SPEECH BY SECRETARY GENERAL ALBERT RAMDIN AT THE SUMMITS IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW GROUP

June 26, 2025 - St. John's - Antigua and Barbuda

Thank you very much, Minister Alvarez, Chairman,
Distinguished Ministers,
Heads of Delegation,
National Coordinators,

Good morning,

This is our first Ministerial SIRG of 2025, and we, as is tradition, hold it in the margins of the General Assembly.

We want to highlight that to make this Summit of the Americas, the Tenth Summit of the Americas, a success, it will require the highest level of participation and the fullest level of participation at the Summit in Punta Cana.

As I said yesterday, our appreciation to the Dominican Republic for hosting the Tenth Summit. After almost three decades we have this one opportunity every three years to meet at the highest political level. It is a unique opportunity to discuss in a very open, frank manner, to have a dialogue among the highest political authorities in our countries about the future and the collaboration which we need to achieve.

We know from previous Summits how transformative the Summit of the Americas can be. That will only happen when there is a vision, there is coordination, and there is political will. We know, and we spoke about this on many occasions. The political will is necessary because we are not all the same. We have to recognize that we are a diverse community with different agendas, different interests, but all meant to serve the people and create a prosperous Hemisphere.

With that in mind, I certainly look forward to the execution of the Tenth Summit of the Americas under the theme of “Building a Secure and Sustainable Hemisphere with Shared Prosperity.” That is what we have been advocating for in the past couple of months. I think we coincide in a very fortunate manner with the objectives and the intentions of our host, the Dominican Republic. The four axes of human security proposed by the Chair–citizen security, water security, food security and energy security–respond to what our societies see as a challenge. Human and citizen security, environmental sustainability, climate resilience and economic development will benefit all of us. Despite different agendas, we can unite around these important objectives.

In our experience, over the past 25 years with the Summit Process, the key to the success of the Summit is not the preparation or the execution on the day itself; it is the follow-up; it is what we do with the decisions we have undertaken. I think that should be part of the discussions. How do we execute? How do we align mandates which we will agree on in Punta Cana with the national mandates and the national budgets? We need to make sure that the Finance Ministers are aware of the decisions taken by Ministers of Foreign Affairs and by the Heads of State and Government so that there is alignment. Most of the mandates we adopt at the Summit, and we have seen the Declaration, must be included in the national budgets. That is one aspect of the follow-up.

The second aspect is how do we align the programs and planning of the inter-American system with the decisions taken by the Heads of Government. The IDB, PAHO, IICA and other institutions must incorporate the decisions of the Heads of Government into their work plans and financing programs. Otherwise, there will be a disconnect between ambition and execution, and this is what we have to avoid.

The Summit is a unique opportunity to serve the Hemisphere. I want to pledge here that the OAS General Secretariat is available to the host country. We are already working very closely with you, Minister Alvarez; you can count on the Organization of American States to provide all support needed, including for the follow-up of this Process. We know that there is a SIRG Meeting that can be held in between to follow-up and to monitor the execution.

I expect that in three years’ time, when another country hosts the Summit, we will take stock of what has been executed, and for that we need a mechanism of execution follow-up. As Chair of the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG), which is a body of twelve institutions, including the OAS, I intend to convene a meeting to discuss how we effectively support the Summit Process, the Summit mandates, the objectives and initiatives, and how we prepare for that process.

Political decisions and mandates will come from our leaders. The execution will be the responsibility of the institutional capacity within the inter-American system. I believe the JSWG is the place to work on these issues. In the past three months, I have already met twice with three organizations: the Inter-American Development Bank, the Pan-American Health Organization and the Inter-American Institute for Agriculture. And soon, in coordination with the Dominican Republic, we will convene the High-Level Authorities of the twelve institutions, which, together with the OAS make up this Group.

I am very pleased to hear, Mr. Chairman, that focus is granted to the role of the private sector. In our own view, and you heard me say it yesterday, the role of the private sector is critical to creating an economic space which is prosperous, which will create political stability, which can foster democracy and human rights, and also contribute to security. It is in their interest, it is not philanthropy, it is a win-win situation for both. The private sector can offer assistance and can be a strategic partner.

Let me conclude by wishing the Government and the people of the Dominican Republic every success on the road to the Summit. With the support and input of member states, with a new hemispheric vision, with the political will, with cooperation, and strong follow-up of mandates, we can build what the people of the Americas wish – a secure, sustainable and prosperous Hemisphere. This goes to the heart, the purpose and objectives as adopted in 1994.

Thank you.