In the News

ECLAC participates in the XVIII Ibero-American Summit

Representing Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena attended last week the XVIII Ibero-American Summit, held in San Salvador, El Salvador. 

Presidents and Chiefs of State of 16 countries were present at the high-level meeting devoted to "Youth and Development". ECLAC presented analysis and recommendations on politics that would benefit the Latin American youth population and strategies that would shorten the innovation gap with industrialized countries and deepen the commercial ties with the Asia-Pacific region.

Ms. Bárcena presented ECLAC's views in several meetings with the high-level authorities of attending countries and with chiefs and representatives from international and regional organizations. She stressed that UN messages in these crucial areas, including the Secretary-General's remarks, were transmitted thoroughly and generated deep interest among the participants.

One of these activities was the launching of the report "Youth and Social Cohesion in Ibero-America: A model in the making", published by ECLAC and the Ibero-American Youth Organization (OIJ). ECLAC delivered the conclusions of this study, which analyzes the relationship between youth and social cohesion, understood both as the structures and institutions that facilitate social inclusion (education, employment, social protection), as well as the sense of belonging to a community.

 Ms. Bárcena also participated in the release of the publication "Latin American Economic Outlook, LEO 2009", prepared by the Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). She delivered a presentation on youth and fiscal policy and highlighted that Latin America and the Caribbean face an excellent opportunity to resolutely invest in youth education and health. This would shorten the knowledge and human resources gap that still separates the region and the OECD countries.

The book "Ibero-American Spaces: The Economy of Knowledge", produced especially for this presidential Summit by ECLAC and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), was also presented. 

This document was launched during the IV Ibero-American Business Encounter, held at the Telefónica Campus Party in San Salvador, and analyses the gaps and challenges posed to Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of innovation, and how to overcome them. 

Later, during the Latin American Pacific Basin Initiative Forum, the ECLAC Executive Secretary gave its recommendations to Latin American governments in order to improve trade and investment ties with the Asia-Pacific region countries. 

ECLAC was the only UN organization invited to this important forum. On the occasion, Ms. Bárcena presented the document "The Latin American Pacific Basin Initiative and the Asia-Pacific region", which states that cooperation initiatives between both regions, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific, have stopped short of institutionalizing high-level political talks or implementing plans and programmes aimed at strengthening economic, political and cultural ties.

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New York, 22 October 2008

The Executive Heads of the UN Regional Commissions highlight regional challenges and opportunities regarding food security

In their annual interactive regional economic Dialogue with the UNGA Second Committee, held last Friday, 17 October, the Executive Secretaries of ECE, ECLAC, ESCWA, ESCAP and ECA provided regional perspectives on current challenges and opportunities regarding food security in their respective regions.

In a Dialogue initiated by presentations made by the five Executive Secretaries, one of the main causes of the current food crisis was clearly shown to be the decline in food production and supply, juxtaposed to steadily growing demand as a result of population growth. The Executive Secretaries emphasized the need to reverse the neglect of agriculture in many developing countries by putting in place measures and incentives for food production, including an increase in the amount of aid allocated to food programmes; an increase in research and technical assistance, at least back to the levels of the 1970s; and a reform of global agricultural markets by completing the Doha Round on trade and placing limits on export/import restraints.

The Dialogue stressed that the impact of the food crisis is compounded by other factors such as the current financial crisis and the negative effects of climate change. As a result, countries in the regions are confronted with a multitude of challenges including the global fragility of multilateral trade, volatility of growth, and liquidity and credit shortages, along with vulnerability to natural disasters. While acknowledging that Africa is the major victim of the food crisis, the Dialogue re-emphasized the need to achieve the African Green Revolution through the structural transformation of agriculture. In the Asia-Pacific region, where 583 million people remain undernourished, South Asia continues to represent a particularly challenging region, with 46 per cent of children underweight. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which depend heavily on exports to the United States and Europe could not escape the impact of the crisis and the slowing global economy.

With estimates indicating that the food and fuel crises could push 100 million more people into poverty, the Executive Secretaries called for a multidimensional approach to the problem and emphasized the need for reducing vulnerabilities of the most likely to be affected – the poor. The Dialogue emphasized the potential of South-South cooperation as a means to encourage food production in the world and discussed measures to increase productivity in developing countries and to avoid the recurrence of a similar situation. The Persian Gulf countries, for example, which import between 60 and 90 per cent of their food, are already investing in food production in other developing countries in Africa and Asia. The participants strongly voiced their recognition of the value and effectiveness of regional responses to mitigate the impacts of the combined crises.

To download the presentations made by the Executive Secretaries of the UN Regional Commissions, kindly access the following links: UNECE, UNESCAP, ECLAC, UNECA, UNESCWA

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Regional Commissions Development Update, Twenty-fifth issue, October 2008 The October 2008 Regional Commissions Development Update Newsletter is now available. This issue includes stories on: “Bridging the Gender Gap: An Imperative for Sustainable Development and Achieving the Millennium Development Goals”;  “World Food Security: Regional Solutions”; and “The Regional Commissions Offer Unique Fora and Expertise in Support of the Special Needs of Landlocked Developing Countries”; as well as extracts of selected flagship publications and activities of the Commissions.

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Dialogue of the Executive Secretaries of the
Regional Commissions with the
Second Committee of the General Assembly

“Food Security: Regional Perspectives on Current Challenges and Opportunities”

UNECE: “The Food Crisis: The Role of the Advanced Economies in Europe and North America”, Mr. Marek Belka

ECLAC: “Volatility and Financial Contagion: the effects on Latin America and the Caribbean”, Ms. Alicia Barcena

UNESCWA: “Food Security in the ESCWA Region: Challenges and Opportunities”, Mr. Bader Al Dafa

UNESCAP: “Ensuring Food Security in Asia-Pacific: Addressing Threats to Development”, Ms. Noeleen Heyzer

UNECA: “Moving From Short-term Measures: A Regional Approach to Addressing Africa’s Structural Food Crisis”, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh

(click here for flyer)

Friday, 17 October 2008
from 10 am – 1 pm
Venue : Conference Room 2

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ESCAP partners with Republic of Korea to promote low carbon green growth
Wednesday, 8 October 2008, Bangkok | Author: ESCAP

 The Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Noeleen Heyzer, at high-level meetings in Seoul, discussed a partnership to implement a $200 million fund to support Asian developing countries to pursue a low carbon development path.

The $200 million fund is a key element of the East Asia Climate Partnership which the Republic of Korea launched at the G-8 summit in July. It aims to support, over a period of five years, policy consultations for low carbon development, technology transfer, resource mobilization and pilot projects for climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies.

The fund reflects the Republic of Korea’s national vision of “Low Carbon, Green Growth,” declared by President Lee Myung-bak in August, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic. “The world has gone through the stages of the agricultural, industrial and information revolutions,” the President had said in his national address. “Now, it is entering the age of an environmental revolution. Leaving behind the era of wood, coal and oil, an age of new energy is now being opened.”

 During his meeting with Under-Secretary-General Heyzer, the Korean Prime Minister, Han Seung-soo, expressed support for the proposal. 

  “The new vision and the partnership are very exciting developments,” and indicate a shift in development paradigm, said USG Heyzer, stating: “The rapid economic growth in the region, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuel consumption, is ecologically unsustainable.”

As the fourth largest economy and a major carbon dioxide emitter in the region, the importance of this policy change will not only be felt in the Republic of Korea but in the whole region, USG Heyzer said, adding that ESCAP will play a leading role as the implementing agency of the new initiative.

The UN regional commission has been championing the Green Growth initiative in Asia and the Pacific, as well as regional cooperation, especially South-South cooperation, among member countries to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.

“I am very encouraged by the support expressed by the Korean Government to the proposed collaboration and I look forward to further discussions to finalize the partnership,” the ESCAP head said. 

ESCAP’s Green Growth initiative, which was endorsed by a regional ministerial meeting on environment and development in Seoul in 2005, emphasizes that a country does not have to sacrifice economic growth in order to be green. It proposes policy measures such as green fiscal and tax reforms, investment in sustainable infrastructure, promotion of green consumption and clean production, and the use of eco-efficiency indicators. 

At its latest annual Commission Session in April 2008, ESCAP’s proposal of a regional energy security framework – with its emphasis on shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, and on improving energy efficiency – was embraced by over 50 member countries as a way to reduce carbon emissions as well as enhancing secured long-term access to energy.     

Other senior Korean officials who were present at the meeting were the Environment Minister, Lee Maanee, the Minister of Trade, Kim Jong-hoon and the president of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Park Dae-won.

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ECLAC officials meet with high-level US treasury delegation
Tuesday, 7 October 2008, Santiago | Author: ECLAC

A high-level delegation from the United States Treasury Department paid a working visit to the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile, where they met with the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Alicia Bárcena, and a group of ECLAC experts, to discuss financing for infrastructure development in the region.

The delegation, headed by the U.S. Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary, Larry McDonald, was in Chile meeting with government officials and heads of various institutions, as part of a larger fact-finding mission to the region to study best practices in public/private sector financing for development, in order to identify efficient ways to provide technical assistance in infrastructure projects.

The discussion focused on ways that public and private institutions could cooperate in developing infrastructure projects in Latin America and the Caribbean to enhance integration and economic development.

 Deputy Assistant Secretary McDonald talked about the U.S. Treasury’s interest in creating what he called “infrastructure financial expert core group,” to support governments in the region to strengthen their capacity to engage in partnerships with the private sector.

ECLAC’s Executive Secretary Bárcena acknowledged the progress made by some Latin American countries in infrastructure development, including port concessions, highways, bridges and other large projects, and highlighted the financial and regulatory challenges that the governments face in undertaking these initiatives.

 She stressed the importance for better regulatory structures and the need to build capacity in both the public and private sectors.

 The meeting agreed to explore further possibilities for cooperation in developing and implementing public/private sector cooperation in selected countries in the region.

 Other members of the US delegation included Debra von Koch, Associate Director, U.S. Treasury, Office of Technical Assistance, Government Debt Issuance and Management; Luyen Tran, U.S. Treasury, Director of Western Hemisphere Office; Harry Tether, U.S. Treasury, Office of Technical Assistance, Government Debt Issuance and Management Advisor; Rachel Jarpe, U.S. Treasury, Desk Economist in the Western Hemisphere Office; and Alexander Kasanof, Economic Officer, U.S. Embassy Santiago.

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On the occasion of the UN HL Meeting on Africa’s Development Needs
New York, 22 September 2008

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

in collaboration with

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

will organize a side event on:

“Africa’s Vulnerability: The Energy Crisis, Climate Change
and Environment”

Issues to be discussed include:

Africa’s current energy crisis
Enhancing Africa’s energy security through development and diversification
Energy security and climate change
The rise of biofuels and resulting challenges
Environmental and sustainable energy production and consumption in Africa

The event will be chaired by:
Mr. Abdoulie Janneh
Executive Secretary, UNECA
and
Mr. Kandeh Yumkella
Director-General, UNIDO

Invited speakers:
Ms. Angela Cropper, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP
Ms. Annika Soder, Special Adviser to the Director General, FAO
Mr. Valentine Ndibalema, Senior Environmentalist and Adviser, UNHCR

The event will be held on Monday, 22 September 2008, from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm in Conference Room 9 at UN Headquarters

For information, please contact RCNYO
Mr. Amr Nour (nour@un.org,  tel: 212-963-2348)

Agenda - Concept Note - Flyer
(please click on the above to download documents)

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ECLAC seeking solutions to impact of food and energy crisis
Thursday, 4 September 2008, Santiago | Author: iSeek

Representatives of UN agencies and other officials are taking part in a two-day seminar in Santiago, Chile, to examine the challenges posed by the current world energy and food crisis on countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Government ministers, researchers, experts from private research institutions and academics from the region are also participating in the seminar, organized by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), at the request of member countries.

ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena earlier on Thursday, 4 September, opened the seminar at the UN regional commission’s headquarters. It is on the theme: “Food and Energy Crisis: Opportunities and Challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Participants are debating issues such as investments in agriculture and the diversification of the energy environment, as well as public policy options to improve efficiency, among other issues.

Two parallel round table discussions - one on food and the other on energy – are being held, and participants will share some short-term policies adopted by countries in the region to address the problem of rising prices. They will also discuss medium and long-term measures for the region.

Ms. Bárcena opened the plenary session on the impact of the food and energy crisis in the region and possible scenarios in Latin America.

A recent ECLAC report suggests that a sustained rise in the price of food and energy will have serious implications on poverty and income distribution in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the report: “Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2007-2008”, ECLAC’s preliminary estimates indicate that a 15 percent rise in the price of food increased poverty by 3 percent, raising the proportion of the population living in poverty from 35 percent to 38 percent, affecting mostly those on the edge of the poverty line.

The 3 percent increase in poverty annuls a third of overall poverty reduction achieved between 2002 and 2007, according to ECLAC. “This situation has exerted growing pressure on governments to protect consumers, diminishing the impact of high international prices on the domestic market that has deteriorated the income levels of the poorest population.”

 The hardest hit by these price rises are those who spend most of their income on food, says ECLAC. For instance, a low-income family will spend a greater proportion of its budget to purchase basic foods to cover its nutritional requirements.

 Governments are facing a difficult dilemma. Their ability to mitigate the effects of these rises is closely tied to fiscal funds available. Within these restraints, policy options vary according to the scope of the group to be targeted and the temporary or permanent nature of the measures implemented.

 ECLAC believes that programmes that focus on specific aspects of the problem are more efficient in the long-term, are less costly, and avoid sacrificing other high priority public programmes, such as health spending. However, they are more difficult to implement in the short run, and are more demanding with regard to the institutional structure and organization of social policies.

Moreover, broad-reaching measures such as subsidizing prices place heavy burden on the State coffer and may lead to sacrificing public programmes of high value, possibly becoming regressive, argues the regional commission. “Nonetheless, they may be more effective in addressing short-term urgencies.”

Policy options adopted by governments in the region to mitigate the impact of rising prices vary, says the report. They include administrative measures and the use of fiscal or trade policy instruments. The most common measures – according to the number of countries to have adopted them - are those that sought to compensate the impact of food price rises on consumers through instruments that include food distribution programmes, income transfers, and tax reductions.

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(18 July 2008) The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, met today with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at the presidential palace La Moneda, in Santiago.

Weeks after assuming her position as Executive Secretary of the United Nations regional commission last July 1, Ms Bárcena met with the Chilean President to discuss the priorities of her work programme at ECLAC, whose main objective is to promote the economic and social development of Latin American and Caribbean nations.

Of Mexican origin, Alicia Bárcena was appointed to head the Commission by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Before assuming her current position, Ms Bárcena was Under-Secretary-General for Management at the United Nations and Chief of Cabinet for former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, both in New York.

She previously worked at ECLAC as Deputy Executive Secretary and Director of the Commission's Environment and Human Settlements Division.

Regional Commissions Development Update Newsletter: Twenty-fourth issue – July 2008

The Aid for Trade Initiative has gathered momentum since last year’s regional and global reviews, with a prompt operationalization of the Initiative promising to help ease the global food crisis. This and other stories, as well as extracts of the economic surveys of the Commissions, are highlighted in the recently released Regional Commissions Development Update Newsletter, July 2008 issue.

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