Brantley Praises OAS’ Contributions
(ZIZ News) — Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Mark Brantley has given the Organisation of American States [OAS] a ringing endorsement, calling its contributions to St. Kitts and Nevis “immeasurable, tangible and consistent.”
Minister Brantley’s comments came on Tuesday morning when he and many others addressed the 45th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly.
Brantley said the country’s democracy has been strengthened by OAS electoral observer missions and OAS leadership on campaign finance reform. He also listed other areas of support from the OAS to St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Our Federation’s human capital, disaster preparedness and resilience programs, youth entrepreneurship initiatives have all been fortified with the support of OAS programs. The same is true with regard to efforts in confronting crime and violence and our nation’s shift towards a green economy has been largely nurtured by the many sustainable development programs of the OAS, particularly its energy program,” he said.
The Hon. Mark Brantley has called on members of the OAS to take pattern from the organizers of the Summit of the Americas.
While speaking at this week’s regular meeting, Minister Brantley referred to the Seventh Summit of the Americas in Panama and suggested that the OAS adopt some of that meeting’s policies.
“For me, the Summit showcased the transformational capacity for constructive engagement and political dialogue. It also reflected a hemispheric recognition of the importance of investing in development cooperation if this hemisphere is to achieve prosperity with equity. A key tenet of planning for the future must be consistency in focus, orientation and emphasis,” he said.
He said such policies of the Summit should be reflected in the meetings of heads of state and government, at the General Assembly and other ministerial meetings, and ongoing deliberations at the General Secretariat.
“Such focus would contribute to policy coherence across pillars, build on the intersectorial niche of OAS and help rationalize the production of new mandates,” he said.