As Secretary General, I have had the opportunity to interact with many young people and to understand the importance of entrepreneurship as a tool not only for economic development but above all, as a very powerful tool in promoting social inclusion. If to the entrepreneurship component, we add the energy, creativity and passion of our young people, the result will be something even more powerful.

Latin America and the Caribbean have a unique opportunity to grow through the effective and competent participation of our young people. The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) have been working hard through the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas) to provide young people with not only the tools they need to undertake, but In coordination with the OAS Member States, the opportunity to take an active and real role in the development of our region.

In this edition, 4,679 young people from 40 countries presented 3,491 proposals, all of them, aiming to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), giving a clear indication of the commitment of young people, whom the OAS already recognizes as partners for prosperity.

TIC Americas is a result of the multisectoral effort of different institutions that share our objectives and see in this program an ideal platform to foster development in the region. I want to thank the leadership of PepsiCo Latin America, who have been supporting this process for the past 9 years and along with them, cbc and Postobon. For the OAS, it is very important to see that this program has the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Reserve Bank of the Dominican Republic (BanReservas) as strategic partners, and thanks to them, we can make this great program possible.

The YABT is an organization of young people for young people, the work they do deserves special recognition, since they have consistently achieved a great impact in the region and the world through their support for young entrepreneurs, the promotion of innovation and competitiveness and the creation of spaces for youth participation in decision-making processes. For the OAS, the work of the YABT is very important and I want to emphasize the importance of continuing to support this incitement and its programs.

A special recognition of the support provided by the Government of Mexico, especially the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who supported the present edition of TIC Americas from the start.

Young entrepreneurs, young people of the Americas, the future is in your hands, let us work together to make our region a fair, educated and above all peaceful region. Congratulations to all of you and thank you very much for making our region, through your entrepreneurship, a region with more rights for more people.

Luis Almagro

Secretary General

Organization of American States