OAS supports Caribbean agro-energy push
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| Published on Saturday, August 4, 2007 |
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WASHINGTON, USA: The Department of Sustainable Development of the OAS is to contribute to an Inter-agency initiative to design and implement a Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Bioenergy Action Program (CREBAP) in the Caribbean.
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OAS Assistant Secretary
General Albert Ramdin |
The OAS-DSD will next week partner with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the CARICOM Secretariat, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and host government, Guyana, in organizing a High Level seminar that will address the economic, social and environmental aspects of agro-energy development in the Caribbean.
The August 6-7 event will bring together public and private sector representatives from CARICOM member states, Brazil, Colombia, and the USA, to examine the technical and financial feasibility of establishing a viable and environmentally-sustainable agro-energy industry in the region.
The Seminar will receive presentations from experts on wide-ranging studies and examples of best practice in bio-energy development in the Hemisphere. It will also facilitate dialogue towards the adoption of an agro-energy strategy for the region, which is expected to identify, among other things, institutional roles and responsibilities as well as resource requirements for the development of a viable bio-energy industry in the Caribbean region.
To this end, representatives of CARICOM, IDB, IICA, OAS and the Government of Guyana will sign a Memorandum of Understanding committing to collaborate and share resources in support of the design and implementation of a Caribbean Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Bioenergy Action Program.
OAS Assistant Secretary-General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin who will be leading an OAS Delegation to the Seminar believes the bioenergy initiative is a timely one that can have a positive impact on the development prospects of the Caribbean.
“I see this initiative as an ideal complement to moves by CARICOM Heads of Government towards the adoption of a Regional Energy Policy, as well the full operationalization of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy” says Ambassador Ramdin.
Ambassador Ramdin is among several dignitaries who will address the opening of the Seminar. Addresses will also be delivered by the President of the IDB, Luis Alberto Moreno, Director General of IICA, Dr. Chelston Brathwaite, Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, and CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Edwin Carrington. The Feature Address will be delivered the President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo.
The event is being organized by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Program (CREDP), in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), with support from the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Government of Guyana.
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