By Caribbean News Global 
USA / COSTA RICA – The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, and the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica, Alejandra Solano January 24 signed the agreement on privileges and immunities for the sending of an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) for the municipal elections to be held on February 4 in the Central American country: meantime, ahead of the elections, US Department of State, assistant secretary for economic and business affairs Ramin Toloui, will travel to Costa Rica January 25-26 to launch the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Semiconductor Workforce Symposium.
Municipal elections to be held on February 4
During the ceremony held at OAS headquarters in Washington DC, ambassador Solano highlighted that the region is “at a transcendental moment where it is necessary to increase electoral collaboration and strengthen the commitment of member states to transparency and citizen participation.” In addition, she said the OAS “has witnessed our dedication to democratic principles. We will continue to work together to ensure that in the municipal elections we can demonstrate that we are an example of participatory, inclusive and fair democracy and that it is a symbol of our firm will to move towards a more democratic and more prosperous future for everyone in the Americas.”
Secretary-General Almagro expressed gratitude for “the renewed confidence of the Supreme Election Tribunal in the technical work developed by our observation teams,” and recalled that when the OAS “deployed its first Mission in 1962 for the elections, curiously also held on 4 February, that was the beginning of a long and fruitful path that this General Secretariat has taken.” Since that date, he added, “the missions have evolved and become professional exercises that support member states in their continuous effort to strengthen and update their electoral systems.”
The Mission will be composed of international specialists who will analyze aspects related to electoral organization and technology, political-electoral financing, women’s political participation and electoral justice.
America’s partnership semiconductor workforce symposium
Meanwhile, assistant secretary for economic and business affairs Ramin Toloui will travel to Costa Rica January 25-26 to launch the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Semiconductor Workforce Symposium and participate in related meetings and events.
The visit will advance commitments made during the November 2023 Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders’ Summit. At the symposium, assistant secretary Toloui will affirm the US commitment to working with government and private sector partners in the hemisphere to strengthen and diversify the global semiconductor supply chain and workforce.
Assistant secretary Toloui will provide the keynote address at the symposium and conduct bilateral meetings with Costa Rican counterparts and Americas Partnership members. He will meet with private sector leaders in the semiconductor and tech industries and experts from the education and training sector to discuss strategies to expand and diversify the semiconductor supply chain and strengthen the sector’s workforce in the hemisphere.
The Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Semiconductor Workforce Symposium will create opportunities for member countries to explore collaborative ways to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain, including through developing workforce capacity.
Through the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, part of the CHIPS Act of 2022, the Department of State is promoting the development and adoption of secure and trustworthy telecommunications networks. ITSI also helps ensure semiconductor supply chain security and diversification through new programs and initiatives with allies and partners.
