HLPF 2024 Side Event: Building capacities for anticipatory governance and legislative foresight through a network of parliamentary committees of the future in Latin America and the Caribbean to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda

15 July 2024, 11.00 am - 12.30 pm (EST), United Nations Office of the Baha'i International Community, 866 United Nations Plaza #120, New York

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held the First Regional Conference of Parliamentary Committees of the Future, in Santiago on 20 and 21 June 2024, where it launched a high-level initiative to build capacities for legislative foresight and anticipatory governance through the establishment of a network of Latin American and Caribbean parliamentary committees of the future. Foresight and strategic planning are indispensable national functions that should be carried out on a regular and permanent basis with the participation of the various political movements represented in parliaments. The purpose of legislative foresight is to anticipate the State’s strategic options, adopt public policies with a long-term focus and effectively coordinate public agendas —at both the congressional and country levels— by increasing the capacity for permanent social dialogue. It requires building bridges, coordinating stakeholders, generating consensus and forging partnerships that can confront these major challenges. Legislative and executive branches in Latin America urgently need to strengthen their capacity for future-oriented thinking. Most of the parliaments of the region, except those of Chile and Uruguay, lack institutions capable of taking a long-term approach to governance, although several countries have initiatives in various stages of development to establish committees of the future. The aim of this event is to further discussions on capacity-building for legislative foresight and anticipatory governance through the establishment of a network of parliamentary committees of the future in Latin America and the Caribbean. In particular, the event will highlight the experiences of Chile and Uruguay as regional foresight pioneers and encourage other countries to follow their example as they navigate uncertainty and imagine a brighter future, including enhanced governance and accelerated progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the Summit of the Future in September 2024, as well as a more productive, inclusive and sustainable path to 2030 and beyond.

In-person participants must register at https://eventos.cepal.org/event/156/

To join via Zoom, please use the following link: https://cepal-org.zoom.us/j/84931949388?pwd=cSPwvby2TntpXapR36RN2Ui2ZsXz...

To follow the live stream, please visit https://live.cepal.org/

Contact: Mareike Eberz, Economic Affairs Officer, Office of the Executive Secretary of ECLAC (mareike.eberz@cepal.org)