1,000 global leaders just met in Buenos Aires. Here are the highlights

This article is part of the World Economic Forum on Latin America 2017
Written by
Stéphanie Thomson
Editor, World Economic Forum

If yesterday was about analysing the challenges facing the region, today was about coming up with solutions. Here are some of the highlights from the final day of the World Economic Forum on Latin America.

The secret to a more productive region

After almost a decade of growth, Latin America has had two years of recession to contend with, threatening to reverse some of the gains it has made. Leaders in Buenos Aires have been full of ideas to help boost regional productivity, largely centering on education and skills development.

But Ricardo Hausmann of Harvard University had another suggestion: open up to immigrants.

“Part of the reason Panama has grown so much is because, by Latin American standards, it has a relatively open immigration policy,” he said, picking up on a point he had already made in previous sessions. “We have carried out studies showing that the productivity of locals is dramatically increased when they work with foreigners.”

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