Raúl Prebisch and the development agenda at the dawn of the twenty-first century

The hundredth anniversary of the birth of Raúl Prebisch is an invaluable opportunity for us to take another look at the ideas of this great Latin American, one of the thinkers from the developing world who has had the strongest influence in world economic debates. His ideas have been the subject of heavy criticism, but much of this has been based on distorted versions of his thinking or of its practical application, rather than his true intellectual work. Taking his proposals out of their historical context has also been a frequent practice, even by some of his own followers. It should be reme…

The status of biodiversity and bioprospecting efforts in the Caribbean subregion

Introduction Biodiversity, as the name implies, is the term used to describe the differences that exist between and among the various species of organisms on the planet earth. Biodiversity can be measured on a worldwide basis, on a regional basis, on a national basis, as well as on a zonal basis. The interactions of these various species provide the basis for sustaining life, human life in particular. On that basis then, it is of utmost importance that the biodiversity of any area be preserved and this can only be done by a proper understanding of the organisms, their relative positions and in…

New technologies in agriculture

Introduction At the twentieth meeting of the Standing Committee of Ministers Responsible for Agriculture under the heading 'Technology Generation, Validation and Transfer', the discussions centered around the formation of yet another institution Â- PROCICARIBE - to 'integrate and coordinate all the agricultural research and development organizations throughout the Caribbean involved in technology development, export market development and the garnering of funds in support thereof.' It is interesting to note that the above in total or parts were already the mandate of the Ca…

La Facilitación del comercio en el proceso para constituir el Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas (ALCA)

Desde el punto de vista de su contenido, el presente artículo es una continuación natural tanto del Boletín FAL No. 167 como del Boletín FAL No. 171. En efecto, dado que en el Boletín FAL No. 167 se avanzó conceptualmente en la definición del término facilitación del comercio y en explicar de manera general la forma en que este tema es abordado en algunos organismos internacionales, así como en el proceso para constituir el ALCA, en el presente artículo se amplía y profundiza la información referida a la facilitación del comercio en este último foro negociador, el cual agrupa al considerable n…

Trade and maritime transport between Africa and South America

Summary Trade between Africa and South America is of relatively minor importance for each region. The main purpose of this report is to determine if a scarcity of maritime transport services could explain this comparative unimportance. More than half of all trade between the two regions is accounted for by just ten specific bilateral flows in petroleum, grain, iron ore, coal, and sugar. Almost all inter-regional trade moves by sea, mostly by non-liner charter shipping services. Trade between Africa and South America is subject to relatively low freight rates, mainly due to the type of produ…

An evaluative study of the implementation of domestic violence legislation: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitss

Preface A central role of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean is the provision of critical thinking and information to governments to assist in policy formulation and evaluation. In meeting that role, ECLAC emphasises the research endeavour and, more particularly, research which elicits new insights and throws up practical solutions and recommendations. This study was undertaken as a component of technical assistance to the Family Law and Domestic Violence Legislative Reform Project piloted by the Eastern Carib…

The gender perspective in economic and labour policies: state of the art in Latin America and the Caribbean

The member countries of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) have called for an integrated approach to development. Despite making significant macroeconomic progress in the 1990s, the Latin American economies reached the end of the decade with relative poverty levels above those of 1980, while labour market conditions have worsened in most countries. To achieve development with equity, it is essential to apply a gender perspective to public-policy formation, as a technical-analytical instrument to accompany the overall ethical-political goal. For the United Nati…

Advancing gender equality in the Caribbean: legislative approaches to sex discrimination

Introduction The 1990s was marked by a process of review of governmental policy towards the attainment of the goal of gender equality and equity. To a large extent, this review process was facilitated and strengthened by the preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women which allowed for assessments and reviews both of the achievements and as well as the strategies for the promotion of gender equality. In this review, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean/Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (ECLAC/CDCC) secretariat convened the Third Ministeria…

Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2000 = Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2000

La edición 2000 del Anuario estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe contiene una selección actualizada a comienzos de diciembre de las principales series estadísticas disponibles sobre la evolución económica y social de los países de la región. Representa un sistemático esfuerzo de la División de Estadística y Proyecciones de la CEPAL, orientado a homogeneizar las cifras y a hacerlas internacionalmente comparables. La primera parte comprende indicadores socioeconómicos derivados (tasas de crecimiento, proporciones o coeficientes), que representan una visión resumida de cada área de interés y…

Caribbean SIDS Prepare for Johannesburg 2002 - The World Summit on Sustainable Development

La facilitación del comercio en el Foro de Cooperación Económica Asia-Pacífico (APEC)

En términos de su contenido, este artículo sigue la línea del Boletín FAL No. 167, si bien ahora se revisa exclusivamente lo que ha ocurrido en materia de facilitación del comercio en APEC. Así, se amplían y actualizan los antecedentes anteriormente entregados en el citado Boletín. Además, se han incorporado más elementos analíticos.…

Debt for nature: a swap whose time has gone?

Abstract This paper purports to review the performance of the Debt for Nature Swap (DNS) Programs in light of their dual objectives of lowering deforestation rates as well as the cost of debt servicing. It evaluates the performance of private and Public DNS and inquires whether such swaps have made any significant dent on the debt and deforestation problems besetting many developing countries. It also assesses the prospects for such swaps in the future. We argue that since the prospects for DNS are limited, a more conducive solution for the deforestation problem in many developing countries ma…

Measures for controlling traffic congestion

La congestión de tránsito se ha transformado en un severo flagelo en las ciudades grandes, tanto en países industrializados como en los en desarrollo. El aumento de la demanda de transporte y del tránsito urbanos han traído como consecuencia mayores tiempos de viaje, accidentes, problemas ambientales y deterioro de la calidad de vida, bastante mayores que los considerados aceptables por los ciudadanos.Los negativos impactos de la congestión exigen un esfuerzo multidisciplinario para mantenerla bajo control y asegurar la sostenibilidad de los niveles de vida. La gravedad del problema ha hecho q…