Regional Policy Dialogue

1. Regional Policy Dialogue Integration and Regional Programs Department Regional Technical Cooperation Division

2. General Objective of the Dialogue • The Board of Directors established that the general objective of the Regional Policy Dialogue is to create a space for the Latin American and Caribbean countries to share experiences, get acquainted with practices outside the region and explore areas of regional cooperation in subjects that are critical for their participation in an economy in process of globalization.

3. Specific Objectives of the Dialogue • To promote the exchange of experiences in the design and execution of policies and best practices between the Bank’s borrowing member countries. • To support regional integration processes. • To facilitate cooperation between the Bank’s borrowing countries. • To give direction to the Bank’s regional technical cooperation. • To provide synergies between the Network’s activities and the Bank’s operations. • To contribute in obtaining greater depth of dialogue between the Bank and the borrowing countries.

4. Dialogue Networks • Central Banks and Finance Ministries • Trade and Integration • Natural Disasters • Education and Training of Human Resources • Management and Transparency of Public Policy • Environment • Poverty and Social Protection Networks • Innovation, Science and Technology

5. Network Members • They are Deputy Ministers, Sub-secretaries, Directors or Managers with responsibility in the design and implementation of policies and programs. • They are selected with the purpose of achieving a high degree of professional coherence. • Giving continuity to the networks. Thus, membership is not transferable. • The Dialogue does not finance the cost of members’ travel to and participation in the meetings.

6. Meetings • The networks hold an annual hemispheric meeting at the Bank’s premises, for 1 or 2 days, according to the needs of the agenda. • The networks can hold sub-regional meetings, by initiative of the member countries. For these meetings, the Bank provides all logistical, administrative and technical support. • Experts and panel members may be invited to the meetings to help nourish the dialogue. • Also Bank’s specialists may be invited. • The meetings are intended for dialogue and not for negotiation or taking decisions that may affect the countries.

7. Quorum • The minimum quorum for network meetings is 10 members. • For quorum calculation, the assistance of non member persons is not added up. Membership is not transferable. • If quorum is not attained in two consecutive meetings, the Bank understands that countries are not giving priority enough to the Network and may proceed to bring it to an end.

8. Structure • Members elect a President to chair the meetings during one consecutive year and coordinate agendas and tasks with the Bank and Network members. • Additionally, they select one or two vice-presidents of sub-regions other than that of the President’s, in order to collaborate in their sub-region country coordination. • Each Network has one Bank Specialist that acts as Technical Coordinator, supports the President and Vice-presidents in their tasks and works close together with the Dialogue’s General Coordination.

9. Studies The Dialogue may finance some studies and presentations for the networks, of the following types: • Global and informative studies. • Case comparative studies that analyze different experiences in the region, their results, achievements and drawbacks. • Studies of good practices and state of the art inside and outside the region. • Studies that identify opportunities for cooperation between countries.

10. Achievements of the Dialogue and the Networks “ Gathered evidence points out that government delegates of the countries that have participated at RPD meetings consider that the networks are a very relevant instrument towards improving policy decisions in their countries. According to them, RPD networks allow best practices dissemination, dialogue between government officials and opportunities for cooperation. Still more important, DRP network meetings allow government officials have an open dialogue that may contribute to the Bank’s awareness of problems faced by the countries in seven important areas for development and thus design better products” (OVE).

11. Achievements of the Dialogue and the Networks • To date, a total of 53 hemispheric meetings have taken place, congregating 600 vice-ministers or similar rank officials. • These meetings have been evaluated by the members with averages of 4.6 over 5 on dialogue quality, 4.3 for presentations, 4.0 for applicability of the studies and 4.7 for organization. • The countries evaluate 4.4 the networks as instruments for good practices dissemination and 4.1 as a way to convey information addressed to the design and implementation of better public policies. • 67% of those attending the meetings consider that the information gathered through the networks is useful for project design and implementation. ·

12. Challenges • Attendance to Meetings • Continuity of country representative officials • Maintaining network activity between meetings