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Agenda
(Local Time)
Welcome Address
Dr. Raj Shah
President of The Rockefeller Foundation
President Juan Manuel Santos
Founder of Compaz Foundation and Trustee of The Rockefeller Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society
Sandra Valenzuela
CEO WWF Colombia
"Making Peace with Nature" – Experiences from the Territories
This panel explores the concept of “peace with nature” and its critical role in Colombia’s future. It will discuss how Indigenous, Peasant, and Afro-Descendant communities are essential to achieving environmental harmony while balancing societal well-being and protecting vulnerable rural populations.
Panelists:
Sineida Viveros
Inga woman, Coordinator of the Indigenous Guard of the Condagua Reservation
Elizabeth Moreno
Human rights defender, Coordinator of the Chocó Solidarity Inter-ethnic Forum (FISCH in Spanish)
Yanire Arizmendi
Director of the Association of Owners of Natural Reserves of the Orinoco Civil Society, Aso-Orinoquia
Moderator:
Sandra Valenzuela
CEO WWF Colombia
Networking Break
Transforming Food Systems for Sustainable Development
This panel will explore the innovative role of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in developing bioeconomy and nature-based solutions for food systems transformation.
Panelists:
Claudia Martínez
Director of the Food and Land Use Coalition Colombia (FOLU)
Joao Campari
Global Leader for Food & Agriculture at WWF International
Dr. Bita Correa
Director of the Foundation for the Application and Teaching of Science (FUNDAEC in Spanish)
Moderator:
Juan Lucas Restrepo
Director General of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Human Health
This panel will explore the critical nexus between climate change, biodiversity loss, and human health, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Panelists:
Carolina Gil
Regional Director at Amazon Conservation Team
Agnes Soares da Silva
Director of the Environmental Health and Occupational Health Surveillance Department at Brazil’s Ministry of Health
Patricia Granja
Senior Health Expert for the Roadmap for Amazonian Indigenous Health and Climate Change at Hivos
Moderator:
Catalina Gutiérrez
Director of Wildlife Conservation Society Colombia
Networking Lunch and Breakout Sessions
Sustainable Cities in Action: Environmental Strategies to Address the Triple Planetary Crisis
In this panel, experts will discuss how cities, as hubs of innovation and economic activity, can implement targeted policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect local and regional biodiversity, and mitigate the impacts of climate change and pollution.
Panelists:
Carlos Fernando Galán
Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Alejandro Éder
Mayor of Cali, Colombia
Patricia Zurita
Chief Strategy Officer at Conservation International
Ilan Cuperstein
C40 Cities Regional Director for Latin America
Moderator:
Adriana Soto
Secretary of Environment of the city of Bogotá
Investing in Nature: Towards a New Financial System for Biodiversity Protection and Climate Action
This panel will focus on the critical need to explore innovative financial instruments for ecosystem conservation or restoration, such as debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, insurance against invasive species or environmental asset markets.
Panelists:
Sergio Diaz-Granados
Executive President of CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
Mariana Sarmiento
CEO of Terrasos
Valmir Ortega
CEO of Belterra Agroflorestas
Moderator:
Paula Caballero
Regional Managing Director for Latin America at The Nature Conservancy
Empowering the Next Generation of Climate and Nature Advocates
This panel will spotlight the pivotal role of young advocates in driving change across the LAC region, with a focus on climate justice, intersectionality, and environmental protection.
Panelists:
Ashley Lashley
Executive Director of The Ashley Lashley Foundation
Daniela Orofino
Director of Amazonia de Pé
Emiliana Rickenmann
Co-founder of Latinas for Climate
Moderator:
Elizabeth Yee
Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation
Linking People, Nature, and Climate
This panel aims to explore the synergies between these elements, particularly in the context of COP16 in Colombia and COP30 in Brazil.
Panelists:
Christiana Figueres
Founder of Global Optimism and Former UNFCCC Executive Secretary
Susana Muhamad
Minister of Environment of Colombia
Moderator:
Juan Manuel Santos
Former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Founder of Compaz Foundation, and Member of the Board of Trustees of The Rockefeller Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society