GFDD Participates in the XVIII Annual CAF Conference in Washington, D.C.

Latin American and global leaders as well as representatives from international development organizations and multilateral banks came together at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. on September 3-4, 2014, to debate the region’s challenges during XVIII Annual CAF Conference. The event, hosted by the Development Bank of the Latin America (CAF), the Inter-American Dialogue and the Organization of American States (OAS), consisted in a very complete and intense two-days program comprising keynote addresses and panel discussions of more than 40 Latin American and global leaders from several sectors and governmental spheres.

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) participated in this conference where the main topics and thoughts
included discussing the regional outlook from economical, political and social perspectives, as well as relevant issues related to regional integration efforts, current geopolitical conflicts around the world and their impacts on Latin America, gender equality challenges and the pending agenda for the region regarding reforms on education, innovation, middle-class growth and other pressing topics. Other debates also included issues affecting the region as the situation of Haiti, Venezuela
and Cuba, and the upcoming elections in several countries and their implications on the regional scenario.

Panelists and keynote speakers included world leaders as former Mexican and Peruvian Presidents Felipe Calderón and Martín Torrijos, Jessica Faieta, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, José Miguel Insulza, Enrique García, Enrique V. Iglesias, Luis Alberto Moreno, Mario Bergara, Joao Carlos Ferraz, Jorge
Familiar, José Antonio Ocampo and Alejandro Werner, among other high-level representatives of private institutions and international organizations. Members of the Government of Haiti, social innovation entrepreneurs and delegates from relevant global think tanks as The Inter-American Dialogue and The Carter Center also attended the event and participated as panelists.

One of the most agreed comment of the event was that Latin America needs to increase and improve its
education quality and innovation rates, use more technology in rethinking development models and promote regional integration based on increasing added-value trade among domestic regional markets.