General Conference 2011

Latin America and the Caribbean Round Table

Will the new green industrial revolution reduce social inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean?

The LAC Round Table provided the regional perspective on opportunities and potential to attain an economic, social and environmentally sustainable growth to combat the continuous growth of inequalities and poverty in the LAC region.

Actions and good practices from the OECD countries offer an opportunity to review policy instruments and strategies to promote a sustainable growth of the green economy in LAC. In this frame the Coordinator of OCED Green Economy Division Ms. Nathalie Girouard was invited to participate in the round table as Key Speaker.

The need to reach a regional consensus on the new strategic framework for the industrial modernization and economic development in the forthcoming years requires broad-level changes in policy frameworks and support systems, including science, education and financing, as well as changes in businesses.

For this important dialog the LAC Programme invited Mr. Bley from Brazil, representing the position of an advanced developing country with broad experience in green energy, Mr. Lendo from Mexico, representing the position of a medium size development country and its transition towards Green Growth. The perspective from Austria was introduced by Mr. Juergen Schneider Director of the Programme Economy and Impact from Austrian Environmental Agency. Representing one Regional Organization was Mr. Leone from the Latin America and the Caribbean Economic System, SELA.

The presence of the Minister of Industry and Productivity of Ecuador HE Sión who was also presiding the 14 General Conference of UNIDO enriched discussions  as well as the distinguish presence of HE Antillón, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Costa Rica. Welcome Speech and Introduction Remarks were made by UNIDO DG Yumkella and GRULAC Chairman HE Marsán, Ambassador of Cuba respectively.

In the final remarks was mentioned that all the countries "should benefit from moving towards green growth." OECD work shows that going in this direction can bring significant economic benefits, including gains in productivity and new forms of growth and jobs generation that will arise from innovation and the emergence of new markets and green activities

It was also remarked that the global dimension "is essential" given that climate change problematic. It is necessary to coordinate national, regional and international policies, especially in the area of transfer of technology not only from North to South, but also from South to South and it requires dialogue.

Green industrialization is a global environmental challenge and a great opportunity to make better use of resources of the LAC countries, especially for the sectors in which operate small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to protect better the environment, and to ensure that the public sector, private and consumers work together.   

There is no alternative to green growth, agreed to emphasize all participants of the round table.

When and where

Wednesday, 30 November 11.30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Venue: M building, second fl oor,
Board Room A (M02)
M- Building, Vienna International Centre

Agenda

Welcome Speech: Mr. Yumkella, UNIDO Director General/Mr. Piskounov, Managing Director of Programme Development and Technical Cooperation Division (PTC), UNIDO

Introduction Remarks: H. E. Marsán Aguilera, Ambassador of Cuba to Austria, Chairman of GRULAC

Keynote speech: Ms. Nathalie Girouard, Coordinator Green Economy Programmes, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Panel Moderator: Ms. Maria Gloria Torrijos Lledó, EL PAIS (Spain), Foreign Correspondent for Austria, UN, Other International Organizations and Central and Eastern Europe

Panel discussion

  • • H.E. María de los Ángeles Antillón Guerrero, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Costa Rica 
  • H.E. Verónica Sión, Minister of Industries and Competitiveness, Ecuador
  • Mr. Antonio Leone, Director of the Productive Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Economic System, SELAMr. Cicero Bley Junior, Superintendent Renewable Energy, Itaipu Binational, Brazil
  • Mr. Francisco Barnés Regueiro, President of the National Institute of Ecology, Mexico
  • Mr. Jürgen Schneider, Director of the Programme Economy and Impact, Austrian Environment Agency
  • Open-floor discussion
  • Concluding remarks: Moderator