Her Excellency Audrey Marks, delivers her inaugural address to the Permanent Council of the OAS at its headquarters in downtown Washington DC on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.
Jamaica’s Permanent representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) Her Excellency, Ambassador Audrey Marks, reaffirming that security threats can no longer be viewed only in terms of armed conflict, argued that the OAS must continue to emphasize the multidimensional approach to security in the Americas.
This approach, the Ambassador says, must encompass economic, social, health and environmental issues, among other key factors that can wield a significant influence on the security and stability of a state.
In delivering her inaugural address to the Permanent Council of the OAS at its headquarters in Washington DC on Tuesday, June 22, 2010, Ambassador Marks said the inextricable link between security and development “requires us to intensify and indeed transform our programmes that provide economic and social opportunities, particularly in vulnerable communities, to ensure social cohesion and community strengthening. Law enforcement efforts alone will not suffice.
“The importance of cooperation in these areas, at the bilateral, regional and international levels, cannot be overstated and we therefore look forward to collaborating with all our partners and with the OAS, to identify ways in which our country, and others that share these concerns, can benefit from tangible support”, Ambassador Marks told her colleagues representatives of the OAS member states.
Ambassador Marks used the opportunity to reiterate how seriously her country takes the issues of democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law. She declared: “Jamaica also places high importance on the safety and security of the country and of all its citizens and will not abdicate its responsibility to apprehend disruptive and destabilizing criminal elements and drug traffickers.”
She pointed out that Jamaica continues to attach great importance to the OAS development agenda and particularly to meeting the needs of small states, through eradicating poverty and human resource development. “For this reason, I wish to underscore the importance of the OAS technical cooperation programme, particularly through the FEMCIDI process, which has provided support in the areas of education, social development, tourism, natural disaster reduction, among others, as well as the invaluable scholarship and training programmes.”
Ambassador Marks added that the timely completion of the Social Charter of the Americas and its Plan of Action remains a high priority for Jamaica, “as we strive to accord the appropriate balance between the Organization’s political mandates and its economic and social agenda.”
She also reaffirmed Jamaica’s commitment to the priorities of the Organization and stated that, through constructive dialogue, she would continue to ensure that the relationship remains strong and mutually beneficial.
The Ambassador informed the permanent representatives in the OAS Permanent Council that Jamaica values greatly the excellent relationship it shares with the OAS. This important relationship has been enhanced over the years “by Jamaica’s participation at ministerial and high-level meetings in the areas of labour, education, sustainable development, social development, culture, science and technology and local government, the hosting of various OAS workshops in our country, as well as various visits of the Secretary General to Jamaica.”
In officially welcoming Ambassador Marks to the Permanent Council, various Latin American Ambassadors used the opportunity to commend Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, and government of Jamaica for the bold stance they have recently taken to eradicate criminal elements in the country and wish the Prime Minister and his government every success in their efforts to eliminate the scourge that faces a number of countries.
Ambassador Mark’s address to the Permanent Council comes a month after she presented her credentials to the Secretary General of the OAS and less than two weeks after leading Jamaica’s delegation to the OAS’ general assembly in Lima, Peru.
My thanks to Mr. Derrick Scott, information attache at the Embassy of Jamaica for this contribution that gives us keen insight Jamaica’s diplomatic initiative with Washington in the post Dudus era.
What can our new ambassador do in Washington to best advance Jamaica’s prospects?
