Ageing in the Caribbean and the human rights of older persons: Twin imperatives for action

This study addresses the ageing of the Caribbean population and the situation with respect to the human rights of older persons. It considers the implications for public policy of these ‘twin imperatives for action’. The first chapter describes and explains the changing age structure of the Caribbean population. Important features of the ageing dynamic, such as differential regional and national trends and the growing number of ‘older old’ persons, are also analysed. The study then describes the progress that has been made in advancing and clarifying the human rights of older persons in intern…

Caribbean development report: Exploring strategies for sustainable growth and development in Caribbean small island States

The Third Caribbean Development Roundtable (23-24 April 2014) was held under the theme “Exploring strategies for sustainable growth and development in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS)”. The Roundtable focused on challenges faced in stimulating growth and creating a capacity for resilience among the Caribbean SIDS. The conference examined the continuing challenge of igniting robust growth in Caribbean Small States, and at the same time, mitigating structural and cyclical risks and uncertainty. The presentations made at the Roundtable can be placed under six themes which comprise …

Pension reform in Europe in the 90's and lessons for Latin America

Abstract Reviewing and comparing the economic histories of Europe and Latin America we can observe that the universality of social security systems and the concurrent development of labor market institutions allowed Europe to reduce social inequality, while this has not been possible in Latin America. Pension systems in Latin America face some of the same problems that Europe's social security systems have faced before but with more difficult financing conditions. This document focuses on the lessons that Latin American countries may draw from the experience of Europe as well as on how re…

Presentation by honourable Gertrude Roberts, Minister for Community Development and Women's Affairs of Dominica

Macroeconomic success and social vulnerability: lessons for Latin America from the Celtic Tiger

Abstract This paper uses a political economy approach to examine the nature and social impact of Ireland's economic 'miracle', namely the period of high economic growth known as the 'Celtic Tiger', which lasted from 1995 until 2000. Its principal purpose is to offer a broad and multifaceted reading of this period of Irish development, paying particular attention to the links between macroeconomic success and social vulnerability, in order to draw policy lessons for Latin America. The examination of the Celtic Tiger is prefaced by a brief introduction to some of the sa…

Socio-demographic vulnerability: old and new risks for communities, households and individuals

Vulnerability is an emerging issue that has been raised repeatedly in sociological analyses at the dawn of the twenty-first century and in debates on public policies aimed at alleviating poverty, promoting upward social mobility and empowering citizens. If this issue has been so topical, it is because a variety of factors, some highly controversial and others difficult to measure accurately, have contributed to the phenomenon. They include: the increasingly unstable macroeconomic context; the frequency with which households lapse into and emerge from poverty, a trend seen even among tradi…

Prevention and insurance of conflict and terrorism: issues and evidence for Latin America

Latin America has a long history of political violence that include civil wars; guerrilla movements, military intervention, coup d'état, terrorism and others form of violent confrontation. As conflict and terrorism (C-T) produces losses of human lives and destroy assets and property there is an obvious need for prevention and insurance against this kind of risk. Insurance can be provided by both the state and by the market. In countries subject to long and violent conflict there is need for direct provision of insurance and compensation to the victims of conflict and their families. Howe…

CEPAL y la Cooperación Alemana en el Quinto Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible

La Cooperación Alemana apoya la realización de cuatro eventos paralelos en el marco del Quinto Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible, que se efectuará entre el 7 y el 9 de marzo en San José de Costa Rica. 1. Casos ilustrativos del Gran Impulso para la Sostenibilidad (7 de marzo entre las 12:45-14:25 hrs Costa Rica, GMT-6) En el marco de este evento paralelo se presentarán tres casos de políticas industriales alineadas al concepto del Gran Impulso para la Sostenibilidad en América Latina y el Caribe, y el trabajo realizado en el ma…

Advancing the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean

The Regional Coordination Mechanism for the Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy

Social health protection for the elderly in the English-speaking Caribbean

The present paper seeks to contribute to the growing discussion on social protection through an assessment of the status of social health protection systems for the elderly within the English-speaking Caribbean, and a review of the systems in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. It was prepared as a background document for the Expert Group Meeting on Social Health Protection for Vulnerable Populations which was held in Port of Spain on 31 October 2011. Against the backdrop of demographic changes underway in the Caribbean, the paper analyses the schemes and mechanisms that have been instituted by M…

Foro Políticas Públicas y Servicios para Personas Mayores en el Perú. Impacto en la calidad de vida

El día 5 de diciembre de 2018, la Sede Subregional de la CEPAL en México participó en el Encuentro organizado por la P. Universidad Católica del Perú con el objetivo de contribuir a la reflexión sobre la situación actual de las políticas públicas dirigidas a las personas mayores en el Perú.…

Social security reforms and their implications for the Caribbean

As in many other countries, the viability and sustainability of social security systems in the Caribbean is of concern to policy makers. Although systems in the region remain relatively young, liquid and healthy at this time, timely reform is necessary to prevent a crisis in the future. Reform is required to grapple with population ageing, a fairly large informal (non-contributing); sector in some countries, high open unemployment and the impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS);. Caribbean social security systems (pension branch); are defined benef…

La CEPAL, la OCDE y la Escuela de Economía de París organizan Foro sobre América Latina y Europa

(19 de mayo, 2014) El Secretario General de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE), Ángel Gurría, abrirá el Segundo Foro Económico Europa-América Latina el día 20 de mayo en París. Estará acompañado en la inauguración por la Secretaria Ejecutiva de CEPAL, Alicia Bárcena, y por el Director de la Escuela de Economía de París, Pierre-Yves Geoffard. La reunión, que durará dos días, está coorganizada por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) y por la Escuela de Economía de París (PSE por sus siglas en inglés) y pretende impulsar el diálogo acer…

Clausura de la octava reunión del Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible

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 …

Evento paralelo en el Foro de Desarrollo PNUD - CEPAL en Barbados: La expansión de los registros sociales

Public policies for equality: Towards universal social protection systems

Durante la última década y media muchos países de América Latina y el Caribe han tenido importantes avances en la reducción de la pobreza y la desigualdad, así como en la implementación de innovadores programas sociales. Sin embargo, la protección social sigue caracterizándose por una variedad desarticulada de programas para grupos específicos de la población. Permanecen asimismo grandes desafíos estructurales. La segmentación del mercado laboral entre el sector formal e informal lleva a un acceso segmentado a los sistemas de pensiones y de salud por parte de la población. Asimismo, según el P…

Inauguración séptima reunión del Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible

PALABRAS JOSÉ MANUEL SALAZAR-XIRINACHS, SECRETARIO EJECUTIVO DE LA CEPAL, EN LA INAUGURACIÓN DE LA SÉPTIMA REUNIÓN DEL FORO DE LOS PAÍSES DE AMÉRICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE SOBRE EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE (Santiago, 16 de abril de 2024) Muy buenos días. Estimada Laura Fernández, Ministra de Planificación Nacional y Política Económica de Costa Rica, en su calidad de Vicepresidenta del Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible. Estimada Amina Mohammed, Vicesecretaria General de las Naciones Unidas Estimado Guy Ryder, Secretario General Adjunto de Políticas …

Foro sobre personas mayores pide aplicar políticas públicas con enfoque de derechos en la región

Ver galería de fotos (6 de junio, 2014) El Segundo foro internacional sobre los derechos humanos de las personas mayores, que concluyó hoy en Ciudad de México, consideró deseable y viable aplicar un enfoque de derechos en las políticas públicas dirigidas a este grupo social en América Latina y el Caribe para avanzar en la reducción de la pobreza, la desigualdad y la discriminación de las personas de edad avanzada. Este segundo foro, organizado por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) y el Gobierno de la Ciudad de México, dio continuidad a la primera reunión celebrada t…

Social protection for the poor in Latin America

Confronted with recurrent macroeconomic shocks, governments in Latin America and the Caribbean have increasingly been concerned about establishing or strengthening systems of social protection and safety net programmes. The goal of these programmes is to help mitigate the impact of shocks on the poor before they occur, and to help the poor cope with the shocks once they have occurred. In this paper, we focus on publicly funded or mandated safety nets functioning as risk-coping mechanisms. The paper reviews the characteristics of a good safety net, in comparison with the main types of safety ne…