4-5 Apr 2024 Bogotá, Colombia | Conferences and meetings of subsidiary bodies
On April 4-5, 2024, senior officials from Latin America and the Caribbean will convene in Bogotá, Colombia, alongside representatives from international organizations, academia and the private sector. The purpose of this gathering is to discuss the focal points and areas of collaboration outlined in a regional agenda for the 2024-2025 period. This discussion will take place during the Fourth Meeting of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communication Technologies, jointly organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Government of Colombia.
The Conference serves as a subsidiary body of ECLAC and, as such, is a permanent forum for political and technical dialogue. It brings together high-level officials responsible for shaping science, technology and innovation policies to coordinate actions and exchange knowledge with a view to improving the quality and efficacy of public policies in these areas.
During the meeting, the countries will discuss the Conference’s agenda for the next two years, which will focus on "Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Productive Development." The discussions will revolve around four priority areas: i) STI instruments for sustainable and inclusive productive development; ii) STI governance; iii) STI with a territorial approach; and iv) sectoral and technological agendas in STI.
The biennial agenda of this Fourth Meeting of the Conference will be developed based on the participation of diverse stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia, the scientific community and civil society, within the framework of working groups dedicated to each of the priority areas, which will be established at the meeting.
"Latin America grapples with a persistent syndrome of low structural growth, primarily stemming from stagnant productivity levels that have declined even more in recent decades. Countries must enhance and scale up their productive development policies to boost productivity. The theme of this Conference, focusing on a science, technology and innovation agenda for productive development, could not be more timely," said José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC.
Colombia's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Yesenia Olaya Requene, said: "This event marks a significant step forward for science diplomacy in Latin America. The presence of decision-makers involved in scientific affairs will enable us to forge collaborative networks aimed at shaping public policies in this domain. Such efforts will position our region as a global leader in science and technology, facilitating progress toward addressing the challenges of our time. This conference is part of the activities for 2024, declared as the Year of Science in Colombia."
The biennial agenda, to be developed during this Fourth Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communication Technologies, seeks to bolster governments in the development of productive development policies, which include efforts in science, technology and innovation. This holds true for the Government of Colombia, which recently unveiled a new Reindustrialization Policy aimed at "enhancing the generation of added value across various economic sectors constituting the foundation of Colombia's economy. Its goal is to transition from an economy reliant on extractive activities to a knowledge-based, productive, sustainable and inclusive economy that contributes to territorial development and the closing of productivity gaps."
The Fourth Meeting of the Conference takes on even greater significance in light of the deliberations concerning the region’s potential contributions through science, technology and innovation to the upcoming Summit of the Future, organized by the United Nations General Secretariat scheduled for September of this year. The Summit aims to promote a global pact to expedite the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
