MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

PM Brown and Vice-president Biden at governance conference in Chile

United States Vice-President Joseph Biden

United States Vice-President Joseph Biden will be among the international leaders and economic experts gathering this weekend in Chile for the annual Progressive Governance Conference.

The conference is entitled “Answer to a global crisis: looking towards a progressive future,” and will be held on Friday, March 27 at the Sheraton Miramar Hotel in the seaside resort of Viña del Mar.

The Progressive Governance Conference was started in 1999 by former US president Bill Clinton to provide progressive governments and academic experts with an arena to exchange ideas and create a peaceful network.

The premise of this year’s conference is the question: “How do we, as progressive governments, restore globalization after the economic crisis? Traditionally, neo-liberalism has been the dominant way for organizing markets; however the current financial atmosphere exposes the weaknesses in this philosophy.”

Other panels will include discussion on how to promote progressive politics, sustainable globalization strategies, and what the financial crisis’s effects will be on climate change.

The panel on the future of progressive politics will include Chilean Senator and presidential hopeful Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Brazilian presidential consultant Marco Aurelio Garcia, Spanish Secretary of State, Trinidad Jiménez.

Following this panel discussion, Chile’s President Bachelet will host a formal dinner at the Presidential Palace on Cerro Castillo.

On Saturday, Bachelet, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Argentine President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner, Uruguayan President Tabaré Vasquez, Spain’s President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and U.S. Vice-President Biden will explore the financial crisis and environment issues over a round table discussion.

The Chilean think-tank Instituto Igualdad, along with the British Policy Network, will present several leading international speakers on various topics.

By Claire Beeuwkes - Santiago Times