The European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean: a common development agenda Future America

Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union are preparing to take their relations to another level. To begin to understand the roadmap for both regions a little better, the CAF Development Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean is organizing a meeting in Casa America (Madrid, Spain) with leading experts and opinion leaders. At this event, nearly forty high-level speakers will address the state of transatlantic relations and address future opportunities and challenges. The in-person capacity has already been covered, but the event can be followed live on the various covers of EL PAÍS América.

In the words of Sergio Díaz Granados, President of the Multilateral Bank, this meeting represents an opportunity to “reflect on the global financial architecture.” “Many global problems will require the Latin American region. Both food and carbon sequestration or energy solutions. “You cannot make these big changes in the world without thinking about Latin America,” he told America Futura while presenting the Economic and Development Report. Issued by the organization.

The event begins at nine in the morning, Spanish Peninsula time. 2 a.m. in Colombia; One in the morning in Mexico, three in the morning in Washington, and four in the morning in Buenos Aires, beginning with an installation by Díaz-Granados; Alex Contreras Miranda, Minister of Economy and Finance, Peru and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CAF, and Nadia Calviño, First Vice President and Minister of Economy and Digital Transformation of Spain. “The goal is to mobilize the world of development finance towards an understanding of Latin America as a solution region,” Díaz-Granados added.

This annual summit is also organized with the support of Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformationthe Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) And America’s HouseThis comes within the framework of the first informal meeting of the sixty ministers of economy and finance in the two regions. During a meeting held in July in Brussels, the European Commission announced that the so-called “Team EuropeIt will mobilize €45 billion until 2027 to contribute to reducing poverty and inequality in the region and achieving more inclusive and sustainable growth within the framework of the Global Gateway Initiative, the EU’s global cooperation and investment platform in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Europe is the largest investor in Latin America, with investments amounting to about 800 thousand million euros. 113 projects have already been identified to invest in between now and 2027. There are energy projects, transportation projects, issuing green bonds or generating green hydrogen… Our role is To cultivate it so that when the next summit comes, “in 2025, we can review the progress,” Díaz Granados added.

The first starting points will be given at this event, around four big talks as a start for the following days. In the beginning, in EU-LAC Roadmap for Cooperation on Climate and SustainabilityTeresa Ribera, Third Vice President and Minister of Environmental Transition and Demographic Challenge of Spain, will intervene; Mauricio Cárdenas, Professor of Global Leadership at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and former Minister of Finance of Colombia; and Lara de Mesa, Group Vice President and Global Head of Responsible Banking at Banco Santander. Ribera, Cárdenas and de Mesa will speak with Azucena Arbelich, Minister of Economy and Finance of Uruguay; Ricardo Bonilla, Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia; Oscar Herrera, Governor of Misiones Province, Argentina, and Enrique Riquelme Vives, CEO of the Cox Group.

In the second panel, A new digital alliance for the European Union, Latin America and the CaribbeanSix experts, moderated by José Ignacio Torreblanca, from the European Council on Foreign Relations, will address challenges related to technology and digitalisation: Gustavo Belez, former Secretary of Strategic Affairs of the State of Argentina; Angel Melguizo, Partner at ARGIA, Green, Tech & Economics Consulting; Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence of Spain; Max Trego, Secretary General of International Youth (OIJ); Trinidad Jiménez García Herrera, Director of Global Public Affairs Strategy at Telefonica and Philippe Orliang, Executive Director for Countries at the French Development Agency (AFD).

Later, at approximately 11:20 Peninsula time, there will be a discussion on Social policy challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. A deeper look at the challenges faced by the countries of the continent and the mechanisms for transforming them. Erika Rodríguez Pinzón is a professor at the Complutense University of Madrid Private consultant The High Representative of the European Union, the presentation will be moderated by Santiago Levy, non-resident senior scholar in global economics and development, at the Brookings Institution; José Manuel Vicente, Minister of Finance, Dominican Republic; Michel Muschet, Under-Secretary-General, Deputy Director and Director of the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations Development Programme; Julissa Reynoso, U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Finally, the fourth session will be held, which focuses on: Investment opportunities in the CaribbeanIt is a vital region taking the biggest hits from climate change, inequality and lack of investment. Stacy Richards-Kennedy, CAF Regional Director for the Caribbean, will moderate an important conversation with Camilo Gonsalves, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Ryan Strawn, Minister of Economy and Finance of Barbados; Karen May Hill, High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda to the United Kingdom, and Ragnjær Elin Arnadottir, Director of the OECD Development Centre.

There will also be two lectures on sustainable coffee production, led by Juan Esteban Ordoz, President of the National Coffee Growers Federation of New York and President of the Global Coffee Producers Forum, along with Alicia Montalvo, Director of Climate and Positive Action. Biodiversity in CAF. “59% of the world’s coffee is produced in the region and, in addition, comes from small farmers. This is a sensitive product,” explains Montalvo, whose organization has invested $800,000 in technical assistance to producers and farmers to improve productivity, work on governance and prosperity of those who grow. “It is very sensitive to climate change and usually does not benefit societies.” Finally, Pepa Bueno, Director of EL PAÍS, will interview Carlos Vives, Colombian singer and songwriter. The event will be closed by Antonio Garamendi, CEO and Cristian Asinelli, Vice President Corporate Head of Strategic Programming at CAF.