Latin American markets had another good year in 2006. The liquidity environment remained supportive, credit quality continued to improve, and concerns that the heavy electoral calendar would increase volatility did not materialize. Latin America continued to reap the benefits from the commodities boom, while rising oil prices during most of the year continued to be a net positive for oil exporting countries; together with a significant increase in remittances from Latin Americans abroad they contributed to increase the region's current account surplus. Latin American stocks surged to a fo…
The report The situation of youth in select Caribbean countries presents the preliminary findings of a joint regional study undertaken by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); during the 2006 to 2007 biennium. The purpose of the project was to analyse the status of youth in a number of Caribbean and Latin American countries in terms of education, employment and sexual and reproductive health using available 2000 census data.…
Con la participación de la Presidenta de Chile, Michelle Bachelet; la Vicepresidenta Primera, Ministra de la Presidencia y portavoz del Gobierno de España, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega; y el Presidente de Ecuador, Rafael Correa, se inauguró hoy en Quito la Décima Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe, el foro intergubernamental más importante de la región para el análisis de políticas públicas desde una perspectiva de género. La Conferencia es convocada por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) y en esta oportunidad cuenta con el apoyo d…
Con la aprobación del documento Consenso de Quito por parte de los gobiernos de 33 países participantes en la Décima Conferencia Regional sobre la mujer de América Latina y el Caribe, finalizó hoy en Ecuador el foro intergubernamental más importante de la región para el análisis de políticas públicas desde una perspectiva de género, convocado por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
En el Consenso de Quito los países acuerdan adoptar todas las medidas de acción positiva y todos los mecanismos necesarios, incluidas las reformas legislativas y las asignaciones presupues…
This paper is to assist governments and other concerned parties in the subregion to identify, at the national and regional levels, already existing mechanisms for migration data collection, management and sharing and to provide guidance on how to identify and bridge the still existing information gaps on migration data in the subregion…
Aprobar un programa de trabajo que impulse el desarrollo de las estadísticas de género en la región, y proyectos de capacitación de expertos e instructores para que repliquen los conocimientos adquiridos sobre mediciones en ámbitos nacionales y subregionales, son algunos de los objetivos de la Séptima Reunión del Comité Ejecutivo de la Conferencia Estadística de las Américas (CEA) de la CEPAL. La Conferencia Estadística de las Américas es un órgano subsidiario de la CEPAL, que actúa como foro intergubernamental de alto nivel para la promoción de las estadísticas oficiales y…
El presente documento constituye una recopilación de las evaluaciones de los programas de reducción de la pobreza y precariedad del hábitat y fue presentado en 2006 en el III Foro Urbano Mundial. Estas evaluaciones se realizaron a través de un cuestionario base distribuido a los países de la región y en el que se incluyeron los aspectos prioritarios del Plan de Acción Regional para los Asentamientos Humanos adoptado en 1995 y actualizado en el 2001 por los países de la Región. El análisis de la aplicación de estos programas, a fin de incorporar esas experiencias en el Programa Regional de Vivi…
In January 2005 the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) was realized in Kobe, Japan. The fact that the Conference was held only weeks after the tragic tsunami that took place in the Indian Ocean region on 26 December 2004, allowed the WCDR to gain a significance that few would have predicted only some weeks before. The conference aimed at defining clear plans for future progress. One outcome was the Hyogo Declaration. Another momentous approach to further commitment was fostered with the adoption of the Hyogo Framework of Action for 2005 - 2015. The WCDR once again highlighted what a…
The importance of science and technology (S&T) in Small Island Developing States
(SIDS) is clearly articulated in Chapter XI, paragraphs 57, 58, 61 and 62 of the Mauritius
Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States (MSI). At the regional level, the Heads of
Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) noted the challenge that CARICOM
member States face in competing in this new international economic environment in which the
impact of scientific and technological change has created a knowledge-based glo…
The Caribbean region has an exceptional potential for becoming an international hub of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) services hosting, outsourcing and delivery.Its strategic location, similar time zones and relative short distances to North, South and Central America major trading centers, make it an ideal choice for the establishment of “near-shore” business operations connected to business and economic activity throughout the continent.Native domain of English and Spanish languages, cultural compatibility with the rest of the American continent and even Europe, its cultur…
ABSTRACTThe main objective of this document is to show the application of modern econometric techniques, and compare the results obtained from non-stationary time series technique against those from the non-stationary panel date technique applied to a specific macroeconomic problem such as the export-led growth hypothesis.From the results of the country-by-country analysis we found evidence in favor of the export-led growth hypothesis only for 5 countries out of 40. On the other hand, using panel data techniques we found that the hypothesis holds for our sample. However, this result is valid o…
Social protection was the core of the Thirty-first Session of the economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC);, held in Montevideo in March 2006The discussions focused on the need for a new approach to social protection, given the structural changes the region is experiencing. It was suggested that this approach should be the result of a new rights-based social covenant, in which social rights are seen as the normative horizon, and existing inequalities and budgetary restrictions are the limiting factors to be addressed (ECLAC, 2006a);.…
Abstract
Guyana depends on imported fuel to meet the needs of its transport sector. In recent years, pricesof derivatives of petroleum have increased significantly, further widening the current account
deficit. In 2005, fuel accounted for 29% of the value of imports of the country.
The technology of using ethanol mixed with gasoline in four-stroke cycle engines is wellknown,
and, does not require any changes in vehicles for levels of ethanol in the mixture up to
10%. This technology is used in many countries with vehicle fleets, similar to those of Guyana.
The sugarcane industry of Guyana cons…
Region is on Track to Fulfil the Millennium Development Goal of Reducing Extreme Poverty by Half. ECLAC Calls for More Pro-Active Policies to Reduce Inequality in Educational Systems. Three Considerations on Fighting Poverty and Indigence in Latin America. Op-ed by ECLAC's Executive Secretary, José Luis Machinea. Highlights. At the Tipping Point, by Ban Ki-moon, United Nations' Secretary-General. Indicators Against Gender Violence and for More Active Participation of Women in Peacekeeping Operations. Recent titles. Calendar of events…
Commercial bioprospecting activities in Latin America and the Caribbean assume various different forms and approaches in accordance with the target markets, the country context and business models involved. While prospecting for medicinally or industrially valuable substances derived from natural resources is not necessarily a new phenomenon, the systematic search for biologically active compounds in nature has gained a new significance as a component of biodiversity conservation strategies. Furthermore, the increasing availability of new scientific and technological tools have enabled new lev…
Social Cohesion: Inclusion and a Sense of Belonging in Latin America and the Caribbean Fiscal Policy in Boom Times Op-ed by ECLAC's Executive Secretary, José Luis Machinea: For Latin America and the Caribbean, a Time of Opportunities and Threats Highlights: eLAC2007 Regional Action Plan: New Regional Group Works for an Inclusive Information Society. By Marta Maurás, Secretary of the Commission, ECLAC Indicators Corporate Governance, Social Responsibility and Business Strategies in Latin America Recent titles Calendar of events…
Este documento fue preparado por Marlon Ramsses Tábora, consultor de la Unidad de Comercio Internacional e Industria de la Sede Subregional de la CEPAL en México, en el marco del Proyecto IDRC/CEPAL, Reforzando la competencia en el Istmo centroamericano: Políticas e instituciones nacionales, coordinación regional y participación en negociaciones internacionales (CAN/04/001). Competition and regulation of telecommunications: the case of Honduras Abstract: This report was put together by Marion Ramsses Tábora, consultant for the Unit of Internation Trade and Industry for the Mex…
This report addresses the organization, nature, and prospects for labor law enforcement in Central America and the Dominican Republic. It draws a distinction between the Anglo-American approach to enforcement, which is rooted in deterrence and punishment, and the Latin alternative, which is rooted in conciliation and training. And it argues that the Latin approach is--at least in theory--better able to reconcile the labor force's need for protection with the economy's demand for flexibility. Finally, it reviews recent changes in the subregion's labor inspection systems, …