Estimating the effects of United States food safety and agricultural health standards on agro-food exports from Latin America and the Caribbean

Food safety and agricultural health standards have become a mayor challenge for food exports from developing countries in the past few years (Jaffe & Henson, 2005; OECD, 2003; Josling, Roberts & Orden, 2004; Maskus & Wilson, 2001). As tariff rates were negotiated down in the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in regional and bilateral trade agreements, international trade in agro-food products increased substantially and so did concerns over food safety and agricultural health in food importing countries. Several countries, including the U.S, started to pay closer at…

Compendium of practices on the implementation of ICT questions in households and businesses surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean 2010

The Compendium of practices on the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT); questions in households and businesses surveys has been prepared by the Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (OSILAC);, in cooperation with the working group on ICT measurement of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of ECLAC with the following objectives: i); to collect and organize the main developments in the design and implementation of questions on access and use of ICT in the household and business surveys of the countries of the region, ii); …

Appraisal and conclusions from the 1994-2009 review of the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action in the Caribbean

The countries of English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean have made significant progress in its economic and human development. Most governments have implemented programs and policies of social protection for vulnerable groups of the population, but its sustainability could be jeopardized because of the global financial crisis. In this cyclical factor is compounded by large external debts of these countries, high exposure to natural disasters, limited natural resources, limited economic diversification and some challenges to their institutional capacities. Although short-term policies are needed …

Growth and concentration among the leading business groups in Mexico

This article discusses various hypotheses relating to the originand operation of business groups in Mexico, and it proposes a model toexplain the sources of their total asset growth. It highlights their growingcontribution to Mexican gdp, but notes that their shares of employmentand profits are smaller. Over time, sales and assets have clearly tendedto become more concentrated in the largest groups. The paper concludesthat the main financing sources for asset growth between 2005 and 2007were firstly debt and secondly capital contributions from shareholders. Italso finds that the leading groups…

What kind of State? what kind of equality?: XI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean: Brasilia, 13-16 July 2010

Este documento recoge contribuciones de las ministras y autoridades de los mecanismos para el adelanto de la mujer de América Latina y el Caribe, que definieron su contenido en la cuadragésima tercera reunión de la Mesa Directiva de la Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe (Puerto España, 7 y 8 de julio de 2009), y que enviaron documentos e información para su preparación y enriquecieron su versión final con aportes y debates en dos foros virtuales. En este informe se integran los avances del Observatorio de igualdad de género de América Latina y el Caribe y se da c…

CEPAL realizará en Brasil la XI Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe

(21 de junio, 2010) Jefes de Estado, autoridades ministeriales, representantes de organismos internacionales y de la sociedad civil se reunirán del 13 al 16 de julio en Brasilia, Brasil, para celebrar la Undécima Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe. Se trata del foro intergubernamental más importante de la región para el análisis de las políticas públicas de los países para la igualdad de género. En esta oportunidad se espera la presencia de más de 800 asistentes. La Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe es un órgano s…

América Latina en clave de cohesión social: indicadores seleccionados

Este documento fue elaborado por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), en el marco del proyecto Medir la cohesión social en América Latina llevado a cabo con el apoyo de la Comisión Europea. Con este documento se espera aportar datos estadísticos que alimenten la discusión y el intercambio de experiencias sobre políticas de cohesión social en América Latina. Estas políticas y, en particular aquellas orientadas a promover el trabajo decente entre los jóvenes, serán el tema central de la nueva reunión ministerial del Foro ALC-UE sobre cohesión social, que se celebrará en…

Contribution of energy services to the millennium development goals and to poverty alleviation in Latin America and the Caribbean

The energy debate has one dimension that is often sidelined: its relationship with poverty and development. This document attempts to shed some light on this aspect, unnoticed when public policies are being formulated.The document describes the results of the joint effort of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Club de Madrid, which highlight the crucial role of access to energy services[1] in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.Access to energy services, as a basic factor for poverty reducti…

Jóvenes con bajo nivel educativo están atrapados en empleos de baja productividad

(9 de febrero 2010) Mientras más bajo sea el nivel educativo de los jóvenes, menor será su acceso a empleos de calidad y alta productividad, particularmente entre las mujeres, afirmó el Secretario Ejecutivo Adjunto de la CEPAL, Antonio Prado, durante el II Foro América Latina y el Caribe - Unión Europea (ALC-UE) que tiene lugar en Lima. El Foro se realiza entre el 8-10 de febrero bajo el título "La promoción del trabajo decente para los jóvenes, nuevas capacidades para nuevos empleos", y en él participan ministros de Estado, altos funcionarios de gobierno de una docena de países de la región y…

Kirchner, a Multilateralist

The premature death of former president Néstor Kirchner is a great loss not only for Argentina, but for the entire international community. Kirchner was a friend of the United Nations and a national and international leader who firmly believed in true multilateralism. A long and distinguished career in public service, which included being intendent of his home town Río Gallegos and governor of Santa Cruz, prepared him well for the challenges he would face early into his presidency. From 2003 to 2007, he boldly tackled the effects of the deepest financial and economic crisis in Argentina's hist…

De la innovación social a la política pública: historias de éxito en América Latina y el Caribe

La CEPAL, con el apoyo de la Fundación W.K. Kellogg, ha identificado y analizado 4.800 experiencias de innovación social provenientes de América Latina y el Caribe, recogidas en cinco ciclos anuales de concurso. Tras visitarlas en el terreno y ser evaluadas por el Comité de Notables, se seleccionaron 25 ganadoras consideradas las más innovadoras y con mayor impacto en el desarrollo social de la región. El objetivo de este libro es poner estas innovaciones y sobre todo su capacidad de mejorar las condiciones de vida de todas y todos los habitantes de la región, al servicio de grupos más amplios…

From social innovation to public policy. Success stories in Latin America and the Caribbean

ECLAC, with support from the W.K.Kellogg Foundation, identified and reviewed 4,800 social innovation experiences of Latin America and the Caribbean, gleaned in five annual competition cycles. After conducting on-site visits and evaluating the projects, the Selection Committee chose 25 winners it considered the most innovative and that had the greatest impact on the region's social development. The book's objective is to place these innovations and, above all, their capability for improving living conditions for every inhabitant of the region, at the service of broader groups of the p…

Evaluation of Development Account Project 06/07 H. Implications of macroeconomic policy, external shocks and social protection systems for poverty, inequality and social vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean. Final evaluation report

Caribbean synthesis review and appraisal report in the context of the 15th anniversay of the adoptaton of the Beijing declaration and platform for action

The report is a summary based on information received by ECLAC from the eight English-speaking Caribbean countries of Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Jamaica, Suriname, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago in response to the questionnaire to governments on the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome of the Twenty-Third Special Session of the General Assembly (2000). The report is therefore set in the context of the regional review and appraisals of the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption …

Evaluation report: In-depth Evaluation of the Role of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in the Caribbean

Information and communication technologies in the health sector: opportunities and challenges for the reduction of inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document starts by identifying and describing the several benefits expected as a result of incorporating ICTs in health and goes on to summarize present and future challenges for health policies, especially inasmuch as the most vulnerable populations are concerned. Thirdly, the document showcases global progress made in several applications, strategies implemented and difficulties faced in some developed and LAC countries. The document finishes with generic proposals for the formulation of policies and strategies to be considered and adapted by countries throughout the region.…

The outlook for agriculture and rural development in the Americas: a perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean, 2010

We are pleased to present the second edition of _e Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: a Perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean, jointly prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). The purpose of the report is to contribute information and analysis to the complex decision-making process regarding agriculture and rural development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The last two years have been…

Application of information and communication technologies for health systems in Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden

This document describes and analyzes implementation of eHealth in several European countries, as well as strengths and weaknesses, using this experience in order to support the management and execution of this kind of projects in other scenarios. Five EU member States evidencing different degrees of advancement in their national eHealth projects have been selected for this purpose: Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden. In addition to these five cases, a brief study has been made of several international collaboration projects for the implementation of cross-border spaces for…

Sustainable development from a human rights perspective and the challenges it represents for the Caribbean SIDS (a discussion paper)

This report is commissioned by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, with the overall purpose of examining the extent to which the pursuit of sustainable development in the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is guided by human rights considerations and, more specifically, to what extent human rights principles, norms, and standards are being integrated and mainstreamed in development programmes and projects, following a rights-based approach to development. For ECLAC itself, this is a relatively new approach…

Opportunities for convergence and regional cooperation: Unity Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean

En comparación con el período 2003-2007, que fue el más favorable de la economía mundial y regional en 40 años, el futuro presenta mayores desafíos. A principios de la próxima década, tanto la economía como el comercio internacional serán menos dinámicos, habrá mayores tensiones competitivas y presiones proteccionistas, así como más dificultades de acceso al financiamiento. El contexto global posterior a la crisis estará marcado por la desaceleración del crecimiento, las elevadas tasas de desempleo en las economías industrializadas y la necesidad de restaurar la sostenibilidad de las cuentas p…