South Centre’s Visit to Argentina
As part of the South Centre trip to South America, the Centre went to Argentina and held a workshop. They also visited Argentina’s Foreign Minister, among other visits to several institutions and government departments in Argentina.
Workshop: Argentina and Latin America: The Agenda for Development and Integration – South-South Relations
The South Centre workshop with partners Centro de Economía y Finanzas para el Desarrollo de la Argentina (Economic and Financial Center for Development of Argentina, CEFID-Ar), Centro de Investigación y Gestión de la Economía Solidaria—Centro de Estudios Económicos y Monitoreo de las Políticas Públicas (Center for Research and Management of a Solidarity-based Economy— Center for Economic Studies and Monitoring of Public Policies, CIGES-CEMoP), and Comisión Nacional de Valores de la Argentina (National Securities Commission of Argentina, CNV), was held on 14 and 15 August 2013 at the National Bank of Argentina. The session was opened by Mr. Guillermo Wierzba (CEFID-Ar), Mr. Alejandro Vanoli (CNV), Mr. Martin Khor and Mr. Jorge Marchini (CIGES-CEMoP).
In his opening remarks, then Minister of Economy, Mr. Hernán Lorenzino, pointed out that the global economic crisis has undermined the Northern paradigm for the international economic system. He saw the crisis as an opportunity for a new framework which allowed a greater capacity to participate by all countries economically and in setting its rules. He also saw an opportunity for greater coordination of economic policies among developing countries.
Session I focused on the Global economic shifts and new economic blocks with a keynote speech on “The Global Economic Scenario” made by Dr. Yilmaz Akyuz, followed by “International crisis and new approaches in the regulation for emerging economies” by Mr. Alejandro Vanoli, Economist and President of CNV; “International Normative Framework for Investments: Treaties, Negotiations and Conflicts” by Prof. Carlos Correa, Lawyer, Director of Post-Graduate courses on Intellectual Property, Faculty of Law and the Social Sciences, University of Buenos Aires and Special Advisor on Trade and Intellectual Property at the South Centre; and “The role of the State: International pressures on the Asian model of growth” by Dr. Manuel Montes.
Session II entitled The Countries of the South: Challenges and opportunities in a period of transformations had the following panelists: “Challenges for Latin America in an era of fiscal austerity” by Mr. Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR); “Latin America: Alternative approaches on unity and economic integration” by Mr. Guillermo Wierzba, Director of CEFID-AR; “Negotiations and alternatives to overcome the debt crises” by Ms. Yuefen Li; and “Free trade treaties and development: Legal and political implications for Latin American integration” by Ms. Stella Maris Biocca, Director for the Doctorate programme on International Law, University of Morón.
In session III entitled New international financial conditions and capital movements, Ms. Mercedes Marcó del Pont, President of the Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina (BCRA), in her presentation “Setting competitive exchange rates and the management of reserves to support development,” reviewed the recent growth record of the Argentinian economy and Central Bank policies to expand investment in the real economy. Using graphs and an extemporaneous speech, she stressed that recent growth cannot be associated alone with high international commodity prices and that there is a need to recognize the role of domestic demand and increasing incomes in Argentina’s recovery from the period of neoliberal policies. Following her presentation, Mr. Martin Khor discussed “The world economy and strategies for development and stability of the countries of the south”, highlighting the need for developing countries to expand their policy space and use a greater variety of tools in achieving stable growth and employment expansion.
Session IV held the next day, entitled The new challenges for the Argentinian Economic Policy after a successful decade, had the following presentations: “Is a new agenda for development and integration necessary?” by Mr. Axel Kicillof, then Vice-Minister and current Minister of Economy and Public Finance of the Republic of Argentina; “Latin America: Macroeconomic policy—The experiences of Latin American countries in facing the global crisis” by Mr. Héctor Valle, Director Titular of Treasury Petroleum Fields (YPF) and President of the Fundación de Investigaciónes para el Desarrollo (Research Foundation for Development, FIDE); “From the Washington Consensus to the Commodities Consensus” by Dr. Humberto Campodónico, Professor, Faculty of Economics, University of San Marcos and former President of Petroperú; “The return to the debate on economic and social models in Argentina and Latin America” by Mr. Jorge Marchini, Vice-Director of CIGES-CEMoP; and “The strategic character of Argentine-Brazilian relations” by Mr. Aldo Ferrer, Member of the National Academy of Economic Sciences (Academia Nacional de Ciencias Económicas), former Minister of Economy and Finance, former Ambassador to France, founder of the “Plan Fénix” at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires. Mr. Ferrer’s long career also includes his participation in the South Commission (1987-1990), which produced the report “The Challenge to the South” in 1990 leading to the establishment of the South Centre.
