Ambassador to US Presents Credentials to OAS Secretary General
By: , September 21, 2015The Key Point:
Photo: contributed
Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the OAS, His Excellency Ralph Thomas, presents his credentials to the Secretary General of the OAS, His Excellency Luis Almagro, at the OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., on September 18.The Facts
- In his remarks, Ambassador Thomas reassured the Secretary General that Jamaica is fully committed to the OAS charter.
- The Ambassador was accompanied to the OAS by Jamaica’s Alternate Representative to the OAS, Mrs. Julia Hyatt; the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Jamaica, Mrs. Marsha Coore-Lobban; Minister-Counsellor for Trade, Mrs. Ariel Bowen; his wife, Mrs. Sandra Dixon-Thomas and other members of his family.
The Full Story
Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Ralph Thomas, presented his credentials as Jamaica’s new Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), on September 18, to Secretary General of the OAS, His Excellency Luis Almagro, at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
In his remarks, Ambassador Thomas reassured the Secretary General that Jamaica is fully committed to the OAS charter.
“Today, I underscore Jamaica’s commitment to the principles and objectives of the OAS, including the promotion of democracy, the protection of human rights, the maintenance of peace and security and the advancement of sustainable economic development throughout the hemisphere,” Ambassador Thomas said.
He pointed out that Jamaica is willing to work constructively towards the fulfillment of the mandates emanating from the Summit of the Americas and the General Assembly, which were held in April and June, respectively.
Ambassador Thomas expressed interest in working with the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General, as well as colleague Permanent Representatives in the restructuring of the Organization, to ensure that it fulfills the objectives outlined in the Strategic Vision for a more efficient, effective and responsive organization.
He pointed to some of the challenges that the region faces, including problems of mass migration and increasing irregular migration,organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, arms smuggling and unacceptably high murder rates, particularly due to gun violence.
“These are challenges that the OAS can help Member States to address in partnership with other international actors,” the Ambassador said.
Meanwhile, Secretary General Almagro lauded Jamaica for its tradition of providing leadership at the regional and sub-regional levels.
He expressed confidence that Jamaica will continue to lead the way in the organization for a better understanding of peace and cooperation among countries.
The Ambassador was accompanied to the OAS by Jamaica’s Alternate Representative to the OAS, Mrs. Julia Hyatt; the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Jamaica, Mrs. Marsha Coore-Lobban; Minister-Counsellor for Trade, Mrs. Ariel Bowen; his wife, Mrs. Sandra Dixon-Thomas and other members of his family.