The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Costa Rica today signed, within the framework of the 54th General Assembly of the OAS in Asunción, a framework cooperation agreement to promote Triangular South-South Cooperation between member states, the General Secretariat and the OAS observer countries.
The agreement seeks to diversify and maximize financing sources for middle-income countries in the region, mobilizing both international cooperation and private enterprise and internal resources to effectively address the specific challenges of these countries and ensure continuous and equitable progress.
Specifically, the agreement seeks to promote cooperation in economic development, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), culture, tourism, innovation, science, technology, development of skills in transformative technologies and digital inclusion of women, youth and traditionally underrepresented populations, competitiveness, human development, education, work and employment, cooperation and alliances for development, linguistic cooperation, sustainable and competitive port management, sustainable development; climate change, sustainable energy, integrated water resources management and blue diplomacy support in conservation plans and management of ocean resources (blue economy); social protection; migration and refuge; (management) prevention and mitigation of risk in the face of extreme natural events, among others.
"Costa Rica is a firm defender of multilateralism and the strengthening of the OAS. We recognize the importance of technical cooperation in the regional framework that not only facilitates the exchange of best practices, but also promotes solidarity and the sustainable development of our nations," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, Arnoldo André Tinoco. "We make available our best practices, systematized in Costa Rica's technical offer catalogues, as well as our experience implementing triangular cooperation mechanisms, to carry out projects that benefit OAS member countries and allow donor countries to exercise their solidarity and commitment to the development of this region," he added.
For his part, the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, thanked Costa Rica for its leadership and willingness to contribute with its best practices, experiences and capabilities on issues of the comprehensive development agenda to promote triangular and south-south cooperation. "We certainly hope to catalyze regional cooperation in the OAS through this agreement and strategic alliance with the Government of Costa Rica," he indicated. "As a region, we can develop innovative solutions that emphasize sustainability, resilience and inclusion."
Reference: FNE-144079
