Draft programme of work of the ECLAC system, 2022

The draft programme of work of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for 2022 is hereby submitted to the member States of the Commission for their consideration. This draft programme is based on the programme of work for the Commission and the priorities for 2022 that will be considered by the Committee for Programme and Coordination and the United Nations General Assembly as part of the intergovernmental reviewing exercise. The overall purpose of the programme is to promote the economic, social and environmentally sustainable development of Latin America and the …

Food systems and COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean N° 15: Towards inclusive, responsible and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture

In Latin America and the Caribbean, fishing and aquaculture are fundamental in social, economic and nutritional terms: 85 percent of fish and seafood products that reach the tables of the region's households come from small-scale fishing. Besides, it represents the livelihood of 1.8 million families. Unfortunately, the crisis has heavily affected fisheries and aquaculture. The restrictive health measures have had adverse effects on the free operation of the sector, and the crisis has changed consumption habits. The sector needs short term action; it also needs to modify some aspects of th…

U.S. Economic Outlook: First Half 2020

The U.S. economy shrank at a 32.7% annual rate in the second quarter of 2020 and at a 5% pace in the first. The decline was driven by a big collapse in private consumption, concentrated in the services sector. Shutdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus had a deep impact on the economy, particularly on the services sector. Economic forecasts project a rebound in the third quarter that would recoup about half of the output lost in the first half of the year. To return to the previous peak recorded in the final quarter of last year, the economy would need to grow at roughly the same pace in …

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2020: Main conditioning factors of fiscal and monetary policies in the post-COVID-19 era

This edition, No. 72 of the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, analyses the effects and challenges of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic for the region during 2020 and the outlook that is taking shape for the years to come. This study is divided into three parts. Part I outlines the region’s economic performance in 2019, then analyses the first six months of 2020 and the outlook for the remainder of the year. The external and internal impacts of the responses to the pandemic are examined, as are their effects on the region’s economic performance, focusing on growth pa…

The Hummingbird Vol. 7 No. 10

Food systems and COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean N° 14: Labour market response

Despite the extraordinary and often unprecedented measures introduced around the world, the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis to labour markets is enormous and leaves policymakers facing significant challenges.…

Report of the twenty-eighth session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee

Latin American Economic Outlook 2020: Digital transformation for building back better

The Latin American Economic Outlook (LEO) 2020 focuses on the role of digital transformation in helping to navigate through challenging times. The Covid-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on socio-economic conditions, accentuating the already complex scenario faced by a region with significant structural weaknesses. This unprecedented crisis comes at a time of high aspirations and reinforces the need to transform the very foundations of the development model in the region. The report explores how digital transformation can help to cope with the current socio-economic situation, boost prod…

Food systems and COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean N° 13: Financing measures to overcome the crisis

This edition of the newsletter provides to its users a summary of the main sources and objectives of financing that are being implemented and discussed in the world and the region.…

ECLA, Washington and Inter-American Economic Relations, 1948–1968

Inter-American economic relations underwent significant changes since the end of World War II, with the creation of hemispheric institutions, such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA). This document examines two decades of interaction on economic affairs between the Latin American and United States governments, in the setting provided by these hemispheric institutions.…

Policy expansion in compressed time: Assessing the speed, breadth and sufficiency of post-COVID-19 social protection measures in 10 Latin American countries

The document analyzes the social protection responses of ten Latin American countries since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020. The first section outlines the social context at the time the pandemic hit, case selection of the ten countries examined, and data on existing social protections. The second section provides an overview of income protection responses in response to COVID-19, in the ten countries, assessing speed, breadth and sufficiency. The third section provides detailed country responses in paired comparisons: Argentina and Chile; Peru and the Plurinational State …

United States - Latin America and the Caribbean Trade Developments 2020

United States Trade Developments 2020 provides an overview of selected developments in United States trade relations with Latin America and the Caribbean and of measures that inhibit the free flow of goods among countries in the Western Hemisphere. This is an annual report elaborated by the ECLAC Washington Office. This year’s report has a special focus on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade related issues. Specifically, it provides information on the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. trade and migration flows, supply chains as well as some of the restrictions to the move…

Bilateral effects of non-tariff measures on international trade: Volume-based panel estimates

Seeking to deepen the understanding about the relationship between non-tariff measures (NTMs) and international trade, this work estimates bilateral volume effects of imposing NTMs on international trade, focusing on two of the most observed measures: technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures. Estimates were carried out for more than 5,000 products at the 6-digit level of the Harmonized System using a panel for 2001-2015 with NTM data notified by more than 150 member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO).…

The impact of “incomplete contracts” on long-term infrastructure concessions

Provision of infrastructure services is one of the development bottlenecks for Latin American and Caribbean countries. As the Infrastructure Services Unit team has found in its analysis and has warned for many years, policies in the region have been characterized by underinvestment, fragmentation, and a lack of resilience-related sustainability, to name but a few qualities. This issue of the bulletin addresses potential problems with long-term infrastructure concession agreements, drawing on theoretical developments regarding incomplete contracts. It offers a preliminary examination of specifi…

Overview of energy innovation investments in Brazil: data for an energy big push

Today, Brazil and many countries around the world are seeking to stimulate economic recovery and improve people’s quality of life. In this context, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations has been developing the Big Push for Sustainability, a renewed approach to support the efforts of the countries of the region to design more sustainable development models, by coordinating policies to promote investments that will transform existing models. The ECLAC office in Brasilia and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE), in conjunction …

A big push for sustainability in Brazil’s energy sector Input and evidence for policy coordination

Today, Brazil and many countries around the world are seeking to stimulate economic recovery and improve people’s quality of life. In this context, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations has been developing the Big Push for Sustainability, a renewed approach to support the efforts of the countries of the region to design more sustainable development models, by coordinating policies to promote investments that will transform existing models. The ECLAC office in Brasilia and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE), in conjunction …

Investing for the future in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean is a large, heterogeneous region that has been open to foreign direct investment (FDI) and is home to two of the top FDI recipient economies in the world: Brazil and Mexico. The trade and investment relationship between the region and the member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) has been concentrated on infrastructure and energy, and to a lesser extent commercial and financial services, agriculture and tourism. Both regions could exploit synergies to benefit more from bilateral …

Natural Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean - No.1

The objective of this bulletin is to disseminate the progress made in the areas of governance, policies, management and use of natural resources and of the relevant basic and ecosystem services in Latin America and the Caribbean.…

The use of technology and innovative approaches in disaster and risk management: a characterization of Caribbean countries’ experiences

The application of technologies, research, development, promotion of innovative approaches and local knowledge to confront complex issues posed by hazards are important components of managing disaster risks and guiding informed decision-making. Hence commitments to support and enhance access to technologies and to foster innovative approaches to risk reduction, preparedness and resilient recovery are essential requirements for the management of current and future disasters in the Caribbean subregion. Considering the importance of Disaster and Risk Management (DRM), the aim of this study is to …

Cybersecurity and the role of the Board of Directors in Latin America and the Caribbean

This paper presents and discusses the relation between cybersecurity and corporate governance in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean. It notes that progress has been made in improving corporate cybersecurity within the region mostly from a data protection perspective, either as a result of internally driven or regulatory motivated corporate initiatives, but that not enough headway has been made regarding the cyber risks affecting critical infrastructure and essential services in the hands of private or State-owned companies. The paper describes some of the best corporate governance …