International experts today analyzed the economic, social and political impact of security issues on the development of Latin America and the Caribbean, at a seminar held by the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Development Bank.
The seminar “Security and Development: Challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean” brought together more than 150 delegates from governments, academics and analysts.
In their opening speeches, OAS Secretary General César Gaviria and IDB President Enrique V. Iglesias underscored the need to strengthen regional cooperation in order to reduce Latin American and Caribbean countries’ vulnerability to risks ranging from economic crises to natural disasters, crime and terrorism.
Iglesias pointed out that security, an issue with deep and complex roots, has become a key preoccupation among citizens and a “tax on progress” for many countries in the region.
Security, he added, must be based both on democracy and development. “There can be no security when necessity reigns, when large portions of the population suffer from unemployment, social and economic exclusion or our dramatic exposure to natural disasters,” Iglesias said.
Gaviria said that OAS countries have come to recognize that security threats are a shared burden. However, he added, these nations should strive to improve their justice systems in order to deal with the problems caused by crime.
“Justice holds the principal instruments needed to confront our principal challenges: drug trafficking, terrorism and corruption. This is an area where we must be more efficient,” he said.
These challenges, added Gaviria, must not be left solely to the armed forces or the police and demand greater civilian participation.
The seminar consisted of four panel discussions on economic, social, political and diplomatic aspects of security. The first panel analyzed the volatility of Latin American economies as a source of insecurity and proposed policies to address those risks.
The panel on social issues discussed the importance of social safety networks for stability and development in the region. The panel on political issues highlighted the role played by democratic institutions while the panel on hemispheric security examined lessons learned from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Amb. John Maisto, Special Assistant to President Bush and Senior Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council was the seminar’s keynote speaker.