BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert Ramdin held discussions in Barbados on Friday with a series of officials including the President of the Caribbean Development Bank Dr. Warren Smith and high ranking members of the diplomatic corps. The Assistant Secretary General, who recently returned from the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, met with officials in Barbados on ways to improve support and coordinate issues affecting OAS Member States of CARICOM.
During the meeting with the President of the Caribbean Development Bank, discussions were held on areas for further collaborations between the CDB and the OAS in the areas of climate change, energy, initiatives to assist vulnerable groups, as well as initiatives on strengthening Civil Registries and the Puente in the Caribbean project.
Ambassador Albert Ramdin
According to the high ranking OAS official, “We recognize the need to strengthen collaboration with all agencies to serve member states, especially in of financial constraint. We will continue to work together, to network where we can, and communicate with all partners on these issues.”
The OAS Assistant Secretary General also met with officials of St Vincent and the Grenadines, who were in Barbados at the time.
As part of his visit, Assistant Secretary General Ramdin addressed a conference on Peace in the Caribbean. According to the diplomat, the Caribbean region is home to some of the most stable democracies in the hemisphere, and while democracy must be safeguarded, governments across the region must intensify their efforts to address issues of crime and violence. “Sound government policy must continue to be supported and executed. Without adequate good governance, security cannot be guaranteed,” added Ramdin.
