CAF calls for countries to work together and overcome crises

The output of the multiple crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean It will be the collective action between countries and the multilateral organizations that make life in the region for the sustainability.

This was stated, this Monday, September 19, Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), in the tenth commemoration of the multilateral organization as an observer member of the United Nations (UN), an event held within the framework of CAF’s ‘Many voices, one region’ meeting, at the gates of the 77th edition of the UN General Assembly.

(See: Santos says that progress goes beyond economic indicators).

“Currently, the world is very different from the one we knew ten years ago, with a pandemic in between, the evidence shows that the only way to emerge stronger from the multiple crises we face is collective, determined and effective action for sustainability, human well-being and care for the environment. A timely action here and now”, said Díaz-Granados at the beginning of his speech.

The executive also briefly reviewed the achievements that have marked CAF in this decade, such as investment in key sectors such as infrastructure, energy, sustainability and innovation for more than US$200 million.

Díaz-Granados mentioned that in this period the institution has been consolidated “as a spokesperson that gathers and amplifies the voice of the region in the global context” and recalled that Latin America and the Caribbean “are the cradle” of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and continues to be actively involved in the conservation and better ways to ensure its full compliance.

(See: Liz Truss and King Carlos III, facing a new era with Latin America).

He also reviewed that, thanks to its participation as an observer member of the UN General Assembly, the bank has been able to participate in multiple international spaces, to which it has brought the voice and experience of Latin America and learned best practices to employ in the growth objectives in the region.

However, he appreciated that it is not enough and that is why “we want to find better ways to deepen what has been achieved and go further”. Also, it’s time toresume that energy and projection” of CAF in its beginnings for “go ahead”.

“Time is running against us, we have to give results. The pandemic hit us tremendously, so we have more challenges with our people. The future is a consequence of our actions and the decisions we make from now on”, mentioned the CAF executive.

Díaz-Granados launched a message from CAF to “continue building bridges within the region”, and also take that local experience to other parts of the world.

“We are definitely celebrating our first decade in the United Nations and, from that moment on, we hope to hold meetings like these every year, with big, ambitious and profitable ideas, to strengthen the presence of Latin America in the General Assembly”, Diaz-Granados concluded.

(See: Agriculture and energy transition, keys to the future of Latin America).

At the end of the event, a cooperation agreement was signed between the executive president of CAF, Sergio Díaz-Granados and Luis Felipe López, regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Alberto Fernandez, President of Argentina and president pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), also spoke at the event and recalled that a crisis is being experienced, for which it is time to redouble efforts in the region, which commented that “has all the potential to achieve it, as long as you work together”.

“I am sure that we have an opportunity that we cannot miss and that we must work together again (…) We have, like Latin America, the real challenge of integrating ourselves into the Caribbean, which also has our problems (…) but they They are the ones who suffer the most from climate change.”, Fernandez said in his speech.

(See: Political crisis in Latin America takes the shine off the oil boom).

Secondly, Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator, He mentioned that together with the CAF, they are working on channeling US$1 billion towards compliance with the SDGs in 2025.

“We can break our complex of global uncertainty if we support the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to make the bold decisions that will drive decisive climate action, that will reduce poverty and inequality and boost human development.”, he mentioned.

Likewise, Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), called for greater regional integration and recalled that “CAF was the multilateral bank that allocated the most funds during the pandemic. The world needs more banks like CAF”.

(See: The agreement between the EU and Mercosur ‘remains firm’).

BRIEFCASE