Date: Thursday 24th November 2016
Time: 10.00-11.00
Venue: Bird & Bird
On Thursday 24th November 2016, The Caribbean Council organised a round table event with the current Minister Secretary of Presidency and Private Secretary for National Policies of President Daniel Ortega Saavedra, in the Presidency of the Republic of Nicaragua, Dr Paul Oquist at Bird & Bird offices.
Following on from the Nicaraguan Elections on 6th November 2016, this meeting gave attendees an insight into the current projects for potential investment in Nicaragua. The meeting concentrated on the various construction, development and modernisation projects planned throughout the country. They primarily focused on the following sectors:
- Infrastructure
- Renewable energy
- Water and Sanitation
- Education
- Health
- Tourism
During the meeting, attendees had the opportunity to hear from Dr Paul Oquist and discuss any queries or questions they had about development and investment in Nicaragua. Additionally, participants also had the opportunity to meet the Ambassador of Nicaragua, H.E. Ambassador Morales-Echaverry, who was also in attendance.
Dr Oquist’s visit provided a fascinating insight into the number of exciting priority projects planned in Nicaragua at the moment.
Dr Paul Oquist’s Biography
Dr. Paul Oquist is currently Minister Secretary of Presidency and Private Secretary for National Policies of President Daniel Ortega Saavedra, in the Presidency of the Republic of Nicaragua. He is Member of the Government Cabinet for Finance and Foreign Trade.- Dr Oquist is also the Executive Secretary of: The Commission of the Nicaraguan Grand Interoceanic Canal and Petronic (Spanish acronym for Petroleum of Nicaragua).- Minister Oquist is President’s Special Envoy for Foreign Trade and Investment. Dr. Paul Oquist is also a Member by the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Standing Committee on Finance. He also represents developing countries on the Executive Committee of the UNFCCC Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. He is member of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and is the Climate Change representative for Nicaragua.
In 2008-2009 Dr. Oquist was Chief Advisor to the President of the United Nations 63rd General Assembly, and in this capacity the President appointed him Chief Negotiator of the Accord on Financing for Development, held in Doha in December 2008, and Coordinator of the United Nations Summit Conference on the Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development, held in June 2009 in New York. Dr. Oquist was Regional Expert on Governance for the Asia Division of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) based in Islamabad, Pakistan (1998-2006). He was Chief Technical Advisor for the UNDP Management Program in Mongolia (1993-1998), and Director of UNDP Public Administration Projects in Quito, Ecuador (1975-1979). He has also been a consultant for UNDP and UNICEF at the highest levels of government in Colombia, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and Philippines.
He was born in 1943, in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. His nationality is Nicaraguan. In 1965 he got his B.A. in Political Science at the University of California. In 1966-1967 he did PostGraduate at the Latin American School of Political Science and Public Administration, at the Latin American Social Sciences Faculty (FLACSO) in Santiago, Chile. In 1976 he earned his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of California in Berkeley, California.
