Contact: Monica Echeverria-Cota (202) 473-1315
Funke Oyewole (202) 473-4486
WASHINGTON, June 4, 1998 —Following up on the heightened commitments to education made at the Summit of the Americas, World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn will welcome Latin American Finance and Education Ministers, as well as business leaders from the region, to a "Public-Private Sector Partnerships for Education in Latin America" conference tomorrow at the World Bank.
In his opening speech, President Wolfensohn will emphasize that education is everybody's business. Putting successful education programs in place takes broad societal commitment, including the key support and contributions of the private sector. To facilitate this support, the World Bank has invited 22 of the region's most influential business leaders, along with 27 Education and Finance Ministers, to tomorrow's conference.
The participants will discuss issues such as creating more effective education systems, finding innovative ways of financing education reform, strengthening Latin America's economic competitiveness through education reform, and addressing the political issues barring the progress of educational reform. Participants will also review successful public-private partnerships in education from the United States, Europe, and Latin America as models for developing potential strategies.
Sergio Foguel, Vice President of the Odebrecht Group in Brazil; Rodrigo Gutierrez, Chairman of the Fundacion Corona in Colombia; David Larson, Vice-President of Honeywell, Inc., of the U.S.; Alfonso Romo Garza, Chairman and CEO of the Pulsar Group of Mexico; and Dennis Lalor, Chairman of the Insurance Company of the West Indies, will be among the many corporate leaders sharing their success stories. U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, will also participate in the discussion.
Antonio Urdinola, Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Colombia, and Ruth Richardson, former Finance Minister, New Zealand, will be among those discussing how Ministries of Finance, as key stakeholders, can help affect reforms in the education sector. Thomas L. McLarty, Counselor to the U.S. President and Special Envoy for the Americas, will give the closing remarks of the conference.
The conference represents part of the World Bank's commitment to helping the countries of the Region implement the education reforms called for at the Summit of the Americas. According to Mr. Wolfensohn, "Quality education is not only a necessity, but the shared responsibility of public and private leaders. Without it, we will not reduce poverty, enhance economic growth or provide all children with the skills for the next century. In this shared endeavor, we have much to learn from one another and much to gain through dynamic partnerships." |
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