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Promoting Integral Development in the Americas Executive Secretariat for Integral Development. SEDI Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Specialized Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities Bogota Colombia October 26 - 27 2009

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Page 1: Promoting Integral Promoviendo Development in el ... · Integral Development (CIDI) Specialized Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities. Bogota, Colombia. October 26 to 27,

Promoviendo el Desarrollo Integral en las AméricasSecretaría Ejecutiva para el Desarrollo Integral. SEDI

Promoting Integral Development in the AmericasExecutive Secretariat for Integral Development. SEDI

Reunión Especializada del Consejo Interamericano para el Desarrollo Integral (CIDI) de Altas Autoridades de Cooperación

BogotáColombia

26 y 27 de octubre de 2009

Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Specialized Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities

BogotaColombia

October 26 - 272009

Page 2: Promoting Integral Promoviendo Development in el ... · Integral Development (CIDI) Specialized Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities. Bogota, Colombia. October 26 to 27,

Promoting Integral Development in the Americas Executive Secretariat for Integral Development

Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Specialized Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities.

Bogota, Colombia. October 26 to 27, 2009

Page 3: Promoting Integral Promoviendo Development in el ... · Integral Development (CIDI) Specialized Meeting of High-Level Cooperation Authorities. Bogota, Colombia. October 26 to 27,

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAS STATES Executive Secretariat for Integral Development1889 F Street, N.W.Washington, DC. 20006, USA(202) 458-3000www.oas.org/sedi

Graphic Design: Claudia Saidon

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3Promoting the Integral Development in Americas

ÍndiceIntroduction 5

Scholarships, Training and Loans 6

Education and Culture 8

Social Development and Employment 10

Sustainable Development 12

Economic Development 16

Science and Technology 20

Fund for Partnership for Development 22

Partnerships with Non-profit Associations 24

Table of Contents

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5Promoting the Integral Development in Americas

In recent years, the OAS has had an ever-greater role in technical cooperation for development in the Hemi-sphere. In the 2005-2009 period, the Organization has channeled resources of about USD 250 million to cooperation programs and projects in the areas of integral development, whose main thrusts have been the strengthening of institutional and human capacities and promoting the drafting and implementation of pub-lic policies in the countries of the region. These actions, aimed at strengthening our countries’ democratic governance and human prosperity of our people, were taken in response to the mandates and priorities established by our Organization’s highest policy-making levels: the Summit of the Americas, the General Assembly, and ministerial meetings.

Resources for specific cooperation programs and projects have come in part from member countries of our Organization and from a growing number of international organisms and governments from outside the Hemisphere.

Actions taken in recent years have improved the perception of the Organization as the appropriate vehicle for encouraging and carrying out conventional cooperation models and promoting new forms of coopera-tion (south-south cooperation and triangular cooperation, among others).

Technical cooperation for development has been carried out in the areas mentioned and in the following fields: social development, employment, sustainable development, education, culture, commerce, tourism, migration, modernization of government institutions and municipal management, human development and training, public-private partnerships, strengthening of SMEs, science, technology, and innovation, etc.

Today the OAS has a recognized capacity for policy dialogue at the highest level and broad experience in technical cooperation for development, which positions our Organization to become a major bridge for co-operation in the Hemisphere in the years to come, not only for its ability to convene its member countries, but especially in its ability to serve as a suitable channel through which organs, countries, and agencies can carry out orderly and effective cooperation in our Hemisphere.

This publication presents an overview of the efforts being made by the OAS in response to the priorities defined among the diverse areas that constitute integral development, as well as relaying some relevant ac-tions and results.

Introduction

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Academic and Professional Development Scholarships Programs

The Educational Portal of the Americas

Educational Loans

Scholarships, Training and Loans

Initiatives Academic and Professional Development Scholarships Programs

More than 600 new academic scholarships were awarded during three academic cycles (2007-10) for a value of US$21.5 million.

More than 1,900 scholarships were granted for professional development (2007-2009) for a value of US$4.2 million (contri-butions from the OAS and donor institutions).

The OAS has estab-lished agreements with nearly 100 respected

universities, creating a cost savings of approxi-mately US$1.68 mil-lion (2007-09). These agreements have made it possible to keep the average cost per student below the allowable limit, as established in the program rules.

The OAS has devel-oped a reliable system for monitoring financial management. Schol-arship recipients are selected through the Academic and Techni-cal Studies Scholarship Selection Committee and the Professional Development Scholar-ship Selection Commit-tee. Electronic applica-tion forms, available in

four languages, have been implemented as a means to improve ef-ficiency in the selection process.

The Educational Portal of the Americas

More than 11,500 individuals have been trained between 2005 and 2009 many of which received scholar-ships to cover more than 60% of the cost of the courses. Training has been provided to teach-ers, directors, political leaders, officials, and others.

The portal offers technical and advisory services to international organizations (UNDP, IICA, etc.) and to the Organization itself (de-velopment and mainte-nance of virtual spaces).

20,200 scholarships for post-graduate Studies have been granted

55,000 professional development scholar-ships have been granted.

From 1958 to 2009

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Scholarships, Training and Loans

Initiatives

Educational Loans

The OAS granted a total of 381 interest-free loans in the amount of US$2.23 million (from 2005 to September

2009). These loans are to students from OAS Member States for post-secondary studies in the United States and to staff of the Organiza-tion.

The Fund has handled an annual average of 429 loans worth $1.65 million. The Fund, cre-ated through the legacy of Dr. Rowe, reached its 60th year of existence in 2008. In recent years,

the Fund has re-estab-lished its visibility in the Hemisphere by organiz-ing events with institu-tions engaged in financ-ing for studies abroad and by carrying out a promotion campaign.

To expand the scholarship program the OAS promotes strategic partnerships with institutions, Member States, and observer countries.

Negotiations are underway with a number of institutions across the Hemisphere to expand the OAS Consortium of Universi-ties and to promote international academic exchange among our partners.

By implementing innova-tive approaches to the use of information and communica-tion technologies in higher education, the OAS seeks to broaden access throughout the Americas.

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Policy Dialogue and Cooperation

Comprehensive Attention to Early Childhood Care

Education for Democratic Values and Practices

Teacher Training

Culture and Attention to Youth of the Americas

Education and Culture

Initiatives Policy Dialogue and Cooperation

The Ministers of Edu-cation and the Ministers of Culture meet in the OAS Framework to seek solutions to com-mon challenges and to set priorities for Inter-American cooperation.

Comprehensive Attention to Early Childhood Care

With the support of the OAS, the member states assumed the historic Hemispheric Commitment for Early Childhood Education that encompasses proj-

ects in research, com-munication, and training that have stimulated substantial progress in the countries, better in-teragency coordination, and more horizontal cooperation.

Through inter-American symposia and many subregional and national events, train-ing has been given to national directors of early childhood educa-tion and others working in this field.

A partnership has been formed with actors working together to promote and encourage early childhood educa-tion. The actors include

UNICEF, UNESCO, the Van Leer Founda-tion, among others. They coordinate and cooperate with the OAS to enhance the effect of their efforts.

Education for Democratic Values and Practices

Through the Fund for Cooperation on Civic Education, we are pro-viding technical assis-tance and financing nine horizontal cooperation projects with the partici-pation of 21 institutions in 12 member states.

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Education and Culture

Initiatives

We have devel-oped, carried out, and monitored four on-line courses for teachers on the principles of the Inter-American Demo-cratic Charter and how to convert classrooms into more democratic opportunities.

Teacher Training

The OAS is setting up an Inter-American Teacher Educator

Network that will offer a technical support tool, an observatory of policies and practices on the use of information and com-munication technologies (ICTs) in teacher training and a roster of teacher training institutions.

In addition, many classes are offered online with the objec-tive of teaching teacher educators how they can strengthen their peda-gogical practices through ICTs.

Culture and Attention to Youth of the Americas

We are preparing the hemispheric strategy for 2011: “Inter-American Year of Culture”, with projects to celebrate cultural diversity, stim-ulate the development of cultural industries, and promote interaction of the education and culture sectors in the member states.

Culture and the arts contribute to economic development, social inclusion and violence prevention. The OAS’s “Culture in Develop-ment” Inter-American Network offers the hemisphere the video “Towards a Culture of Non-Violence: the role of the arts and culture.” The “Ignite the Americas” youth forum creates last-ing connections among organizations that use art and culture for positive social change among marginalized youth.

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Social Development

In the framework of the OAS, the Inter-American forum of ministers and high au-thorities of social devel-opment was established, the first of which took place in Chile in July 2008 and the second will be held in Colom-bia in 2010.

Social Development and Employment

Priorities

Social Development

Employment

Migration

Initiatives

We are working with the World Bank to set up a virtual platform to support technical cooperation efforts.

Studies are being conducted with the World Food Program to evalu-ate the impact of social protection systems on the hunger and malnu-trition component.

There was assistance in the transferring of lessons learned in Chile’s “Bridge” social protection program to Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and considering the excellent results, the ini-tiative was broadened in 2009 to Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grena-dines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Suriname.

We are collaborating closely with the International Labor Organiza-tion to promote decent work, espe-cially in mainstreaming the gender approach in labor policies.

Along Wwith the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Migration Organization we are also working on migration issues.

The Inter-American Social Protection Network was launched, complying with a direct mandate of the heads of state and government at the Fifth Summit of the Americas. It will include the highest national officials in the social development area and seek synergies with development organiza-tions dedicated to social protection.

Cooperation with other agencies

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Social Development and Employment

Initiatives

Employment

Through the Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL), the OAS of-fers a mechanism for cooperation among the ministries of labor in the region and facilitates a fluid and permanent policy dialogue. More than 500 labor minis-try officials have been trained, technical studies have been conducted, a portfolio of minis-try programs has been compiled, and there have

been 12 hemispheric workshops to analyze priority topics such as child labor, labor migra-tion, health and occupa-tional safety, etc.

To ensure that the workers’ and employ-ers’ voices are heard, the OAS encourages participation of their representatives in the Summit of the Ameri-cas, the General Assem-bly and in the Inter-American Conference of Ministries of Labor (IACML).

Migration

The Migration and Development Program (MIDE) encourages OAS member states to prepare public policies to generate fair, safe, and orderly migration flows. The key ele-ments are development of systems for accurate and timely informa-tion, strengthening of institutional capacities, and exchange of best practices.

In the framework of the MIDE program, and to benefit the member states, the OAS imple-ments a Continuous Reporting System on Labor Migration for the Americas (SICREMI) with the support of the Organization for Eco-nomic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Economic Commis-sion for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

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Sustainable Development

Priorities

Energy and Mitigation of Climate Change

Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change

Biodiversity

Environmental Law, Policy, and Good Governance

Integrated Management of Water Resources

Energy and Mitigation of Climate Change

To advance energy security, reduce the impact of uncertainty over fossil fuel prices and build low car-bon economies in the hemisphere, we estab-lished a Sustainable Energy Partnership of the Americas (SEPA)

Initiatives which facilitates ac-cess to information, an energy experts database, as well as interaction among key public and private energy stake-holders.

To develop the biofu-els markets and stimu-late the production and local use of ethanol, we provided technical as-sistance to the Govern-

ments of El Salvador, the Dominican Repub-lic, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

In the search for development and use of geothermal energy, we have supported geother-mal studies in Domi-nica and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

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Sustainable Development

change on the energy sector in the Caribbean were evaluated.

Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change

To promote more effective and coordi-nated action in natural disaster prevention, the OAS works through two main hemispheric

mechanisms: Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) comprising all the agencies of the inter-American system and chaired by the Secretary General; and the Inter-Disaster Mitigation Network (INDM).

The Organiza-tion continues to use various hemispheric mechanisms to support post-disaster humanitar-

ian response such as the FONDEM, comple-mented by the White Helmets Initiative sup-ported by the Govern-ment of Argentina.

The OAS’s work in climate change adapta-tion takes place within the context of risk man-agement and assisting member states to build capacity to identify, abate or transfer risks as appropriate.

Initiatives

To promote renew-able energy and energy efficiency, we financed 24 energy projects in Argentina, Brazil, Gua-temala, and Mexico, for a total of more than US$2.1 million.

A national solar schools program was established in Hondu-ras; a feasibility study was done on production of cellulose ethanol in Belize; and the poten-tial impacts of climate

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Energy and Mitigation of Climate Change

Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change

Biodiversity

Environmental Law, Policy, and Good Governance

Integrated Management of Water Resources

Biodiversity

OAS initiatives include projects to protect and manage migratory wildlife birds - mammals, and marine species throughout the hemisphere and to enhance ecological con-servation in the wet-lands of the high Andes.

In addition to man-aging projects in the field, the OAS compiles information that helps

decision-makers, sci-entists, and the general public to understand the issues at stake.

The Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network, for example, is an Internet-based fo-rum which pools data on ecosystems and species throughout the region.

To compile data on biodiversity in the Americas, 110 grants of US$10,000 each,

were awarded to vari-ous groups totaling of US$1.1 million.

Environmental Law, Policy, and Good Governance

More than 500 gov-ernment officials have been trained in areas of trade and the environ-ment, payments for environmental services, environmental law and management of chemi-cal substances.

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The DSD is assisting the signatories to the DR-CAFTA agreement regarding their long term environmental goals.

A project on emer-gency legislation in the Caribbean is being implemented with the support of the World Bank.

The OAS has worked on the preparation of a regional action plan for management of toxic chemicals.

With a view to pro-moting payment for environmental services schemes, an analysis of

legal and institutional conditions was under-taken in eight countries.

For its innovative initiative in payments and environmental services and sustainable agriculture in Paraguay, the OAS Department of Sustainable Devel-opment received the Crystal Award at the 2008 Global Develop-ment Marketplace of the World Bank.

Integrated Management of Water Resources

The OAS helps institutions develop the

capacity they need in this field and supports the development of ef-fective laws and regula-tions.

The OAS implements programs to promote the integrated man-agement of valuable freshwater resources, through funding from such partners as the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank.

The OAS is helping to reverse environmen-tal degradation in the Bermejo River Basin; assisting Costa in conserving and devel-oping waster resources

in the San Juan River Basin and coastal areas; and helping four South American countries to develop plans for the sustainable use of the Guaraní Aquifer Sys-tem.

The OAS supports the Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN) which func-tions as a partnership of public and private sector practitioners dedicated to promoting integrated water resources manage-ment in the hemisphere. The OAS has also compiled an online da-tabase of national water regulations, laws, and standards.

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Trade

Tourism

Corporate Social Responsability

Competitiveness

Economic Development

Initiatives Trade

With the execution of more than 75 initia-tives and projects in the trade sector, the OAS is contributing to institutional strengthen-ing and the creation of capacities related to the negotiation, implemen-tation, and use of trade agreements in Latin American and Carib-bean countries. To date, more than 2,500 civil servants, small business entrepreneurs, and organizations of the member states have benefitted.

To help the Caribbean nations improve the

administration of their sanitary and phytosani-tary systems, the OAS promotes the exchange of information, practic-es, and lessons learned on this subject with financial and technical support from the Chil-ean Government.

The OAS has provid-ed technical assistance to Haiti for the develop-ment of the regional agenda and a strategy to attract investment.

Foreign Trade Information System

The OAS Foreign Trade Information Sys-tem carries information

in the four official lan-guages. It has more than 18,000 trade-related documents and files.www.sice.oas.org

Tourism

Through the imple-mentation of the Pro-gram of Small Tourist Enterprises, the OAS provides technical as-sistance to small hotels (Caribbean, Central America, and the An-dean region) and facili-tates training in the area of services, the adoption of international stan-dards, etc. The initiative is being expanded to small tourist enterprises not related to lodging.

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Economic Development

Initiatives

The OAS is carrying out two training projects for Haiti: “Attitudes and awareness on tourism in Haiti”, to improve public perception and understanding of the industry, and the “Pro-gram for training and certification of hospital-ity in Haiti,” to develop an agenda for creating local capacity in the tourism sector.

A Manual on Multi-Risk Contingency Plan-ning for the Tourism Sector has been pub-lished, and workshops are incorporating corpo-rate social responsibility in the small and medi-um tourism enterprises in the Caribbean.

Corporate Social Responsability

In partnership withthe Foro Empresa

During the 2003- 2007 period, more than 120 universities, consultant firms, and civil soci-ety organizations were trained to provide support for companies wishing

to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards.

CSR has been strengthened through the organization of data, the production of prod-ucts, and the establish-ment of opportunities for dialogue. Through the CSR webpage and portal there has been

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Corporate Social Responsability

Competitiveness

better communication with other actors and the contact networks have been strengthened.

By stimulating a network of business and multilateral orga-nizations, the OAS has improved public-private sector ties on CSR topics.

More than 1,000 professionals and entrepreneurs were trained in courses and workshops.

In Partnership with ECLAC

In partnership with ECLAC, the CSR project has been car-

ried out in the Carib-bean with the following results:

A questionnaire has been developed to sur-vey selected companies.

More than 160 SMEs have been trained to include CSR in their corporate strategies.

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The OAS has pre-pared a manual on corporate social respon-sibility tailored to the specific needs of the Ca-ribbean and supplemen-tary guides on CSR for participants are being developed.

Training has been provided to many per-

sons in the Caribbean to support dissemination of CSR in local SMEs.

Competitiveness

The Inter-American Competitiveness Network

The Councils of Com-petitiveness and Innova-

tion of the Americas decided to support the Inter-American Com-petitiveness Network, taking into account that the countries of the Hemisphere have a need for high-level mechanisms of dialogue to promote coopera-tion, policy-making, the

exchange of experiences and the adoption of agreed upon initiatives in order to strengthen the competitiveness of their economies, and with that, the competi-tiveness of the Ameri-cas as a whole.

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Inter-American Metrology System

The Engineering for the Americas

Inter-American Program on Scientific Journalism

Science and Technology

Initiatives Inter-American Metrology System

The OAS supports the consolidation and development of the Inter-American Metrol-ogy System (SIM).

All countries are cooperating with the consolidation of their national institutes of metrology, especially concerning equipment and training of person-nel.

In benefit of centers of natural gas mea-surement in Peru and Bolivia, the OAS has included a triangular Cooperation Project with the sponsorship of the government of Ger-man and the technical assistance from Mexico and Brazil.

A joint study with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is being carried out to design a strategy for development of chemical metrology in Central America and

the Dominican Repub-lic, which will help to make their exports more competitive.

Work is underway to develop a legal metrol-ogy structure in the Caribbean, with support from the Government of Germany.

The Engineering for the Americas

The Engineering for the Americas (EftA) hemispheric initiative

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Science and Technology

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has established its advi-sory board composed of representatives of indus-try, government, and academia to promote improvement of educa-tion in engineering, es-tablish mechanisms for accreditation, and create jobs. Currently a pro-gram is being designed for the improvement of industrial and chemical engineering education in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Inter-American Program on Scientific Journalism

In an effort to in-corporate science into society, the OAS implements the Inter-American Program on Scientific Journalism. It trains journalists and legislators to enter the dialogue on this subject.

The BIONNA Project, which is in development, will

strengthen and pro-mote competitiveness and local innovation in biotechnology, boosting the cooperation of all actors involved through the infrastructure of networks, interaction portals, databases and continuous training.

Following up on the mandates and the Hemi-spheric Initiative on Gender and Science and Technology, the gender perspective is incorpo-rated in all science and

technology activities, projects, programs and other specific initiatives being developed.

Support is provided to more than eight specialized information networks on science and technology, and the OAS cooperates in projects and in hold-ing workshops with the Ibero-American Science and Technology Pro-gram and the Spanish Agency for Internation-al Cooperation.

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FEMCIDI

Fund for Partnership for Development

Fund for Partnership for Development

Initiatives The nonreimbursible cooperation fund, FEM-CIDI, finances projects in eight priority areas defined by the member states in a strategic plan: education, science and technology, social development, trade, democracy, tourism, sustainable develop-ment and the environ-ment, and culture.

From 2005 to 2009, FEMCIDI has financed a total of 356 projects in the amount of US$27.4 million.

The Caribbean re-gion, including Belize, Guyana, and Suriname, received a total of US$10.8 million and executed 155 projects.

The Central American region, including the Dominican Republic, executed a total of 75 projects for US$6.1 million.

The Andean and Southern Cone regions executed a total of 103 projects for US$7.7 million.

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Initiatives

The North American region (United States and Mexico) executed 23 projects for US$2.6 million.

Training and Technical Assistance

FEMCIDI finances train-ing courses requested by the member states in

preparation and design of projects.

Between 2005 and 2009, there were 10 na-tional workshops, three regional workshops and some institutional training events as in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Many other workshops are planned.

On a continuous ba-sis, there are technical support missions to the countries for design and follow-up of projects.

Other Relevant Information

A FEMCIDI proj-ect database has been compiled to include all

projects financed by the Fund since its inception in 1997.

To strengthen the ca-pacities of the countries in formulating develop-ment projects.

For information on the electronic course for project design, contact [email protected]

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Trust for the Americas

Young Americas Business Trust

Pan-American Development Foundation (PADF)

Partnerships with Non-profit Associations

Trust for the Americas

Some of the areas of work: persons with disabilities, support for the peace process in Co-lombia, encouragement of labor rights, youth at risk, development of public-private partner-ships.

Persons with disabilities

The OAS has as-sumed leadership in the promotion of rights of persons with disabilities in the entire Hemi-sphere. With the implementa-tion of the Program for Employment Opportu-nities through Technol-ogy in the Americas (POETA), the Trust

for the Americas has opened more than 50 centers for vocational training for employment of persons with disabili-ties, and to date more than 25,000 people with disabilities have been trained. Partners in the venture are Microsoft, Cisco, and the Inter-American Development Bank. The United Nations and the Government of Sweden have recognized the project.

Support for the peace process in Colombia

Through the “My key” program, the OAS has established 11 centers for recon-ciliation and training for demobilized persons and receiving communi-

ties, with the support of Microsoft and the Alta Consejería para la Re-inserción [High Council for Re-entry] in Colom-bia. More than 10,000 Colombians have used the centers to expand their economic and social opportunities.

Promotion of labor rights

More than 5,000 people have been trained to exercise their labor rights in a joint effort undertaken by the ministries of labor in the region in the frame-work of the Domini-can Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).

To facilitate the participation of the public and private sectors in projects with high social content that reflect the principal objectives of the OAS and the direc-tives of the Summits of the Americas, the OAS works closely with its partner nonprofit foundations that are funded by contributions from the OAS, the mem-ber states, international cooperation agencies, and public and private-sector in-stitutions.

The three foundations partnering with the OAS and that work closely with the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development are: Foundation for he Ameri-cas, Young Americas Business Trust, and the Pan American Development Foundation.

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Promoting the Integral Development in Americas

Partnerships with Non-profit Associations

The Trust provided support for more than 500 labor federations, NGOs, and business associations on how to establish a dialogue with the private sector to increase produc-tivity.

Youth at risk

The Trust has promoted the labor, educational, and social inclusion of poor youth with the sup-port of the Government of Canada and Microsoft Corporation. Beneficiary countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Guatemala, and El Sal-vador.

Through 10 training centers, the Trust pro-vides new opportunities for more than 15,000

youth from the entire region, their families, teachers, and the private sector.

Increased involvement of the private sector in the Organization

The Trust’s Board of Directors includes prominent business leaders from all over the region. The network currently has more than 200 companies.

Awards

To recognize the role of entrepreneurs, the Corporate Citizen of the Americas award is given and starting in 2008, the Trust and the OAS also present the humanitarian award.

Young Americas Business Trust

Through the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) the OAS supports the creation of opportunities for youth through promoting the spirit of enterprise and its importance in our societies.

The Young Entrepre-neurs of the Americas initiative has positioned youth as key actors within the Organization. Now the youth have a space for participation in the Summit of the Americas, the General Assembly and the Per-manent Council, as well as having the support from a youth repre-sentative in the OAS (known as the focal point for youth).

In coordination with local and international partners, work with youth is underway in all stages of business devel-opment, promoting the creation of innovative, competitive and socially responsible businesses through awareness, training and follow-up programs for the imple-mentation and expansion of their enterprises and by creating channels to access markets and investment.

The programs of the YABT have various ap-proaches and have devel-oped enterprise programs aimed at indigenous communities, female leaders, agro-industry, innovation, at risk youth, culture, tourism, science and technology, adapting to the reality and specific needs of each country.

Foro de Jóvenes de las Américas del YABT -V Cumbre de las Américas,

Trinidad y Tobago

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The Talent & In-novation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas) has obtained the participation of more than 9,000 youth in 64 countries and has promoted the devel-opment of more than 2,226 new business ideas. The competition is a learning tool for the youth, it enabling young entrepreneurs to interact and learn from their experiences. Because it is included as an official activity in the framework of the OAS General Assem-bly, it provides an ideal opportunity to network with the private sector

and government repre-sentatives.

Through initiatives like the Development Marketplace of the World Bank, a mecha-nism is in development so that youth can access funds and implement their own business plans.

Pan-American Development Foundation (PADF)

Agreement between private enterprise and the OAS that dates from 1962.

Some of the achievements:

Sending immediate relief to victims of natu-ral disasters.

Response to humani-tarian crises, by gen-erating jobs and other services.

Promotion of integral development in poor rural and urban com-munities.

Strengthening of de-mocracy threatened by civil strife.

Donation of medical and dental equipment and training tools to NGOs.

Cooperation with His-panic/Caribbean groups in the United States on projects for their coun-tries of origin through community.

Encouragement of civil society, border cooperation, and devel-opment of new anti-poverty strategies.

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