Open to the Public
Thursday, September 5
Registration 8:00 AM ET
Conference 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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Established in 1996 as a joint initiative of the Inter-American Dialogue, CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Organization of American States, the annual CAF Conference is the premier US based conference on Latin America and the Caribbean.
The 27th annual CAF Conference will take place in-person at the Organization of American States (OAS).
Sessions will focus on the critical intersection of development and security, offering in-depth discussions on regional stability, transnational organized crime, subnational approaches to creating safe communities, combatting gender-based violence, and implications for US relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. The conference will propose new solutions to combat citizen insecurity, shaping debate and policy for years to come.
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Stay tuned for the full list of sessions, speakers, and additional details on the conference agenda.
9:00-9:15 AM |
Conference Introductory Remarks |
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Leader of Ceremonies: | María Molina, Correspondent, Univision News Network | ||||
Speakers: |
Luis Almagro, Secretary General, Organization of American States Rebecca Bill Chavez, President & CEO, Inter-American Dialogue, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
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9:15-9:30 AM |
Keynote Address |
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Speaker: | Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic
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9:30-9:55 AM |
Session I: Fireside Chat with Marcela Escobari and Frank Mora |
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Moderator: | Lilia Luciano, National Correspondent & Anchor, CBS News | ||||
Speakers:
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Marcela Escobari, Special Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Los Angeles Declaration, National Security Council
Frank Mora, United States Ambassador, Organization of American States
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10:00-10:40 AM |
Session II: The Role of Multilateral Development Banks: Security and Development in the Americas |
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Moderator: | Isabel de Saint Malo, Senior Policy Adviser to the Administrator, United Nations Development Program | ||||
Speakers: | Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
Emilio Pineda, Manager, Institutions for Development Sector, Inter-American Development Bank Bill Maloney, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean Region, World Bank Group
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10:45-11:05 AM |
Coffee/Networking Break |
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11:05-11:45 AM |
Session III: Subnational Approaches to Crime and Violence |
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Moderator: | Rebecca Bill Chavez, President & CEO, Inter-American Dialogue, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs | ||||
Speakers: | Diana Alarcón, Chief Advisor and International Affairs Coordinator for President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum
Chinua Alleyne, Mayor of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Eddie Bocanegra, Senior Director, Heartland Alliance & Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice |
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11:50 AM-12:50 PM |
Session IV: Transnational Organized Crime in the Western Hemisphere
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Moderator: | Juan Carlos Pinzón, Former Minister of Defense and Former Ambassador of Colombia to the United States | ||||
Speakers: | Frank Ábrego, Minister of Security, Panama
Roberta Jacobson, Founding Partner, Dinámica Americas and Former US Ambassador to Mexico Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paraguay Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Suriname Ivan Marques, Secretary for Multidimensional Security, Organization of American States |
12:50-2:15 PM |
Lunch/Networking Break |
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2:15-2:40 PM |
Session V: Fireside Chat with Carrie Filipetti and Carlos Diaz-Rosillo |
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Moderator: | Gabriela Frías, Business Anchor, CNN en Español | ||||
Speakers: | Carrie Filipetti, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Special Representative for Venezuela
Carlos Diaz-Rosillo, Former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy, the White House |
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2:45-3:25 PM |
Session VI: Combatting Gender-Based Violence |
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Moderator: | Michael Stott, Latin America Editor, Financial Times | ||||
Speakers: | Margarette May Macaulay, Former President, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Alejandra Mora Mora, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of Women, Organization of American States Maria-Noel Vaeza, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN Women Eduardo Vergara, Undersecretary of Crime Prevention, Republic of Chile
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3:30-3:50 PM |
Session VII: Fireside Chat with Laura Chinchilla and Chris Dodd |
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Speakers: | Laura Chinchilla, Former President of Costa Rica and Board Co-chair, Inter-American Dialogue
Chris Dodd, Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas, Former US Senator
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4:00-4:15 PM |
Coffee/Networking Break |
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4:15-4:40 PM |
Session VIII: The Power of Art: A Tool for Security and Social Resilience
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Moderator: | Tonija Hope, Director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center, Howard University | ||||
Speakers: | Mauro Castillo, Actor (Encanto), Singer, Musician, Composer and Musical Producer
Alissa Sanders, Singer, Cultural Producer, Writer, Photographer and Voice-over Artist Carlos Yahanny Valencia Ortiz “Tostao”, Musician & Member of ChocQuibTown
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4:45-5:00 PM |
Musical Performance
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Announcement |
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Conference Introductory Remarks ENG ESP PORT |
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Keynote Address ENG ESP PORT |
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Session I: Fireside Chat with Marcela Escobari and Frank Mora ENG ESP PORT |
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Session II: The Role of Multilateral Development Banks: Security and Development in the Americas ENG ESP PORT |
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Session III: Subnational Approaches to Crime and Violence ENG ESP PORT |
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Session IV: Transnational Organized Crime in the Western Hemisphere ENG ESP PORT |
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Session V: Fireside Chat with Carrie Filipetti and Carlos Diaz-Rosillo ENG ESP PORT |
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Session VI: Combatting Gender-Based Violence ENG ESP PORT |
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Session VII: Fireside Chat with Laura Chinchilla and Chris Dodd ENG ESP PORT |
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Session VIII: The Power of Art: A Tool for Security and Social Resilience ENG ESP PORT |
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Musical Performance ENG ESP PORT |
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The Dialogue is a hemispheric organization that builds networks of cooperation and action to advance democratic resilience, shared prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable development across the Americas. We impact policy debates, devise solutions, and enhance collaboration to unlock meaningful change in the Western Hemisphere.
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