Washington, DC, September 6, 2023 —An ABD Plenary Meeting took place in a hybrid format – virtually and at the IDB Headquarters in Washington, DC – with the participation of over 200 esteemed members.
The event featured a compelling keynote presentation by Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), who outlined his vision and key priorities for the IDB during his tenure.
President Ilan highlighted that over the past decade, the IDB has witnessed ABD companies and associations coming together, united around critical policy recommendations.
These recommendations have been presented to Heads of State during the Summits of the Americas, underscoring the importance of private sector engagement in regional development. Additionally, these entities have actively participated in numerous public-private dialogues with government officials, including at the IDB’s Annual Meeting, to disseminate and facilitate the implementation of these recommendations. The IDB has been honored to support these efforts, striving to foster productive engagements between governments and the private sector.
Furthermore, he emphasized the commitment of collaboration between the public and private sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean fueled by the belief that the private sector is crucial in driving investment, productivity, innovation, and job creation when supported by the right policies. The IDB acknowledges that creating favorable conditions to unlock the transformative potential of the private sector is central to its mission.
The IDB envisions five critical areas of work that will be pivotal in shaping the region’s future. These areas include increasing productivity through innovation and investment in human capital, addressing the infrastructure deficit through comprehensive reforms, reducing poverty and inequality, promoting diversity and inclusion, and strengthening institutional capacity and the rule of law. The IDB recognizes the unique position of Latin America and the Caribbean to address global challenges, such as protecting nature and biodiversity, enhancing food production, and contributing to the clean energy transition. By collaborating closely with stakeholders and aligning efforts with these five core objectives, the IDB aims to play a central role in advancing the region’s development agenda and addressing its pressing challenges.
Following this enlightening presentation, ABD members engaged in insightful discussions concerning priority areas. These discussions encompassed the policy recommendations put forth by ABD for the IX Summit of the Americas and their relevance to the IDB’s strategic objectives.
ABD is pivotal as the private sector consultation mechanism for the Summit of the Americas process. In this capacity, ABD offers valuable insights into the private sector’s priorities for the Summit and delivers policy recommendations to the Heads of State. The recommendations presented by ABD at the IX Summit of the Americas in the United States in 2022 align seamlessly with the IDB’s core priorities. These recommendations address critical areas such as democratic governance and inclusion, physical and digital integration, climate change, energy transition, and health.
At the conclusion of the event, Jordan Schwartz, executive vice president of the IDB, delivered closing remarks, followed by Fabrizio Opertti, manager of the Integration and Trade Sector, who summarized the forthcoming steps.