Latin America and the Caribbean 30 Years on from the World Summit for Social Development: Towards a Global Pact for Inclusive Social Development

The Second World Summit for Social Development presents a landmark opportunity to analyse the current situation and take decisions that will enable effective and sustainable progress towards inclusive social development, so that all people are able to live free from poverty and achieve a level of well-being that aligns with high, sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and that enables the development of skills in conditions of freedom and dignity, with full exercise of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights and opportunities for recognition and participation to addr…

Actes du séminaire international Insécurité en Haïti et construction de nouveaux paradigmes

El Colegio de México et la Commission économique pour l’Amérique latine et les Caraïbes (CEPALC) ont organisé le Séminaire international Insécurité en Haïti et construction de nouveaux paradigmes à Mexico les 22 et 23 octobre 2024, dans le but d’approfondir les défis critiques auxquels est confrontée la nation caribéenne. Ce document résume les contributions des vingt-six spécialistes qui ont participé au séminaire, couvrant des sujets tels que l’analyse des racines historiques, socioéconomiques, géopolitiques et culturelles qui favorisent l’insécurité en Haïti. Le séminaire a suscité des réf…

The impact of climate change on child and youth poverty in Latin America

Climate change is transforming the way we live and redefining the future of childhood. In the Latin American and Caribbean region, children and young peopleⁱ face unprecedented risks that threaten their present and future opportunities. Climate change affects them disproportionately, as they are physically and physiologically more vulnerable to withstand and survive extreme weather conditions such as floods, droughts, storms and heat waves. This vulnerability is also due to their high economic dependence, the prevalence of poverty and the lack of access to essential services for their developm…

Report of the Eighth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development

Programme of work of the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES), 2026. Subprogramme 9: Planning and public management for development

Annotated provisional agenda. Twentieth meeting of the Regional Council for Planning of the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES)

Provisional agenda. Twentieth meeting of the Regional Council for Planning of the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES)

Strengthening the artificial intelligence readiness of the Caribbean. Policy Brief

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems, when applied well, could help in addressing key global challenges and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, these potential benefits will not materialize automatically. The use of AI also carries significant risks, such as disruption to job markets and economies, loss of cultural diversity, new AI-enabled digital weapons that increase misinformation and surveillance, and threats to human rights and democracy. While AI systems could support the achievement of many of the SDGs , they could also impede the achievement of others and increa…

Report of the special meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Update on institutions producing environment statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2023

The production of environment statistics in the countries of the region is influenced by institutions’ progress in incorporating such statistics into their own production processes. As recognized in the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics,1 environment statistics span many disciplines and pull data from a wide range of sources. Many institutions in addition to national statistical offices and environmental agencies or ministries play a key role in the production of environment statistics, the result of gradual development and systematization of methodological resources, too…

Biodiversity and development: thoughts from Latin America and the Caribbean

This document examines the challenges and opportunities facing Latin America and the Caribbean in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. While the region has abundant natural resources that have been instrumental in driving economic growth, their overexploitation has jeopardized this valuable heritage and exacerbated social inequality, and that, together with habitat loss, deforestation and climate change, threatens long-term sustainability. In that context, the development model must be reoriented towards a more sustainable one that values, preserves and regenerates the region…

Provisional agenda. Sixth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Annotated provisional agenda. Sixth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Recent experiences in implementing integrated national financing frameworks for Latin American and Caribbean countries

This document analyses the contributions made in the region by integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs). It highlights their potential to make it easier to finance the SDGs and other national priorities, expediting resource mobilization and the alignment of public policies. Examples in the region include Colombia, where budget tagging was implemented and tools were created to engage the private sector; Costa Rica, where support was provided to develop a framework for issuing sovereign sustainable bonds; and the Dominican Republic, where efforts have been made to identify financial gaps…

Methodology for the 2021 cycle of the International Comparison Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean

The 2021 cycle of the International Comparison Programme (ICP) reflects the commitment of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to strengthening the region’s statistical systems and ensuring the Programme’s continuity, in keeping with the guidelines of the International Comparison Programme Global Office of the World Bank. Among the entities tasked with compiling economic data, ECLAC covers the third-highest number of countries and territories, although the region accounts for just 7.3% of global GDP. This was a significant challenge, all the more so given the con…

The Care Society: Governance, Political Economy and Social Dialogue for a Transformation with Gender Equality

Building the care society is a vital transformation for substantive equality, sustainable development and peace. This paradigm prioritizes the sustainability of life and of the planet, and recognizes care as a need, a right, a public good and as crucial work to boost the economy. It also establishes a synergistic interdependence among people, the environment, and economic and social development. Governments now have a prime opportunity to drive this transformation and address a growing care crisis —exacerbated by population ageing and climate change effects— that far surpasses existing capaci…

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2025: resource mobilization to finance development. Executive summary

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean must urgently step up resource mobilization for development to avoid a third lost decade, amid a challenging and grim global landscape. This edition of the Economic Survey for Latin America and the Caribbean summarizes the key messages presented by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) —along with the countries of the region— at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Seville, Spain, in 2025. This Economic Survey analyses three key dimensions of resource mobilization: fiscal and str…

The right to care in Latin America and the Caribbean: progress on the regulatory front

The human right to care is essential for the sustainability of life and the planet and is one of the human rights recognized by international covenants and treaties as applying to everyone. As the Buenos Aires Commitment (2022) states, the right to care is based on the principles of equality, universality and social and gender co-responsibility. This right, whose foundations also include non-discrimination, progressiveness and interdependence, recognizes the value of care work and secures the rights of those requiring and providing care, as well as the right to exercise self-care. This means m…

Assessment of the effects and impacts of Hurricane Beryl on Barbados, 2024

Hurricane Beryl was the first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season and the earliest-forming category 5 hurricane on record. It impacted Barbados as a category 3 storm while passing approximately 150 km south of the island, generating large swells and waves that affected the island’s south and west coasts. While the storm caused only moderate damage to basic infrastructure and did not trigger a humanitarian crisis, it caused substantial damage to coastal assets. The storm’s overall effects were estimated at 193 million Barbados dollars, equivalent to 0.15% of the country’s GDP. Damage ac…

Recommendations for fintech sector development and leveraging of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology in Aruba

This report presents strategic recommendations for the development of Aruba's fintech sector with a focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technologies. It evaluates Aruba's readiness in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and the financial sector, comparing key indicators against counterparts in the region, including Curaçao, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The report highlights strenaths, such as stable democratic traditions, high education levels and a robust banking sector, and weaknesses, such as…