20 Years CAF Conference (1997-2016)

When in 1997 CAF Development Bank of Latin America held its first Annual Conference, an event organized in Washington D.C. in partnership with the Inter-American Dialogue and the Organization of American States (OAS), the region was embarking on a long period of economic expansion and a road to greater social inclusion. Over these two decades, the Annual CAF Conference has been one of the settings for the unfolding of this story. Presidents, ministers, former heads of state, senior officials of international organizations, business leaders, prominent political analysts, journalists, and academics have recounted their experiences, exchanged points of view, and shared the lessons learned during this journey.

Conceived to foster ideas for sustainable development with social inclusion in the region, deepen its integration, and promote its relations with the rest of the world, these gatherings have provided a forum for open and pluralistic debate for 20 years. Year after year, the conference has been expanded, refined and it has consolidated its position in the international sphere. New discussion
topics have been introduced at the gathering, which has grown in terms of the number of participants and the extent of its influence.

The conferences also have faithfully reflected the evolution of CAF, a bank that was founded in 1968 as an Andean development institution but which over the past 20 years has become the
development bank for all of Latin America and the Caribbean and is firmly committed to achieving a more integrated, more competitive, and more inclusive region.

The Annual CAF Conference is recognized today as the most important forum for debate on our region in Washington, a platform for reflection that has brought global visibility to Latin America, its people, and their ideas.