The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean begins the Latin American and Caribbean Network Conference in Mexico

This country is the subregional headquarters of Redlas, an affiliate of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), founded in 1951 and serving 10 countries: Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

It serves as a center of excellence for technical assistance and research to advise governments of the region, at the highest level, in the design, formulation, monitoring and evaluation of public policies, as well as providing training to public officials in Mexico and Central America. .

Hugo Beteta, Entity Director in Mexico, opened the meeting and explained that modern or digital services were the most dynamic part of global trade and could contribute to regional development, environmental sustainability, and financial and digital inclusion.

He noted that in Mexico, services concentrated 43.4 percent of the total working population, and in the second quarter of 2023, tertiary education activities represented 58.2 percent of GDP, while announcing that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean expects the value of regional exports to grow. of services by 12 percentage points. .

Although Mexico has low direct involvement in knowledge-based services, it is actually an important indirect source of these contents in its industrial exports to the United States, Patita said.

For his part, Winfried Wick, Director of the Regional Program for Alliances for Democracy and Development with Latin America of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, noted that his client regularly cooperates with Sibal and Redlas, and suggested that academics, experts and public policy makers from Europe and Africa be included in the following meetings.

Armando Sanchez, Director of the Economic Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, stressed that it is necessary for academics to be a link between the productive sector and the government sector in order to implement public policies that benefit the population.

Held at UNAM, the 12th Redlas Conference is open to academics, state officials and the general public, with discussion sessions on regional integration in modern services, opportunities for trade and transfer agreements in modern services, the contribution of these services to sustainable development, and electronic exchange. Trade as a driver of regional integration, among others.

The meeting will continue tomorrow with new conferences and discussion panels on various scheduled topics.

M/why