In her address, Ambassador Powers said, “Prevention is key in improving Panama’s security climate.” She went on to say, “It is only through public-private partnerships like OSAC and through forward-looking organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce that we can hope to make progress on seizing the opportunities and confronting the complex problems of today.”
Other speakers at the event were: Commissioner Javier Fanuco, PNP; Director General Arturo Alvarado of SINAPROC; OSAC Panama Chair Daniel Arevalo (Procter & Gamble); and Justin Lamb, Latin America Analyst for OSAC.
AmCham corporate members and Panamanian law enforcement and crisis response officials united to discuss collaborative efforts to keep Panama a safe environment in which to invest. Christopher Stitt, Regional Security Officer of the U.S. Embassy, member of the new Panama Country Council of OSAC, and an organizer of the OSAC security forum, was pleased with the event turnout. “Given the success of this year’s event, the Panama Country Council is considering making this an annual event to keep the U.S. business community informed about security issues in Panama”, he said.
The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) was created in 1985 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to promote security cooperation between American private sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State. Today, over 3,500 U.S. companies, educational institutions, faith-based institutions, and non-governmental organizations are OSAC constituents. In addition to the main Council, based in Washington DC, there are 135 local Country Councils around the world.
The OSAC Panama Country Council was established in 2008. The goal of the Country Council is to increase multi-directional communication on security issues (crime, crisis preparedness, etc.) between the U.S. Government and private sector U.S. companies and NGOs operating in Panama.
For more information about OSAC: www.osac.gov.