Annual Meeting 2007 - Inter-American Development Bank

	TIME	ACTIVITY
	9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Opening remarks - Roble 2 Official opening of the meeting, with remarks from the President of the IDB, local authorities and some other partners. Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (confirmed) Eduardo Stein, Vice-President of Guatemala (confirmed)
	10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.	Plenary session: Beyond philanthropy, development as good business for all - Roble 2 There is a significant misconception of the role that private sector can play in helping to solve social problems that arise out the philanthropic tradition in Latin American and the Caribbean. While philanthropy can mitigate some of these problems in situations and for some people, it is not generally sustainable and tends to be sporadic, depending on the fortunes of the firm and the economic and political situation of the country. We need businesses to integrate activities that contribute to economic development into their business strategies and their normal business practices. This session will explore the recent trends in private sector activities that enhance the quality of life, beyond providing employment, paying taxes and giving resources. Emilio Azcárraga, CEO, Grupo Televisa, Mexico (confirmed) Susan L. Segal, President, Council of the Americas (confirmed) Javier Treviño, Vice-president of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, CEMEX, Mexico (confirmed) Ronald Degen, CEO, The Plycem Company, and Vice Chairman, Masisa, Costa Rica (confirmed) Moderador: Antonio Vives, Manager, Sustainable Development Department, Inter-American Development Bank (confirmed)
	11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.	Coffee-break
	11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.	Sesión plenaria: Growth as a bridge to improved opportunities - Roble 2 Sustained economic growth is one of the most effective instruments for enhancing the economic and social condition of the population. While part of the persistent poverty in many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean can be explained by relatively low average growth rates, the most important determinants of poverty are inconsistent growth and the lack of a stable and reliable business environment. The session will discuss ways to sustain growth in order to help improve business operations and contribute to a betterment of living conditions. José Juan Ruiz Gómez, Chief Economist, Santander Group, Spain (confirmed) Gabriel de la Concha, Finance and Investment Director, ICA, Mexico (confirmed) Alvaro Castillo Monge, Pepsi Central America, Guatemala (confirmed) Italo Pizzolante, President, Pizzolante Comunicación Estratégica, Venezuela (confirmed) Moderator: Eduardo Lora, Chief Economist, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (confirmed)
	1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.	Lunch - Roble 1
	2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.	Plenary session: Business and social partnerships as key drivers - Roble 2 The impact of the actions of the private sector to bridge the social divide can and must be enhanced by partnerships with civil society organizations, governments and the affected parties themselves. The creation of jobs is important to reduce the social divide but to encourage growth requires the establishment of sustainable enterprises, many of them small companies that partner with larger ones. The second key driver are partnerships among the private sector and civil society organizations, governments and other actors that not only increase the efficiency of those private sector activities, but also to increase their effectiveness. Alberto Espinosa, Founder, Líderes Siglo XXI, Colombia (confirmed) Manuel Zúñiga, Vice-president of Corporate and Legal Affairs, Wal-Mart Central America, Costa Rica (confirmed) Carlos Enrique Moreno, General Manager, Sodimac Colombia Home Center, Colombia (confirmed) Raúl Rivera, President, Telenexo, Chile (confirmed) Moderator: Donald Terry, Manager, Multilateral Investment Fund (confirmed)
	3:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.	Coffee-break
	3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.	Parallel sessions Session A: Employment as an opportunity - Roble 1 Do not give them fish, teach them how to fish. While conditional cash transfers have alleviated extreme poverty in some countries, they are only a temporary solution. A good and steady job opens up significant opportunities to improve the quality of life of the population. This session will discuss ways in which employment can be expanded, enhanced and sustained. Stanley Gacek, Assistant Director, International Department, American Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO) (confirmed) Jacqueline D. Coke-Lloyd, Executive Director, Jamaica Employers'' Federation (JEF), Jamaica (confirmed) Antonio Cabrales, President, FUSADES, El Salvador (confirmed) Carlos Isidro Echeverría Perera, Executive Director, CLF Latin America (confirmed) Moderator: Ana-Mita Betancourt, Chief of the Working Group, Opportunities for the Majority, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (confirmed) Session B: Technology as a way to increase opportunities - Roble 2 Yet, employment, while necessary, may not be sufficient. In order to be able to participate more fully in economic activity, people also need access to technology. Technology has become an indispensable tool for everyday living, for learning and for working. However, there is a significant gap in access to technology in the region, particularly by those who are less well-off. This lack of access to technology may be pushing them into a vicious circle that will be hard to break. This session will look into ways to break this vicious circle. Dr. William A. Haseltine, President, William A. Haseltine Foundation for Medical Sciences and the Arts, USA (confirmed) John Davies, Senior Vice-president, Intel and General Director, World Ahead Program, USA (confirmed) Dan Marcek, Chairman of the Engineering for the Americas (EftA) Initiative, Hewlett-Packard, USA (confirmed) Eduardo Trigo, President, Grupo CEO, S.A., Argentina (confirmed) Moderator: Jorge Roldán, Division Chief, Finance & Risk Management Division, Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) (confirmed)