(28 June 2013) In recent years, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has strengthened its electronic dissemination platform to facilitate and extend access by Member States and the public to the intellectual assets of this United Nations regional commission, thereby boosting user feedback and reducing the economic and environmental costs of using paper.
Since it was created over 60 years ago, this think tank for economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean has produced a large amount of information and knowledge in many formats, from statistics and positions papers to thematic publications and audiovisual materials.
The ECLAC Publications website currently has over 4,000 downloadable digital publications in various formats, as well as an annual digital catalogue of publications and electronic news bulletins.
Users can also enjoy the benefits of 120 e-books in epub and mobi formats free of charge, as well as two mobile apps: "CEPAL Review" and "Annual ECLAC reports", which are available from GooglePlay and Appstore. These apps have a browser that provides quick and easy access to all parts of these publications.
The ECLAC Library has over 100,000 volumes and more than 84,000 electronic titles (in excess of 70,000 journals and 12,000 books). The library is also carrying out projects to digitize and preserve all of the Commission's historic documents from 1948 onwards.
The online catalogue can be used to access the complete text of over 15,000 ECLAC documents and publications, while the multi-search function consults more than 40 specialized databases simultaneously. Specific information on Raúl Prebisch - former Executive Secretary and one of the main founding theorists - can be found on the following website ://prebisch.cepal.org/en.
According to the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena "ECLAC is committed to development with equality in Latin America and the Caribbean, and an essential part of this task is the wide and free dissemination of studies and statistics produced by the Commission to support the design, implementation and assessment of public policies in the region's countries".
The ECLAC Press Centre enables users to access special coverage and factual material on the day-to-day operations of the Commission, including news, press releases, bulletins, speeches, presentations, biographies, videos and photographs. Through the ECLAC Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube accounts, the Press Centre also provides real-time information on the Commission's activities in Spanish and English.
The revamped statistical information website, CEPALSTAT, systematizes, disseminates and documents regionally comparable information produced by countries' official agencies, ECLAC and international agencies, as well as relevant indicators on the region's economic, social and environmental situation, while facilitating user access through various online apps.
ECLAC has also created many observatories to analyse the region's economic and social situation.
The Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean, established at the request of the Member States of the Commission, monitors gender equality advances in terms of respect for the physical, economic and decision-making autonomy of women, while the Fiscal Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean (OFILAC) analyses and follows-up the fiscal policy of the region's countries to promote debate among authorities and experts.
The Demographic Observatory is an annual online publication in Spanish and English that provides population estimates and projections for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Regional Observatory on Broadband regularly produces information on broadband services (particularly penetration, charges and connection speeds).
Lastly, the recently created Latin America - Asia Pacific Observatory is a joint initiative from ECLAC, CAF- Development Bank of Latin American and ALADI, with a Commercial-Economic Monitor that enables users to search online for the main economic and trade indicators for countries from both regions.
Any queries should be sent to the ECLAC Public Information and Web Services Section.
E-mail: prensa@cepal.org; Telephone: (56 2) 210 2040.
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