and reaffirming his country’s support to various OAS initiatives.
The St. Lucian envoy commended the efforts of the Hemispheric organization in embarking in the creation of a Social Charter of the Americas, which sends “a powerful signal that shows that the states that comprise this august body are determined to embody the principles of democracy, good governance and integral development in all aspects of our public policies,” he said.
A historian, author and educator, Ambassador Michael Louis presented credentials to the Secretary General on May 22, 2008.
In his maiden speech to the OAS Permanent Council Friday, August 29th, Louis reaffirmed St. Lucia’s commitment “to the work of the Organization as we advance to promote democracy, respect for human rights, combat corruption and the trafficking and abuse of illegal drugs.”
He also expressed his country’s support to the issues of sustainable energy, multidimensional security and climate change, and applauded the work of the Inter-American Council of Integral Development (CIDI), the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI), and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD).
Addressing his colleagues at the Permanent Council’s regular session, chaired by Belize’s Ambassador Nestor Mendez, Louis touched on the issues of education, the food crisis, and environmental security. While calling on organizations and governments to “transform rhetoric into concrete actions,” he thanked the Secretary General and the OAS for the cooperation with the CARICOM through the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center.
Formerly a visiting scholar with the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Educational Administration, Ambassador Louis has also served in the Saint Lucian Senate and as chief education officer, school principal and teachers’ college lecturer in Saint Lucia.
He has been a consultant to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the International Bureau on Education, among others. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in history from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in history and sociology from the University of the West Indies.
