The Sixth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by ECLAC, the government of Brazil and UNDP, will take place on September 2-4.

Senior authorities from social ministries and related entities in the region’s countries will gather in Brasilia on September 2-4, 2025 to participate in the Sixth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the government of Brazil and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which will hold its 16th Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean simultaneously.

The opening ceremony will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 2, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. local time in Brasilia (GMT-3), featuring remarks by Wellington Dias, Minister of Social Development and Assistance, Family Affairs and the Fight against Hunger of Brazil; Javiera Toro, Minister of Social Development and Family Affairs of Chile, the country that served as Chair of the Conference over the last two years; Almudena Fernández, UNDP’s Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean; Silvia Rucks, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Brazil; and José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC (virtually).

Authorities from the following countries are expected to attend: Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The Regional Conference is a key space for dialogue and cooperation between governments, international organizations, academia and civil society to move towards inclusive social development in the region.

At this event, ECLAC will present the document Latin America and the Caribbean 30 Years on from the World Summit for Social Development: Towards a Global Pact for Inclusive Social Development, which examines the proposal that Latin America and the Caribbean’s Social Development Ministries and equivalent entities aim to take to this year’s Second World Social Summit – to be held on November 4-6 in Qatar – regarding the need to adopt a global pact for inclusive social development to reinforce the social commitments of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The programme for the Conference in Brasília includes five high-level panels that will address critical issues such as: poverty, hunger and the trap of high inequality, low mobility and weak social cohesion; social protection and care systems; the exercise of rights to health and education; social resilience; and emerging challenges such as climate change, population ageing and technological transformation. In addition, a special statement is planned by Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations.

Prior to the start of official activities, on Monday, September 1, civil society will be meeting. There will also be a series of side events taking place.

The Sixth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean is being held with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain/AECID/Spanish Cooperation; Cooperation from the Republic of Korea; the United Nations Development Account; German Cooperation; the European Union; the Federal Data Processing Service (SERPRO); and the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA).

Journalists interested in covering this event in person must get accredited via the following link. Those professionals whose registration has been accepted by the organizers will be able to pick up their credentials as of Monday, September 1, upon presenting their official IDs and/or press identification.

All available information on the Conference, including the programme and press registration, can be found on this special website: https://crds.cepal.org/6/en

WHAT: Sixth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 2 through Thursday, September 4, 2025.

WHO: Senior authorities from social ministries and related entities in the region’s countries and representatives of international organizations, academia and civil society.

WHERE: Headquarters of the Servicio Federal de Procesamiento de Datos (SERPRO). (Sector de Grandes Áreas Norte (SGAN), Cuadra 601, Módulo V, Ala Norte, Brasília. Federal District, 70836-900, Brazil).

All the event’s panels will be transmitted live via the following platforms:

• Home page of ECLAC’s main website: www.cepal.org
• Special site for transmission: https://live.cepal.org/CRDS/
• ECLAC’s official account on X: https://x.com/cepal_onu
• ECLAC’s official account on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cepal.onu