In Caribbean small island developing States (SIDS), electrical power outages are frequent in the aftermath of major weather events. While local service disruptions often last a few days after these events, nationwide power grid failures lasting several weeks, or months have resulted in enormous social and economic impacts. In 2017, Hurricane Maria left 90 per cent of the population of Dominica without access to electricity for over four months (Commonwealth of Dominica, 2020) and caused a systemwide collapse of Puerto Rico's power grid that took 11 months to be entirely restored (Campbell…
The Preliminary Overview of the Economies of the Caribbean analyzes in its 2016-2017 edition the economic performance of the region throughout 2016, the international context and macroeconomic policies implemented by countries, while also providing an outlook for 2017. The Caribbean recorded economic growth of only 0.8 per cent in 2016 but growth is expected to rebound to 2.4 per cent in 2017. The poor performance observed in 2016 was primarily due to a 3.7 percent contraction in the goods producing economies, which were hard hit by the decline in commodity prices in general and hydrocarbons i…
This paper reviews the current status of the international fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, highlighting the importance of its prevention for economic and financial stability in Latin America and the Caribbean. It synthesizes the recent history of international legislation and agreements with respect to the issues, and presents the framework of public and private sector actors engaged in combating these threats. It reviews Latin American and Caribbean countries’ compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) (40 + 9) Recommendations, and analyzes the regio…
This manual documents some of the material related to the Survey of Living
Conditions and Household Budgets (SLC/HBS) conducted in Saint Lucia by the Kairi
Consultants Limited and National Assessment Team between 2005 and 2006.
The SLC/HBS is a sample survey which generates data on households and individuals
in the country. The main objectives of this survey were (i) to collect information from
households on their expenditure patterns, income and other characteristics and; (ii) to revise
the 'average shopping basket' used in constructing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the
country…
The main purpose of this paper is to explore and analyze the contributions that publicprivate
partnerships and public policy have made in the development of tourism in the Caribbean
as tools for enhancing competitiveness in the Caribbean tourism industry. The paper explores
these contributions mainly in the context of the upgrading strategies that Caribbean countries
have pursued over the past 15 years or so and using the lens of the tourism value chain and
tourism cluster approach. The paper also analyzes the potential roles that public-private
partnerships and public policy will continue to …
The main purpose of this paper is to explore and analyze the contributions that publicprivate
partnerships and public policy have made in the development of tourism in the Caribbean
as tools for enhancing competitiveness in the Caribbean tourism industry. The paper explores
these contributions mainly in the context of the upgrading strategies that Caribbean countries
have pursued over the past 15 years or so and using the lens of the tourism value chain and
tourism cluster approach. The paper also analyzes the potential roles that public-private
partnerships and public policy will continue to …
This paper presents data on trends in U.S. antidumping filings against Latin America and Caribbean nations since 1980, investigates the economic determinants of these cases, and explores the effects for economies of the region. Of 2438 antidumping cases filed from 1995 to 2003, the U.S. filed 329 cases, 36 of these against Latin America. By way of comparison, 513 cases were filed by Latin American and Caribbean nations, with 113 of these targeting other Latin American countries and 57 cases directed at the U.S.
Over the longer period from 1980-2004, the countries of the region were targeted by…
The Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Indicator Framework is endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission as the monitoring mechanism for the 169 targets and more than 230 indicators of the SDGs. Reporting of these indicators will pose a formidable challenge to the Caribbean given the statistical capacity of countries of the subregion. The results of an ECLAC survey show that only three of the eleven countries that participated reported having the capacity to produce at least 50 per cent of the indicators. The capacities of National Statistical Offices will need to be signif…
Statistical organizations of the Caribbean countries continue to face serious challenges posed by the increased demand for more relevant, accurate and timely statistical data. Tangible progress has been made in delivering key products in the area of economic statistics. The central banks of the subregion have assisted greatly in this respect. However, even in this branch of statistics there are still several glaring gaps. The situation is even worse in other areas of statistics including social and environmental statistics. Even though all countries of the subregion have committed to the Mille…
The unavailability of data to inform policy planning and formulation has been repeatedly cited as the main challenge to economic and social progress in the Caribbean. Furthermore, even in instances when data is produced, broader gaps exist between its production and eventual use for evidence-based policy formulation. Owing to those challenges, this report explores the use of databases of social and gender statistics in the development of policies and programmes in the Caribbean subregion. The report offers a general appraisal of databases against two main considerations: (i) maximizing the use…
Latin America and the Caribbean is among the fastest growing markets in the world and an important trading partner for many countries. The positive byproducts of this trend include deeper integration and strengthened economic and diplomatic relations with trading partners around the world. However, as trade continues to grow, disputes will naturally arise between nations with respect to a wide range of trade barriers. Often these disputes are addressed within the framework of the World Trade Organization’s Dispute Settlement System.
This document describes the experience of the region in the W…
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…
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 …
Brazil has been the most dynamic country of Latin America and the Caribbean in global services trade in the 1990s and 2000s, but compared to other emerging economies elsewhere it is outperformed by China and India. Brazil's rising share in global services trade reflects mostly its increase in the world trade of other services, which include all services except transport and tourism. Brazilian exports of other services are concentrated in architecturalengineering and real estate services. In terms of destinations, the US market accounts for about one half and the European Union…
This article analyses the costs in terms of income distribution of the crisis and adjustments of the 1980s, as well as the effects of the subsequent recovery and resumption of sustained growth patterns. This analysis is based on comparable pairs of estimates of income distribution and poverty prepared by ECLAC for the ten largest and predominantly urban countries of the region. The method of analysis consists, on the one hand, of comparing the changes in distribution and in the macroeconomic and labour market variables during similar macroeconomic phases in the course of the adjustment process…
IntroductionNearly 20 years ago, ECLAC put forward a proposal for structural change and productivity growth with social equity. At the time, the countries of the region were emerging from the severe crisis of the 1980s, with all its associated difficulties in terms of internal stabilization and external adjustment, and heading into a decade of structural reform which heeded the call of the Washington Consensus. In the midst of perplexity and pessimism regarding the region's prospects, ECLAC espoused a view of the situation that ran counter to the orthodox line of thought that marked econo…
This document takes up a number of the points raised in the 2005 report by ECLAC and other UN agencies on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides further discussion on the type of problems and challenges facing the region in five areas that are either included in the MDGs or closely related to them (poverty, hunger and child malnutrition, education, health and children). The document makes recommendations for the region's governments and countries in these five areas.…
National savings and growth in Latin America have remained low in the 1990s and 2000s. The low level of national savings rates has forced Latin American countries to depend on foreign savings to finance investment and growth, which compounds the challenges for raising investment and growth prospects. This study extends the research on savings in three different dimensions: (1) in a time perspective, it extend the analysis on savings to the most recent years: we examine the period 1990-2003: (2) it examines the causality between savings, investment, and growth mostly uncovered in previous resea…
Food insecurity and hunger are closely associated with extreme poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean, but they should not be confused with it. A diet which is insufficient for leading a normal life and is also inadequate from a nutritional point of view affects not only those living in conditions of extreme poverty but also broader sectors and groups living in particular areas or regions of each country. Among the forms of deprivation affecting those living in a state of extreme poverty, however, the lack of access to food is the most serious problem and that which it is most urgent to er…
Summary
This document analyses the results of a survey conducted by the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE); - Population Division of ECLAC in the framework of activities underway to develop systems of indicators for follow-up to the Programme of Action on Population and Development established at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD); of 1994, and to the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Plan of Action on Population and Development, which was approved in its final form in 1996. The data from this survey, which was conducted in late 2000, wa…