Third Annual CAF/ UNDP Conference on Governance for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Critical Natural Resources for Sustainable Development

Addressing the multiple challenges of development and strengthening the democracies of Latin America and the Caribbean requires Recover dialogue and the value of politics as mechanisms to reduce polarization and achieve consensus around development strategies and national priorities that respond to citizen demands.

Under this premise, CAF- development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched in September 2023, the “Governance for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean” initiative and annual conference. This high-level dialogue forum, held within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly, seeks to open spaces for dialogue and generate action proposals to improve the effectiveness and legitimacy of public policies through governance processes and instruments for sustainable and inclusive development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Each edition draws on and receives feedback from a series of regional dialogues with diverse stakeholder participation aimed at identifying and generating impactful proposals and scalable solutions.

For the dialogue of the year 2025, the discussion of proposals to manage responsibly, transparently and efficiently the natural resources critical to sustainable development.

These resources, which include water, air, biodiversity, soil, energy, and minerals such as lithium, copper, and cobalt, play a fundamental role in the energy transition, electromobility, economic growth, and food security. Latin America and the Caribbean are rich in these resources, and therefore, they play an essential role in sustainable transitions. Demand for these critical resources is expected to triple by 2030. Previous experiences show that a successful transition requires governance models that center respect for human rights, community participation, and appropriate social and environmental safeguards. Only then will it be possible to turn this wealth into a decisive opportunity to transform and diversify economies, create green jobs, and foster sustainable trade and local development, avoiding past mistakes that amplify existing inequalities or negatively affect the choices, livelihoods, and local resources of future generations.

These governance models must integrate public, private, and civil society actors, establishing a virtuous relationship to effectively articulate institutional capacity, guarantee transparency and accountability, promote citizen participation and cooperation at both the national and international levels, and ensure the fair distribution of impacts and benefits.

New technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovative development financing mechanisms are incorporated into this context of critical resource management as key enablers. Their application allows for the construction of more robust traceability systems and acts as catalysts for effective governance frameworks aimed at promoting just transitions.

The Third Conference of “Governance for development" incorporates input generated from the series of participatory regional dialogues held between June and August. These meetings focused on the role of women and youth in decision-making, value chains, productive innovation, and solution design. Representatives from diverse fields—academia, civil society, political actors, and the private sector, among others—participated with the collective goal of formulating key recommendations to strengthen more effective governance in the region.

• Date: September 23rd. 
• Time: 01:15 p.m.

The event will be broadcasted on this website