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…
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…
Although the notion of a circular economy (CE) has been conceived and debated for more than half a century
(Henrysson and Nuur, 2021), it has gained considerable popularity in the lexicon of economists, ecologists and
other development thinkers over the past two decades. The increasing evidence of the existential threat of
human-induced climate change and the related imperatives of decarbonizing the global economy, have led to greater focus on strategies for a more sustainable use of the natural and environmental resource base.…
There is much advocacy in the Caribbean regarding the need for evidence-based policy making, that is – policy making that is based on timely and reliable data regarding a particular economic and/or social problem, to promote good governance and facilitate enhanced policy and programme outcomes. However, the reality remains an elusive one for many Caribbean policy makers, who implement policies based on ideas, as well as ad hoc or outdated data.
Outside of the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States of America are countries where polic…
This survey provides an overview of the economic performance of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, together with the eight member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) countries for 2010 and their outlook for 2011. The first section is a summary of the main issues raised in the report including an assessment of the economic prospects for 2011. Chapter II analyses the impact of the global economy on the subregion then provides a comparative analysis of the GDP and sectoral growth performance. This is followed by the subsection on…
The Caribbean subregion is exceptionally vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. Vulnerability is a key multidimensional concept at the heart of resilience building, relating to each country’s multiple spatial and socioeconomic risks and conditions. In fact, due to its geographical location and concentration of population and activities in low-lying coastal areas, the Caribbean is the second most hazard-prone region in the world...Moreover, impacts of extreme weather events on Caribbean small economies are of national proportions. For example, in the hurricane s…
El estudio se inicia con un análisis de la situación y perspectivas del crecimiento poblacional considerando el dinamismo y la distribución espacial de la población, su estructura por edades, la evolución de la población en edad económicamente activa y la oferta de fuerza de trabajo. Luego hace una descripción de dos escenarios de crecimiento y examina los principales conjuntos de proyecciones que sustentan dichos escenarios: crecimiento económico, esfuerzo interno, estructura sectorial, productividad y empleo, y relaciones económicas externas.…
This brief is intended to provide general information on the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference on scaling up ocean actions based on science and innovation for the
implementation of Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), with a view to stimulating more active, engaged participation of the Caribbean in the discussions. The
United Nations Ocean Conference will be co-chaired by Kenya and Portugal, and hosted by the Government of Portugal in Lisbon, during 2021. The objective of this conference is consistent with the 2017 UN General Assembly proclamation on the Decade of Oce…
2023 saw Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools becoming widely available to the general public, leading to the generation of new works of art, songs, text, and computer code. This explosion in new outputs has led to much excitement around AI’s potential, but
also brought to the forefront concerns about countries and communities being left behind, and the technology’s potential to harm individuals and societies. This issue of FOCUS magazine discusses the potential impact of AI on the Caribbean, and avenues
to develop tailored AI policies, governance systems, and to engage with AI issues at the int…
Estimado Embajador Jorge Félix Rubio, Director General para Asuntos Económicos del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Perú, en su calidad de Presidente del Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible,
Distinguidas ministras, ministros y representantes de los países, autoridades nacionales y cuerpo diplomático,
Estimados y estimadas colegas de los organismos, fondos y programas del sistema de las Naciones Unidas,
Estimados representantes de la sociedad civil, de los jóvenes, de la academia y del sector privado,
Colegas de la CEPAL
…
El Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible es ejemplo de multilateralismo en acción y de la capacidad de convenir voluntades, buscar acuerdos y alianzas, y avanzar en agendas comunes de cooperación, coincidieron hoy representantes de países de la región, de agencias de las Naciones Unidas y organismos regionales, multilaterales y de la sociedad civil presentes en la octava reunión de la plataforma, que finalizó este viernes 4 de abril en la sede principal de la CEPAL en Santiago de Chile.
A cinco años de que se cumpla el plazo de la Agenda 2030, los…