The Hummingbird Vol.5 No.2

Inclusive social protection and demographic change: The implications of population ageing for social expenditure in the Caribbean

As population age structures change over the coming decades, the cost of providing public education, pensions and health care will change significantly. Falling child dependency ratios and increasing old-age dependency ratios will affect the number of people that receive education and pension benefits. The changing age profile of the population will also affect the demand for health services. This study analyses how public expenditure in these areas, in 10 Caribbean countries, is likely to evolve in response to these demographic changes. It describes how populations are ageing in the Caribbean…

Review of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism for the implementation of the sustainable development agenda in the small island developing States of the Caribbean: A proposal for consideration by the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee

This paper examines the Regional Coordinating Mechanism (RCM) for the implementation of the SIDS development agenda in the Caribbean1, with a view towards determining its future articulation. The paper outlines the RCM concept and its historical context and examines the continued relevance of the RCM in light of the changing multilateral framework for SIDS development. The current status of the RCM is reviewed and the required legal and administrative context for a renewed RCM is discussed. The paper also presents recommendations for the future operation of the RCM.…

Development and conflicts linked to infrastructure construction

This document presents a preliminary examination of a set of social and environmental aspects that should be considered in order to prevent and appropriately address infrastructure-related conflicts, underscoring that conflicts are inherent to development and can offer an opportunity for change when managed well. First, the document describes the infrastructure development context in Latin American and Caribbean and provides a preliminary overview of the number of conflicts linked to the construction of transport and water management infrastructure. The second section analyses the relationship…

Caribbean synthesis report on the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and the San José Charter on the Rights of Older Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean

This report summarises the progress and challenges faced by the English French and Dutch-speaking Member and Associate Member Countries of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) in the implementation of the San José Charter on the rights of older persons in Latin America and the Caribbean and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) of 2002. The report forms part of the third cycle of review and appraisal of the implementation of MIPAA at the regional level and is based on replies received from States and other stakeholders to a questionnaire prepared by th…

Advancing the economic empowerment and autonomy of women in the Caribbean through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This paper is focused on the economic empowerment and autonomy of women and girls as a strategy for accelerating gender equality through the implementation of the SDGs, which provides the framework for mainstreaming gender issues into all stages of national policies and programmes. In making this argument, the paper highlights some of the major challenges facing the Caribbean subregion in its efforts to achieve greater equality, particularly gender equality, and to promote sustainable development for all.…

Exploring new forms of cooperation between China and Latin America and the Caribbean / 探索拉丁美洲和加 勒比地区与中国合 作的新空间

This document is a contribution by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for the discussions at the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which will take place in Santiago on 22 January 2018. It was prepared on the basis of the main issues addressed at the First CELAC-China High-level Academic Forum, held at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago on 17 and 18 October 2017. The document summarizes the trade, financial and investment relationships between the region and China, and their respective …

Confronting inequality: Social protection for families and early childhood through monetary transfers and care worldwide

This paper analyzes social protection policies for families and early childhood focusing on three main policies: family allowances and other types of monetary transfers for families with children, work leaves and early childhood education and care (ECEC) policies worldwide. It analyzes the design and reform of policies which protect families with children and early childhood comparing Latin America with other regions in the world. This analysis not only includes the basic description of these policies and its main features worldwide and across regions, but also pays attention to how these poli…

Proposal on a regional framework of indicators for monitoring the sustainable development goals in Latin America and the Caribbean (Document prepared by the technical secretariat for the Statistical Coordination Group for the 2030 Agenda in Latin Ameri...

Civil society participation in the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development. Note by the Secretariat

Addressing capacity gaps in the production of the SDG indicators in the Caribbean

The Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Indicator Framework is endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission as the monitoring mechanism for the 169 targets and more than 230 indicators of the SDGs. Reporting of these indicators will pose a formidable challenge to the Caribbean given the statistical capacity of countries of the subregion. The results of an ECLAC survey show that only three of the eleven countries that participated reported having the capacity to produce at least 50 per cent of the indicators. The capacities of National Statistical Offices will need to be signif…

Report on the implementation of the 2016-2017 biennial programme of regional and international cooperation activities of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean

Report on the activities of the Statistical Coordination Group for the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean in the biennium 2016-2017

The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A Perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean 2017-2018

This document, result of a joint effort by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), analyzes the main changes that have taken place in agriculture and the rural milieu during the 2016-2017 period. It also considers the prospects and main trends in the region, in a context characterized by a slow and uneven global economic recovery in 2016, but with signs of an economic upturn in 2017, and by a continuous reduction in poverty, the poverty…

Linkages between the social and production spheres: Gaps, pillars and challenges

Latin American and Caribbean region is facing a complex set of economic and social circumstances that threaten the conditions needed for further progress towards the goal of eradicating all forms of poverty and ensuring that no one is left behind, as required by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These temporary challenges are compounded by structural problems, such as low productivity, high levels of inequality, social exclusion and a failure to care for the environment. This document argues that to overcome those challenges and ensure the economic, social and cultural rights of the…

The rise of green bonds: Financing for development in Latin America and the Caribbean

The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals present a unique opportunity to promote new instruments and innovative mechanisms for financing social and production development in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Green bonds” are an example of alternative financial instruments becoming increasingly available to investors. This report examines the growing green bond market, with emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean.…

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.10

Social Panorama of Latin America 2016

The central theme of this edition of Social Panorama of Latin America is social inequality, seen as a fundamental challenge and obstacle to sustainable development. Some of the axes and aspects of social inequality are addressed, drawing attention to how they intersect with and reinforce one another. The different chapters will examine inequalities in the distribution of income (personal and functional) and property; inequalities over the course of the life cycle; time-use inequalities between men and women; and the situation of Afrodescendent populations as an example of ethnic and racial ine…

Subregional Action Plan for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in the Caribbean: Prioritizing subregional challenges and opportunities 2016-2036

The Regional Action Plan for the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean (RAP) seeks to be the regional expression of the New Urban Agenda, setting out potential actions and interventions as well as relevant and priority policy guidance for all Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in order to achieve sustainable urban development.This document was prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Assembly of Ministers and High Authorit…

Sustainable Development Goals implementation in the Caribbean