PANAMA, THE VENUE FOR THE DISCUSSION ON THE FUTURE OF ENERGY

             The Private Sector of the Americas (SPA) believes energy is a crucial issue for development in the continent. Accordingly, the “IV OAS Private Sector Forum” was organized and held in the City of Panama, Republic of Panama, between May 31 and June 2, 2007, guided by the theme “Energy for Development in the Americas: The Role of the Public-Private Alliances”.

             The forum was held within the framework of the XXXVII Ordinary Sessions of OAS General Assembly, and gathered the highest official authorities and leaders from the private sector. The event was a unique opportunity to raise awareness about the development of sustainable plans and the implementation of measures to promote an increased used of clean, renewable, and commercially viable conventional energy sources (such as aeolian, geothermal, fuel, hydroelectric, and solar energy)”.

           "As I have stated in other Forums, the idea is to promote a synergy between the private and the public sectors, but also to find areas where we can reach an agreement with the business executives from the region with a view to moving ahead toward integration. We want the recommendations we may ultimately agree in this forum to serve not only as theoretical expression. Instead, we want them to be applicable, so that the accomplishments of our goals can be somewhat measured", asserted Ernesto Gutiérrez, president of the Private Sector of the Americas.

             The topics discussed in the Forum included the following: “Toward a New Energy Order in the Americas: Energy Sources Diversification and Preservation, Energy Integration and Cooperation;” “Toward the Future in Sustainable Electricity: Biofuels as an Alternative for the Transportation Sector;” “Energy and Competitiveness in the Americas: Energy Development and Outlooks for Investment in Latin America”.

             “This Forum is the ideal scenario to engage in the creation of public policies that seek to achieve enhanced energy efficiency, together with actions that pursue an increased economic growth, while also caring for the environment,” stressed Enrique de Obarrio, vice-president of the Private Sector of the Americas, and president of the Organizing Committee.

            Prominent experts, business leaders, and public authorities, including the presidents of the Republic of Panama and the Republic of Colombia, Martín Torrijos and Álvaro Uribe Vélez, respectively, have participated as lecturers in this IV Private Sector Forum. This has helped us think of ideas, proposals, and initiatives efficiently and concertedly, which are to be subsequently presented to the governments. 

             Among the leading dignitaries who participated in the Forum are José Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General; Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank; Enrique Iglesias, Secretary General for the Ibero-American Secretariat; Susan Segal, President and CEO of the Council for the Americas; Enrique García, President of the Andean Promotion Corporation (CAF, from the Spanish: Corporación Andina de Fomento); Ambassador Albert Ramdin, OAS Assistant Secretary General, and Ernesto Gutiérrez, President of the Private Sector of the Americas.

              Furthermore, the Forum was also featured by the presence of very important business leaders. They include José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo, president and CEO of Petrobras, Brazil; Paul Hanrahan, CEO of AES Corp., United States of America; Alejandro Macfarlane, president of EDENOR, Argentina; Robert Riley, President and CEO of BP-Trinidad and Tobago; Alejandro Bulgheroni, President of Pan American Energy, Argentina; Luis Manuel Kolster, Director of Public Policy for General Motors Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East; Rafael Jaen Williamson, Regional Manager for Public Policy and Governmental Affairs from Chevron Latin America; and Stanley Motta, President of Copa Airlines, Panama.

             As representatives of the Panamanian Government, the event was honored by the participation of Samuel Lewis Navarro, First Vice-President of the Republic of Panama and Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Alejandro Ferrer, Minister of Commerce, and Industry.

            Among the initiatives presented in the Forum, reference can be made to those submitted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Canadian Bioenergy Association; Hidroeléctrica Papeles Elaborados from Guatemala; the Regional Electric Transmission System for Central America (SIEPAC, from the Spanish: Sistema de Transmisión Eléctrica Regional América Central), Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. (ISA) from Colombia, The Mexican Federal Electricity Commission, the Association of Sugar Cane Producers from El Salvador, Econergy, Mexico; and the Argentine Bioenergy and Hydrogen Association (Asociación de Bioenergía e Hidrógeno de Argentina).