Foundation of the Americas

Foundation of the Americas

Background
In 1997 "Inter-American Development Bank President Enrique V. Iglesias has established a committee to seek the support of political and business leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean and around the world for the creation of a multilateral Foundation of the Americas.

"The purpose of the foundation would be to catalyze support from local and international sources to strengthen the contribution of civil society institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean and enhance their role as partners to business and government in the countries of the region.

"Former Bolivian President Gonzalo S·nchez de Lozada has agreed to chair the committee, which also includes Billie Miller, Barbados Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and International Transport; Ole Lonsmann-Poulsen, Danish ambassador to the United Kingdom; Professor Makoto Utsumi, advisor to the president of Nikko Securities, Japan; Laura Novoa V·squez, president of Corporación Participa, Chile; Israel Klabin, president of the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development; Peter Hakim, president of Inter-American Dialogue; and Nancy Birdsall, executive vice-president of the Inter-American Development Bank.

"The committee was established following background work and recommendations of an external advisory panel. Committee members will meet with business and political leaders in the region and elsewhere over the next six months." 

"Eduardo Stein Barillas              Eduardo Stein is President of the Foundation of the Americas. A former Foreign Minister of Guatemala, he headed the OAS Electoral Observation Mission to Peru in 2000 and 2001. Mr. Stein participated actively in the Central American peace processes both in the Esquipulas regional negotiations as well as in the San José Dialogue with the European Union. He has been a consultant with the International Organization for Migrations and the United Nations Development Programme and was a member of the International Commission of Intervention and State Sovereignty. Presently, Mr. Stein is advising on national dialogue efforts in Panama and Peru that include political parties, civil society, government and private sectors."