OSI was most pleased to accept the generous invitation from Colombia to have its headquarters for the Wider Caribbean and Latin America in that strategically placed country.

Elizabeth Thompson, Minister for Energy and the Environment of Barbados

OSI is currently establishing formal links with a number of other countries who will play a lead role in OSI work in the Wider Caribbean and Latin America. OSI, its Board of Directors and Senator Clopatofsky, Honorary Chairman of the Wider Caribbean and Latin American Board, are most pleased to welcome warmly H.E. Elizabeth Thompson, Minister for Energy and the Environment of Barbados as the new Honorary Member of its International Advisory Board. Minister Thompson is well known for her leadership not only in Barbados but also in many intergovernmental agencies at which she has represented Barbados. To OSI, Barbados is a strategic partner because this country, together with Jamaica will lead OSI ongoing Wider Caribbean programme on disaster management.
Dr. Lorna Innis, Deputy Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit of the Ministry of Environment of Barbados will serve as liaison officer between the Ministry and OSI. She played a most active role at the Corpus Christi Conference and OSI is delighted to have her as a key player in its forthcoming work.

The Government of Dominican Republic offered to coordinate the follow-up of the OSI process on environment. Discussions are now in progress.

H.E. Jhon Williams, Ambassador of Barbados to the Associaton of Caribbean States CARICOM, Chairman of the Caribbean Sea Commission, Dr Lorna Inniss, Deputy Director of the Costal Zone Management Unit, Ministry of the Environment, Ms Natasha Boyce, Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Elisabeth Thompson, Minister of Energy and the Environment, Viktor Sebeck, François Jackman, Senior Foreign Service Officer, MFA

The Governments of Jamaica and Barbados and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) have agreed to lead on the follow-up of the OSI Process on hazard management and discussions are in progress on how best to organize this activity with a view to strengthening the completion of the Caribbean Observation System. Dr. Sebek briefed on 23 and 24 April 2007 in Bridgetown, H.E. Elizabeth Thompson, the Minister of Minister of Energy and the Environment, Ambassador John Williams, Barbados Ambassador to the Association of Caribbean States and to CARICOM and Chairman of the Caribbean Sea Commission. Also present were Dr. Lorna Inniss, Deputy Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit, Ministry of Environment and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Francois Jackman, and Ms. Natasha Boyce. Dr Sebek also met with officials of CDERA. The discussions focused on the role of Barbados Government in the follow up of the Corpus Christi Conference. Following the meeting, the minister has joined the International Advisory Board of OSI.

At the Corpus Christi Conference, Colombia proposed to lead a follow up process through a forum to be held in Cartagena de Indias on defence and economic security themes, especially tourism, energy and shipping. This Forum will be held from 5 to 8 February 2008 at Convento Santo Domingo. OSI is most grateful to Honorary Chairman of OSI Wider Caribbean and Latin America Senator Clopatofsky and other leaders in Congress who secured a special support of the President of the Republic of Colombia, Dr. Álvaro Uribe, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Dr. Guillermo Plata, who already confirmed his presence, and other senior representatives of Colombian Congress. OSI wishes to express its deepest gratitude to Cooperacion Espanola which generously granted OSI, in view of the support of the Government of Colombia, the use of the Convento Santo Domingo which is managed by the Government of Spain as part of the Training Technical Cooperation Program of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. (http://www.cifaeci.org.co/) The Convent is one of the finest cultural monuments in South America and yet has also the latest state of the art conference facilities.

The Corpus Christi Conference focused on the Wider Caribbean, but it also served as a platform to share experiences with other regions in which OSI operates or will begin to operate shortly, namely, the South East Pacific, the Russian Federation, the Caspian, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean and the Far East.

Partners from Africa, especially Mozambique, South Africa and Senegal launched the request to prepare for an African Tourism Summit Conference associated with OSI. The OSI International Advisory Board, which met prior to the Conference, accepted to move on with consideration of this proposal. Further developments will be announced shortly.

The President of Azerbaijan addressed the conference in his message and suggested involvement of OSI in the Caspian Sea.

Partners from Africa, especially Mozambique, South Africa and Senegal launched the request to prepare for an African Tourism Summit Conference associated with OSI. The OSI International Advisory Board, which met prior to the Conference, accepted to move on with consideration of this proposal. Further developments will be announced shortly.

Last, but not the least, OSI continued, as in Libya in 2005, to provide its catalytic and facilitating role in informal discussions held at the margins of the Conference. This role is likely to increase in the near future