25th Annual CAF Conference
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The 25th annual conference will take place online on October 19 and 20. We will create an important space for leaders to discuss how to best confront the global challenges brought about and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and play a key role in shaping debate and policy in a new reality.
Established in 1996 as a joint initiative with the Inter-American Dialogue and the Organization of American States, the Annual CAF Conference has brought together more than 1,000 world leaders to debate and discuss the most pressing developments facing the Americas. The event has grown to become the primary forum for policy makers and analysts, journalists, governments and international organizations, entrepreneurs and investors, and civil society representatives to review progress in the Western Hemisphere and address pending challenges.
Program
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Conference Introductory Remarks
- Luis Almagro Secretary General, Organization of American States
- Sergio Díaz-Granados Executive President, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-
- Michael Shifter President, Inter-American Dialogue
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Anniversary Introductory Remarks
- L. Enrique García Former president of CAF-Development Bank of Latin America-
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Opening Remarks and Conversation with Juan González
- Laura Chinchilla Former President, Costa Rica; Co-Chair, Inter-American Dialogue
- Juan Gonzalez Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere, National Security Counci
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Break
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Session I: The "Lost Year”: The Pandemic’s Impact on the Education Sector in Latin America & the Caribbean”
The panel will focus on the “lost year” for students and long-term impacts on human capital in the region, the uses of technology in education, and the opportunities that the pandemic and school closures have created for meaningful reform.
- Claudia Uribe Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Mariano Jabonero Secretary General of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI)
- María Victoria Angulo González Minister of Education, Colombia
- Nyan Gadsby-Dolly Minister of Education, Trinidad and Tobago
- María Brown Pérez Ministra de Educación de Ecuador
- Leandro Folgar President of Plan Ceibal
- Vicky Colbert Executive Director, Fundación Escuela Nueva- Volvamos la Gente
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Session II: The Region’s Economic Outlook: Uneven Recovery?
The panel will focus on the economic outlook and recovery of the region and address the informal/formal economy, potential for investments and growth in the region, and social safety nets and inclusion.
- Susana Malcorra Senior Advisor to the Presidency of the Instituto Empresa in Madrid, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Government of Argentina
- Alicia Bárcena Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
- Gustavo Béliz Secretary of Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Argentine Nation
- Rémy Rioux Chief Executive officer of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
- Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Vice President for the Latin American and the Caribbean Region, World Bank
- Alicia García Herrero Chief Economist Asia Pacific, Natixis
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Break
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Session III: A conversation with presidents of Latin America
- Thomas Shannon Co-chair of the Inter-American Dialogue, former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
- Alberto Fernández President of Argentina
- Iván Duque President of Colombia
- Laurentino Cortizo President of Panama
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Session IV: A decade of action to achieve the SDGs in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Luis Felipe López-Calva Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations Development Programme
- Epsy Campbell Former First Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica
- Anita Bhatia Assistant secretary-general and UN Women’s deputy executive director
- Oscar Gamboa Former Minister Counselor of the Colombian Embassy in the U.S.A.
- María Claudia Lacouture Executive director of the Colombo American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Colombia)
- Karim Lesina Executive vice president, chief external affairs officer for Millicom
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Break
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Session V: Social unrest and political polarization: challenges for democracy in the region
This session will focus in democratic governance, polarization, civil unrest, the 2021 elections in the region, as well as leadership and populism in Latin America.
- Michael Shifter President, Inter-American Dialogue
- Denise Dresser Professor of Political Science, ITAM
- Oliver Stuenkel Associate Professor of International Relations at Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV)
- Lucía Dammert Professor of International Relations, Universidad de Santiago de Chile
- Patricia Politzer Assemblywoman, Constitutional Assembly; Former Professor, University of Chile School of Journalism
- Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey Director of the program for Mexico and Central America, CEJIL
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Session VI: Green Recovery: How Climate Change Will Shape the Future of the Western Hemisphere
The panel will address COP26, the current state of climate action, green economic development, sustainability, conservation and technology, and regional and global cooperation on climate change.
- Kim Osborne Director of Integral Development at the OAS
- Selwin Charles Hart Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General for the Climate Action Team
- Fiona Clouder Regional Ambassador for Latin America and the Caribbean for COP26
- Benigno López Benítez vice-president for Sectors and Knowledge at Inter-American Development Bank
- Daniele Violetti Senior Director of Programmes Coordination and director a.i. of the Means of Implementation (MoI) Division of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Ana Cristina Barros Senior Advisor on Sustainable Infrastructure of the Climate Policy Initiative
- Javier Manzanares Deputy Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF)
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