WASHINGTON, DC – The Organization of American States (OAS) says it has signed an agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to establish a framework for cooperation to promote the nexus between holistic development and the resilience ecosystem for joint efforts to reduce poverty and transform lives through sustainable, resilient and inclusive development in the Caribbean.
The OAS said the agreement was signed on Thursday, at OAS headquarters in Washington, by OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro and CDB President Hyginus “Gene” Leon.
“I am extremely happy that we have advanced in the means through which we will be able to cooperate with one basic point in mind: advancing in the prosperity of the peoples of this Hemisphere,” said Leon after the signing ceremony.
“Whatever solutions we put in place today are solutions for tomorrow, which we know is fraught with difficulty and challenges, a future that can only be met if we can forge effective partnerships,” he added. “For me, this is the continuation, not beginning, of a relationship that has endured time.”
Almagro said that, “Through this cooperation agreement, we will be able to focus our actions on projects to develop innovative solutions to build sustainability and resilience in the region.
“The challenges we face in this region are beyond the capacity of any one organization acting alone and require multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approaches and solutions,” he added. “By working together and pooling both financial and technical resources, we will be better equipped to achieve our goals.”
The OAS said the signed initiative will strengthen the activities for the benefit of Caribbean countries in areas such as transformative technologies for climate action, entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative industries, environmental resilience and disaster preparedness, advancing women entrepreneurship, and enhancing public procurement and institutional capacity.
