Agreement favors Latin American Youth

(Caracas, February 22, 2011) .- Under the premise that sustainable development and Latin American integration will be sustained by a youth educated for democratic participation, Enrique Garcia, president & CEO of CAF - Latin American development bank - and Eugenio Ravinet, secretary general of the Ibero-American Youth Organization (OIJ), signed a cooperation agreement in Caracas today.

"The preparation of young people for participation in democracy is vital for sustainable development and regional integration, pillars of the CAF mission. This is why we promote synergies with organizations such as the OIJ to foster dialogue, consultation and cooperation between the young people of Latin American countries," Garcia said.

He added that the agreement would create a valuable opportunity for promoting social inclusion and youth policy in the region, with a view to building an increasingly prosperous future for Latin America.

OIJ President Ravinet said "with this agreement we are complying with the mandate of the organization, which is to make youth issues more visible. CAF is the first international financial organization to become aware of the strategic sense of working with youth. For us this signing is a source of deep pride and we hope that each action we take with CAF contributes to the transformation of Latin America in the medium term. "

The two institutions will cooperate with joint organization of events, support for youth participation in international strategic forums, joint research and publications, exchange of information, dissemination of scientific knowledge on youth, and media actions, among others.

The Ibero-American Youth Organization (OIJ) is an international governmental organization set up to promote dialogue, consultation and cooperation on youth issues between Latin American countries. The OIJ members countries are currently Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.