XI Annual Regional Conference on Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic
Punta Cana (Dominican Republic)
July 26-27, 2012
Punta Cana (Dominican Republic)
July 26-27, 2012
Domestic activity in most countries of the region has been relatively strong despite the slow U.S. economic recovery and negative external shocks but vulnerabilities remain.
The eleventh annual conference will discuss the appropriate stance of macroeconomic and financial policies and the optimal pace at which countries should rebuild their macroeconomic and financial buffers to increase its capacity to respond to adverse economic shocks. It will also discuss the role of structural reforms in boosting economic growth in the region.
In addition the conference will analyze the short and medium-term outlook for the global economy growth, with special emphasis on the possible effects on the region of developments in the U.S. and Europe.
| XI Annual Regional Conference on Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic Tentative Schedule |
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| 12:30–2:30 p.m. | Informal Lunch (Los Gallos Restaurant) |
| 2:30–3:00 p.m. | Opening Remarks:
Inauguration Opening Remarks Héctor Manuel Valdez Albizu, Governor, Central Bank of the Dominican Republic Min Zhu, Deputy Managing Director, IMF |
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Closed session begins, by invitation only—media withdraws. |
| 3:00–4:15 p.m. | Session I: The Global Financial Landscape Global financial stability remains fragile. This session will discuss global financial stability risks, including the immediate challenges facing the euro area and latent risks in the United States and emerging economies. The discussion will include an analysis of recent measures and policy recommendations on how to mitigate those risks. Speaker: José Viñals, Financial Counsellor and Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF Moderator: Nicolás Eyzaguirre, Director, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF |
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Questions and Discussion |
| 4:15–4:45 p.m. | Coffee Break |
| 4:45–6:15 p.m. | Session II: Global Economic Outlook: Implications for CAPDR Global growth will continue to be moderate and faces risks that are tilted to the downside. The session will discuss the outlook and risks faced by the world economy and the implications for CAPDR. Speaker: Nicolás Eyzaguirre, Director, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF Moderator: José Viñals, Financial Counsellor and Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF |
Questions and Discussion |
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| 8:00–10:00 p.m. | Dinner Introduction: Héctor Manuel Valdez Albizu, Governor, Central Bank of the Dominican Republic Keynote speaker: Min Zhu, Deputy Managing Director, IMF Topic: [to be determined] |
| Friday, July 27, 2012 | |
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| 9:00–10:15 a.m. | Session III: The Macroeconomic Defenses in CAPDR: 4 years after the crisis The session will take stock of progress in the task of rebuilding the macroeconomic buffers used during the global crisis of 2008-09. The discussion will assess progress in rebuilding external, financial and fiscal buffers and the region preparedness to mitigate future adverse shocks. Speaker: Miguel Savastano, Deputy Director, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF Moderator: Maria Antonieta de Bonilla, Manager of Banco Reformador, Former President of the Central Bank of Guatemala, and Former Minister of Finance of Guatemala |
Questions and Discussion |
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| 10:15–10:45 a.m. | Coffee Break |
| 10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Session IV: Outward Orientation and Macroeconomic Performance in CAPDR CAPDR needs to create the conditions to raise and sustain economic growth. The session will assess the role that external trade may play in helping the region reduce the income gap with advanced economies. Particular attention will be paid to deepening regional integration and increasing the global export potential as vehicles to enable growth. Speaker: Marco Piñón, Central American Division Chief, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF Moderator: Arturo Cruz, Full Professor INCAE Business School, member of the Regional Advisory Group of the Western Hemisphere Department of the IMF, Former Ambassador of Nicaragua to the U.S. |
Questions and Discussion |
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12:00 noon– 12:30 p.m. |
Closing Remarks: Rodrigo Bolaños Zamora, President, Central American Monetary Council and President of the Central Bank of Costa Rica Nicolás Eyzaguirre, Director, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF |
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12:30–1:00 p.m. |
Press Conference (Convention Center) |
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12:30–2:30 p.m. |
Informal Lunch (Free) |
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7:30 p.m.–12:00 mid night |
Closing Dinner (Convention Center) |