He was the Caribbean's man at the OAS. Now he's vying to be its leading diplomat

MIAMI -- He is the top diplomat for South America’s only Dutch-speaking country, and in his previous role as assistant secretary general of the hemisphere’s leading regional organization he made more visits to Haiti than any of his Caribbean counterparts.

Now Albert Ramdin, who left the Organization of American States after two terms as assistant secretary general a decade ago, is looking to return — this time as its top figure, secretary-general.

A peace and democracy-building organization, the OAS, founded in 1948, is considered to be an important platform for hemispheric dialogue thanks to initiatives such as elections observation and its Inter-American Human Rights Commission. But as the region faces a number of governance crises and regional challenges around security, migration and climate change, it also faces questions about its effectiveness.

Ramdin is running to replace current Secretary General Luis Almagro, the former Uruguayan former minister whose leadership style and outspokenness on socialists governments in Venezuela and Nicaragua, have earned him both criticism and praise. He faces Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, the foreign minister of Paraguay, who since the election of incoming President Donald Trump has stepped up efforts to try to get the U.S.’s endorsement. The election is March 10.

While both men are from South America, Ramdin has the advantage in that Suriname is part of the Caribbean Community regional bloc, which represents 14 votes of the 34 members. Ramdin reportedly has commitments from three other nations and needs just one more to win, which observers say he is likely to get.

The bid for the top post comes as the Washington-based regional forum continues to battle criticism about its relevance and overstepping its authority, and as some member states face issues over governance and democratic principles.

“I know the organization, I know the hemisphere, I know the people. Most of them still work there from when I worked there,” Ramdin told the Miami Herald, adding that he wants to improve the level of motivation at the OAS. “I would want to see a secretariat of the OAS to be very motivated and inspired.”

Ramdin served as assistant secretary general under Chilean politician José Miguel Insulza, who served two terms as secretary general, from 2005-15. He strongly advocates cross border collaboration and believes the OAS can do more to address post-COVID-19 uncertainties and issues like crime, migration, and economic development.

Ramdin currently serves as minister of foreign affairs, international business and international cooperation for Suriname, a member of the Caribbean Community regional bloc CARICOM. In September, he got the bloc’s backing. CARICOM cited Ramdin’s “distinguished regional and international leadership roles, coupled with his diplomatic acumen, demonstrated competence, and unwavering dedication to the OAS” in a statement.

“We are confident that his firm commitment to the principles and purposes of the OAS Charter and to working collectively, will build a more united and prosperous hemisphere,” CARICOM leaders said. On Wednesday, in another significant step, he was endorsed by the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors at the OAS.

In the decade that Ramdin has been gone, the region has seen a number of successful democratic elections but also a deepening of migration, economic and humanitarian crises in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti. Other countries in the region are wrestling with rising violence and issues of development in the post COVID-19 environment.

In an interview with the Herald, Ramdin touted his qualifications while also criticizing the current leadership on dealing with the political crises in Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

“In all of these cases,” he said, “the OAS has not been engaged.”

The following question-and-answer session has been edited for brevity and clarity:

Q: Why are you running?

A: I think with everything happening in the world now, the role of regional organizations becomes more important. Strong multilateralism is needed, and I think multilateralism globally has weakened. There are several examples of that. It doesn’t deliver. International conventions on international law, international humanitarian law, code of conduct in terms of behavior of states towards conflict are weakened.”

Something has changed in the world after COVID 19. It has created a lot of uncertainty, and with uncertainty comes anxiety. And every single country in the world has its own challenges, partly related to COVID 19, partly related to the changing political spectrum globally. I believe in multilateralism simply out of necessity. Most of our problems in this hemisphere are across borders in nature and that almost logically requires countries to collaborate. There is no other choice. You must collaborate.

Q: How does the regional entity fit into this?

A:You need an instrument to build consensus, to talk to each other, and the OAS is such an instrument. No country alone, independent of their power, can solve these problems on their own. We are too connected and if we want to create development, sustainable development, if we want to create political stability and security in this hemisphere, then you need to work together. Cross-border, crime, organized criminality, illegal flows of capital, all cross borders, literally. Migration, illegal trafficking in persons, trading in goods and services, all cross borders. So that aspect needs to be understood but also accepted that intergovernmental collaboration is necessary to build a better, stronger hemisphere.

Q: We’ve seen the OAS struggle on regional issues like the conflict in Nicaragua,which led to leader Daniel Ortega withdrawing from the group. What’s your response to those questioning the OAS’ ability to resolve conflict?

A: I think it has to do something with leadership as well organizational leadership. Based on my experience in working with José Miguel Insulza when he was secretary general, in that period we had a very managed hemisphere, very few conflicts, there was relative calm.... It depends on strong leadership in terms of managing the political agenda of the hemisphere. Not giving your personal views.... One of the mistakes many feel has isolated the OAS in the hemisphere [is] positions were taken which were not member states’ positions.

Q: How are you proposing to work with member states?

A: You need to recognize that the organization is owned by the membership, your shareholders, so to speak, if it were a company. So the CEO is there to guide the process, to build consensus, to get the operations running, to deliver on the goal set. But who determines policy and set goals, strategic goals, are member states.

Q: You believe the organization can still be relevant?

A:I strongly believe that you can bring back the relevancy and the importance of the OAS, but it will require a lot of strong diplomacy. It will require a lot of wisdom in terms of how you present yourself as a secretary general. There are two things critical for me in this whole situation. One is I recognize the role of the member states. I can give my opinion, not my personal views. I can give my professional opinion on the basis of arguments. Member states can take them... run with them, give the necessary mandates if they wish.

Q: Why does your experience make you the person for the job?

A: I was a representative of a country to the OAS. I was also on the political side, and I worked in leadership as an elected official. I know the OAS in and out, but key for me is you need to work with member states. You need to utilize the institutional framework you cannot separate from it. This is how I operate.

Q: What is the OAS’s main strength?

A: In political conflict resolution. But more than that, proactively engaging with countries to avoid conflicts. That’s the best way to deal with political stability. So do not wait until there is a conflict. Engage. That’s what José Miguel and I did. We engaged with opposition parties because you never know when they will become government, when they are in power.

Q:The hemisphere is dealing with historic levels of migration. How do you see the crisis?

A: Why do we get migration issues? Because of security and underdevelopment and then it continues with abuses of fundamental freedoms and fundamental rights. So we need to take a more holistic approach to the whole scenario. I think it’s possible. I may be optimistic, but I believe that member states need a table where they sit. They may not agree on all issues. They don’t need to agree on all, and we have to be open to that. Member states will have to be open to each other’s views, but at least have an opportunity to meet and talk.

Q: What are some of your goals?

A: One of the things I’m really looking forward to is connecting the hemispheric private sector with issues like democracy, like human rights, like development, because they benefit from it, but they also have a responsibility. The whole paradigm where people thought only the government is responsible for development and political stability is old-fashioned. Today everyone, every single sector in society, is responsible for those those fundamental values.

Q: Venezuela and Cuba are not active members of the OAS, and Nicaraguan leader Ortega left after an election dispute witn the organization. What are your thoughts on that?

A:They have excluded themselves voluntarily. When you make a statement you cannot say something about a country, knowing well that if you make that statement, you will not be welcome anymore. If you want to be the honest broker, you don’t take sides. Member states have that right. The Secretariat has to find solutions. The Secretariat has to look at both sides, all sides, but don’t exclude yourself. Don’t put yourself out of that room where all the players are.

Q: During your tenure as OAS assistant secretary general, you spearheaded the informal “OAS Group of Friends of Haiti.” The OAS has a controversial history in the country, yet you believe it can do more.

A:I’ve always said, if there is one place the OAS can demonstrate its relevance, it’s in Haiti. Haiti is a country that needs not only the attention because of the politics around it, but because of the values the OAS stands for.

Q: OAS members are overwhelming Spanish-speaking. Your opponent is from Paraguay. How do you view that you are the candidate from a non-Spanish speaking country?

A: Suriname is also a South American country, together with Guyana. We are not Spanish-speaking. Brazil is not Spanish-speaking. CARICOM is now almost a 45-year-member of the OAS. We have occupied the deputy, assistant secretary of state, position for almost 40 years. So after 40 years, you cannot say that the Caribbean is just a bystander. The Caribbean is an integral part of the Western Hemisphere, and they may not be as embedded as Latin American countries, but the fact is that they are 14 member states, a critical part of the OAS and they bring critical assets to the table, like democracy, like democratic governance, like regular elections, like engagements with [non-governmental organizations], like a pretty good record on human rights.... Those are assets which go to the heart of the OAS principles and purpose. So why would such a region not be capable of leading?

Q:What have you learned while campaigning for the post?

A: Some countries have very specific issues. South American countries are very much focused on democracy and human rights. Central American countries are very much focused on security and development, migration being a very specific topic there, organized crime. In my own region CARICOM, is very much focused on issues of economic development, development financing, and on the effects of climate change, the environmental issues.