The international seminar “Current challenges for inclusive and sustainable territorial development in Latin America and the Caribbean” was held in Antigua Guatemala.

National authorities in territorial planning, together with academic representatives and international organizations from nine countries in the region met on May 22 and 23 in the city of Antigua Guatemala, during the international seminar Current challenges for inclusive and sustainable territorial development in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The meeting, which had the support of the Planning and Programming Secretariat of the Presidency of Guatemala (SEGEPLAN) and the Spanish Cooperation Training Center in La Antigua, was held within the framework of the activities of the project “Management Systems resilient and inclusive public for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean”, which is part of the United Nations Development Account and the AECID Project on Strengthening capacities for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

During the day, a set of recent global trends and their impacts on inequalities and territorial development were addressed from a multidimensional perspective. The experiences of territorial policies promoted from the national level in Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Peru were presented, as well as the intermediate governments of Tucumán (Argentina), Manabí (Ecuador) and Quintana Roo (Mexico).

Topics of common interest were also discussed, such as dialogue and territorial conflicts, recent Latin American urban-rural dynamics, the challenges of disaster risk management, and the linking of public universities and territorial development.

The closing of the event included the participation of the Secretary of Planning and Programming of Guatemala, Carlos Mendoza, who, together with a team from SEGEPLAN, participated during the two days of the seminar.

Also speaking at the closing were the Director of ILPES, Cielo Morales, and the Director of the AECID Training Center, Jesús Molina, who highlighted the importance of learning about comparative experiences in terms of territorial policies and forming a community of reflection on the opportunities and the challenges faced by the territories. They also highlighted the importance of promoting a comprehensive approach and strengthening the capacities of the territories to face the challenges posed by territorial inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean.