Honduras Forum 2030 - "International Experiences on Competitiveness"

Strengthening the competitiveness of countries in the region is one of the priority tasks of all current and future administrations. This was evidenced in the Honduras Forum 2030 held on August 14, 2013 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where the 8 candidates to assume the presidency of the country presented their ideas on competitiveness and shared their perspectives on the country’s economic and social agenda.

The Department of Economic and Social Development of SEDI-OAS as Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC), joined forces with UNITEC’s Institute for Research on Public Policy (IIPP), the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) to organize the event. Participants included government officials, business persons, academics and entrepreneurs from Honduras, who will soon vote to choose their country’s next president.

In her opening speech, Claudia Barrientos, OAS Representative in Honduras stated that in the context of the RIAC "we support dialogue on the importance of competitiveness to promote sustainable development aimed at reducing poverty and inequality in the countries of the hemisphere; which are fundamental objectives necessary to supporting democratic governance".

In turn, Alejandro Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of the CABEI highlighted the complementary missions of the CABEI and the OAS, which as "sister institutions seek mutual cooperation mechanisms to meet the challenges of our region". He stressed the importance of "sharing experiences on economic development and competitiveness and of discussing and analyzing public policy on priority issues in order to contribute to a competitiveness agenda for 2030."

During the event, regional experts enriched the dialogue by sharing successful experiences in the design and implementation of National Competitiveness Strategies as a key factor for economic development. Participants included José Miguel Benavente, Vice President of the Competitiveness Council of Chile and Luis Alfredo Ramos, former Mayor of Medellin and former Governor of Antioquia, Colombia. Meanwhile, Carmen Gisela Vergara, Secretary General of the Secretariat of Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) moderated a question and answer session.

The perspectives presented were diverse, including topics such as developing human capital, supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), promoting international trade and reactivating the productive sector. The webscast and photos from the event are available online.

First Virtual Educa School in the region This year, the first Virtual Educa School in the region was created in Medellin, following the "pop-up" school model designed by JP - Inspiring Knowledge for the inclusion of remote areas. It is a "turn-key ready" modular concept with a fully equipped infrastructure system including furnishings, energy, technological equipment and educational materials for students and teachers.

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