Please join CSIS’ Future of Venezuela Initiative and Smart Women, Smart Power Intiative for a discussion on how girls and women have been disproportionately affected by the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and what is being done to address gender-specific issues. The severe humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has had significant impacts on the female population both inside and outside the country. This event will address the impact the humanitarian crisis is having both on women who remain in Venezuela and who have fled, the importance of including women in politics, and the importance of incorporating women into decision-making positions to shape the future of Venezuela. Following keynote remarks via video by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, a panel of experts will discuss the humanitarian impact of the crisis on women, girls, and other vulnerable populations. A second panel will later discuss the positive implications of including women in political decision-making roles. This event will feature members of the Venezuelan National Assembly, U.S. government representatives, academics, U.S. and local NGOs, representatives from the Organization of the American States, among others. 9:30 am – Welcome remarks 9:32 am – Video Keynote Remarks by Henrietta Fore 9:45 am – Panel #1– Humanitarian Impact on Women, Girls, and other Vulnerable Populations 10:30 am – Moderated Audience Q&A 10:45 am – Coffee Break 11:00 am – Panel #2 – Positive Implications of Including Women in Political Roles 11:45 am – Moderated Audience Q&A                                           12:00 pm – Event Ends   This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Please join the CSIS Future of Venezuela Initiative for a discussion on the international community’s response to Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and why international aid is crucial for Venezuela and Venezuelans. Compared to other countries in crisis such as Syria, South Sudan, and Myanmar, Venezuela receives significantly less humanitarian aid from the international community. Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis is yet to be a significant donor priority, despite levels of displacement that rival Syria's (currently more than 15 percent of Venezuela’s entire population), and disease and hunger levels comparable to those found in sub-Saharan Africa.   Following the keynote, a panel of CSIS experts will discuss the importance of humanitarian assistance from multiple angles, including the mitigation of destabilizing factors in the region, addressing increasing flows of refugees and forced migrants to other countries, the health implications of this ongoing crisis on the population, and the steps the international community can take to assist Venezuela. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.

The CSIS Scholl Chair is honored to be hosting Mr. Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Trade, on his first official visit to Washington, DC in his new role. In her Mission Letter to him, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tasked Mr. Hogan with creating a level playing field for all, strengthening Europe's global trade leadership, building sustainable trade in light of climate change, and making trade more transparent. Join the Scholl Chair as we discuss with Mr. Hogan this mandate, refreshing the Transatlantic trading relationship with the new European Commission, and looking to 2020 and beyond in the world of trade. Commissioner for Trade since December 2019, Mr. Hogan of Ireland was previously European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2014-2019. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Please join the CSIS Americas Program on Monday, December 2 at 3:00pm for a public panel on Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) first year in office. During his first year in office AMLO has enjoyed a record-high approval rating. However, the past year has seen rising levels of violence, and AMLO has clashed with the Trump administration on issues such as trade and immigration. The panel discussion will feature U.S. and Mexico-based experts who will discuss the challenges and successes of the AMLO administration’s first year, specifically with regards to security, the economy, and the fight against corruption. The panel will also assess what domestic and international issues the administration is likely to prioritize over the next five years in office. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.

With the fourth industrial revolution set to disrupt labor markets, global stability is contingent on developing countries' ability to transform their economies and create jobs to meet the economic aspirations of their people. Argentina, during its presidency of the G20 in 2018, has made the future of work one of the main priorities throughout the year and created a T20 Task Force to develop recommendations on the future of work and education for the digital age. Join us for a discussion on the future of work in Argentina with the Argentine Minister for Labor and Production Dante Sica. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.

Please join CSIS’ Future of Venezuela Initiative for a discussion on how the presence of illegal armed groups affects the transition process in Venezuela, and what the United States, the international community, and other pertinent actors within Latin America can do to mitigate the effect of these groups.   The presence of armed groups in Venezuela significantly affects how policymakers consider addressing the Venezuelan political and humanitarian crisis. The Maduro regime seeks to benefit from Venezuela's status as a hub for transnational crime and illicit activities, causing policymakers to doubt what the best approach to address the crisis would be. Illegal armed groups finding haven in Venezuela not only adds new threats to Venezuela’s internal security, but also threatens Colombia’s security and the region writ-large. Illegal armed groups in Venezuela include the National Liberation Army (ELN), remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), colectivos, garimpeiros, and other residual organized armed groups (GAO) and criminal gangs.   The event will feature keynote remarks from Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace, Miguel Ceballos, and from Paul Ahern, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department. The remarks will be followed by a panel with former National Security Advisers to the White House and the former Vice President of Panama, and will be moderated by CSIS’ Moises Rendon. This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.

As the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, a debate has risen among policymakers as to whether or not sanctions may be worsening conditions for Venezuelan citizens.  While the United States, the Lima Group, the European Union, and other like-minded nations continue to increase pressure on the regime of Nicolás Maduro with diplomatic measures such as challenging his government’s legitimacy, the question remains as to whether sanctions are an effective measure for changing the behavior of the Venezuelan regime and pushing Maduro to step down. Despite external support by Russia, Cuba, China, and a few other countries, Maduro is more alienated on the world stage than ever before. However, stiff sanctions and diplomatic isolation have not yet convinced Maduro to negotiate his exit, as his regime has proven to be resilient and adaptable .  The expert panel will assess the efficacy of sanctions, including what is and is not working, as well as implications for U.S. foreign policy, the energy sector, and the impact on Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and its struggle for democracy.    Keynote presentation: Carrie Filipetti, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cuba and Venezuela, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State Panel Discussion Featuring: Eric B. Lorber, Director, Financial Integrity Network Elizabeth Rosenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program, Center for a New American Security David Smolansky, Coordinator of the OAS Working Group on Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees; Former Mayor of El Hatillo, Venezuela Francisco J. Monaldi, Fellow, Latin American Energy Policy, Rice University Moderated by: Moises Rendon, Director, The Future of Venezuela Initiative; Fellow, CSIS Americas Program This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.

Conference Agenda: 8:30 AM - Coffee and Guest Arrivals 9:00 AM - Event Begins 9:02 AM – Welcome remarks 9:05 AM - Keynote Remarks by USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick 9:15 AM - Introductory Remarks by Juan Andres Mejia, President, Plan País Committee; Deputy, National Assembly of Venezuela 9:20 AM – Expert presentation by Jose Maria de Viana, Technical Coordinator for Public Services, Plan País 9:40 AM - Panel #1: Diagnostic of Water Crisis 11:00 AM - Coffee Break 11:10 AM – Expert presentation by Norberto Bausson, Water and Sanitation Coordinator, Plan Pais; Former Vice President of Operations, Hidrocapital Venezuela 11:25 AM - Panel #2: Solutions and Action Plans 12:30 PM - Networking Lunch with remarks by Venezuela’s National Assembly Deputy 2:00 PM - Conclusion Please join CSIS Americas and Future of Venezuela Initiative in collaboration with Plan País for a conference on the water crisis in Venezuela affecting citizen access to drinking water, farmer’s access to irrigated land, and the water management system of the country. Venezuela’s water system is currently facing a number of critical issues and a clear path forward is needed to address the country’s water crisis in the short term and to identify a roadmap for longer term structural reforms addressing all aspects of the national water management system.    The purpose of this conference is to analyze the current threats endangering the nation’s watersheds, the capacity of the water management system to protect the nation’s water resources, and the conditions of multiple entities responsible for assuring access to safe and clean water throughout the country.    Keynote remarks will be provided by Bonnie Glick, Deputy Administrator for USAID. The first panel will cover the diagnostics of the water crisis in Venezuela. The second panel will cover solutions and action plans to help the country rebuild its water management system. Panelists will include Venezuela-based Plan País experts, as well as experts on water management systems from U.S.-based institutions. This event will take place in both English and Spanish. Simultaneous translation will be available. This event is made possible in partnership with Plan País, an initiative of the Venezuelan National Assembly and the Guaidó Administration.  

Please join the CSIS China Power Project and the Americas Program on Thursday, September 26 at 10:00 am for a discussion of the evolving role of Taiwan in promoting growth and development in Latin America and the Caribbean.  The event will feature a keynote presentation by Timothy Hsiang, Secretary General of Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), followed by a panel discussion focused on how coordinated efforts of Taiwan, the United States, multilateral development banks, and like-minded partners can contribute to addressing more effectively some of the serious development challenges faced by countries in the Western Hemisphere, including critical infrastructure needs, applications of technology and AI, as well as serious security and governance issues.  Taiwan’s strong commitment to principles of democracy and free market economics helps to underline the important role that Taiwan plays in development assistance efforts in the Western Hemisphere.   Keynote Remarks by: Timothy Hsiang, Secretary General of the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF)   Introductory Remarks by: Stanley Kao, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), and Kevin O’Reilly, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.   Panel Discussion featuring:   Kristie Pellecchia, Senior Advisor for the Western Hemisphere at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Bernardo Rico, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, United States Agency for International Development Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, Director-General, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan Chiew Chang, Representative, New York Representative Office, Central Bank of Taiwan Scott MacDonald, CSIS Americas Senior Associate; expert on relations between Asia and Latin America This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.

Please join CSIS Americas and the American University Center for Latin American and Latino Studies for a public discussion about the lessons learned from CICIG in Guatemala and MACCIH in Honduras. Experts will analyze the successes and pitfalls of the CICIG and MACCIH programs in pursuit of the most effective way for the international community to support efforts to enhance institutional capacity to combat corruption, crime and impunity in the region and beyond.  During the event, Dr. Charles "Chuck" Call of American University will present a recently-completed study looking at CICIG and MACCIH in relation to the announced intent of the new President of El Salvador to establish a hybrid “CICIES” in his country with support both from the OAS and the UN. A panel of fellow experts will explore those lessons in how to strengthen the rule of law in the Northern Triangle and beyond. Panelists will include Arturo Aguilar, Executive Director of the Seattle International Foundation and former senior political officer to the Commissioner of CICIG; and Claudia Paz y Paz (via Skype), a criminal law expert and former Attorney General of Guatemala. The discussion will be moderated by CSIS Americas Senior Adviser Mark L. Schneider. This event was made possible by intellectual support from the American University Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and by general support to CSIS.