Barranquilla, Colombia, is the host city for the 2025 OECD Local Development Forum, a global gathering that will bring together leaders, experts, and representatives from over 95 countries to discuss the major challenges of local development in a world shaped by the ecological transition, digital transformation, employment, and inclusion.
The event begins this Tuesday and runs through next Friday, July 11. The Colombian Caribbean capital expects 3,400 participants for this event, which Latin America is hosting for the first time.
Barranquilla, Colombia, hosts the 2025 OECD Forum
From July 8 to 11, the city of Barranquilla, in northern Colombia, will host the 2025 OECD Local Development Forum. This summit is the first of its level organized by the international body in a Latin American country.
Over the next four days, delegates from various countries will follow a significant agenda featuring more than 90 international conferences taking place at the Barranquilla event, under the title Inspiración global, transformación local (Global inspiration, local transformation).
Organizers highlighted the presence in Colombia of respected world-renowned economic experts, such as economists Xavier Sala i Martin and Andrés Rodriguez-Pose, who will deliver keynote lectures on competitiveness and innovation from a local perspective.
“This prestigious international event will bring together leaders from 38 countries, representing 68% of world GDP, to discuss major economic challenges and sustainable development strategies,” said the mayor of Barranquilla, Alejandro Char.
Barranquilla was chosen among other cities such as Porto, Cali, Florence and Melbourne “for its commitment to sustainable development, urban transformation, closing social gaps and its track record in international events,” according to the mayor.
The city, considered a model of urban renewal, is consolidating its position as a venue for international events of the highest level and as a world reference in economic and urban transformations through local public policies.
The OECD forum and the need for ‘good governance’
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an organization of 38 states, including Colombia, seeks to improve the governance practices of member countries, with the mission of designing and promoting policies to increase well-being, prosperity and equality.
The Local Development Forum is the transmission belt between the organization and local communities in the different countries. Its goal is to take OECD studies and analysis “beyond the ministries”: to political leaders, businesses, NGOs, citizens and decision-makers in those communities.
At the same time, the Forum brings the voices of these local actors back to the central organization, thus promoting a two-way communication that enriches all participants.
In this sense, new and renewed phenomena such as artificial intelligence, migration, climate change, tariff wars, political polarization and the growth of transnational organized crime demand the attention of the world’s leaders in order to manage them well.
In April 2020, Colombia officially became the 37th member of the OECD, after nearly a decade of reforms and technical evaluations. This accession brought the South American country into line with the standards of the world’s most developed economies in areas such as fiscal transparency, education, environment, trade and governance.
The accession process involved the implementation of more than 150 recommendations from the various OECD committees, forcing the country to modernize key institutions and strengthen its public policies.
For Colombia, belonging to this “best practices club” means an opportunity to improve its competitiveness, attract foreign investment and reduce structural inequalities.
The agenda of the Local Development Forum in Barranquilla
The organizers made public the agenda of events for these four days in Barranquilla:
Tuesday, July 8
Start of parallel events led by partner organizations such as ECLAC, OAS, UN, ICLEI, CAF and IDB. Thematic focus: sustainability, inclusion and economic development.
Wednesday, July 9
Official opening with the participation of Alejandro Char, Mayor; Yoshiki Takeuchi, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD and Eduardo Verano, Governor of Atlántico.
Activities of the day: plenary sessions, immersive workshops and the “Local Initiatives Marketplace.”
5:30 p.m. – Interactive Policy Lab, led by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose.
Thursday, July 10
Study visits to outstanding local experiences: Gran Malecón; Puerto Mocho; Ciénaga de Mallorquín; IA AudacIA Center.
Closing of the day: keynote lecture by Xavier Sala-i-Martin.
Friday, July 11
Second day of parallel events. Central themes: youth, solidarity economy and innovate.
📍Haz un recorrido por el lugar que albergará el Foro de Desarrollo Local 2025 #OCDEenBarranquilla.
Sigue nuestras publicaciones para conocer lo más destacado del evento que comienza mañana.@alcaldiabquilla @AlejandroChar @jsanchezcristo @veranodelarosa @sergiodigra pic.twitter.com/MSDPslK6no
— OCDE ➡️ Mejores Políticas para una Vida Mejor (@ocdeenespanol) July 7, 2025
Related: OECD Forum in Colombia: Investing in Talent Is the Path Forward.