OAS Assistant Secretary General Says Education, Competitiveness Will Play Crucial Role in the Caribbean

SURINAME – The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin said new levels of growth in the Caribbean will depend largely on the ability of governments to factor changes in innovation, technology, education, research and development into national development agendas, during a trip that included visits to member states Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.

In Trinidad & Tobago, Ambassador Ramdin signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the country’s Minister of Education, Tim Gopeesingh, for the country to host the Virtual Educa Forum in early 2014. The event will bring together thousands of educators and technology experts from around the world. “This is a platform that has the potential to change the way we look at education; the way we teach, the way we learn, as well as our ability and our children’s ability to absorb information,” said the senior OAS official.

Pointing out that Trinidad & Tobago will also host the Americas Competitiveness Forum next October, Assistant Secretary General Ramdin pointed to the need to improve the region’s ranking on the Global Competitiveness Index: “We must re-examine our priorities and our subsequent investments in our people. We are interacting and competing with counterparts from around the world, and the question we must ask ourselves is, are we on equal footing to compete in this age of advancing technology?” asked the OAS Deputy, who is also a Caribbean national.

While in Trinidad & Tobago, the OAS delegation met with top members of the business community and addressed the Institute of International Relations at the University of the West Indies.

In Suriname, the OAS Assistant Secretary General also met with government officials and representatives of the private sector where he discussed increased participation of the country in hemispheric and regional business initiatives and events.