Public-private cooperation.

• Author: Conaway, Janelle
• Position: Private Sector of the Americas and Organization of American States - Jose Miguel Insulza

FIGHTING POVERTY, creating jobs, and improving competitiveness in the region will take the combined efforts of both the state and the marketplace, Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said.

Speaking at the signing of a cooperation agreement between the OAS and a non-profit business forum, Private Sector of the Americas, Insulza noted that the public and private sectors share many goals and interests. "We are all convinced of the need to create a new culture of production and competitiveness that generates opportunities for our people and is grounded in democracy," he said.

The business sector, Insulza said, can make concrete proposals to improve public policies and help find solutions that will complement the actions of governments and development agencies. At the same time, he added, the public sector has a fundamental role in shaping values and in creating a social environment in which it is possible both to prosper and to have justice.

The cooperation agreement, which was signed at OAS headquarters in April, is designed to promote dialogue and foster public-private alliances to face the region's challenges.

Ernesto Gutierrez, an Argentine businessman who heads Private...