On November 11 and 12, the fourth version of the International Seminar organized by the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Chile took place. On this occasion, people from Latin America participated virtually, and in two days, in an enthusiastic discussion in which they analyzed the links between the 2030 Agenda, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic derived from environmental devastation, and its impact on the progress of societies.

With more than 1,400 people connected, the audience participated remotely by asking questions and interacting through those who moderated the day’s session.

Jorge Bermúdez, the Comptroller General of the Republic of Chile, opened the conversation on both days, introducing the topics. As such, the first day was about the environmental sphere of development and the analysis of what caused the crisis, from the environmental point of view. The panel –moderated by Loreto Valenzuela, head of the Department of Public Works, Environment and Business of the CGR– included the associate researcher of the U. Austral de Chile, Carlos Valdovinos; the officer of the Governance for Conservation Program of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, María Moreno; and the head of the Colombian Project Office of the United Nations Environment Program, Juan Bello. The discussion was moderated by the head of the Department of Public Works, Environment and state-owned enterprises of the Office of the Comptroller, Loreto Valenzuela.

On the second day, the discussion was focused on the impact that COVID-19 has had on society’s progress. The panel was attended by the director of the ECLAC Social Development Division, Simone Cecchini; the executive director of Fundación Colunga, Arturo Celedón; and the Latin American and Caribbean regional coordinator of Equal Measures 2030, Cecilia García Ruiz. The discussion was moderated by the head of the Office of the Comptroller’s International Relations and Cooperation Unit, Osvaldo Rudloff.

The panel’s conversation revolved around the setbacks that the crisis invoked by COVID-19 has implied in Latin America and the Caribbean, noting that the 2030 Agenda has not achieved the desired implementation in the 5 years that it has been in place, but that, despite this, it is important to redouble efforts to comply with it and do so with a focus on people’s rights to leave no one behind.

Below, you can access the events page and see the recordings of the two days:

IV International Seminar on Sustainable Development Goals, Audit and Strong Institutions

Day 1: Causes of COVID-19 derived from environmental devastation, Wednesday, November 11:

Day 2: Impact of COVID-19 on the development of our societies. Thursday, November 12: