Following the Summit of the Americas, where Heads of State and Government, including President Barack Obama, will discuss greater security in the Americas, Ambassador Alexandre Addor-Neto, Secretary for Multidimensional Security at the Organization of American States, is set to speak on the same topic at MSU. The Ambassadors presentation will begin at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 on the third floor of the International Center.

The concept of security, once framed largely in conventional military terms, must be expanded to take into account a range of evolving threats - transnational organized crime, in its different manifestations, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal arms dealing, trafficking in persons, criminal gangs, institutional corruption, and international terrorism says Ambassador Addor-Neto. In some countries, poverty, disease, the lack of opportunity and hope and environmental degradation increase vulnerability and help undermine human security.

Although the Americas have been cooperating on security issues for more than a century, there are different perspectives regarding threats and priorities in different countries. Globalization has elevated awareness in the differences as well as a growing concern in connections between security, development and democracy. Not only are these three goals connected, security has become a prerequisite for development and the consolidation of democracy, says Addor-Neto.

The Ambassadors address, Security, Development, Democracy in Latin America and the CaribbeanOld and New Challenges, is part of the 6th Annual Latin American and Caribbean Studies Undergraduate Research Conference.

The Ambassadors keynote address is open to the public.

Ambassador Addor-Neto is the current secretary for multidimensional security at the Organization of American States. During his diplomatic career service, Addor-Neto has served as the Consul General of Brazil in Chicago, Ambassador to Angola, and Minister Counselor at the Embassy in Moscow. He has also worked in the Ministry of External Relations in Brasilia on consular, economic and regional political issues, as well as on diplomatic planning.

For more information on the conference, contact Kristin Janka Millar at kristin@msu.edu or call the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at (517)353-1690. For more information on the Undergraduate Research Conference, visit http://www.isp.msu.edu/CLACS