Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), has recently stepped into the pivotal role of Chair of the Permanent Council.
He will remain in the position until December 31, 2023.
At a ceremony held at OAS Headquarters in Washington, DC, Ambassador Sanders shared how the periodic change of Chair signifies a powerful representation of unity and concerted effort among Member States to achieve shared objectives.
A symbol of teamwork
Sanders noted that every person who chairs the Permanent Council brings special, different qualities to that task.
However, he noted that the objective is the same: to try to make the work as smooth as possible, as non-contentious as possible, and to build as much consensus as possible.
Succession and continuity
Stepping into this esteemed position, Sanders succeeds Audrey Marks, the outgoing Chair and Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the OAS.
The official transfer of duties was facilitated by Roberto Quesada, the outgoing Vice Chair and Ambassador of Honduras, marking the continuity in the organization’s administrative transitions.
In a parallel transition, the Ambassador of Haiti, Leon Charles, has assumed the role of Vice-Chair, joining the leadership to contribute to the Council’s objectives.
Rotational leadership: A framework for equality
A distinctive characteristic of the OAS’ operation is its rotational leadership system.
The Chair of the Permanent Council rotates every three months among the member states of the Organization, in alphabetical order.
This structured rotation also applies to the Vice-Chair position but follows a reverse alphabetical order.
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