Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert R. Ramdin

“The Organization of American States has a stake in seeing progress in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region, in continuing to support human security, development and democracy in the Caribbean,” Ramdin told the conference, which began today in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The two-day event, hosted by the Inter-American Economic Council, has brought together Caribbean health ministers and other high-level officials, members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus and representatives of international organizations, among others, to examine the economic impact of AIDS on the Caribbean.

Ramdin, who was the keynote speaker at Sunday’s luncheon session, talked about AIDS in the context of human security. Citing the 2003 Declaration on Security in the Americas, he noted that the OAS member countries have adopted a multidimensional approach to security that takes into account the need to protect individuals and society against all types of threats that would keep them from reaching their full potential in a democratic society.

“Today, when we speak of rights, freedoms and democracy as stipulated in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, we must also focus on the development and security of the individual,” Ramdin said. The Caribbean region faces the highest level of threat from HIV/AIDS in the Western Hemisphere, and its younger population is at particular risk, Ramdin said, adding that the loss of human capital will also affect countries’ social security systems and economic base. “This has major implications for governance, national security, human security and the economic viability of many of these countries whose resources are already stretched,” he said.
 
The Assistant Secretary General stressed that the OAS, through its Inter-American Commission on Women (known as the CIM), has been focusing particular attention on the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and families. “We are working to improve our collaboration with regional governments, international partners, health-care providers, nongovernmental actors and other civil society partners,” he said.
 
Ramdin encouraged the Caribbean countries to work closely with the OAS and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to address these issues. “We encourage and will assist Caribbean governments in their efforts to promote policies that address the fight against poverty, unemployment, discrimination, gender inequalities and social injustice with the same vigor that issues of democracy and good governance are being addressed,” he said.