Sustainable growth, infrastructure focus of IDB Annual Meeting in Chengdu, China

Feb 28, 2019 News

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The Inter-American Development Bank Group will hold its Annual Meeting in Chengdu, China on March 27-31, with the participation of authorities and leaders from the public and private sectors. The meeting will discuss the challenges that Latin America and the Caribbean region faces in economic growth, sustainable infrastructure investment, innovation and the future of cities, among others.
This will be the 60th Annual Meeting of the IDB Group’s Board of Governors – the Bank’s leading decision-making body that represents its 48 member countries.
Most of the Governors are finance or economy ministers or central bank presidents. Additionally, the Annual Meeting includes the participation of thousands of business, social and financial industry leaders. The IDB Group comprises the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which provides resources and financing to the public sector, IDB Invest, which focuses on private sector operations, and BID Lab, which mobilizes resources and knowledge to promote innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
During the event, the IDB Group will release its annual macroeconomic assessment of the region, which this year will focus on global economic impacts on Latin America and the Caribbean, and infrastructure financing.
In addition, the IDB’s Climate Change and Sustainability Sector will issue its annual Sustainability Report. This year, the report looks at the impacts of IDB projects in cities from a sustainability angle.
The Annual Meeting will begin with a meeting of mayors from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. The Annual Meeting will include the Innovation for Development seminar, a Business Forum for private sector leaders, as well as seminars on regulations to support greening of financial systems and green instruments and finance opportunities.
The Mayors Forum 2019 will gather more than 40 mayors from the main cities of Latin America, the Caribbean and China, as well as renowned international experts. Participants will share experiences and good practices in sustainable urban development, focusing on green finance and sustainable infrastructure, air quality, sponge cities, and clean energy, among other.
Speakers will include Naoko Ishii, CEO Global Environment Facility (GEF); Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity; Jonathan Woetzel, MGI Director and Senior Partner Shanghai; James Scriven, CEO of IDB Invest, along with mayors from Latin America and the Caribbean, China, and Asia. The Innovation for Development seminar will provide an opportunity for representatives from the private sector, academia, entrepreneurs and governments of Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean to share lessons learned and best practices on how to use innovation and technology for a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Panels will discuss issues that range from the future of FinTechs to using artificial intelligence for social good.
Speakers include Stella Li, President, BYD Motors, Jong-Kap Kim, Chief Executive Director, K-ICT Born2Global, Korea; Oskar Mielczarek de la Miel, Managing Partner, Rakuten FinTech Fund/Mobility Instruments, Japan; and Chuhan Wang, Head of Strategy and Growth, Liulishuo, San Francisco, USA and China. The Business Forum – Boosting growth through infrastructure and deeper connectivity between Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean– will bring together more than 800 participants from over 40 countries to discuss opportunities and priorities for expanding investment and public-private cooperation in international trade, energy, infrastructure, transportation, and logistics.
Speakers will include IDB President, Luis Alberto Moreno; Minister of the Interior, Public Works and Housing of Argentina, Rogelio Frigerio; Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Fang Xinghai; Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance of The Bahamas, Kevin Peter Turnquest; CEO of Grupo ICA, Guadalupe Phillips; CEO of Grupo Terpel, Sylvia Escovar, President & CEO of Canadian Solar – PV, Shawn Qu; among others.
In addition, Investment Promotion Agencies from Latin America and the Caribbean will share infrastructure investment opportunities with potential investors, enabling participants to take part in informational meetings through an innovative matchmaking platform. Among the speakers for the green finance event are Sean Kidney, the CEO of Climate Bond Initiative, Marcelo Barbosa, the President of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil, and Cheng Daming, executive director of the China International Capital Corporation.
Members of the media must register for the event . More information can be found at the Annual Meeting website, with additional information about hotels and other options at the host country website.

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