Register

Addressing the multiple development challenges and strengthening democracies in Latin America and the Caribbean requires reviving dialogue and the value of politics as mechanisms to reduce polarization and build consensus around development strategies and national priorities that respond to citizens’ demands.

Based on this premise, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean – and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched in September 2023 the initiative and annual conference on “Governance for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.” This high-level dialogue space, held within the framework of the UN General Assembly, seeks to foster exchanges and generate actionable 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 builds on and is enriched by a series of regional dialogues that gather a diverse range of actors to identify impactful proposals and scalable solutions.

For the 2025 dialogue, the focus will be on proposals to manage critical natural resources for sustainable development in a responsible, transparent, and efficient manner.

These resources—which include water, air, biodiversity, soils, energy, and minerals such as lithium, copper, and cobalt—play a fundamental role in energy transition, e-mobility, economic growth, and food security. Latin America and the Caribbean is rich in these resources, making them essential for sustainable transitions. It is estimated that demand for these critical resources will triple by 2030. Past experiences show that successful transitions require governance models centered on respect for human rights, community participation, and appropriate social and environmental safeguards. Only then can this wealth be transformed into a decisive opportunity to diversify economies, create green jobs, and foster sustainable local development and trade—while avoiding repeating past mistakes that deepened inequalities or negatively impacted livelihoods and local resources for future generations.

Such governance models must integrate public, private, and civil society actors, establishing a virtuous tripod capable of effectively coordinating institutional capacity, ensuring transparency and accountability, promoting citizen participation and cooperation both nationally and internationally, and guaranteeing a fair distribution of impacts and benefits.

New technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovative financing mechanisms for development are also becoming key enablers in the management of critical resources. Their application allows for building more robust traceability systems and acts as a catalyst for effective governance frameworks aimed at promoting just transitions.

The Third Conference on Governance for Development will incorporate insights generated from the series of participatory regional dialogues held between June and August. These dialogues focused on the role of women and youth in decision-making, value chains, productive innovation, and solution design. Participants included representatives from academia, civil society, political actors, the private sector, and others, with the collective goal of formulating key recommendations to strengthen more effective governance in the region.

We invite you to complete the pre-registration form. Once your request is validated, you will receive a confirmation email.

Please bring an official photo ID.

Programme

1:15 PM | Opening Remarks

Michelle Muschett, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Presentation on the opportunities and challenges of governing critical natural resources for development
Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President for Strategic Programming, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean

1:50 PM | Interactive Dialogue: Governance of Critical Natural Resources for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Moderator: Marcela Ríos Tobar, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)

Panelists:
Epsy Campbell Barr, Honorary Chair and President, Centre for Sport and Human Rights
Sariha Belén Moya Angulo, Minister of Economy and Finance of Ecuador
Juan Carlos Navarro Quelquejeu, Minister of Environment of Panama
Sen. Cecilia Requena, Secretary of the Committee on Environment, Biodiversity, Amazon, Protected Areas and Climate Change, Senate of Bolivia
Ana Carolina González-Espinosa, Senior Director of Global Programmes and Acting Regional Director for Latin America, NRGI
Andrés Allamand Zavala, Ibero-American Secretary-General

2:25 PM | Conclusions and Closing