Government officials from South Korea, China, and Peru, along with private sector experts and others, offered first-hand insight into current and future areas of inter-regional cooperation. Asia-Latin America free trade is on the rise as Peru prepares to host the 2008 APEC annual summit.
The success of microfinance has prompted commercial banks to view low-income client loans as smart business. Speakers at our roundtable discussion outlined potential challenges and possible solutions to ensuring the sustainability of Latin America’s microfinance boom.
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and key Western Hemisphere ministers explored issues at the forefront of the U.S.-Western Hemisphere agenda during the 37th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas. View a pictorial and summary of the conference.
The Annual Washington Conference on the Americas brought together a dynamic group of trade, finance, and foreign affairs leaders from throughout the hemisphere for discussion on "Building the Americas Consensus". The premier event took place May 1-2 at the Inter-American Development Bank and the US Department of State.<span style="\"font-style:" normal;\"="">
Just as the Mexican Senate was approving a groundbreaking federal pension reform law, the Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA) held its 2007 Mexico City Conference to look at Mexico’s role in the global economy. With over 180 private and public sector leaders in attendance, the conference, hosted in association with the Mexican Business Council of Foreign Trade Investment and Technology (COMCE), highlighted key reforms—including labor, energy, and fiscal reforms—to improve Mexico’s competitiveness.
On the heels of U.S. President George W. Bush’s return from Latin America, AS/COA brought together expert speakers and panelists to discuss the implications of his trip for hemispheric relations and the overall U.S.-Latin America agenda. They cautioned that regional growth and prosperity will hinge on sustained, positive commitment to the region.
To explore energy policy in the Andean Region, with a specific focus on Colombia, the Americas Society and Council of the Americas convened media and public sector experts to look at energy reform, energy integration, and oil production and exploration. This summary provides an overview of the main points from the discussion.