World Economic Forum on Latin America – Looking Forward

Donna Hrinak is guest blogging for the Forum. She is Vice-President, Global Public Policy and Government Affairs, PepsiCo USA and will attending the World Economic Forum on Laitn America.

For too many years, the World Economic Forum on Latin America focused on what was wrong  with the region:  why democracy didn’t take firmer root; why economic leadership was so erratic; why the  gap
between rich and poor not only persisted, but grew.

For the last few Summits, that approach has changed.  We’ve recognized the strength of democratic institutions and more active participation of civil society.  We’ve acknowledged that economic decision-making has built a firm foundation for growth and development.

Now it’s time to go beyond noting what Latin America has done, to asking what the region can contribute to the rest of the world.  What best practices and policies have lifted the poor into the middle class?  Which regulatory structures have encouraged investment, both domestic and multinational?  What did Latin America do right to weather the global recession and emerge with raised voice in the world’s political and financial institutions?Answering the question of what Latin America brings to the world is what I look forward to at the Summit.  I also have another hope.

We talk of the Latin America Summit and look largely at the continental land mass.  What we too often overlook are the island states of the Caribbean.  Yet, it’s thanks to these countries that the world will, in September, consider the impact of Non-Communicable Diseases on the world’s population at the

United Nation’s High Level Meeting on NCDs.

Non- Communicable Diseases – in particular cardio-vascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and cancer – are responsible for 35 million deaths each year, 80% of them in developing countries.   After a decade of persistent effort by the Caribbean Community, the world will finally this fall focus on multi-sector interventions to reduce these largely preventable diseases.

Accordingly, I hope the Summit will similarly focus on how the Caribbean states can make their own contribution to what this Hemisphere brings to the world.