Over the last 15 years, Latin American economies have grown increasingly dependent on natural resources and commodity exports. Many governments combine this with sound macro-economic management and smart social policies, leading to positive results with regard to fighting poverty and promoting social development. However, the economic and social risks of the resource-based development path are high and the negative environmental impacts of resource extraction, agriculture and deforestation threaten to jeopardise the opportunities of future generations.

For many decades, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has accompanied the governments of the region and beyond with timely information and sound policy advice. The Commission is a strategic partner of German development cooperation with Latin America. Under its current Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC has increasingly addressed the challenges of social, economic and ecological sustainability in the context of development and public service provision.

The workshop discussed the social, economic and environmental challenges facing Latin American countries as a consequence of their resource-based development. Further, it explored policy options open to the governments of the region to seize the opportunities of the current commodity supercycle while avoiding the pitfalls of the “natural resource curse”.

Agenda:

• Welcome Lunch (12:00-13:00 h)
• Opening and Welcome
• Input presentations:
  Tilman Altenburg / Christian von Haldenwang, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
  Joseluis Samaniego, Director, Division of Sustainable Development and Human Settlements, ECLAC
  

Panel discussion with:

• Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary, ECLAC
• Christiane Bögemann-Hagedorn, Director for Latin America, BMZ
• Imme Scholz, Deputy Director, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
• Pedro Morazán, Südwind

Followed by an open discussion.