Uruguay and ECLAC Strengthen Cooperation

(13 August 2013) Today, Uruguay and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) signed an agreement in Montevideo to strengthen mutual cooperation activities in various areas of economic and social development.

The agreement was signed by Diego Cánepa, Pro-Secretary of the Office of the President, on behalf of the Uruguayan Government, and Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the United Nations regional commission. The agreement was concluded in the context of the First session of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is being held in the capital of Uruguay until Thursday 15 August.

In the agreement, both parties agree to implement technical and institutional cooperation activities and carry out studies and projects in the areas of planning, economic development policies, poverty and inequality measurement, fiscal policy, assessment of social programmes and policies, substantive equality among men and women in urban settings, inclusion policies for children and young people, cultural diversity and indigenous peoples in cities, and employment policies in urban economies.

There will also be professional exchanges in these areas, as well as the sharing of relevant printed and electronic materials.

Planned joint activities include seminars, workshops, training and discussion forums on social development issues in Latin American and Caribbean cities, as well as the organization of other events of mutual interest.

At the signing ceremony for the agreement, Diego Cánepa thanked ECLAC for its work towards public policy formulation in Uruguay and the entire region. He said "ECLAC is playing a key role in this new phase of Latin America. There is a new Latin American agenda: following the lost decade, we have had a winning decade, and the challenge is to extend this to most people, rather than just a few".

According to Minister Cánepa "ECLAC has been the regional leader in combating inequality, which is also a fundamental pillar for us in Uruguay. Thanks to the leadership and capability of Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC shows us and enables us to link the best quality public policies that are essential for our countries' development".

Alicia Bárcena highlighted Uruguay's leadership on social issues, which has achieved significant results on the equality agenda. She said "Since 2008, we have been saying that it was time for equality in Latin America. There are many gaps to close and trails to open. We cannot remain the most unequal continent in the world. This inequality hurts, as it works against development and prevents us from making the progress we would wish to".

Ms. Bárcena also emphasized that Uruguay provides a good example of a society that is proud of equality and sees equality as based on rights, as suggested by ECLAC in its most recent documents. She explained "We believe that all citizens have the right to equality and are entitled to rights. This is our guiding light".

Watch the First Session of the Regional Conference on Population and Development live online from Montevideo through the ECLAC website.

Any press queries should be sent to the ECLAC Public Information and Web Services Section in Santiago, Chile.

E-mail: prensa@cepal.org; Telephone: (56 2) 2210 2040.

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