AS/COA hosted its second annual Latin American Cities Conference in Lima, focusing on Peru's investment climate, energy and mining policy outlook, trade policy and prospects, and APEC Peru 2008. 

At a COA conference, USAID's Assistant Adminstrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Paul Bonicelli discussed the opportunities and challenges for democracy in the region, saying, "democratic development is a non-linear, highly context-dependent endeavor."

Veinte años después de que el movimiento de privatización de pensiones barriera América Latina, los reformistas están tratando de volver a ganar el respaldo de un público desilusionado. Shannon O’Neil, Asociada de Estudios Latinoamericanos del Consejo de Relaciones Exteriores en Nueva York, ofrece soluciónes.

After nearly three decades off the air, Sesame Street returns to Brazilian television to boost basic education. In a new issue of AS/COA's Viewpoints Americas, Executive Vice President of International Projects at Sesame Workshop Daniel Victor writes about early education and national development. 

Speakers at our fourth annual Latin American Cities Conference in Chile noted the country's continued high rates of investment, growth, and employment. However, they warned that sustained growth depends on social integration and improvements in education and information technology.

Jeffrey Puryear, Vice President for Social Policy at the Inter-American Dialogue, and Laura Moodey, Director for Education Policy at Fundacion IDEA, emphasize the link between accountability and improving the region’s education quality. Accountability hinges on promoting standards, information, consequences, and authority.

Alberto Saracho Martinez, executive director of Fundación IDEA, uses the new Institutional Quality Index to show that economic growth and citizen well-being hinge on respect for basic freedoms. IDEA is one of 18 Latin American think tanks that came together to develop and recently launch the index.