The Annual CAF Conference will center on security in the Americas

For the region's citizens, crime is a primary concern in daily life. The rise in crime rates, drug trafficking, violence against women, and the presence of gangs in neighborhoods have all contributed to a heightened sense of insecurity across our hemisphere.

Various forms of organized crime, including drug trafficking, illegal migrant smuggling, arms trafficking, and illegal mining, have proliferated in the region alongside criminal gangs that have used violence to assert control over neighborhoods.

In response to these challenges, theAnnual CAF Conference, in collaboration with the Inter-American Dialogue and the Organization of American States(OAS), will propose new solutionsto combat this pervasive issue, which undermines the life aspirations of millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean and hampers human development and economic growth in the region.

During the announcement of the Annual CAF Conference, Sergio Díaz-Granados remarked, "The spirit of using multilateralism and international organizations to face the challenges that the region has is one of the most important purposes of the conference. This joint effortswillhelp us to maintain a good levelof dialogue to overcome the 2030 Agenda inLatin America and the Caribbean".

"The topics that the conference has been addressing in its various editions are directly linked to the four pillars of ourorganization: promotion and strengthening of democracy, access to human rights and equity, multidimensional securityand comprehensive development. For us, this conference is essential to develop ajoint agenda with the different cooperation bodies", added Luis Almagro, OAS Secretary General.

Rebecca Bill-Chavez, President & CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue, stated that "The need to address crime and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean is urgent and undeniable. Reducing citizen insecurity will significantly increase economic development, help address one of the root causes of the hemisphere-wide migration crisis, and strengthen democratic governance - if the policies are consistent with the rule of law and human rights".

Organized since 1997 by CAF(the Development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean), the Inter-American Dialogue, and the Organization of American States, the Annual CAF Conference stands as a key hemispheric forum for discussing and analyzing major political, economic, and social trends in Latin America and the Caribbean.