Welcoming remarks • Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade, Costa Rica • Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paraguay (video) • Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director General, DG International Partnerships, European Union • Mathias Cormann, OECD Secretary-General (video)

The region faces an ambitious agenda to leverage the green transition as an opportunity to achieve a more just and sustainable development model. The recovery requires adopting a systemic approach to tackle the challenges and harness opportunities of the green transition to improve citizens’ well being. The green transition is a once in a generation social and economic opportunity. A green transition that is truly just should advance the transformation of LAC’s energy and productive matrices, and develop new and more sustainable economic sectors while also promoting quality jobs and supporting workers and households throughout the transition.

Addressing the challenges and impacts generated by climate change requires a whole of government and whole of society engagement and commitment. Hence, key priorities for climate mitigation and adaptation should include, inter alia, mainstreaming climate change and environmental considerations in sectoral policies through innovative coordinating governance mechanisms; aligning policy priorities and goals with implementation, promoting energy efficient economy and electro-mobility, expanding Nature-based Solutions and setting up early warning systems to address the adaptation challenges; guaranteeing efficient and quick financing mechanisms and green investments for mitigation and adaptation programmes. Whilst implementation plays a key role in ensuring the effectiveness of adaptation and mitigation policies depending on countries’ priorities and context, regional and international coordination is essential to achieving common goals.

Trade and investment are key drivers of the green transition. They can promote greener supply chains and circular economies and improve access to clean technologies at a lower cost. To ensure trade and investment deliver these benefits and works for people and the environment, LAC countries must better align trade and investment policies to environment and sustainable development policies. At the same time, the interest in advancing climate and other environmental ambitions through international trade and investment policies and practices, raises new questions about how to ensure that trade and environmental policies are mutually supportive. This session will offer a space for LAC and OECD countries to discuss and share experiences on ways in which trade and investment policies can promote sustainable development. Opening remarks: Ulrik Knudsen, OECD Deputy Secretrary-General Chair: Eric Farnsworth, Vice-President, Council of the Americas • Setting the scene: Ana Novik, Head of Investment Division, OECD • Interventions by Lead Discussants: o Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade, Costa Rica o Daniel Legarda, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, Ecuador o Maria Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy, El Salvador o Francisco Alberto Lima, Secretary General of SIECA • Discussion amongst Delegations

The LAC region has a unique position to leverage its natural potential for jobs and firm creation in high value sectors, whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing resilience and enhancing biodiversity. Bioeconomy initiatives are already emerging in the region, contributing to economic productivity and seeking to establish a regenerative economy based on the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems services. While change is underway, economic opportunities and “green” job creation will not materialise equally everywhere. The involvement of local communities is key to achieving the best social, economic and environmentally sustainable outcomes. As a follow up to the Belem Amazonian Summit in August 2023, and with a view to UNFCCC COP30 in 2025, this session aims to discuss the potential of job and firm creation from nature-based solutions and the development of sustainable bioeconomy strategies. It will also look into possible risks and challenges of transitioning to a bioeconomy, if appropriate incentives and rules are not in place. Chair: Carlos Pérez, Vice-Minister of Strategic Management, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica • Setting the Scene: Ragnheidur Arnadottir, OECD Development Centre Director • Interventions by Lead Discussants: o Diana Argelia Laguna, Vice-Minister of Environment, Panama o Nancy Chauca, Vice-Minister of Strategic Development of Natural Resources, Peru o Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Global Coordinator of Green Jobs Programme, ILO • Discussion amongst Delegations

Close to a third of the LAC population reside in coasts, and three LAC countries, Chile, Brazil and Mexico are among the top 15 countries with largest maritime territories in the world. Central America and the Caribbean have a unique interdependence with the ocean economy: the oceanic territory (exclusive economic zones) of Central America is three times larger than its terrestrial area, and coastal tourism contributes approximately with 13.9% of GDP for the entire Caribbean, the highest share of any region in the world. Against this background, LAC countries are specially concerned by the adverse effects of climate change on the ocean and marine life, including the rise in ocean temperatures, sea level rise, overexploitation of fish and depletion of marine biodiversity, as well as coastal erosion and extreme weather events and related impacts on island and coastal communities. Likewise, the region is actively raising awareness on the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of pollutants (sewage and solid waste, plastics, toxic substances and nutrients leached from agricultural and industrial activities) into coastal and maritime ecosystems. In this context, and with the third UN Ocean Conference, to be held in 2025, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, this session aims to discuss¸ inter alia¸ governance challenges related to the region’s ocean economy, with a view to improve regulation, enhance financing mechanisms and international cooperation to harness the potential of the blue economy. Chair: Franz Tattenbach, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica • Setting the scene: Mathilde Mesnard, OECD Deputy Director for Environment • Interventions by Lead Discussants: o Pauline Antoine Prospere, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Saint Lucia o Kevin Sullivan, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Brazil Southern Cone and Andean Affairs o José Vicente Troya, UNDP Resident Representative in Costa Rica o Rodolfo Sabonge, Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States • Discussion amongst Delegations