Pursuing Greater Alignment Between Trade and Sustainability: A Latin American Perspective

The seminar "Pursuing Greater Alignment between Trade and Sustainability: A Latin American Perspective" will be held on March 20 and 21 at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile. This event is co-organized by the ECLAC Office in Washington, DC, its International Trade and Integration Division, the "Remaking Global Trade for a Sustainable Future" project, and the Technology and Industrialization for Development Center (TIDE) at the University of Oxford. Its objective is to reflect, from a Latin American and Caribbean perspective, on how to achieve greater alignment between international trade, environmental sustainability, and the green transition.

The seminar will feature the participation of deputy ministers of trade from the region, academics, civil society leaders, business executives, and global experts from various countries. It includes panels on trade and geopolitics, sustainability, the digital economy, biodiversity and value chains, among other topics. Participants will analyze the challenges and opportunities arising from changes in global trade dynamics, addressing key issues such as the rise of protectionism, technological decoupling, and the growing sustainability requirements in international trade. They will also explore strategies to leverage regional cooperation and integration, diversify trade partnerships, and position Latin America as a global leader in the green transition. 

Agenda

Thursday 20 March 2025

9:00am – 9:05am Welcome

• José Manuel Salazar – Executive Secretary ECLAC

9:05am – 10:00am Session 1: Setting the Scene

• LAC Regional Perspective (Jose Manuel Salazar – Executive Secretary ECLAC)
• Villars Framework for a Sustainable Global Trade System (Dan Esty, Yale University - Remaking Trade Project)
• TIDE Oxford University (Baptiste Albertone) 

Moderator: Keiji Inoue, Officer-in-charge, International Trade and Integration Division, ECLAC

10:00am – 11:15am Session 2: Trade, Growth, and Sustainability in Latin America's Geopolitical Landscape

• Claudia Sanhueza - Under Secretary for International Economic Relations of Chile
• Tatiana Prazeres - Secretary of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services of Brazil 
• Francisco Rivadeneira - Executive Director of Comité Empresarial Ecuatoriano (CEE) and Former Minister of Trade of Ecuador

Moderator: Andres Valenciano, Chief of Office, ECLAC Washington Office

11:15am – 11:45am:  Coffee Break 

11:45am – 1:00pm Session 3: Aligning Trade Rules and Climate Action

• Mariana Conte Grand – Senior Economist, World Bank 
• Monica Araya - Distinguished Fellow, ClimateWorks
• Avinash Persaud – Climate Advisor to the IADB President

Moderator: Jan Yves Remy, University West Indies and Co-Lead of the Remaking Global Trade for a Sustainable Future Project

1:00pm Keynote address:  Experience Negotiating the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) - Francisco Monge - Chief Economist from Ministry of Foreign Trade Costa Rica 

1:30pm – 2:30pm Lunch

2:30pm – 3:45pm Session 4: Achieving Sustainable Development through Digital Technology and Commerce

• Nanno Mulder - Chief of International Trade Unit, ITID, ECLAC 
• Aik Hoe Lim - Director of the Trade and Environment Division, WTO
• Gustavo Gimenez - Vice Minister of SMES, Ministry of Industry and Trade Paraguay

Moderator: Baptiste Albertone, TIDE Oxford

3:45pm – 4:15pm:  Coffee Break 

4:15pm – 5:30pm Session 5: Assessing the Impacts of Subsidies on the Sustainable Trade Agenda

• Jane Korinek - Senior Trade Policy Analyst, OECD 
• Ginya Truitt Nakata - Director, Global Agriculture and Food, The Nature Conservancy 
• Patricia Marcos - Senior Climate Change Specialist, GEF 
• Angela Penagos - Chief of Bogota National Office, ECLAC 

Moderator: Daniel C. Esty, Yale University and Co-Lead of the Remaking Global Trade for a Sustainable Future Project

5:30pm – 7:00pm Reception

Friday 21 March 2025

9:00am – 10:15am Session 6: Multilateralism for Development, Productivity and Value Chains

• Short presentation of the results of study on multilateral coordination of industrial policy in Latin America, Amir Lebdioui & Baptiste Albertone (University of Oxford) 
• Reactions and suggestions by the group of Ministers/Vice-Ministers of Trade and Industry and other stakeholders from Latin America (30min):
  • Javiera Petersen - Vice-Minister of Economy, Chile
  • Fantino Polanco - Vice Minister of Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and SMEs of the Dominican Republic
  • Gustavo Gimenez - Vice Minister of SMEs - Ministry of Industry and Trade Paraguay
  • Manuel Albaladejo - Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay (View from international institutions)
  • Sabrina Fernandes - Alameda Institute (View from CSO)
• Open floor discussion

Moderator: Luis Godoy Rueda, Open Society Foundations (OSF)

10:15am – 10:45am:  Coffee Break 

10:45am – 12:00pm Session 7: Trade and Biodiversity - Regional Cooperation for Research and Innovation

• Deuza Santos – National Institute for Amazonian Research, Brazil
• Amir Lebdioui - TIDE Centre, Oxford
• Ginya Truitt Nakata- Director, Global Agriculture and Food, The Nature Conservancy 

Moderator: Sabrina Fernandes, Head of Research, Alameda Institute

12:15pm – 1:30pm Lunch

1:30pm – 2:15pm (Round table: Participants to each share three main ideas/principles/follow up action to take away from this meeting)

2:15pm – 3:00pm Session 8: Toward an Action Agenda for Trade and Sustainability Alignment

• Jose Manuel Salazar, Executive Secretary, ECLAC
• Jan Yves Remy, Remaking Trade Project
• Amir Lebdioui, Director, TIDE Centre, University of Oxford.