Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica,

Honorable Ann Peters Minister of Health of Grenada and Chair of the 28th Pan American Sanitary Conference,

Outgoing Director of the Pan American Health Organization Dr Mirta Roses,

Dr. Carissa Etienne Newly Elected and Incoming and Director of the Pan American Health Organization,

Distinguished Ministers of Health,

Dr Jacob Kumaresan, Executive Director WHO Office at te United Nations,

Representatives of Member States of the Pan American Health Organization,

Distinguished Permanent Representatives to the OAS,

Ladies and Gentlemen,


Today the Inter-American system and the hemisphere as a whole, welcomes Dr. Carissa Faustina Etienne as the tenth Director of the Pan American Health Organization.

The Organization of American States is honored to participate in this event, and as a Caribbean national, I must add that it is a special privilege for me to be a part of this ceremony.

Today is further proof that regardless of where you come from, the size of your country does not determine the strength of your voice and your capacity to lead.

Today, Mr. Prime Minister, I know Dominica is proud … and the rest of the hemisphere must be as well, knowing that the Pan American Health Organization will continue from strength to strength in its service to the people of this hemisphere.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to express my personal and heartfelt thanks, appreciation and admiration to PAHO’s outgoing Director Dr Mirta Roses.

Mirta, you and I have worked long and hard together. I have witnessed the strength of your resolve and your passion, as you worked to improve the health and quality of life for countless children, women and the people of the Americas.

I thank you for your exemplary service and your dedication to PAHO and to the hemisphere.

The Organization of American States looks forward to building an equally strong relationship with Dr Etienne and her team. Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza is unavoidably absent today, but he too, sends his best wishes. PAHO will continue to have our unconditional support and our partnership can only grow.

Ladies and Gentlemen, principles like democracy, the rule of law and human rights are at the core of what drives the OAS. The Organization has worked tirelessly to safeguard these tenets. In doing so however I have come to realize that the health of a democracy is reflected in the wellbeing of its people. In my view, peace and prosperity require healthy populations. This link is why I believe the OAS and PAHO have worked well together.

The bonds that have united our organizations have helped us to find tangible solutions to the problems that affect our people. This spirit of forging alliances with international partners and stakeholders is one of the greatest things we can demonstrate to the people of this hemisphere.

Ladies and gentlemen, while we have made great strides over the past decades in many areas, the challenges facing our region are significant. Our region is still home to some of the greatest inequalities in the world. Poverty, unemployment, access to basic health and education are still very serious challenges for millions of families.

This reality demands a new and collective approach to problem solving. A new multilateralism, if you wish, one that is focused on the human and creative potential in our societies, one that directs a positive and forward looking agenda, one that does not divide, rather unites.

International agencies, governments, and NGO’s are bound by duty to make these challenges a priority. Yet far too often, we only unite when we are compelled by the unexpected. It is my hope that the countries and agencies represented in this room will strengthen their resolve to work together more consistently, so that we may benefit from collective action.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we must renew our commitment and our resolve for the sake of the children who go without vaccines; for the sake of those stricken with disease, and for the sake of the millions still struggling to find a better path for themselves and their families.

Ladies and Gentlemen, sound policies can only succeed through meaningful practice. We must work together to create this environment in our hemisphere, so that together we can fight non-communicable diseases and teach our next generation about healthy lifestyles.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe in the founding principles of the Inter American System. I believe in partnership. And I believe in the work that PAHO has done in this hemisphere. With the leadership and vision of Dr Carisse Etienne, PAHO will continue to stand on solid ground.

Dr Etienne, the Organization of American States looks forward to working with you, and we wish you and the Pan American Health Organization an abundance of success.

I thank you.