CEIB-CEOE promotes employment and local development in Latin America through the OECD Forum

 

The Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB) and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) reaffirmed their commitment to local socioeconomic development and the improvement of employability in Latin America during the recent forum of the OECD in Barranquilla.

 

Married Narcissus, Director of Relations with Ibero-America of CEOE and Permanent Secretary of CEIB, participated in a high-level panel alongside prominent international figures such as Brandon P. Yoder from Tent Partnership for Refugees, Sonya Anderson from United Way Worldwide, María Lorena Gutiérrez Botero from the Aval Group and Cesar Vence from the US-Colombia Business Council. The debate focused on the urgent need to move from dialogue to concrete action.

 

Casado emphasized that initiatives should not remain merely on paper, but require continuity, monitoring, and measurable results. He underscored the crucial role of business organizations, not only at the national but also at the local level, in this process. "This isn't just about philanthropy; we're also talking about business, sustainability, and the future," Casado stated, quoting the president of CEOE and CEIB, Antonio Garamendi: "Businesses are not the problem, but an essential part of the solution."

 

Narrative, Pedagogy and Commitment: Pillars of Progress

 

During his remarks, Casado emphasized the importance of building a well-informed narrative that allows for a thorough understanding of the situation and context of each territory. Public-private collaboration, especially at the local level, with the active participation of business organizations, governments, civil society, universities, and educational institutions, is essential to this end.

 

He also stressed the need for ongoing educational work by business organizations to address key issues such as freedom, democracy, multilateralism, regional integration, intraregional trade, business defense, strategic alliances, social dialogue, legal and social security, competitiveness, elimination of barriers, administrative simplification, infrastructure, innovation, digitalization, and sustainability.

 

“All this work will not be possible without a genuine spirit of commitment. People must be at the heart of decisions and the work agenda,” Casado affirmed, highlighting the connection between local development and infrastructure, especially that related to education, training, mobility, and talent retention. In Latin America, there is a shared mandate to promote integration and inclusion, which can only be achieved by prioritizing people.

 

To implement these initiatives at the local level, the existence of strong networks, such as those built by business organizations, is essential. These networks allow for close collaboration with local public structures, promoting development, facilitating investment, and directly benefiting communities.

 

Casado shared concrete examples of this collaboration in Latin America. In Brazil, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Federation of Industries of Rio Grande do Norte (FIERN) launched workshops in November 2024 to regionalize the Strategic Industry Map 2023-2032. In ChileIn January 2024, the CPC launched the Territorial Council of the Coquimbo Region, in collaboration with INACAP, to align technical-professional education with local productive demand. ColombiaThe 'Resilient Youth Urabá' program (2024–2025) of ANDI, USAID and local organizations, trains 150 vulnerable youth in technical areas and psychosocial skills.

 

All this work is reinforced by the strong network of networks, through CEIB and its 25 business organizations, cooperation with the International Organization of Employers (GOOSE) and the close relationship with other Ibero-American institutions such as SEGIB, FIJE, IDB, CAF or BCIE.

 

Employability: The Best Infrastructure for Social Inclusion

 

The topic of employability was a priority on the panel. Casado recalled that at the Ibero-American Tourism Forum in Santa Marta, young entrepreneurs highlighted Ibero-America's potential to lead its own talent development models through partnerships, investment, and autonomy.

 

The goal is not only to generate more employment opportunities, but also to create higher-quality jobs. "Young people demanded policies and politicians who listen more and regulate better, insisted that employability also involves emotional well-being and a sense of purpose, and stressed the need for intersectoral cooperation to become a stable and permanent public policy," Casado emphasized.

 

This meeting made it clear that employability is, without a doubt, the best infrastructure and tool for social inclusion. Therefore, during the Cuenca Summit, Ecuador, the presidents of the business organizations of the 22 Ibero-American countries adopted the Ibero-American Commitment to Employability, seeking to follow up and provide solutions to this shared challenge.

 

Strategic Meetings and Future Commitments

 

During his stay in Barranquilla, Narciso Casado also held an important working meeting with representatives of the OECD. The meeting addressed the need for practical cooperation, the identification of common objectives, the strengthening of the OECD's presence in Latin America, and collaboration in the various activities that CEIB and other institutions carry out in the region. Special attention was paid to the topic of MIPYMES, a strategic area for both institutions. Casado took the opportunity to invite OECD representatives to the VII Ibero-American MSME Forum, which will be held on November 27 and 28 in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

 

Finally, within the framework of this Forum, the CEOE representative held meetings with ANDI and with institutions involved in the organization of the IV EU-CELAC Summit, which will take place in November in Santa Marta, to coordinate the participation of the Ibero-American and European business sectors in the event.