The John Brademas Center and NYU Washington, DC will host a DC Dialogues, “Prioritizing Biodiversity and Green Energy: A Conversation with President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado” on April 26, 2021 at 12 pm ET (10 am in Costa Rica). Claudia S. de Windt, environmental expert and CEO of Inter-American Institute on Justice and Sustainability (IIJS) will join the discussion as a special guest speaker. Geovanny Vicente Romero, Writer, Founder, Dominican Republic Center of Public Policy, Leadership and Development (CPDL-RD), and Columnist for CNN will moderate the event. 

President Alvarado will share his country’s journey and global vision for multilateral approaches to environmental policy. Named “Champion of the Earth for Policy Leadership” by the United Nations, Costa Rica offers the world an example on how to balance development and the environment. Given the focus of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on sustainability and climate change, this important conversation will educate our dynamic community about Costa Rica’s best practices.

Carlos Alvarado took office as the President of Costa Rica on May 8, 2018.  At 38, he is Latin America’s youngest president.  Previously, President Alvarado served as Minister of Labor and Social Security and faces an urgent need for economic reform to address the country’s fiscal imbalance, an ambitious environmental agenda, challenging trends in security, and an increasingly complex regional and international context. His cabinet of ministers includes well-respected figures from diverse political parties with public sector experience. Costa Rica's current cabinet is also the first to have a female majority. As another important first, Costa Rican Vice President Epsy Campbell is the first black woman to hold this position in the Americas.

Join us in traveling to an important part of the world for a wide-ranging talk with President Alvarado.