Get ready to experience the energy of Colombia’s Golden Gate! We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the OECD Local Development Forum 2025, taking place in Barranquilla on 9-10 July 2025, with side events on 8 and 11 July.
Places are rethinking how to stay competitive on the global stage. Technological change, the green transition and shifting global value chains are reshaping local economies. The 2025 OECD Local Development Forum will explore the new drivers of local economic transformations. Discussions will consider opportunities in growing sectors such as green energy and the care economy, as well as how places can boost their global presence through hosting major events and place marketing. Beyond boosting local competitiveness, it will look at how to build new pathways for labour market inclusion. The 2025 Forum will also go beyond the “classic conversation”, tackling the new playbook on AI, the night economy and women’s leadership in local development.
Barranquilla – Colombia’s “Golden Gate” – has its own impressive, transformation story. Its experiences in public-private collaboration, economic diversification, and social inclusion provides a compelling backdrop for these discussions. As the first ever Forum held in Latin America, participants will also take a deep dive to gain first-hand insights into the region’s unique opportunities and challenges, including high rates of labour market informality and a growing youth population.
Join us in Barranquilla to take part in hands-on workshops, site visits and dynamic discussions with leaders driving change and gain practical ideas to transform your own community.
