On Friday, September 13, 2024, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held the first meeting of the new Executive Committee of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies virtually. This Conference is a subsidiary body of ECLAC and a permanent forum that brings together the high authorities responsible for science, technology and innovation (STI) policies in the region. Its purpose is to coordinate actions and promote the exchange of knowledge to improve the quality and effectiveness of STI policies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
At the Fourth Meeting of the Conference, held in Bogotá in April 2024, the new Executive Committee was elected, which was made up of Colombia in the Presidency, and Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela in the Vice-Presidencies. On that occasion, four key lines of work were approved:
1. STI instruments for sustainable and inclusive productive development
2. STI Governance
3. STI with a territorial approach
4. Sectoral and technological strategic agendas
During the meeting of the new Executive Committee, the proposal for the biennial work plan for regional cooperation in support of STI policies for the period 2024-2025 was reviewed and refined. Among the planned actions is the creation of working groups for each of the priority areas in order to coordinate specific activities.
The meeting was led by the director of the Division of Productive and Business Development of ECLAC, Marco Llinás and Yesenia Olaya Requene, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia and president of the Executive Committee, in addition to the high authorities representing the countries in charge of the vice presidency.
The director of the Division in his opening remarks emphasized the structural challenges of the region. “Latin America and the Caribbean faces traps of low growth, high inequality and limited institutional capacities. In this context, we need science, technology and innovation policies that are context-specific and practical enough to address real problems of productivity and development,” said Llinás. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the public, private, academic and civil society sectors to overcome these challenges.
The biennial plan discussed includes a series of activities to foster cooperation, such as the organization of webinars, technical meetings and specialized studies, in addition to the creation of a repository of information on the Conference and STI policies. Workshops and technical assistance were also planned, with a focus on strategic sectors such as health, which is crucial to strengthening the productive capacity of the region.
This first meeting marks a milestone in the consolidation of the regional agenda in science, technology and innovation, establishing a roadmap for the next two years. It is expected that the decisions adopted during this session will strengthen STI governance and contribute to sustainable and inclusive productive development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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