The diplomat of extensive experience in the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, will assume since May the leadership of the hemispheric organism in Washington. Who is Ramdin and how did he get the position?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation, from Surinam, Albert Ramdin, was elected Monday as the new secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) for a five -year mandate.
The new leader of the regional agency has served as a high -level advisor in the government of his country, among other positions “whose skilled advice, guidance and good judgment offers” shows it as an agile negotiator in diplomacy and presents it as “an innovative”, according to the OAS.
The 33 OAS member countries have trusted the organism's destinations in Ramdin's leadership for the next five years, in a mandate that will begin on May 25.
He arrives at the Secretary General at the OAS headquarters in Washington by acclamation, to the get to the goal as the only candidate To replace Luis Almagro.
What experience does Ramdin count for the position?
The 67 -year -old diplomat was formed in geographical and management studies, at the University of Amsterdam, then went through multilateral organizations and in 1997 he first arrived at the OAS as a permanent representative of his country before the regional agency.
Two years later, the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) elected him as general foreign relations assistant of the block, which long before arriving this Monday at the General Assembly had already assured him of his support.
But Ramdin's largest presentation is the 10 years that he was in command in the General Secretariat of the OAS, having served between 2005 – 2015 as an attached secretary during the mandates of the Chilean José Miguel Insulza.
When leaving the OAS a decade ago, Ramdin returned for a short time to his native Surinam where he served within the Foreign Ministry, but shortly after the American mining company Newmont Corporation appointed him Director of External Relations.
Back to his country, in July 2020, he assumed as a Minister of Foreign Affairs of Surinam, at the same time of being the vice president of the Council of Ministers of the Caribbean country.
Apart from his position as Chancellor he has also been president of the Association of Caribbean States (AEC) while presiding to the United Nations Development and Economic Cooperation Council.
What will you bet on your management?
Ramdin told the press on Monday at the end of the General Assembly that in his management will bet on an interconnection work between governments and private sector because only “governments cannot face the challenges.”
You also have to work in an OAS Finance Adjustment Plan, find routes of dialogue for countries in institutional and democratic crises such as Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba.
Ramdin told the Voice of America That issues such as Nicaragua raise huge challenges, being a country that moved away from the agency and has entered into a drift in which it is urgent to resume institutionality.
“I am optimistic,” said the new general secretary, who says that the current moment where “in rapid development and connection, we need stronger alliances not only with the subregional integration systems,” in reference to the regional groups of the Caribbean, Central and South America formed by the countries with which it will fight during their management.