On Wednesday, 7 October, President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader Corona will lead the inauguration of the forty-first session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations regional commission’s most important biennial meeting, which will be held through Friday, 9 October, in Santiago de los Caballeros.

In the high-level seminar, ECLAC will present its analysis on how to manage the productive, social, and environmental transformations the region needs to thrive in the new worldwide geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape.

During the international meeting, which will include the participation of authorities from the 45 member States and 14 associate members of ECLAC, representatives from the Unites Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, as well as the private sector and academia, countries will have the opportunity to discuss economic, social, and environmental development in the region, learn about the Commission’s work during the previous period, and set priorities for the programme’s work during the coming years.

Along with President Luis Abinader, the meeting’s inauguration will include the participation of José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, and Gustavo Lembcke Hoyle, Ambassador of Peru in the Dominican Republic, in representation of the country serving as chair during the forty-first session of ECLAC. Prior to the inauguration, Vice President of the Dominican Republic Raquel Peña will meet with Ministers and Heads of delegations in attendance at the intergovernmental forum.

The UN regional organization’s chief representative will present to the region’s countries the position document titled Managing Transformations in an Era of Ruptures, which examines the “game-changing” shift in external conditions for development, with a view to understanding, anticipating, and successfully navigating the new global landscape. It also considers possible pathways for addressing developmental challenges—the “hows”—by introducing a new analytical framework on governance and institutions, centered on the paradigm of transformative capacities as a prerequisite for driving sustainable structural change.

On Thursday, 8 October, the Dialogue of Ministers and High-level Authorities, intended as a space for political reflection and strategic dialogue on the future of Latin America and the Caribbean, will include the presentation of the document Ruptures and opportunities: proposals for Latin America and the Caribbean to thrive in the new geopolitical era, prepared by the ECLAC Commission on Geopolitics, Globalization and Development for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the participation of various members of the Commission.

The programme also includes a high-level technical seminar to examine the position document in detail. The seminar is organized into three themed panels: i) a new stage of regional integration: what to do and how to move forward; ii) digital transformation, artificial intelligence and productive development; and iii) macroeconomics for development and sound and strong taxation.

The meeting with mark the beginning of the Dominican Republic’s term as chair of ECLAC, which will continue through the next session in 2028, and the end of Peru’s current period as chair since the 40th session held in Lima in 2024.

The meeting’s full programme, as well as general information, is available on the meeting’s special website: https://periododesesiones.cepal.org/41/en

IMPORTANT NOTE: representatives from the press who wish to personally attend the event must complete registration using the following form: https://acreditaciones.mirex.gob.do/external/pre-registration. For your request to be considered, you must select the category “PRENSA EXTERNA/EXTERNAL PRESS” in the corresponding box.

Completing the form is a necessary prerequisite to attend the meeting, but it does NOT guarantee access to the event. Local organizers may restrict entry if necessary, whether for reasons of capacity, security, or other grounds that may arise at the time. In advance, we appreciate your understanding and respect of these conditions.

What: Forty-first session of ECLAC.

When: Wednesday, October 7 through Friday, October 9, 2026.

Who:

Authorities from member States and associate members of ECLAC and representatives from the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations.

Official inauguration, Wednesday, 7 October, 2:30 PM local time (UTC/GMT -4):

•  Luis Abinader Corona, President of the República Dominicana.

•  José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC.

•  Gustavo Lembcke Hoyle, Ambassador of Peru in the Dominican Republic.

Where: Centro de Convenciones y Cultura Dominicana UTESA (Avenida Las Carreras and Avenida Francia) Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

Virtual connection is also available via various platforms:

• ECLAC website https://www.cepal.org/en
• Website https://live.cepal.org/
• Official account on X @eclac_un (https://x.com/eclac_un)
• Official Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/eclac