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The Second Session of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will kick off next Monday, September 12, at 6 p.m. local time in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The event will coincide with the inauguration of the World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR 2016), which will bring together representatives of government, industry and ICT associations, as well as academics, to analyze the latest proposals aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations.

The welcome remarks will be made by the Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications of Costa Rica, Marcelo Jenkins; the Chief of the Division of Production, Productivity and Management of ECLAC , Mario Cimoli; the President of the National Council of Rectors of Costa Rica (CONARE), Alberto Salom-Echeverría; and the President of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), Leon Strous.

The intergovernmental meeting, organized by ECLAC and Costa Rica's Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications, has the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the European Commission. It will take place at the Hotel Holiday Inn Aurola in San Jose and will be broadcast live via the Internet on the Conference's Web site: http://innovalac.cepal.org/2/en

On Tuesday, September 13, at the seminar Innovation in a Digital World, delegates from 15 countries will join representatives of companies in the digital ecosystem and of international organizations to debate the Internet's disruptive effects on production, the on-demand economy, digital innovation and SMEs, infrastructure for hyper-connectivity, and competition and collaboration for leading digital transformation and innovation.

Two documents will be launched at the event: Science, Technology and Innovation in the Digital Economy. The Situation of Latin America and the Caribbean and the State of Broadband in Latin America and the Caribbean 2016, the annual report of ECLAC's Regional Broadband Observatory.

The Conference on Science, Innovation and ICTs was created in 2012 as a subsidiary body of ECLAC to promote the development and improvement of national policies, as well as bilateral, regional and international cooperation. The first meeting was held in Santiago, Chile, in June 2014.

Journalists are invited to cover the entire event.

What: Second Session of the Conference on Science, Innovation and ICTs of ECLAC.

When: Monday and Tuesday, September 12-13, 2016.

Who:

Inauguration (6 p.m.):

• Alberto Salom-Echeverría, President of the National Council of Rectors of Costa Rica (CONARE).
• Leon Strous, President of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP).
• Mario Cimoli, Chief of the Division of Production, Productivity and Management of ECLAC.
• Marcelo Jenkins, Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications of Costa Rica.

Where: Hotel Holiday Inn Aurola (Augusto el Grande room). Avenue 5, Street 5. Across from Morazán Park. San Jose, Costa Rica.

EVENT PROGRAMME

The Conference's full programme is available at the Web site: http://innovalac.cepal.org/2/en

SOCIAL MEDIA

You can follow all the details of the meeting on social media with the hashtag #innovalac.

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

The journalists interested in covering this conference should seek accreditations by sending their information (full name, job title, media outlet, e-mail address and telephone number) to María Antonieta Corrales Sandí of Costa Rica's Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications at antonieta.corrales@micit.go.cr.

Press badges can be picked up as of 5 p.m. on Monday, September 12 at the Hotel Holiday Inn Aurola, in San Jose.

For queries or to arrange interviews, contact:

ECLAC's Public Information Unit.

E-mail: prensa@cepal.org; Telephone: (56) 22210 2040.

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Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications of Costa Rica.

Antonieta Corrales Sandí.

E-mail: antonieta.corrales@micit.go.cr; Telephone: (506) 8774-7474.