Suriname’s 67-year old foreign minister Albert Ramdin was elected the secretary general for the Organization of American States for the term 2025-2030 during the 56th Special Session of the General Assembly of the OAS on Monday, 10 March 2025. He succeeds Luis Almagro, who was first elected as OAS Secretary General in 2015 and re-elected in 2020 and whose term ends on 25 May 2025.
The US Departmehnt of State issued a note congratulating Ramdin for his election. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated:
“I look forward to working with Secretary General-elect Ramdin to uphold the OAS’s core mission of defending democracy, promoting and protecting human rights, as well as advancing security and economic prosperity throughout our hemisphere.
“We are committed to strengthening alliances with democratic partners to confront shared regional challenges, especially illegal migration, transnational crime, and the corrupt authoritarian regimes in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. These threats endanger both our national security interests and economic stability. To this end, we will advocate for institutional reforms to enhance the OAS’s efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring its continued role as our region’s premier multilateral forum.
“The financial sustainability of the OAS is also a critical concern, and it is a responsibility shared among all member states,” stated US Secretary of State.
On the other hand, the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) from its headquarters in Georgtown, Guyana issued a statement on Monday, 11 March 2025 also congratulating Suriname’s Foreign Affairs Minister Albert Ramdin, on his “historic” election as the new Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS).
“COFCOR is of the view that Mr Ramdin’s election reflects the confidence of Member States in his abilities. The Council expressed confidence that with a career distinguished by extensive experience in foreign policy and diplomacy, including a previous tenure as OAS Assistant Secretary-General, he is well-equipped to guide the organisation in addressing critical issues such as peace, security, socio-economic development, democracy, and good governance across the hemisphere.
“The Caribbean Community is confident that Minister Ramdin will serve in his new role with distinction, upholding the OAS Charter and demonstrating the necessary expertise to navigate regional challenges, thereby contributing to the shared vision for a peaceful and prosperous hemisphere,” COFCOR said in a brief statement.
During the OAS session, Minister of Foreign Relations Roberto Alvarez urged a renewed efforts to improve the situation in Haiti. He urged the international community to do more to accompany the Haitian people on their path towards social, economic and political stability.
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11 March 2025