11 December: Socialism in the 21st century: A reflection on Latin America’s Energy Politics

On December 11, 7.30 pm a public debate will take place on the current political and economical developments in Latin America. The debate will be with Reinaldo Figueredo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela and Luc Soete, Director UNU-MERIT.

Venue: the Auditorium Faculty of Economics, Tongersestraat 53, Maastricht.

Free admittance.

Reinaldo Figueredo
Reinaldo Figueredo was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He studied Political Sciences in Paris, France and obtained his Licence on Science Economique – Graduate Cum Laude in the ULB, Brussels, Belgium. His professional experience encompasses several senior and high-level executive positions in Venezuela in the Ministry of Energy, the Foreign Trade Institute, Minister of the Presidency of Venezuela, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Commission on Privatisation and Vice-Chairman on the Defence Commission and President of the Venezuela Institute on Foreign Trade.

Between 1980 and 1984 he was Director of the Manufactures Division in UNCTAD, Geneva. He was a Member of the UN Commission on the Truth and Reconciliation of El Salvador. Between 1998-1999 he was Special Rapporteur on Debt for the UN Commission of Human Rights, Geneva. He held the position of Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General of UNCTAD and Director to the joint UNCTAD/UNDP Project on Globalisation, Liberalisation and Sustainable Human Development during the period 1999-2005.

He held the position of Senior Adviser to the Secretary General of UNCTAD and as Interregional Advisor: Focal Point on Capacity Building, Geneva. In parallel to his career as a governmental and international civil servant, he has presided over many international meetings, mainly in development issues and integration. He was the Representative of Venezuela to the OPEC Economic Committee. He has now retired from the UN and is presently an Associate Fellow at the Netherlands Clingendael Institute of International Relations - International Energy Programme.

About the UNCTAD-UNDP Global Programme
The UNCTAD/UNDP Global Programme on Globalization, Liberalization and Sustainable Human Development is a unique partnership between the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It works closely with Governments, NGOs, academic organisations and the private sector to assist Governments to create strategies for managing their integration into the world economy, in a manner conducive to sustainable human development.

As part of its work, the Global Programme commissions Country Assessments and reports into its different areas of its work. It also commissions papers for dialogues and meetings.

About Maastricht Debates
The Maastricht Debates is one activity within a larger programme of the Society of International Development (SID). It is a platform for debate and networking on issues of international cooperation and globalisation. Each debate is organised by issue experts from within the Maastricht network together with internationally oriented study associations.

The Maastricht Debates is a collaborate initiative of the University Maastricht, the Netherlands Chapter of the Society for International Development (SID), the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), Europe-open, and Concordantia, the study association of the European Studies program of the University Maastricht. It receives financial support by the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO) and operates in collaboration with the Municipality of Maastricht.

For more information, see www.maastrichtdebates.net or contact Huub Mudde, project coordinator at info@maastrichtdebates.net or T. +31-(0)621275064.

All upcoming events: http://www.maastrichtdebates.net/events