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OAS Co-sponsored Forum Honduras 2030 "International Experiences of Competitiveness"

The Organization of American States (OAS) sponsored this Wednesday in Tegucigalpa the Forum Honduras 2030 - "International Experiences in Competitiveness," in which the country's eight presidential candidates presented their proposals and ideas on competitiveness and economic development and international experts shared their experiences on the subject.

The Forum, co-sponsored by the Institute for Research and Public Policy (IIPP) of UNITEC, the Honduran Council for Private Business (COHEP) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE), aimed to share successful experiences in different countries of the Americas in the design and implementation of National Competitiveness Strategies, as a key factor for economic development. The event was held in the Auditorium of the BCIE.

In her opening remarks, the OAS Representative in Honduras, Claudia Barrientos, highlighted the commitment of the political parties and their candidates to "providing ideas and proposals to build a 2030 competitiveness agenda for Honduras." She explained that the OAS, in its quality as Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC) supports “dialogue on the importance of competitiveness to promote sustainable development aimed at reducing poverty and inequality in the countries of the Hemisphere; fundamental and necessary objectives to support democratic governance."

The OAS Representative in Honduras said that "through the RIAC, or the exchange of experiences, we do not seek to establish what should to be done in terms of competitiveness; that, as you know, is the responsibility and decision of each country. What we seek is to contribute to the dialogue among all Hondurans.” “Competitiveness is not solely the responsibility of national governments, is a task that involves congresses, local governments, businesses – both large and small - and the academic institutions of our countries," concluded Barrientos.

During the Forum, moderated by journalist Jorge Gestoso, the eight presidential candidates presented their vision of the issue and made a presentation on the basis of the 10 general principles of Competitiveness in the Americas as defined by the Presidents of the RIAC member countries in the Consensus of Santo Domingo established in October 2011.

The Presidential candidates took part in an order determined by lottery: Orle Solís of the Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (DC); Jorge Aguilar of the Party of Innovation and Democratic Social Unity (PINU-SD); Salvador Nasralla of the Anti Corruption Party of Honduras (PAC); Juan Orlando Hernández of the National Party of Honduras; Mauricio Villeda of the Liberal Party of Honduras; Romeo Vásquez Velásquez of the Honduran Patriotic Alliance Party (APH ); Xiomara Castro de Zelaya of the Freedom and Refoundation Party and Andrés Pavón of the Democratic Unification and Broad Political Electoral Front of Resistance of Honduras.

Following the candidates’ addresses, participants heard keynote addresses by José Miguel Benavente, Vice President of National Council on Innovation for Competitiveness of Chile; and Luis Alfredo Ramos Botero, former Mayor of the city of Medellin, Colombia, and former Governor of Antioquia, in a session moderated by Carmen Gisela Vergara, Secretary General of the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA). The Chief of the Competitiveness, Innovation and Technology Section of the OAS, Cesar Parga, gave the closing speech of the event.

At the end of the Forum, the coordinating organizations highlighted the conclusions of the event, which they considered "could be part of a great national agreement" and expressed their "clear interest that they form part of the plans of government," given that competitiveness "is the basis to ensure economic growth, inclusive development and the general welfare of the Honduran people."

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-306/13