Printer friendly version     Send to a friend

World Economic Forum on Latin America Ends With Focus on Education and Infrastructure
Brazilian President Lula Hails Region’s New Confidence and Calls for Deeper Integration

6 April 2006 - São Paulo, Brazil

At the closing session of the World Economic Forum on Latin America, participants agreed on “Priorities for Action” in the region. The recommendations, which included ten proposals for social and economic change, formed an agenda for Latin America to sustain equitable growth and enhance its global competitiveness. After reviewing the list, participants voted to focus over the next year on education – specifically teacher training and improving the quality of schools – and on using public-private partnerships to invest in infrastructure in rural areas, underdeveloped regions and urban slums.

“Education is the most important investment that we can make,” Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter, President and Chief Executive Officer, Gerdau, Brazil, and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on Latin America. Added fellow Co-Chair Luis A. Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington DC: “The lack of infrastructure and investment is really the bottleneck to global competitiveness.”

Earlier, in a special address to participants, President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva also stressed the importance of investing in knowledge and learning. “Education at all levels is the number one priority,” he said. He also remarked on Latin America’s realism and newfound self-confidence. “We should not blame American imperialism for our misery or Europe for our poverty,” he advised. “Our problems do not lie with other people but with ourselves.” He added: “When our region raises its head and negotiates on equal terms with rich countries without arrogance but with humility and perseverance, we will achieve more than when we were just crying out and weeping. We are ready to do that now.”

Lula called on Latin American countries to cooperate more, particularly in building the infrastructure it needs to be competitive and to attract investment. “We will be much stronger if we develop together,” he concluded.

In the closing session, Moreno argued that Latin America is moving forward. “It’s important to focus on the trend lines, not the headlines. This hemisphere is doing much better. But it is important to continue to talk about how we can close the social gaps.” Gerdau agreed. “We cannot afford to come up with economic equations without looking at the social side. Unless we invest in the social side, we will not be politically positioned to tackle economic problems.”

Please click here to access the Action Plan

Printer friendly version     Send to a friend