The implementation process of the Infrastructure Observatory
October 2025
At the VI Meeting of the South American Infrastructure Network, held in October 2024, the formal discussion took place on the creation of the South American Infrastructure Observatory.
The next step took place during the First High-Level Meeting of the Network, held in Bogotá, Colombia, in December 2024. On that occasion, the member countries defined and approved the platform’s Implementation Plan and also requested support from the Alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean Integration and Development (ILAT) to help bring it to fruition.
The Infrastructure Observatory is built on three pillars: the digital platform, the Geoportal, and the Project Database.
Methodology and key definitions
During the second half of 2025, a collaborative work methodology was carried out, consisting of 21 weekly virtual meetings attended by focal points designated by the 12 South American countries.
In total, more than 600 participants took part in the successive meetings, fostering a collaborative spirit that enabled progress in making key decisions for the Observatory’s implementation. Throughout the process, various tools were used to gather information and support joint decision-making.
As a result, the following milestones were achieved:
- Joint decisions on the platform’s components and structure
- Definition of the Design and Visual Identity
- Validation of the Geographic Information System (GIS) Methodology
- Conceptual definitions for the Observatory’s descriptive narrative
- Delivery of thematic layers for the Geoportal
- Selection of the web domain
In addition, progress was made on the design and structure of two major areas of the digital platform: the Infrastructure Project Database and the Geoportal (Geographic Information System).
Thanks to the commitment and information contributions from the 12 countries, along with the support of regional multilateral banks — IDB, CAF, and FONPLATA — the Observatory’s digital platform was delivered within the established timeframe.