ACS Secretary General contributes to High-Level Discussions at the 16th International Economic Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean
ACS Secretary General, H.E. Rodolfo Sabonge, participated in the 16th International Economic Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean. The forum, held on May 22, 2024, at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Headquarters in Paris, focused on "Scaling up Financing for Development."
Secretary General Sabonge was a panelist in Session 1, titled "Mobilising sustainable development finance: which actors, policies, and instruments?" This session addressed critical topics related to raising financial resources from various sources, enhancing taxation and expenditure systems, and deepening financial inclusion and capital markets to support sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
During the discussion, Secretary General Sabonge elaborated on the need for directing funds to improve physical and digital connectivity in order to be more effective in achieving sustainable development in the region.
In the framework of the forum, the Secretary General also participated in the special session on the Caribbean of the 18th Steering Group Meeting of the OECD LAC Programme, which provides the overall strategic guidance and priority setting to the Programme and brings together policymakers with a whole-of-government vision.
Furthermore, he held separate bilateral meetings with key figures, including Jose Antonio Ardavin, OECD Head of Division for Latin America and the Caribbean Global Relations and Co-operation; Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir, Director of the OECD Development Centre; and Anabel González, Vice President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Additionally, he attended a joint luncheon hosted by the OECD and the IDB, whose purpose was to discuss preliminary findings from the upcoming report 'Caribbean Development Dynamics 2024.'
The Association of Caribbean States is the organization for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Its Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Its Associate Members are Aruba, Curacao, (France on behalf of French Guiana, Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin ), Guadeloupe, Martinique, Sint Maarten, (The Netherlands on behalf of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius ), Turks and Caicos.