As part of its Conferencias Caribeñas 5 Series, the Institute of Caribbean Studies of the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras is honored to invite the academic community and the public to attend two lectures by Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of the American States (OAS) on Friday, October 23, 2009 at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras. The first lecture, “OAS Policies and Practices towards Natural Disasters in the Caribbean,” will be held from 10:00am to 12:00m in Amphitheater 108, Carmen Rivera de Alvarado Building (School of Social Sciences). The second, “The OAS and Small States: The Crisis of Honduras,” will be held in Room L2, from 4:00 to 6:00pm (School of Law).

Born in Suriname, Albert R. Ramdin (1958) received his education in Paramaribo and in The Netherlands, at the University of Amsterdam and the Free University, where he studied geography of developing countries with a specialization in social and economic problems of smaller economies in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Surinamese diplomat has had a distinguished career in public service at the national and international level, serving before his election to the OAS as Ambassador at Large and Special Adviser to the Government of the Republic of Suriname on Western Hemispheric Affairs.

In 1997, Ramdin became his country’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, and two years later, he was also appointed to serve concurrently as Suriname’s non-resident Ambassador to Costa Rica. In 1999, he joined the CARICOM Secretariat as Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations. In 2001 he was named Adviser to the OAS Secretary General, with special attention to the Caribbean. He continued his close engagement with the situation in Haiti, dealt with issues of priority for small states, monitored the hemispheric trade agenda and briefed the General Secretariat on Caribbean concerns. Ramdin was elected OAS Assistant Secretary General in 2005.

For further information you may call (787) 764-0000, extension 4212, or write to iec@uprrp.edu

For more information on The Institute of Caribbean Studies, see http://graduados.uprrp.edu/icaribe/