CEPAL Review no. 139

The COVID-19 pandemic and social policy narratives in Costa Rica: the story of a (fleeting) opportunity

Did the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic embolden ideas favourable to inclusive social policy in Latin America? This article addresses that question by examining the emergency cash transfer programme that was implemented in Costa Rica in 2020. Drawing on legislative debates and interviews with senior officials and analysts, the study reveals the fleeting emergence of ideas in favour of expanding non-contributory social protection. The new programme was quickly reined in by a discourse that assimilated fiscal responsibility to cutting social spending rather than expanding revenues. Avoid…

La pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) y las narrativas de la política social en Costa Rica: historia de una (breve) oportunidad

La pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19), ¿potenció ideas favorables a la política social inclusiva en América Latina? Este artículo aborda esta pregunta a través de un análisis del programa de transferencias monetarias de emergencia implementado durante 2020 en Costa Rica. A partir de debates legislativos y entrevistas a jerarcas y analistas, mostramos la presencia, muy acotada en el tiempo, de ideas favorables a extender la protección social no contributiva. El nuevo programa se vio rápidamente limitado por un discurso que asimilaba la responsabilidad fiscal a la reducción del ga…

Education during the pandemic: an opportunity to transform education systems in Latin America and the Caribbean

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a prolonged economic and social crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean, with profound consequences on the population’s well-being and a silent and devastating impact on education. The abrupt transition to distance learning, with one of the most extended school closures in the world, has had an unequal impact and highlighted pre-existing gaps in the region. The crisis has resulted in paradigm shifts, innovations and lessons learned concerning adapting to remote education, which impede education systems from returning to how things were and force them to restr…

La pandemia de COVID-19 como oportunidad de cambio: avanzar hacia la salud universal en América Latina

La pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) ha traído a la memoria los argumentos que motivaron los primeros esfuerzos dirigidos a crear sistemas nacionales de salud. La necesidad de mancomunar recursos, coordinar la acción de las instituciones y facilitar el acceso a servicios sigue siendo vital. El presente trabajo ofrece una caracterización y análisis de las reformas de los sistemas de salud de América Latina desde el siglo XX en adelante, con particular énfasis en aquellas realizadas desde 1990, para extraer lecciones y desafíos a fin de avanzar hacia una recuperación transformado…

Iberoamérica espacio de oportunidades para el crecimiento, la colaboración y el desarrollo sostenible

Quince oportunidades para el crecimiento, la colaboración y el desarrollo sostenible propuestas por la CEPAL

ECLAC Presents New Opportunities for Growth, Collaboration and Sustainable Development to Ibero-America’s Heads of State and Government

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) presented a document today to the Heads of State and Government of Ibero-America identifying 15 opportunities that hold great potential for promoting growth, creating employment and improving well-being in the region, through public policies, investment, public-private partnerships and international cooperation. The document entitled Ibero-America: A space of opportunities for growth, collaboration and sustainable development is a contribution by the United Nations regional commission to the debates of the XXVIII Ibero-America…

CEPAL presenta a Jefes y Jefas de Estado y de Gobierno de Iberoamérica nuevas oportunidades para el crecimiento, la colaboración y el desarrollo sostenible

La Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) presentó a los Jefes y Jefas de Estado y de Gobierno de Iberoamérica un documento que identifica quince oportunidades que poseen gran potencial para promover el crecimiento, generar empleo y mejorar el bienestar en la región, mediante políticas públicas, inversiones, alianzas público-privadas y cooperación internacional. El documento Iberoamérica: espacio de oportunidades para el crecimiento, la colaboración y el desarrollo sostenible es una contribución de la Comisión regional de las Naciones Unidas a los debates de la XXVIII Cumbr…

A CEPAL apresenta a Chefes de Estado e de Governo da Ibero-América novas oportunidades de crescimento, colaboração e desenvolvimento sustentável

A Comissão Econômica para a América Latina e o Caribe (CEPAL) apresentou aos Chefes de Estado e de Governo da Ibero-América um documento que identifica 15 oportunidades com grande potencial para promover o crescimento, gerar empregos e melhorar o bem-estar na região, mediante políticas públicas, investimentos, parcerias público-privadas e cooperação internacional. O documento Ibero-América: espaço de oportunidades para o crescimento, a colaboração e o desenvolvimento sustentável é uma contribuição da Comissão regional das Nações Unidas aos debates da XXVIII Cúpula Ibero-Americana , realizada e…

The Role of Data for SDG Advancement in the Caribbean

Emergency social protection against the impacts of the pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean: evidence and lessons learned for universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient social protection systems

This paper addresses the emergency non-contributory social protection measures announced in Latin American and Caribbean countries in 2020 and 2021 in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The rapid reaction of the region’s governments and the innovations implemented were key to reaching a large percentage of those affected and containing the adverse effects on poverty and inequality of the measures adopted to contain the pandemic. This process yielded fundamental lessons to advance in the development of mechanisms to provide efficient emergency social protection. The aim is…

The Hummingbird Vol. 10 No. 2

Report of the twenty-ninth session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Caribbean Outlook 3: Economic recovery and repositioning in the era of COVID-19. Policy Brief

The economies of the subregion were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those dependent on tourism. As a result, the Caribbean has seen a reversal of the hard-won gains achieved in growing their economies and reducing unemployment and inequality. The inflation stemming from pandemic supply chain disruption, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has made the sustained uptick in economic performance beyond pre-pandemic levels unlikely, notwithstanding strong growth estimates for 2021 and 2022. The last two years have taught the region that continued ‘business as usual’ is…

Improving broadband quality and affordability in the Caribbean: Policies to advance digital inclusion in the subregion. Policy Brief

In this digitally transforming world, digital inclusion is becoming increasingly important to social inclusion and sustainable development. Affordable access to broadband is an essential precondition to digital inclusion. Internet quality, as measured by speed and other indicators, is also important, as digital inclusion is ultimately about ensuring equal access to the benefits and opportunities offered by digital technologies and the Internet. This policy brief provides insight into Internet speed and affordability across the Caribbean, and offers some recommendations for policymakers working…

Panorama Social da América Latina e do Caribe 2022: A transformação da educação como base para o desenvolvimento sustentável. Resumo executivo

Esta edição do Panorama Social da América Latina e do Caribe, correspondente a 2022 da série anual publicada pela Comissão Econômica para a América Latina e o Caribe (CEPAL), aborda como tema central a educação e seu lugar no debate das políticas para a recuperação na região. Embora desde 2015 se observasse na região uma deterioração nos níveis de bem-estar, estagnação nos avanços do desempenho educacional e leve aumento da pobreza, a pandemia de COVID-19 gerou uma crise social significativa que se prolonga pelo terceiro ano. Apesar de se esperar o fim da pandemia, a região não conseguiu avanç…

The Pandemic is an Opportunity to Transform Education in Latin America and the Caribbean

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a silent educational crisis that threatens to affect the educational and labour trajectories of children, adolescents, and young people. Prior to the pandemic, education in the region was already facing significant inclusion and quality challenges. Hence, it is necessary to take advantage of the opportunity not only to recover but also to transform the region's education systems.…

La pandemia como una oportunidad para transformar la educación en América Latina y el Caribe

La pandemia por COVID-19 ha generado una crisis educativa silenciosa que amenaza con afectar las trayectorias educativas y laborales de niñas, niños, adolescentes y jóvenes. Previo a la pandemia, la educación en la región ya enfrentaba importantes deudas de inclusión y calidad, por lo que es necesario aprovechar la oportunidad no sólo para recuperar sino también transformar los sistemas educativos de la región.…

The impacts of the pandemic on the health and well-being of children in Latin America and the Caribbean and its effect on child-sensitive social protection systems

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on health, economic and social conditions in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, affecting different population groups in various ways. While children have not been among the main direct victims of the virus, the crisis triggered by the pandemic has placed children in a situation where they face obstacles to exercising their rights to health and education, social security, a standard of living that allows for their full development and protection from all forms of violence. These challenges are compounded by th…