Past events

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), together with the National Commission for Protection of Competition (CONACOM) of Paraguay, and with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Paraguay, held the IX Annual Meeting of the Working Group on Trade and Competition of Latin America and the Caribbean (WGTC) in Asunción, Paraguay, on 3 and 4 October 2019.

Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Ambassador Javier Paulinich, and then Minister in charge of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, in order to promote inter-institutional cooperation between both regions, the Seminar "Eurasian Economic Union and Latin America and the Caribbean: Cooperation for greater regional integration" will be held. This event is being organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), together with the Government of the Republic of Guatemala through the Ministry of Economy (MINECO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) through the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Guatemala and the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA), and will be held in Antigua, Guatemala, on 23 and 24 September of this year. The main objective of this seminar is to identify opportunities and challenges for strengthening relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and the Eurasian region. For this purpose we have invited a diversity of experts and speakers from multilateral organizations, private companies, government representatives and academics to participate during two days of work sessions where we will proceed to: i) evaluate a cooperation agenda in the field of regional integration between the governments of the EAEU and Latin America and the Caribbean; ii) analyze opportunities for the formation of trade and cooperation agreements between the business community of the EAEU countries and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; iii) identify areas for cooperation in the field of regional economic integration among the governments of the countries of the EAEU and of Latin America and the Caribbean; iv) propose the creation of a monitoring group for economic relations between the countries that make up the EAEU and those of Latin America and the Caribbean, which monitors and promotes the formation of alliances between SMEs in both regions; and, v) present the opportunities to forge business and cooperation agreements between the MSMEs of the EAEU and those of Latin America and the Caribbean.

This meeting forms part of the Program for the Network of Digital and Collaborative Ports that the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) has undertaken jointly with CAF-development bank of Latin America for the execution of technical activities related to the identification, promotion and dissemination of best digital, institutional and innovation practices in the major port communities of the region. In addition, this program includes the conduction of the III Colloquium on Scientific Research on Logistic Port Chains, on Wednesday, 7 August 2019, in the facilities of the University of Trinidad and Tobago. This activity is expected to bring together representatives of leading logistic port communities that are members of the Network, national and local authorities, as well as experts from multilateral institutions and academics participating in the Methodological Support Groups. Also, it will provide continuity of the medium- and long-term strategic definitions and will assess the work with multidisciplinary teams, according to the priorities regarding competitiveness and sustainability.

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, in partnership with the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the Medellín Chamber of Commerce for Antioquia, will hold an event on the orange economy: creating opportunities for regional development in Medellín, Colombia, from 5 to 7 August 2019.

Considering the expectations arising from these activities for interinstitutional complementarity and cohesion among participants and due to the growing interest in further expanding partnerships, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA is organizing the Seminar “Closing gaps in Latin American integration processes”. The aim of this event is to provide support tools for the design of public policies that prioritize the analysis and use of methodologies associated with the search for convergence and reduction of asymmetries between relatively more and less developed countries.   The Permanent Secretariat has invited various experts and speakers to participate in four working sessions, in which they will present the initiatives for regional convergence that are based on the existence of economic asymmetries, in order to enhance progress in some of the dimensions of integration whose treatment is still incipient. In addition, participants will review several studies on gaps, with special emphasis on social disparities and the efforts by the various regional players in designing public policies to address such disparities.

This Seminar-Workshop is part of the activities scheduled by the Permanent Secretariat for the development of the Productive Articulation Programme for the strengthening and development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region. In this programme, which the Permanent Secretariat has undertaken with the support of CAF-development bank of Latin America, several activities have been organized with a view to facilitating tools for the determination of inclusive value chains that encourage the productive articulation and export capacity of companies, contribute to greater productivity and promote sustainable growth in the region. This second meeting is aimed at governmental focal points for MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) of the Member States of SELA, and invitations are being extended to the countries that have expressed their interest in continuing to participate in the project and attended the first workshop held in Paraguay in March. The activity aims primarily to: (i) describe the main productive articulation initiatives for SMEs at the national and regional levels that have been undertaken in the region; (ii) assess the level of productivity generated around the construction of networks of strategic alliances; and (iii) submit the various existing methodologies and tools in the region for the identification of productive sectors.

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the National Directorate for Crafts, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (DINAPYME) of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM) of the Republic of Uruguay held the Regional Meeting on Productive Transformation in the Digital Era: An opportunity for MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean on 29 and 30 April 2019, in Montevideo.  

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and CAF-development bank of Latin America, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism and the Ministry of Production of Peru, will conduct the “Presentation of the results of the Public Policy Index for MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean (IPPALC), as implemented by the Pacific Alliance, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay”, in Lima, Peru, on 25 April 2019.  Final report Public Policy Index for MSMEs: Results for the Pacific Alliance, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay The SME Policy Index is a benchmarking tool that assists emerging economies in monitoring and evaluating progress in policies that support small and medium-sized enterprises. This first application of the Index methodology in the Latin American and Caribbean region covers the four Pacific Alliance member countries (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru) and three participating South American countries (Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay). Divided into seven policy dimensions, this report assesses the strengths and weaknesses that exist in different areas of SME policy design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, and provides guidance to policy makers in identifying policy areas for future reform according to international good practices.This report is a joint effort between the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the OECD through its Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Programme (LACRP), in co-operation with the “Foundation for the Strategic Analysis and Development of the SME” (FAEDPYME) and the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA).  

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) organized the XXX Meeting of International Cooperation Directors for Latin America and the Caribbean: coordination and efficiency of international cooperation vis-à-vis the occurrence of natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean, jointly with the Government of the Republic of Panama, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Government and the Regional Logistics Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (CLRAH), and with the support of the World Food Programme (WFP). This event was held in Panama City, Panama, on 11 and 12 April 2019. This Meeting enabled the International Cooperation Directors of the Member States of SELA to exchange views and experiences on initiatives underway in the region to improve the coordination and efficiency of international cooperation and humanitarian assistance in cases of natural disasters, while gaining knowledge about the strengths and benefits offered by the Regional Logistics Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (CLRAH), recently opened in Panama City and considered the Humanitarian Hub for the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.