Some 15 ministers and vice-ministers responsible for energy, mining, infrastructure, environment and natural resources from 21 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and other regions of the world, along with authorities, business leaders and international experts, are to meet at ECLAC Headquarters in Santiago, Chile, on 7 to 11 November to examine ECLAC’s proposals and lines of action in the area of natural resources and infrastructure within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This high-level gathering, which has been styled Governance Week on Natural Resources and Infrastructure, will comprise a number of events and meetings —including ministerial dialogues— to promote synergies and closer ties between the different sectors that work in the areas of natural resources, infrastructure services and regional integration.
The governance of natural resources and infrastructure is one of the main challenges facing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean. In ECLAC’s view, it is increasingly necessary to develop a new governance model that will ensure that the fruits of resource exploitation can make a concrete contribution to sustainable development with equality.
The Governance Week will be led Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). It will officially begin on Tuesday, 8 November, with the High-level Regional Dialogue on the Governance of Natural Resources and Infrastructure, at which Executive Secretary Bárcena will give a presentation on the main topics up for discussion. That dialogue will also hear contributions from the ministers and heads of delegation in attendance.
Before the official inauguration, a meeting on Understanding Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) Mechanisms for Investing in Latin America: A Knowledge Exchange and Policy Dialogue will take place on Monday, 7 November. This event will bring together representatives of the Chinese private sector and invited experts from the Latin American public sector and multilateral agencies to analyse the main challenges faced by PPPs in financing infrastructure in the region.
The Regional Technical Transport Committee of the Mesoamerica Project will also meet on Monday, 7 November, while a meeting of that subregion’s transport ministers will be held on Thursday, 8 November.
The Governance Week will conclude on Friday, 11 November, with the open meeting Logistics and Energy Efficiency: Keys Aspects of Sustainable Development, which will discuss experiences and challenges in the development of logistics performance indicators at ports.
The Governance Week on Natural Resources and Infrastructure will also involve a further ten parallel meetings. Although some of these are restricted-access, the programme and event details may be seen on the ECLAC web site.
Representatives of the media are invited to attend the public events to be held during the week. Journalists must have their media credentials or their identity documents with them to gain entry to the ECLAC building.
What: Governance Week on Natural Resources and Infrastructure
Who:
When: Monday, 7 November, to Friday, 11 November 2016.
Opening session (Regional High-level Dialogue on Natural Resource and Infrastructure Governance): Tuesday, 8 November, 9:00 a.m.
Where: ECLAC Headquarters. Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile.
