Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics 2015: “Productivity, Growth, and the Law”

The Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics (ABCDE), organized by the World Bank Development Economics (DEC) Vice Presidency, is one of the world’s best known series of conferences for the presentation and discussion of new knowledge on development.

Overview
SPEAKERS
Agenda and Proceedings
Practical Information
About the Conference
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The Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics (ABCDE), organized by the World Bank Development Economics (DEC) Vice Presidency, is one of the world’s best known series of conferences for the presentation and discussion of new ideas in development. The conference aims to promote the exchange of cutting-edge research among academics, policymakers, and development practitioners. The next conference will be jointly hosted by the Bank of Mexico and the World Bank and will take place on June 15–16 in Mexico City.

The theme of the conference will be “Productivity, Growth, and the Law”. The conference will examine the main drivers of productivity with particular attention to the role of the law, institutions, and norms. Among the topics to be discussed are:

Firm Productivity
Human Capital and Skill Formation
Infrastructure and Growth
The Law and Investment Climate
Law, Corruption Control and Efficiency
Access to Finance
Trade, FDI and Technology

As in the previous year, selected conference papers will be included in a special issue of the World Bank Economic Review along the lines of the AER Papers and Proceedings.

Organizing Committee: Kaushik Basu (World Bank, Chair), Asli Demirgüç-Kunt and Indermit Gill (World Bank), Alberto Torres and Laura Juarez (Bank of Mexico), and Andrew Foster (Brown University).

George Akerlof
University Professor, Georgetown University, and Nobel Laureate 2001
George Akerlof is University Professor at Georgetown University. His research is based in economics, but it often draws from other disciplines, including psychology, anthropology, and sociology. He played an important role in the development of behavioral economics. In 2001 he was co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, along with Michael Spence and Joseph Stiglitz. In 2009 Professor Akerlof published Animal Spirits, with Robert Shiller; and in 2010, Identity Economics, with Rachel Kranton. He is currently finishing a new book, again with Shiller, with the title Phishing for Phools. Prior to joining Georgetown, Professor Akerlof taught, with only brief interruption, at the University of California at Berkeley from 1966 to 2010. He was Visiting Scholar at the IMF from 2010 to 2014. He has been senior economist at the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and past president, vice president and member of the executive committee of the American Economic Association, and member of the Council of the Econometric Society. He is a trustee of Economists for Peace and Security, and co-director of the Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. He was Cassell Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics from 1978 to 2010.
Laura Alfaro
Warren Alpert Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University
Laura Alfaro is the Warren Albert Professor at Harvard Business School in the Business, Government, and International Economy Unit. She was Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy in Costa Rica from 2010-2012. She is also Research Associate in the National Bureau of Economic Research’s International Macroeconomics and Finance Program, Member of the Latin-American Financial Regulatory Committee (CLAAF, Comité Latinoamericano de Asuntos Financieros), Faculty Associate at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and member of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies’ (DRCLAS) policy committee. Professor Alfaro is the author of multiple articles published in leading academic journals, and of Harvard Business School cases related to the field of international economics and in particular international capital flows, foreign direct investment, and sovereign debt. She has taught in General Management Program, the Program for Leadership Development, and in other executive education offerings as well the first year and second year of the MBA program and the doctoral program. Laura Alfaro earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1999, where she was recipient of the Dissertation Fellowship award. She received a B.A in economics with honors from the Universidad de Costa Rica in 1992 and a 'Licenciatura' from the Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile in 1994, where she graduated with highest honors. In 2008, she was honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Eric Posner

Kirkland and Ellis Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Arthur and Esther Kane Research Chair, University of Chicago
Eric Posner is Kirkland and Ellis Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Arthur and Esther Kane Research Chair. His current research interests are international law and constitutional law. His books include The Twilight of International Human Rights (Oxford, forthcoming 2014); Economic Foundations of International Law (with Alan Sykes) (Harvard, 2013); Contract Law and Theory (Aspen, 2011); The Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic (with Adrian Vermeule) (Oxford, 2011); Climate Change Justice (with David Weisbach) (Princeton, 2010); The Perils of Global Legalism (Chicago, 2009); Terror in the Balance: Security, Liberty and the Courts (with Adrian Vermeule) (Oxford, 2007); New Foundations of Cost-Benefit Analysis (with Matthew Adler) (Harvard, 2006); The Limits of International Law (with Jack Goldsmith) (Oxford, 2005); Law and Social Norms (Harvard, 2000); Chicago Lectures in Law and Economics (editor) (Foundation, 2000); Cost-Benefit Analysis: Legal, Economic, and Philosophical Perspectives (editor, with Matthew Adler) (University of Chicago, 2001). He writes a column for Slate on legal issues. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Law Institute.
Agustín Carstens

Governor of the Bank of Mexico
Agustín Carstens began his professional career in 1980 at Banco de México, where he has held many positions and serves as Governor since January 1, 2010. Among other distinguished positions, he has also served as executive director at the IMF (1999-2000), deputy finance minister (2000-2003), deputy managing director at the IMF (2003-2006), minister of finance (2006-2009), member of the Steering Committee of the G-20 Financial Stability Board (since 2010), member of the Board of Directors of the BIS (since 2011), Chairman of the BIS Economic Consultative Council and the Global Economy Meeting (since 2013) and Chairman of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (since 2015). He was named Central Bank Governor of the Year by the Banker magazine (2012) and Euromoney magazine (2013). In 2013, he received from the University of Chicago the Professional Achievement Award as distinguished alumnae. Dr. Carstens holds a M.A. (1983) and a Ph.D. (1985) in economics from the University of Chicago, and received his B.A. (summa cum laude) from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.
Alberto Gómez Alcalá

Managing Director Banamex-Citigroup
Alberto Gómez Alcalá is Managing Director of Institutional Development, Economic Research and Communication Grupo Financiero Banamex-Citigroup Executive President of the Mexican Banking Association With more than 30 years experience in Banamex, he is Economist-in-Chief responsible for economic analysis in all its modes –macroeconomics, finance, sectors, and regional activity –as well as institutional communication. He is the Director and Editor responsible for all of Banamex-Citigroup’s economic, political and social publications. He has participated actively in Grupo Banamex’s strategic planning efforts and his work has extended into the rest of Latin America. He has followed closely the transformation of Mexico’s financial system and has taken part in institutional and organizational efforts affecting it. He is secretary of the “Banamex Prize in Economics” and a Board member of the subsidiaries of Grupo Financiero Banamex-Citigroup, as well as AFORE (Pension Funds) and Mutual Funds. He belongs to international economists’ organizations such as the CBE (Conference of Business Economists) and is Chairman of the ICCBE (International Conference of Commercial Bank Economists). He also participates in Banamex’s social commitments and is a Board member of Fundación ABC. In April 2013 he was appointed Executive President of the Mexican Banking Association (ABM). He is a Candidate for PhD. in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania (1986), and holds an M.A. in Economics from that University (1984).
Luis F. López-Calva

Co-Director of the World Development Report 2017, The World Bank
Luis F. López-Calva is the co-Director of the World Development Report 2017: “Governance and The Law”. He was previously Lead Economist and Regional Poverty Advisor in the Europe and Central Asia Region at The World Bank (Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Sector). Until 2013, he was at the Poverty, Equity and Gender Unit in the Latin America and Caribbean PREM Directorate, also at The World Bank. He served as Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNDP in New York from 2007 to 2010. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the Stanford Center for International Development at Stanford University and at the World Institute for Development Economics Research (WIDER). In Mexico, he was Associate Professor and Chair of the Masters in Public Economics at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus. López-Calva has also taught at Universidad de la Américas, Puebla and El Colegio de México. He is a Fellow of the Human Development and Capabilities Association and is Associate Editor of the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities and Well-being and Social Policy. López-Calva has Masters in Economics from Boston University, and a Masters and PhD in Economics from Cornell University.
Emilio Lozoya

Chief Executive Officer, Petróleos Mexicanos
Emilio Lozoya is Chief Executive Officer of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Prior to his appointment, he headed the international affairs office during the campaign and then transition team of the current President of Mexico. Lozoya co-founded and served as an executive board member of different investment funds, specializing in international private capital investments, including restructuring and international transactions, as well as related to infrastructure, the finance sector and IT. From 2006 to 2012, he worked at the World Economic Forum as Senior Director for Latin America, and from 2003 until 2006, he served as an Investment Officer for Structure Finance and Distressed Assets at the Inter-American Investment Corporation. He also worked at the Central Bank of Mexico, responsible for investing international reserves in securities. Lozoya is the author of numerous publications on monetary policy, productivity and competitiveness, public policy, and education and electoral systems. He holds a BSc in Economics from ITAM, a BA in Law from UNAM and an MPA in International Development from Harvard University.
William F. Maloney

Lead Economist, Trade & Competitiveness, The World Bank
William F. Maloney is Chief Trade and Competitiveness Economist in the World Bank Group and Visiting Professor at the University of the Andes in Bogota, Colombia. He was a Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1990-1997) and then joined the World Bank, working as Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist for Latin America until 2009. From 2009 to 2014, he was Lead Economist in the Development Economics Research Group. He has published on issues related to international trade and finance, developing country labor markets, and innovation and growth. In addition to publications in academic journals, he coauthored Natural Resources: Neither Curse nor Destiny and Lessons from NAFTA, Does What you Export Matter: In Search of Empirical Guidance for Industrial Policy, as well as several flagship publications of the Latin American division of the Bank, most recently Informality: Exit and Exclusion. Mr. Maloney received his PhD in economics from the University of California Berkeley (1990), his BA from Harvard University (1981), and he studied at the University of the Andes in Bogota, Colombia (1982-83).
Abraham Zamora

C. E.O. of the National Bank of Public Works and Services
Abraham Zamora is the C. E.O. of the National Bank of Public Works and Services (BANOBRAS S.N.C.). He served as Head of the Ministry of Finance’s Economic Productivity Unit from February 2013 to January 2015. Between 2005 and February 2013 he was Aeromexico’s Corporate and Industry Affairs Executive Director and worked at CINTRA. President of the National Chamber of Air Transportation from 2011 until February 2013. He also held different titles within the public sector from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communications and Transportation, and the President’s Office. Zamora holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the National Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico, a Master in Public Administration from Columbia University, and a Master in Political Economy from the University of Essex.

» Download Agenda
Monday, June 15, 2015
	Salón Don Alberto 1
08:00 – 09:00	Registration and Breakfast
09:00 – 09:30	Opening Remarks Agustín Carstens (Governor, Banco de México) Luis Videgaray (Minister of Finance, Mexico) Jorge Familiar (Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank) Kaushik Basu (Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, World Bank) Download: Remarks by Agustín Carstens
09:30 – 10:20	Policy Panel: 1 Finance, Productivity, and Development Chair: Henry Tricks (Mexico City Bureau Chief, The Economist) Panelists: Agustín Carstens (Governor, Banco de México) Alberto Gómez Alcalá (Executive President of the Mexican Bankers’ Association and Executive Director of Research and Communications, Grupo Financiero Banamex-Citigroup, Mexico) William F. Maloney (World Bank) Download: Presentation
10:20 – 10:45	Coffee
10:45 – 12:15	Sessions 1A-1C
	Session 1A: Entrepreneurship and Access to Credit \| Salón Don Alberto 1 Chair: Daniel Sámano (Banco de México) “Business is Tough, but Family can be Worse: Experimental Results on Family Constraints and Enterprise Development” Nathan Fiala (University of Connecticut, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Opportunity vs Necessity: Understanding the Heterogeneity of Female Micro-Entrepreneurs” Gabriela Calderón (Banco de México), Leonardo Iacovone (World Bank), and Laura Juárez (Banco de México) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Psychometric Tests as a Tool to Improve Screening and Access to Credit: Evidence from Perú” Irani Arráiz (Inter-American Development Bank), Miriam Bruhn (World Bank), and Rodolfo Stucchi (Inter-American Development Bank) Download: Presentation Discussant: Xavier Giné (World Bank) Download: Presentation Session 1B: Quality of Jobs and Quality of Labor \| Salón Doña Sol Chair: Claudia Sepúlveda (World Bank) “Producing Higher Quality Jobs: Enforcement of Mandated Benefits across Brazilian Cities between 1996-2007” Rita Almeida (World Bank and IZA), Pedro Carneiro (University College London, IFS and Cemmap, United Kingdom), and Renata Narita (University of São Paulo, Brazil) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Long-term Effects of Temporary Labor Demand: Free Trade Zones, Female Education and Marriage Market Outcomes in the Dominican Republic” Maria Micaela Sviatschi (Columbia University, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Exporting Firms and the Demand for Skilled Tasks” Irene Brambilla (Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina), Daniel Lederman (World Bank), and Guido Porto (Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: David Kaplan (Inter-American Development Bank) Download: Presentation Session 1C: Bribery and Contracts \| Salón Don Julián Chair: Santiago Guerrero (Banco de México) “Status and Bribery: Evidence from the Revealed Accounting Records of Two South Korean Presidents” Yujin Jeong (American University, United States) and Jordan Siegel (Harvard University, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Enforcing Public-Private Partnership Contract: Role of Incentive Contract and Fiscal Institution” Manabu Nose (International Monetary Fund) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Delivering Justice to the Poor: Theory and Experimental Evidence from Liberia” Justin Sandefur (Center for Global Development, United States) and Bilal Siddiqi (World Bank) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Alberto Simpser (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Mexico)
12:15 – 13:30	LUNCH—SalÓn Don Alberto 3
	Salón Don Alberto 1
13:30 – 14:20	Keynote Address 1: Phishing for Phools Chair: Alberto Torres (Banco de México) Speaker: George Akerlof (Georgetown University, United States) Download: Presentation
14:20 – 14:45	Coffee
14:45 – 16:15	Sessions 2A-2B
	Session 2A: Growth and Productivity \| Salón Doña Sol Chair: Gabriela Calderón (Banco de México) “Organizational Barriers to Technology Adoption: Evidence from Soccer-Ball Producers in Pakistan” David Atkin (Yale University, United Sates), Azam Chaudhry (Lahore School of Economics, Pakistan), Shamyla Chaudry (Lahore School of Economics, Pakistan), Amit K. Khandelwal (Columbia University, United States), and Eric Verhoogen (Columbia University, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Making Do with What You Have: Conflict, Firm Performance and Input Misallocation in Palestine” Francesco Amodio (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain) and Michele Di Maio (University of Naples “Parthenope”, Italy) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Key Sectors in Economic Development: A Perspective from Input-Output Linkages and Cross-Sector Misallocation” Julio Leal (Banco de México) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Laura Alfaro (Harvard University, United States) Download: Presentation Session 2B: Leadership and Internal Strive \| Salón Don Julián Chair: Yongmei Zou (World Bank) “A Theory of Authority” Robert Akerlof (University of Warwick, United Kingdom) Download: Paper \| Presentation “All in the Family: State Capture in Tunisia” Bob Rijkers (World Bank), Caroline Freund (The Peterson Institute of International Economics, United States), and Antonio Nucifora (World Bank) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Ethnic Divisions, Political Institutions and the Duration of Declines: A Political Economy Theory of Delayed Recovery” Richard Bluhm (Leibniz University Hannover, Germany) and Kaj Thomsson (Maastricht University, The Netherlands) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Stuti Khemani (World Bank) Download: Presentation
16:15 – 16:40	Coffee
	Salón Don Alberto 1
16:40 – 17:30	Keynote Address 2: History, Development, and Human Rights Law Chair: Kaushik Basu ( World Bank) Speaker: Eric Posner (University of Chicago, United States) Download: Paper
17:30 – 19:00	Cocktails \| SalÓn Don Alberto 3
20:00 – 22:00	Dinner (By Invitation Only)
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
	Salón Don Alberto 1
08:00-09:00	Registration and Breakfast
09:00 – 09:50	Policy Panel 2 Governance, Infrastructure, and the Law Chair: Gerardo Corrochano (World Bank) Panelists: Emilio Lozoya (General Director, Petróleos Mexicanos, PEMEX, Mexico) Abraham Zamora (Director, Banobras Bank, Mexico) Luis Felipe Lopez-Calva (World Bank) Download: Presentation by Abraham Zamora \| Presentation by Luis Felipe Lopez-Calva
09:50 – 10:15	Coffee
10:15 – 11:45	Sessions 3A-3C
	Session 3A: Law and the Delivery of Justice \| Salón Don Alberto 1 Chair: Luis Felipe López-Calva (World Bank) “Reforming the Speed of Justice: Evidence from an Event Study in Senegal” Florence Kondylis (World Bank) and Mattea Stein (Paris School of Economics, France) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Enlisting Employees in Improving Payroll-Tax Compliance: Evidence from Mexico” Todd Kumler (Cornerstone Research, United States), Eric Verhoogen (Columbia University, United States), and Judith Frías (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Mexico) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Law and Finance Matter: Lessons from Externally Imposed Courts” James R. Brown (Iowa State University, United States), J. Anthony Cookson (University of Colorado, Boulder, United States) and Rawley Z. Heimer (Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Joyce Sadka (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Mexico) Session 3B: Infrastructure, Competition, and Growth \| Salón Doña Sol Chair: Fernando Pérez (Banco de México) “Subways and Urban Growth: Evidence from Earth” Marco González Navarro (University of Toronto, Canada) and Matthew A. Turner (Brown University, United States) Download: Paper “Highway to Success in India: The Impact of the Golden Quadrilateral Project for the Location and Performance of Manufacturing” Ejaz Ghani (World Bank), Arti Grover Goswami (World Bank),and William R. Kerr (Harvard University, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation “The Complementarity between ICT Use and Competition in Mexico” Leonardo Iacovone (World Bank), Mariana Pereira-Lopez (Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico), and Marc Schiffbauer (World Bank) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Remi Jedwab (George Washington University, United States) Session 3C: Health, Education, and Child Labor \| Salón Don Julián Chair: Laura Juárez (Banco de México) “The Effect of Publicly Provided Health Insurance on Education Outcomes in Mexico” Carlo Alcaraz, Daniel Chiquiar, María José Orraca, and Alejandrina Salcedo (Banco de México) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Long-Term Effects of Child Labour Bans on Adult Outcomes: Evidence from Brazil” Caio Piza (World Bank) and André Portela Souza (Escola de Economia de São Paulo, Brazil) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Perverse Consequences of Well-Intentioned Regulation: Evidence from India’s Child Labor Ban” Prashant Bharadwaj (University of California, San Diego, United States), Leah K. Lakdawala (Michigan State University, United States), and Nicholas Li (University of Toronto, Canada) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Susan Parker (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, Mexico)
	Salón Don Alberto 1
11:45 – 12:10	Coffee
12:10 – 13:00	Keynote Address 3: Gains from Foreign Direct Investment: Macro and Micro Approaches Chair: Ana María Aguilar (Banco de México) Speaker: Laura Alfaro (Harvard University, United States) Download: Presentation
13:00 – 14:00	Lunch \| SalÓn Don Alberto 3
14:00 – 15:30	Sessions 4A-4B
	Session 4A: Environment and Firm’s Productivity \| Salón Doña Sol Chair: Florence Kondylis (World Bank) “The Light and the Heat: Productivity Co-benefits of Energy-saving Technology” Achyuta Adhvaryu (University of Michigan, United States), Namrata Kala (Yale University, United States), and Anant Nyshadham (University of Southern California, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Environmental Regulation and Industrial Performance: Evidence from China” Shinsuke Tanaka (Tufts University, United States), Wesley Yin (University of California, Los Angeles and NBER, United States), and Gary H. Jefferson (Brandeis University, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation “From Firm Productivity Dynamics to Aggregate Efficiency” Bernabé López Martin (Banco de México) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Andrew Foster (Brown University, United States) Download: Comments Session 4B: Trade Agreements and Trade Performance \| Salón Don Julián Chair: Kashik Basu (World Bank) “Deep Trade Agreements and Vertical FDI: The Devil is in the Details” Alberto Osnago (Bocconi University, Italy and World Bank), Nadia Rocha (World Trade Organization), and Michele Ruta (World Bank) Download: Paper \| Presentation “Assortative Matching of Exporters and Importers” Yoichi Sugita (Institute of Developing Economies, Japan), Kensuke Teshima (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Mexico), and Enrique Seira (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Mexico) Download: Paper \| Presentation “The Effect of Credit on the Export Performance of Colombian Exporters” Danielken Molina (Inter-American Development Bank) and Mónica Roa (Pennsylvania State University, United States) Download: Paper \| Presentation Discussant: Bob Rijkers (World Bank) Download: Comments
15:30 – 15:45	Coffee
	Salón Don Alberto 1
15:45 – 17:15	Experiments Lab Cooperation and Betrayal in the Laboratory Chair: Kaushik Basu (Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, World Bank) Presenter: Klaus Abbink (Monash University, Australia)
17:15 – 17:45	Concluding Remarks Manuel Sánchez (Deputy Governor, Banco de México) Kaushik Basu (Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, World Bank) Download: Remarks by Manuel Sánchez

CONFERENCE VENUE

The conference will take place at the 4th floor of the Convention Center of the Hilton Mexico City Reforma Hotel. The hotel is located at the historic center of Mexico City.

Hilton Mexico City Reforma Hotel contact information:

Address: Av. Juarez # 70 Colonia Centro 06010

Phone number: (+52 55) 5130 5300

GROUND TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION FROM THE AIRPORT

Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport is located 13 km (8 miles) east of Mexico City’s historic center.

Metrobus

Metrobus is the public bus rapid transit (BRT) system of Mexico City and it connects the airport to the historic center of Mexico City. You can board Line 4 of the Metrobus at entrance 7 in Terminal 1 and entrance 2 in Terminal 2. To get to the Hilton Mexico City Reforma, you need to descend at Bellas Artes station and walk south through the Alameda Central park towards Juarez Avenue. Once you reach Juarez Avenue, turn to your right. The Hotel will be across the street from Alameda Central, almost at the end of the park.

Buses have reserved spaces for wheelchairs, luggage and security cameras. Payments are made through a Metrobus Smart card which can be purchased at sales/top-up machines, located at the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 boarding areas. The cost for the service is $2 USD ($30.00 pesos) per person, per ride, departing from the Airport.

Taxi Service

Ignore those who approach you at the airport’s arrivals hall offering taxis. Authorized airport taxis provide a good and safe service. After exiting the baggage-claim area and before entering the public concourse (as well as near the far end of the terminal near Gate A in Terminal 1 and Gate 3 in Terminal 2), you will see booths marked with “TAXI”. Staff members at these authorized taxi booths wear signs with the legend “TAXI AUTORIZADO” (authorized taxi). Tell the ticket-seller your destination and get your ticket; the price is based on a zone system. Expect to pay around $25-30 USD for ticket to the Centro Histórico (historical center). A higher price is charged for rides later at night. Look for the taxi logo outside the airport and present your ticket to the driver. Taxis operate 24 hours a day at both terminals.

The taxi services authorized by the airport include:

Terminal 1:

Porto Taxi, Stand 300
Nueva Imagen
Excelencia

Terminal 2:

Porto Taxi, Stand 300
Nueva Imagen
Excelencia
Confort
Yellow Cab

In general, it is safer to avoid taking taxi cabs right off the street during your visit to Mexico City. Safe alternatives are taking the taxis at the hotel, at taxis bases (called “sitios”) or asking the hotel reception for a taxi service phone number.

Uber

If you prefer it, Uber service is available in Mexico City.

MAP OF THE CONFERENCE VENUE (Hilton Reforma in Mexico City, 4th Floor)

Rooms

Don Alberto 1 – Plenary room and Parallel session room.

Don Alberto 2 – Press room

Don Alberto 3 – Lunch and cocktail room

Doña Sol – Parallel session room

Don Julián – Parallel session room

Registration and Security

Registration will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 15, 2015.

For security reasons, all participants are required to present two forms of identification: a) driver license, passport, or other national identification card and b) identification card from your school or institution or an accreditation letter from your institution.

Speakers, discussants, chairs, and staff from Banco de México, World Bank, or other international institution need to present only one form of identification.

Press

Press and media representatives are also required to register and show an official ID and their credentials. Freelance journalists must present a letter stating who they are covering the event for.

During keynote addresses and panel sessions, an adjacent room with live transmission will be set up for the press.

Interpretation

English-Spanish interpretation will be available during the keynote addresses and the panel sessions only.

Internet Access

Free access will be available. Participants will be given the password at the conference venue.

Conference Material

Session papers will be provided on a USB stick in your conference bag and they will be available on the ABCDE website https://www.worldbank.org/abcde2015. Presentations will be available on the conference website after each session has concluded. Hard copies will not be provided.

Lunches, Cocktail, and Conference Dinner

Lunches will be served in the Don Alberto 3 room.

All participants are invited to a cocktail on Monday, June 15, 2015 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm in the Don Alberto 3 room.

Conference Dinner on Monday June 15, 2015 is by Invitation Only.

Contact us

For any logistics information, please contact Ms. Saida Gall (sgall@worldbank.org) or Gabriela Calderón (gabriela.calderon@banxico.org.mx).

The Government of Mexico requires residents of some countries to obtain a Visa before entering Mexico:

Citizens from the following countries DO NOT need a visa to enter Mexico.
Citizens from the following countries MUST obtain a visa to enter Mexico.

Since March 1, 2010, all U.S. citizens – including children – have been required to present a valid passport or passport card for travel into Mexico.

If you need a letter of invitation from the ABCDE to obtain a visa, please contact us at abcde@worlbank.org. Please note that the Consular Offices may ask for additional information