SELA Webinar to address Latin America and Caribbean challenges and response to COVID-19

The Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), in collaboration with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), will hold the virtual seminar on the "Latin America and the Caribbean’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lessons learned, challenges to face" on 12 February 2021.

At this event, four specialists from multilateral organizations will discuss the actions, practices and policies of governments in different areas with the aim of initiating an exchange of ideas on best practices in the face of future crises.

One year after the start of the pandemic, it is necessary to evaluate the results and consider long-term policies. That is why the OECD, PAHO and SELA have considered it important to conduct an online seminar that can serve as a starting point for what was done, what was no longer done and what needs to be improved.

The Seminar will also address today's focus issue: vaccines. How the countries of the region have considered immunization for all their inhabitants. Post-pandemic recovery depends on governments' ability to revive their economies while addressing the public health crisis, which means vaccines are accessible.

The panel is made up of Dr. Cuauhtémoc Ruiz Matus, Chief of the Comprehensive Family Immunization Unit of PAHO; economist Sebastian Nieto, Head of the Latin American and Caribbean Unit at the OECD Development Centre, and Ambassador Oscar Hernández, Director of Relations for Integration and Cooperation of SELA.

The event will be attended by the Permanent Secretary of SELA, Ambassador Javier Paulinich, and moderated by José Antonio Ardavín, Head of the Division for Latin America and the Caribbean at the OECD Global Relations Secretariat.