Inter-American Economic Council
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About The Council
The INTER-AMERICAN ECONOMIC COUNCIL is a Non-Profit Corporation Established in August of 1999. The Purpose of the Council is to provide senior Government Officials, leading Business Executives, and Academic Professionals the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about current and future economic strategies in the Hemisphere. The "Council" headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and focuses on promoting economic development in the nations of the Western Hemisphere with special emphasis on the Caribbean and Latin America. The Centerpiece of the Council's activities is its Business Roundtable which take place during the General Assembly Meeting of the Organization of American States. This signature event is convened in association with the Secretariat of the Organization of American States and generally with the host governments of the Assembly sessions. The themes of the meeting vary annually and is established in consultation with governments, groups of governments and private sector bodies of the region.
The mission of the Council is to bridge the existing gap between public and private sectors for the collateral advancement of regional economic development.
The Council recognizes that in recent times a number of international and regional organizations have articulated this need and that a few bodies have begun to serve selective areas of this requirement. It is the view of the Council however, that an overall nexus of focus and perspective between the public and private sectors has now become imperative for interrelated regional development.
The Council further believes that increasing innovation and advancement in technology strengthen the requirement for institutional policy linkages between the different sectors of national and regional planning in the interest of a wider hemispheric design. This need is perhaps most clearly evidenced in the areas of trade and the environment, tourism and services, communications and information, and education and human resource development.
The Council therefore sees the GOALS to achieve its mission as five fold:
- To raise awareness among business executives of the needs and related government policies and actions.
- To facilitate opportunities for focus and interchange by private and public sectors on the technological trends and developments and its implications for the economies of the region.
- To provide impetus for a fresh look at new theories through the input and critique of the academic members.
- To identify and promote mechanisms for public and private sector engagement regionally and sub regionally for the furtherance of informed overall regional economic development.
- To propitiate a credible political environment between private and public sector for continuing engagement.
Achievement Perspectives
The OBJECTIVES of the Council are reached through four basic mechanisms:
- Functional and continuing association by the Council with the Organization of American States through its related departments and units.
- Key meetings throughout the year by the Council with Heads of State, Trade and Finance Ministers and other senior public officials in Washington, D. C. and other related areas.
- Regional and sub regional action groupings on selected thematic questions under the aegis of the Council.
- Annual regional encounters convened by the Council between public and private sectors and civil society.
In June 2000, at the General Assembly Meeting of the Organization of American States, the Council and the Secretariat of the Organization of American States signed an agreement on cooperation. The Council is also accredited to the OAS. Through the agreement with the Secretariat and on the basis of its accreditation, the Council will work closely with the Organization's Committee on Civil Society and other bodies of the Organization.
The Centerpiece of the Council's actions will be its Annual Meeting. The Council will convene these annual encounters on the occasions of the regular sessions of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States. This signature event is convened in association with the Secretariat of the Organization of American States and the host governments of the Assembly sessions. The themes of the Meeting vary annually and is established in consultation with governments, groups of governments and private sector bodies of the region.
The Annual Meetings of the Council feature high level decision makers in the fields of international business, finance and government to examine critical issues facing the inter-American economy as the region enters the first stages of this new millennium. In collaboration with other actors of the region the Council will attempt to develop new directions and concrete policy prescriptions. The occasions of the Annual Meetings provides the participants as investors in the region, with unprecedented access to policymakers and insights into the business environment of the Hemisphere as it undergoes fundamental change.
Ambassador Thomas is a national of Trinidad and Tobago with vast experience at the Caribbean, Latin American and International levels. Ambassador Thomas served as the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (1990-2000). He was head of his country's Foreign Service, served as his country's Ambassador to Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and served as Chairperson of a number of United Nations bodies and committees over the period 1975-1990.
Ambassador Thomas holds a First Degree (B. A.) from the University of London; a Diploma in Education (with distinction) from the University of the West Indies; a Masters in Latin American Studies from the University of Bristol, England; and a Masters in Political Science from New York University. Ambassador Thomas has lectured extensively on Latin American and International Relations, is the author of numerous articles and two books on the Organization of American States. He is fluent in Spanish and is regarded as a leading expert on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Mr. Featherman
is Founder, President and CEO of the Inter-American Economic Council. In this capacity Mr. Featherman has collaborated with Heads of State, Heads of Government, MultiLateral Institutions and Business Leaders on fashioning programs to provide the private sector with direct input during multilateral meetings. Mr. Featherman was also instrumental in the establishment of the BiPartisan 30 Member United States Congressional Caribbean Caucus, an entity dedicated to strengthing the relationship between the United States of America and the Countries of the Caribbean Basin. During the Summer of 2005 Mr. Featherman served as Director of the Transition Team for the Assistant Secretary General elect of the Organization of American States.
From the period 1999 to 2000 he was in charge of the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Queretaro, Mexico working on behalf of a major U.S.vertically integrated switch manufacturing company, CW Industries.
In 1998 Mr. Featherman helped administer the International Leadership Programme for the United Nations University in Amman, Jordan. He co-led United Nations University delegations to Cyprus for meetings with Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot representatives. He also co-led a UNU delegation to Turkey and moderated discussions in Amman with Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali, Oscar Arias, Shimon Peres and many other present and former World Leaders. In 1997 an International Committee Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Noor selected him to be part of the Inaugural Program of the International Leadership Academy. He completed comprehensive leadership training at the United Nations University International Leadership Academy in Amman, Jordan and traveled with UNU delegations for meetings with His Majesty King Hussein, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Egyption Foreign MInister Amir Moussa, and many other international leaders. He also traveled with UNU delegations to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza and Egypt.
From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Featherman served as President of the U.S. and Canadian Divisions of the Center for Research and Technological Development of the State of Queretaro, Mexico(CIATEQ), one of Mexico's largest government owned engineering companies. The company is at the forefront of Latin American Institutions developing high technology programs and products in Mexico.
From 1992 to 1995 Mr. Featherman served as Executive Vice President of an International Trade Consulting Firm headed by the former U.S. Military Attache in Mexico Coronel Alden M. Cunningham, the former Director of Business and Export Affairs at the U.S. State Department, John J. St. John, and the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Ambassador Richard Holwill. The Firm assisted U.S. and Latin American Corporations in establishing Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances primarily in Mexico.
Mr. Featherman has spoken widely throughout the Hemisphere on U.S., Latin America and Caribbean relations. He has been an advocate for free and fair trade liberalization. He represented Business Interests at a White House Meeting on the GATT and has spoken throughout the United States to promote Trade Liberalization and Economic Integration with Latin America. Mr. Featherman has helped administer the Future World Leaders Summit for the Presidential Classroom in Washington, DC. and served as a guest professor (Business Law and Multi-National Corporate Finance) at the State University of New Jersey.
Mr. Featherman is a Phi Beta Kappa Graduate of Temple University where he completed his degree Magna Cum Laude in 3 years, he earned his law degree from American University in Washington, DC where he served on the American University Law Review and has a Masters degree in Inter-American Law from the University of Miami. His thesis, "Mexican Privatization: The Country Prepares for Full Fledged Capitalism" was published in the 1991 edition of the Yearbook of International Law. Mr. Featherman serves on the Boards of the American Jewish Committee Latin America and Latino Institute, the Unesco Global Leadership Forum Advisory Board at Bahcesehir University and along with Senator John McCain and former Housing Secretary Jack Kemp serves on the advisory Board of the United States Virgin Islands Military and Veterans Memorial Complex.
He has been quoted in major publications including the Miami Herald, the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the AP, the Capital Press, Newhouse Newswire Service, the Philadelphia Inquirer, El Mercurio and many others. He has appeared on television and radio including CNN, ABC, CBS, National Public Radio's Marketplace and major media outlets in Latin America and the Caribbean.
He is fluent in Spanish. He is active with numerous civic, political and charitable organizations.
Ramón Zertuche is the Executive Director of the Council. He previously served as the Council's Program Manager helping advance the Council's Caribbean and Andean Initiatives and providing key programmatic and logistical support to programs in Antigua, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, St. Lucia and the United States of America. Mr. Zertuche graduated from Dartmouth College with a dual B.A. in Government and Latin American & Caribbean Studies in 2001. Prior to joining the Council, Mr. Zertuche worked as the Special Assistant to the President & CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and currently lives in Washington, DC.
Theodore Ward is the Program Coordinator for the Council. He joined the Council in 2006 after graduating from The George Washington University with a degree in International Relations, with a concentration in Latin America. He is proficient in both Spanish and French.
[edit] External links
- Inter-American Economic Council official site
