Leonel Fernández: “the Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean is the ideal conclave for the exchange of thoughts and the urgent search for effective solutions for the region.”

The former president of the Dominican Republic and president of GFDD/Funglode gave welcoming remarks at the Second Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean which takes place today and tomorrow in New York City

The former president of the Dominican Republic and the president of GFDD/Funglode, Dr. Leonel Fernández, gave opening remarks this morning – through a videoconference- to participants at the II Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean which is taking place today and tomorrow in New York City. “Latin America and the Caribbean have been and will continue to be the scene of great social and political struggles; crises and economic opportunities; innovations and unfinished tasks of the past. The pace of the 21st century has accelerated these challenges; global interconnection and interdependence have created more complexity while the rapidity of change has raised expectations,” said Fernández.

“Our understanding of reality must adequately grow in depth and scope; the need for collaboration and exchange of ideas and experiences is ever greater, and the search for effective solutions is more urgent. We trust that the Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean 2019 is the ideal conclave for a reflection and exchange of this type, with highly skilled protagonists and committed audience members, at the time of the year and in the place in the world where the future of our international community is being defined,” he continued.

Dr. Fernández expressed gratitude for the participation of colleagues and friends like Laura Chinchilla, former president of Costa Rica and vice president of the WorldLeadership Alliance – Club de Madrid; Vinicio Cerezo, former president of Guatemala and general secretary of SICA; Felipe Calderón, former president of México and Danilo Turk, former president of Slovenia. He also thanked Kevin Casas Zamora, former second vice-president of Costa Rica and secretary general of International IDEA; Humberto de la Calle, former vice president of Colombia; Jorge Taiana, former minister of Foreign Relations of Argentina and Jorge Castañeda, former minister of Foreign Relations of Mexico.

“In addition to these great statesmen and leaders of international relevance, numerous researchers, academics, members of highly reputable think tanks and multilateral institutions will honor us with their valuable knowledge, analyses, and recommendations,” he stated.

The former Dominican leader also gave special thanks to the institutions that have brought “great effort, dedication and enthusiasm to organize this great event together with the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD): our friends at IDEA International – Mr. Kevin Casas Zamora, Secretary General; Daniel Zovatto, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Massimo Tommasoli, Permanent Observer to the UN;  ECLAC, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, whose partnership was led by Mrs. Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary and Mr. Daniel Titelman, Director of the Economic Development Division; ILAS – Institute for Latin America and Caribbean Studies and its director Mrs. María Victoria Murillo; World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid and its Secretary General María Elena Agüero, as well as SICA, Central American Integration System, represented by Mr. Vinicio Cerezo, Secretary General and Mrs. Olinda Salguero, Chief of Staff.”

“We are delighted and proud to join forces with so many prestigious institutions of long and impressive trajectories,” he emphasized. “I am completely convinced that the Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean 2019 will be a total success and that its purpose of promoting the exchange of ideas, experiences, good practices and proposals for solutions, allowing us to face present and future challenges in a more knowledgeable and coordinated manner,  will be thoroughly fulfilled.”.

“When a couple of years ago we started to develop this idea of ​​a forum that would unite the brightest minds and the most committed actors in the arena of the socio-economic and democratic development of our Region, which would take place concomitantly with the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, we could not imagine that we would bring together the partners of today’s magnitude and the panelists of such a repute that we will have the privilege of listening to in the days that follow,” concluded the statesman.

Join the conversation @GlobalForumLAC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

More information:
https://www.globalforumlac.org/