Reflections on the OECD LEED 2025 Forum in Barranquilla: an inspiring experience to rethink local development
From 9 to 11 July 2025, I had the honor of participating, as Executive Secretary of WAPES, in the first Latin American edition of the OECD Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) Annual Forum, held in Barranquilla, Colombia. This event brought together over 1,000 participants from more than 60 countries, all sharing a common goal: rethinking our models of local development in a context shaped by major technological, green, social and economic transitions.
A rich immersion of exchanges and discoveries
Over three days, I attended particularly stimulating sessions on key topics such as:
· How artificial intelligence is already transforming local economies and the skills they require,
· How to build a more inclusive and sustainable care economy,
· The challenges of place branding to strengthen territorial attractiveness,
· Culture as a driver of economic development,
· The social and solidarity economy as a lever for inclusion in popular and informal economies.
The Forum also gave participants the opportunity to discover several emblematic local projects. While some groups visited the revitalized Gran Malecón, the sustainable tourism initiatives around Ciénaga de Mallorquín, or the AudacIA AI Center at Simón Bolívar University, I had the opportunity to explore the Villas de San Pablo megadistrict. There, I discovered how integrated initiatives around housing, education and employability have helped create a vibrant and dynamic neighborhood where residents feel a strong sense of belonging.
These highlights were enriched by inspiring exchanges with policymakers, economic actors, civil society representatives, young leaders and experts from around the world.
Agility, partnerships and local leadership: essential drivers
Discussions at the Forum confirmed that territorial agility is today an essential condition for strengthening resilience, particularly in the face of the profound and simultaneous transformations impacting all continents.
A clear message emerged: no actor can act alone. Partnerships between public, private, academic and community stakeholders are at the heart of the solutions to be built, and must mobilize all sectors: education, employment, housing, entrepreneurship.
The inspiring examples shared in Barranquilla demonstrated how the most dynamic territories succeed in federating these partnerships around a shared vision, carried by committed local leaders who remain close to realities on the ground.
My reflection: the strategic role of public employment services
Although this point was not explicitly addressed during the Forum, I draw a strong conviction from these discussions: public employment services have a key role to play in these dynamics of territorial transformation.
They stand at the crossroads of several key challenges:
· Supporting upskilling of workers in response to the digital and ecological transitions,
· Facilitating the integration of vulnerable groups (youth, women, people in precarious situations, informal workers, migrants),
· Promoting synergies between the economic sector, academia and social actors,
· Contributing to social inclusion and sustainable territorial development.
As Executive Secretary of WAPES, I am convinced that public employment services should position themselves as strategic partners of local authorities and economic actors, contributing fully to building more inclusive, resilient and adaptable territories.
A meaningful experience and lessons to share
The OECD LEED 2025 Forum in Barranquilla once again demonstrated the value of international exchange and the capacity of territories to innovate locally in response to global challenges.
I return from Barranquilla with many ideas, contacts, good practices and inspirations to share across our global network.
The theme of this Forum was “Global Inspirations, Local Transformations”. And why not, in the inspiring words of Ms. Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities: “Local Inspirations, Global Transformations”?
The OECD LEED has invited us to meet again in the Netherlands in 2026, to continue this dialogue and to collectively build concrete solutions for more inclusive, sustainable and resilient territories.
*OECD LEED (Local Empoyment and Economic Development Programme: Local Employment and Economic Development Programme (LEED) | OECD
To learn more about the forum: OECD Local Development Forum 2025 Annual Meeting
Amandine Moignard, Executive Secretary of WAPES