26th Annual CAF Conference

1:00 PM-2:00 PM

Registration & Networking

2:00 PM-2:20 PM

Conference Introductory Remarks

Speakers:

Rebecca Bill Chavez, President & CEO, Inter-American Dialogue

Nestor Mendez, Assistant Secretary General, Organization of American States

Christian Asinelli, Vice President of Strategic Programming, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America

Master of Ceremonies:

Andrea Bernal, Journalist and News Anchor, RCN Television

2:20 PM-2:40 PM

Fireside Chat: An Inside Look at the Cities Summit of the Americas

Moderator:

Rebecca Bill Chavez, President & CEO, Inter-American Dialogue

Speakers:

Nina Hachigian, US Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy

2:40 PM-3:30 PM

Session I – Is LAC Prepared for Another Pandemic? 

Despite Latin America and the Caribbean making up less than 10 percent of the world’s population, the region accounted for more than 25 percent of worldwide deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic. While there was momentum gained for health agendas during the pandemic, in the post-pandemic period, the attention to improving healthcare systems has rapidly diminished. This panel will examine the shifts in healthcare policy, as well as the outcomes from pandemic policy implementations. The panel will highlight how countries in the Western Hemisphere can develop a cooperative policy agenda for global health emergency preparedness in the future.

Moderator:

Pablo Bartol, Manager for Social and Human Development, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America; Former Minister of Social Development, Uruguay

Special Introductory Remarks:

Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, US Department of State

Speakers:

Beatriz Londoño, Former Minister of Health and Social Protection, Colombia

Felicia Knaul, Director of the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, University of Miami

3:30 PM-4:15 PM

Networking Break

4:15 PM-4:45 PM

Day 1 Keynote Dialogue: Perspectives from the US National Security Council

Speakers:

Gabriela Frias, Business Anchor, CNN en Español

Juan Gonzalez, Senior Advisor and Special Assistant to the President of the United States; Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere, National Security Council

4:45 PM-5:45 PM

Session II – Funding the Fight Against Climate Change 

Moderator:

Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America

Speakers:

Daniela Stevens, Director, Energy Transition and Climate Program, Inter-American Dialogue

Genevieve Connors, Practice Manager for Environment, Natural Resources, and the Blue Economy in the LAC Region, World Bank

Hilen Meirovich, Climate Change Head, IDB Invest

9:00 AM-9:05 AM 

Welcome Remarks & Keynote Introduction

Speakers:

Thomas Shannon, Co-Chair, Inter-American Dialogue; Former US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs

9:05 AM-9:35 AM

Day 2 Keynote Dialogue: The Future of the Inter-American System — Old and New Challenges

Laura Chinchilla, Co-Chair, Inter-American Dialogue; Former President of Costa Rica

Frank Mora, US Ambassador to the Organization of American States

9:35 AM-10:20 AM

Session III – Making Migration and Growth Work Together

This panel will discuss how continued migration in the Americas deepens economic ties and the way these activities can be leveraged to improve competitiveness through strengthening payment networks and attracting investments in housing and businesses, particularly by bringing new players and by creating enabling economic environments in major locations of economic activity. 

Moderator:

Manuel Orozco, Director, Migration and Remittances Program, Inter-American Dialogue

Speakers:

Andrew Selee, President, Migration Policy Institute

Kelly Gallego Massaro, President, ABRACAM-Associação Brasileira de Câmbio

Sergio Sagastume, CEO, Amigo Paisano

10:20 AM-11:00 AM

Networking Break

11:00 AM-11:50 AM

Session IV – Women’s Economic Empowerment- Fostering an Equitable and Inclusive Digital Economy

This panel will focus on fostering women’s inclusion in the digital transformation, touching on the need and overall benefits to the hemisphere. The panel will discuss methods to bridge the digital divide (digital upskilling, online financial management services/social services, entrepreneurship programs, etc.) and their impact.

Moderator:

Ana Maria Baiardi, Manager of Gender, Inclusion and Diversity, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America; Former Minister of Women, Paraguay

Speakers:

Mariana Costa, Co-founder & CEO at Laboratoria 

Tania Banens, Vice President for Products, Sustainability, Financial Inclusion & Innovation, Mastercard 

Priscila Villanueva, Digital Transformation Specialist, LEAD University in Costa Rica

11:50 AM-12:20 PM

Session V – Bolstering Democratic Governance Through Foreign Policy 

Speakers will discuss the challenges in implementing consistent foreign policy on human rights and the overall role of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in curbing democratic backsliding throughout the region. 

Speakers:

Rebecca Bill Chavez, President & CEO, Inter-American Dialogue

Antonia Urrejola, Former Foreign Minister, Chile

12:20 PM-12:30 PM

Closing Remarks

Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America

12:30 PM-2:00 PM

Networking Lunch