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OAS Co-Organizes 7th Competitiveness Forum of the Americas and Meeting of Competitiveness Ministers, Senior Authorities and Councils

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Government of Panama will organize from October 2 to 4 in Panama City, Panama, the 7th Americas Competitiveness Forum, which will focus on "Infrastructure and Technology Shaping the Countries of Today."

The annual event, organized jointly with the Ministry of the Presidency of Panama, brings together senior representatives and officials from the 34 countries that make up the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC) to carry out a dialogue and exchange of experiences in competitiveness.

The Forum seeks to encourage countries to submit alternatives, share success stories, and discuss issues that help promote sustainable growth in the region, and contribute ideas to comprehensively strengthen the 10 general principles of competitiveness of the RIAC.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), one of the most reputable international economic institutions, Latin American countries invest between just 1 and 2 percent of their gross domestic product on infrastructure, a figure the institution estimates should be between 5 and 7 percent. In particular, experts believe transport infrastructure failures could slow economic growth in the region, because they can prevent economies of scale and specialization at the national and subnational levels.

The RIAC was created on September 29, 2009, following meetings of Ministers and Competitiveness Councils of the Americas that took place in the context of the Third Competitiveness Forum of the Americas in Santiago, Chile. The Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the countries of the Americas decided by consensus to accept the proposal submitted by Chile in conjunction with the OAS to create an initiative that would institutionalize a regional dialogue mechanism, promote the exchange of experiences and the development of joint initiatives areas related to competitiveness.

In its seventh version, the Forum will be attended by delegations from 34 countries in the region to discuss competitiveness with representatives of local private sectors and international governmental and academic experts from Duke, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, MIT, Harvard Universities and Incae Business School.

The event will open on Thursday, October 3, at 09:00 local time (14:00 GMT) at the Westin Playa Bonita Hotel, with an opening ceremony featuring the President of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, and the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin. The Forum will host panel discussions on "Overview of Regional Infrastructure and Logistics;" "Macroeconomic Challenges;" "Expansion of the Panama Canal;" "A Global Perspective on Infrastructure Policy;" "Innovation;" "Sustainable Cities;" and "Competitiveness: A 10 Year Vision."

In the framework of the Forum, the hemispheric Organization will organize on Wednesday the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network, entitled "Meeting of Competitiveness Authorities and Councils of the Americas," and the Meeting of Ministers of Economy, Finance, Industry and Trade of the Hemisphere. Also on Wednesday the second "Signs of Competitiveness in the Americas" Report - 2013, which discusses the challenges facing the Hemisphere, and the progress of the countries of the region in the implementation of the 10 Principles of Competitiveness. The Report includes over 60 experiences contributed by 18 countries and six international institutions in order to promote cooperation and replication of good practices and lessons learned. The report will be available on the RIAC website on October 2, 2013.

WHAT: 7th Americas Competitiveness Forum, Annual RIAC Meeting, and Meeting of Ministers of Economy, Finance, Industry and Trade of the Americas

WHEN: Wednesday, October 2 to Friday, October 4, 2013

b>WHERE: Westin Playa Bonita Hotel
Panama City, Panama

Reference: E-362/13