CAF participates in the IV Summit on Integration of the Andean Parliament

CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean was invited to participate in the IV Summit on Integration of the Integration, held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and organized by the Andean Parliament. Nathalie Gerbasi, Director of Institutional Development and Training, was a keynote speaker at this event, which brought together the main Regional and Integration Parliaments of Latin America and the Caribbean to develop joint strategies and actions to unify agendas that strengthen the region's diplomatic participation on the international stage.

The conference focused on the history of CAF, its historical connection with the Andean Parliament, and the various ways in which the institution has worked for sustainable development, regional integration, and the creation of collaborative and inter-institutional agendas since its establishment in 1968. During this presentation, Gerbasi emphasized the role of regional integration in different sectors of the region's development: competitiveness, productivity, security and coexistence, education, employment, among others.

She also highlighted the efforts that CAF and the Andean Parliament have made over the years to organize regional meetings of young parliamentarians and community leaders, as well as the generation of events, seminars, and roundtables that promote the quality of public policies and new consensus. In Gerbasi's words, it is essential to create and promote spaces for meeting and dialogue "so that the countries of the region continue to transform into strong, flexible political actors with an international voice."

The conference emphasized CAF's mission to promote regional integration through four main pillars: infrastructure development, trade facilitation, service integration, and sustainable development. Gerbasi stressed that regional integration is essential for achieving beneficial negotiations, improving infrastructure, fostering intra-regional trade, and promoting mutual cooperation.

Finally, the presentation ended with a call to continue supporting regional integration from various sectors, as unity and collaboration are central pillars of our countries' prosperity. Gerbasi invited everyone to "promote integration with clear political will, but also with a pragmatic work agenda that allows us to move beyond a vision of competition, centrality, and independence, towards a renewed vision of cooperation, interdependence, and complementarity, supported by concrete projects and programs, and a direct connection with citizens."

CAF's participation in the Fourth Summit on Integration of the Integration reaffirms its commitment to regional integration and sustainable development, once again demonstrating its fundamental role as a strategic partner in the region.