• Date:  6/6/2013    Paragraphs: 9

Information available in Spanish

• Date:  6/21/2011    Paragraphs: 25

Focusing on the issue of agriculture and rural areas, ECLAC, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) released the report titled: The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A Perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean. Related to this report, the three institutions also launched a joint bulletin analysing food price volatility in the region.

• ECLAC's Website

• Date:  12/8/2017    Paragraphs: -

ECLAC has continued offering the course on “Planificación participativa para el cambio estructural”, which, to date, has had 200 student participants. The purpose of the course is to share theoretical frameworks and case studies in the development of best practices in the region. It is also a methodological exercise on how to carry out a strategy of participation in the construction of public policies. A manual has also been published: “La planificación participativa para lograr un cambio estructural con igualdad: las estrategias de participación ciudadana en los procesos de planificación multi-escalar“.

The Sixth Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Principle 10), was organized by ECLAC and the government of Brazil in March 2017. The Meeting was aimed towards reaching a regional agreement on rights of access to environmental information, participation and justice, enshrined in Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Rio + 20).

During the month of October 2017, the Preparatory Meeting of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society of Latin America and the Caribbean was held at the ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile, in which representatives of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean began the process of discussing the new regional digital agenda, eLAC2020. Within the framework of this meeting, the commitments assumed in the current digital agenda, known as eLAC2018, were evaluated. The agenda considers the use of digital technologies as instruments of sustainable development, while delineating areas of action and objectives of the eLAC2020 agenda. It will be approved at the Sixth Ministerial Conference to be held in April 2018 in Colombia.

• Date:  4/11/2017    Paragraphs: -

The Sixth Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Principle 10), was organized by ECLAC and the government of Brazil in March 2017, toward reaching a regional agreement this year on rights of access to environmental information, participation and justice, enshrined in Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Rio+20).

• Date:  6/8/2016    Paragraphs: -

ECLAC has continued to lecture the course of "Participatory Planning for Structural Change" with the participation 200 students to date, and aims to share theoretical and practical cases of best practices of development in the region, and carry out a methodological exercise on how to implement a strategy for citizen participation in the development of public policies. ECLAC has also published the manual on "Participatory Planning to achieve a Structural Change with equality: strategies for citizen participation in multi-scale planning processes ".

• Date:  10/14/2015    Paragraphs: -

Iniciativa: Curso sobre Planificación participativa para un cambio estructural con igualdad
Esta iniciativa tiene el propósito de incorporar la dimensión de la participación ciudadana en los procesos de planificación en distintas escalas, y el objetivo de fortalecer las capacidades de agentes públicos, gubernamentales y no gubernamentales que tengan responsabilidades en el diseño y ejecución de esos procesos, bajo el paradigma del cambio estructural con igualdad.

Actividades: El Curso fue organizado por el Instituto Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Planificación Económica y Social (ILPES-CEPAL), a través del Área de Gestión del Desarrollo Local y Regional.
El curso se desarrolló durante una semana, con una dinámica en la que se utilizó una didáctica vinculada a la praxis, focalizando el desarrollo de la actividad en un marco teórico, en la presentación de casos relevantes y en el análisis-reflexión de la propia práctica del público asistente al curso.
Tres ejes estructuraron al curso:
Un primer eje referido a un marco conceptual sobre la planificación participativa en los procesos de desarrollo.
Un segundo eje referido a casos de procesos de planificación participativa en la región.
Un tercer y último eje, tcon relación al conocimiento de una metodología que contribuya a generar procesos de planificación participativa.

Website: http://www.cepal.org/ilpes/capacitacion/0/54530/2015_cursoPlanificacion_participativa.pdf

Beneficiarios: Participantes, Policy makers.

• Date:  12/12/2017    Paragraphs: -

In the area of democratic governance, ECLAC published the following documents:

“Panorama regional de los datos abiertos: avances y desafíos en América Latina y el Caribe”, which analyzes the Latin America and the Caribbean region’s efforts to take advantage of opportunities offered by information technologies to manage data and make it available to citizens via portals, as well as, through initiatives to give public value and generate new applications that give results and solve common problems.

“La contribución del gobierno electrónico y los datos abiertos en la integración regional”, which offers an overview of integration using e-government services and applications developed with open government data with special attention to sustainable development and development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

• Date:  4/11/2017    Paragraphs: -

ECLAC has published the following documents:

• “Panorama regional de los datos abiertos: avances y desafíos en América Latina y el Caribe”, where the efforts that regional countries are making to take advantage of the ITs for managing data and increase its availability to citizens through web portals is analyzed.

• “La contribución del gobierno electrónico y los datos abiertos en la integración regional”, offers a view of regional integration using services offered by e-government and applications developed with open government data, with especial attention to sustainable development and development of small businesses.

• Date:  6/8/2016    Paragraphs: -

In terms of open government, ECLAC has promoted active collaboration between entities and government bodies at all levels, and between them and citizens. It has also supported countries in the region to formulate policies of open government and develop their own action plans based on the three following pillars: i) transparency and accountability; ii) collaboration within the government both civil servants and technological innovation with citizens for the co-creation of public and social value; and iii) participation in the process of actively engaging citizens in the design, formulation and implementation of public policies. For example, in terms of training, since April 2015 ECLAC has trained more than 500 professionals from 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants come mainly from government agencies at the national, regional, state and local levels and from institutions of civil society (such as political groups and parties, business, labor and professional organizations, universities and other academic and research institutions).

Additionally, ECLAC has held several workshops and seminars, which among them are the followings: "Open data in the context of Sustainable Development", Montevideo, Uruguay; May 2015, co-organized with UNDESA; “III Regional Conference on Open Data in Latin American and the Caribbean”, Santiago, Chile; September 2015, co-organized with the General Secretariat of the Government of Chile (SEGPRES); "Open Data in the context of Sustainable Development", Panama City, Panama; October 2015, co-organized with UNDESA; the “Global Alliance for Open Government Summit Opening for everyone, towards Sustainable Development", Mexico City; October 2015, co-organized with the Alliance for Open Government (AGA) and other multilateral agencies. In terms of agreements and advisory duties the activity was diverse, for example: with the Presidency of Mexico through the National Digital Strategy Directorate; with the General Secretariat of the Presidency of Chile; with the Latin American Network of Transparency and Access to Information (RTA); with the Organization of American States (OAS) for conducting semi distance education and the co-organization of the OAS Program for the Promotion of Open Government in the Americas; among others.

• Date:  10/14/2015    Paragraphs: -

Iniciativa: Curso Internacional: “Estrategias para el Gobierno Abierto en las Américas”
El objetivo principal del curso es el de promover el fortalecimiento de la gestión pública para la formulación e implementación de estrategias de Gobierno Abierto, una mayor transparencia y colaboración en el ejercicio del gobierno, y una mayor participación de los ciudadanos en los asuntos públicos.
Es organizado por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) a través del Instituto Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Planificación Económica y Social (ILPES) conjuntamente con el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID); el Centro Latinoamericano de Administración para el Desarrollo (CLAD), a través de la Escuela Iberoamericana de Administración y Políticas Públicas (EIAPP), y la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) a través de su Departamento para la Gestión Pública Efectiva (DGPE), todas entidades que ya desarrollan diferentes iniciativas de cooperación y estrategias colaborativas con las administraciones públicas de las Américas para el Gobierno Abierto. Este Curso también cuenta con el apoyo y la colaboración de la Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto (AGA).

Actividades:
Los tópicos que componen el programa del curso cubren las siguientes temáticas de aprendizaje:
Módulo I: Marco conceptual del Gobierno Abierto –Modalidad Virtual-
a) Bases conceptuales
b) Esbozo y breve síntesis sobre los orígenes del debate: Desde la transparencia y el acceso a la información pública hacia la participación y colaboración cívica;
c) El tránsito hacia un modelo de gobernanza abierta y colaborativa
Objetivos de aprendizaje:
? Comprender las bases conceptuales y prácticas que sustentan el diseño, implementación y desarrollo de políticas de gobierno abierto en los distintos países del mundo
? Conocer, entender y aplicar los principios fundamentales que sustentan el gobierno abierto en la actualidad: a) Transparencia, acceso a la información pública y rendición de cuentas; b) participación ciudadana; y c) Colaboración (cívica y más allá)
? Comprender que las políticas de gobierno abierto suponen el desarrollo de un nuevo tejido de prácticas, valores y cultura dentro del sector público en su relación con la ciudadanía.
? Entender e incorporar el enfoque que alude a mirar el gobierno e instituciones públicas como una plataforma o ecosistema que facilita y promueve espacio para la participación y colaboración para, con y a través de los propios ciudadanos.
Módulo II: Panorama global del Gobierno Abierto y perspectiva regional –Modalidad Virtual-
Objetivos de aprendizaje:
? Estado del Arte sobre Gobierno Abierto en la región en el marco de La Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto (AGA)
? El avance global hacia políticas de transparencia, participación y rendición de cuentas. El avance de la Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto en el contexto de Latinoamérica y el Caribe.
? Revisar Planes de Acción en perspectiva comparada: Desde la formulación a los resultados a la fecha. Lecciones, experiencias y aprendizajesConocer, entender y profundizar sobre la creación y puesta en marcha de la Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto, sus principios, fundamentos, objetivos y alcances.
? Revisión de los avances en clave comparada sobre la formulación e implementación de planes de acción de Gobierno Abierto en la región en el marco de la AGA
? Revisión de los resultados del proceso, cumplimiento de compromisos y casos relevantes de aplicación a partir del Mecanismo de Reporte Independiente de AGA para la región (a la fecha los países con reporte son Brasil, México, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Paraguay y Uruguay)
? Conocer experiencias y casos de aplicación práctica de los principios de gobierno abierto en iniciativas concretas (ya sea de los propios gobiernos o de otras organizaciones de la sociedad).
? Promover en los participantes el interés permanente por conectarse y compartir buenas prácticas en estas materias, y facilitar el trabajo en red.
Módulo II: Panorama global del Gobierno Abierto y perspectiva regional –Modalidad Virtual-
Objetivos de aprendizaje:
? Estado del Arte sobre Gobierno Abierto en la región en el marco de La Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto (AGA)
? El avance global hacia políticas de transparencia, participación y rendición de cuentas. El avance de la Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto en el contexto de Latinoamérica y el Caribe.
? Revisar Planes de Acción en perspectiva comparada: Desde la formulación a los resultados a la fecha. Lecciones, experiencias y aprendizajesConocer, entender y profundizar sobre la creación y puesta en marcha de la Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto, sus principios, fundamentos, objetivos y alcances.
? Revisión de los avances en clave comparada sobre la formulación e implementación de planes de acción de Gobierno Abierto en la región en el marco de la AGA
? Revisión de los resultados del proceso, cumplimiento de compromisos y casos relevantes de aplicación a partir del Mecanismo de Reporte Independiente de AGA para la región (a la fecha los países con reporte son Brasil, México, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Paraguay y Uruguay)
? Conocer experiencias y casos de aplicación práctica de los principios de gobierno abierto en iniciativas concretas (ya sea de los propios gobiernos o de otras organizaciones de la sociedad).
? Promover en los participantes el interés permanente por conectarse y compartir buenas prácticas en estas materias, y facilitar el trabajo en red.
Módulo III: Elementos fundamentales para una política de GA
La apertura como fundamento de una nueva arquitectura cívica y un emergente modelo para gestionar los asuntos públicos (Open Data y Open Process)
Objetivos de aprendizaje:
? Entender el rol, implicancias y alcances del uso intensivo de las tecnologías, plataformas digitales y redes sociales en la promoción de los principios del gobierno abierto e impulso de innovación institucional, pública y cívica
? Comprender los ejes que sustentan las estrategias de gobierno abierto: a) Apertura de datos (Open Data) y reutilización de la información pública; y b) Apertura de procesos y políticas públicas (Open Process).
Se podrá conocer y profundizar sobre cómo se cristalizan los principios de la transparencia, participación, rendición de cuentas y colaboración a través de herramientas concretas y el uso intensivo de la tecnología, que se vinculan a dos tipos de estrategia:
a) La apertura y disponibilidad de datos e información pública (qué datos abrir y cómo abrirlos, catálogos, repositorios, integración, plataformas, etc.) y su potencial reutilización (para fines sociales, económicos y/o cívicos); y
b) La apertura de procesos para incorporar a la ciudadanía en materia de participación y colaboración para la resolución de problemas públicos, la formulación e implementación de políticas, planes y programas, entre otros.
Módulo IV: Aplicaciones del Gobierno Abierto/Casos y lecciones aprendidas
Objetivos de aprendizaje:
? Ofrecer información al participante acerca de las aplicaciones del Gobierno Abierto casos y lecciones aprendidas.
? Identificar los resultados esperados (indicadores y fuentes de medición) de componentes del gobierno abierto como la transparencia, la participación y la colaboración, vistos como estrategias que los gobiernos adoptan para lograr ciertos objetivos y la oportunidad para agregar valor público.
? El uso de los indicadores de desempeño en un contexto de desarrollo institucional de la evaluación del desempeño para facilitar los procesos de mejoramiento de la gestión y la rendición de cuentas del sector público.

Website: http://www.cepal.org/ilpes/capacitacion/0/54530/2015_cursoPlanificacion_participativa.pdf

Beneficiarios: Participantes. Policy makers.

Socios y financiamiento: BID, OEA, CLAD, AGA.

• Date:  6/21/2011    Paragraphs: 61

ECLAC continues to support the countries of the region through the application of the methodology to assess the macro, socio-economic and environmental impacts of natural disasters, called Damage and Loss Assessment (DALA) Methodology for Assessments of Natural Disasters. 2010 was a particularly difficult year for the region in terms of natural disasters; ECLAC evaluated the socio-economic impact of natural disasters in seven countries: Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico and St. Lucia.

• ECLAC's Website

• Date:  12/12/2017    Paragraphs: -

ECLAC has privileged the analysis of the role of education in social inclusion, based on the monitoring of gaps, advances and challenges. For example, within the framework of the Norwegian cooperation program, the analysis of the offer of vocational training and technical education has been deepened, as a key axis for the social and labor inclusion of youth in the region.

A regional document "Panorama de la educación técnica profesional en América Latina y el Caribe" was published and work is being done with some countries directly, such as the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

Capacity building in the context of technological changes that will strongly affect the labor market is a topic that was also strongly addressed in the position paper presented at the II Meeting of the Conference on Social Development, held in October 2017 in Montevideo. ECLAC also supported the inter-agency reflection that has taken place around goal 4 of the SDGs, by participating in the meeting of Education Ministers organized by UNESCO-OREALC in Buenos Aires (January 2017); the Educational Policy Forum organized by IIEP / UNESCO Buenos Aires (October 2017); and commenting on the first report prepared by the coordinating board of education led by the OAS.

ECLAC supports the work of the Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education (OREI) and, during 2017, supported its virtual seminar on Gender and Education. ECLAC, within the framework of a joint project with UNICEF, has published the book: "La violencia en el espacio escolar", , which states that the perception of school violence is associated with lower academic performance in the region. The bookwas presented in different educational policy discussion forums during 2017.

ECLAC also participated in the effort, coordinated by the OAS, to develop an inter-American agenda of education. In addition, together with OECD and CAF, ECLAC prepared the “Perspectivas económicas de América Latina 2017: Juventud, Competencias y Emprendimiento”, which was presented at the Cumbre Iberoamericana de Jefes de Estado (Colombia, October 2016).

Finally, in May 2017, ECLAC organized the “Seminario Internacional Juventud Rural y Políticas Públicas”, where governmental authorities encouraged the promotion of innovation, entrepreneurship and training for rural youth.

• Date:  4/11/2017    Paragraphs: -

The activities and publications related to the Mandate of the VII American Summit include the following:

ECLAC has been part of the joint effort coordinated by the OAS for cooperation in an Inter-American agenda of education, and is also part of the coordination chair that was organized after the Ministerial Meeting of the Bahamas (February 2017).

ECLAC, OECD and CAF prepared the “Panorama Económico para América Latina 2017: Juventud, Habilidades y Emprendimiento”, which was presented at the Inter-American Meeting of Heads of States, in Cartagena de India, Colombia, on October 2016.

Through the partnership with the Norwegian government, the regional study “Panorama de la Educación Técnica Profesional en América Latina y el Caribe" was published. The study focused on the educational and professional technical training in Latin America formal education offered in this area at the secondary and tertiary educational levels. It is expected to foster a regional and national discussion of the countries that want to improve and reform the educational supply systems and improve the articulation between educational systems and productive sectors. This study was discussed with experts in the field on the regional workshop “Articulación de la Educación y Formación Técnico-Profesional: avances y desafíos en los países de América Latina y el Caribe”, which was conducted at ECLAC on November 2016.

The book, “Protección y formación: instituciones para mejorar la inserción laboral en América Latina y Asia”, was published through a joint work with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The book is a compilation of studies that analyze recent experiences of Latin American and Asian countries in relation with unemployment protection systems and professional training and how these institutions have changed and adapted to technology.

As a result of this publication and the Agreement that ECLAC has with the National Training and Employment Service of Chile, its results were presented in two international seminars: Protection and training: institutions for improving the labor insertion in Latin America and Asia which took place the 19th and 20th of October 2016 and "Intermediación laboral: un instrumento para potenciar el impacto de la capacitación para el trabajo" on the 21st of October 2016.


Educational Quality

ECLAC and UNICEF published a study on March 2017 titled “Las violencias en el espacio escolar” which analyzed how these two factors are associated with the learning process at the elementary school level.

Other publications in education are: “El cambio tecnológico y el nuevo contexto del empleo: tendencias generales y en América Latina”; y “Juventud: realidades y retos para un desarrollo con igualdad”.

• Date:  6/8/2016    Paragraphs: -

The role of education has been analyzed in regards to social inclusion, from monitoring gaps, progress and challenges, paying special attention to primary and secondary school levels. For example, under the project funded with Norwegian funds, a study was carried out on gaps and educational inequality and studies on school segmentation in Latin America and the Caribbean, recognizing that it is one of the key factors of social inequality. The incorporation of ICT in schools has been perceived as an opportunity to reduce inequalities in access to technology, but also to develop new learning and training skills required in the information society.

Moreover, ECLAC is one of the agencies that supports the work of the Regional Centre of Inclusive Education (OREI) activity developed from the inter-agency cooperation between the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE), the IIPE UNESCO Buenos Aires, Santiago OREALC UNESCO, the UNESCO IBE Geneva, the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), UNICEF and ECLAC. Also, in cooperation with UNESCO-OREALC, ECLAC has collaborated with the statistical monitoring of compliance with the educational goals for all in the region, and in the thinking on the post-2015 goals that reflect the situation and regional challenges.

• Date:  10/14/2015    Paragraphs: -

Information available in Spanish

• Date:  4/28/2014    Paragraphs: 3

Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education
ECLAC has supported the development of an interagency Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education committed towards the realization of the human right to education for all. The Observatory will track progress States make towards ensuring the right to education for all, in particular efforts made in overcoming all forms of discrimination in education, as well as possible drawbacks and violations. The main objective is to promote public debate in relation to the actions that should be taken towards inclusive education.

Activities:
Consulta sobre la educación para la paz, convivencia democrática y derechos humanos. Realizada en Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, México y Paraguay. Los resultados de esta consulta fueron presentados y discutidos durante el Seminario Educación para la Paz, Convivencia Democrática y Derechos humanos en América Latina, realizado en San José de Costa Rica, los días 29 y 30 de Agosto de 2013. http://www.campanaderechoeducacion.org/v2/es/publicaciones/clade/publicaciones-tematicas.html?download=226%3Aconsulta-regional-sobre-la-educacion-para-la-paz-convivencia-democratica-y-derechos-humano
Seminario Regional: Educación Secundaria en América Latina y el Caribe. Bogotá, Colombia 29 al 31 de Mayo de 2013. Coorganizado por CLADE, UNICEF, UNESCO OREALC, UNESCO IIEPE, OEi y CEPAL. http://www.campanaderechoeducacion.org/secundaria/?page_id=2

Partnerships and Financing
The project elaboration has been conducted by ECLAC, CLADE (Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación), in alliance with IIEP UNESCO Buenos Aires, UNESCO OREALC, IBE UNESCO, OEI and UNICEF.

• Date:  4/28/2014    Paragraphs: 3

Information available in Spanish

• Date:  6/6/2013    Paragraphs: 3

Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education
ECLAC has supported the development of an interagency Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education committed towards the realization of the human right to education for all. The Observatory will track progress States make towards ensuring the right to education for all, in particular efforts made in overcoming all forms of discrimination in education, as well as possible drawbacks and violations. The main objective is to promote public debate in relation to the actions that should be taken towards inclusive education.

Activities:
ECLAC with UNESCO-OREALC organized an International Seminar for the launching of UNESCO´s Global Monitoring Report 2012 for the Latin American Region on October 16th. This year´s report had a special emphasis on the topic of Youth, Skills and Employment. The audience was about 100 persons on site and 300 following online, including: policy decision makers, government officials, education planners, multilateral agencies, NGOs and civil society groups.
ECLAC and UNESCO-OREALC have created a working group to address the review process of the regional achievements regarding the 2015 Education for All Goals, and the reflection process in relation to the future education goals after the year 2015. The working group advanced in the elaboration of a monitoring document that was discussed with a group of regional education experts. The document will be presented and discussed in the next meeting of the Region´s Education Ministers that will take place in early 2013.

Partnerships and Financing:
The project elaboration has been conducted by ECLAC, CLADE (Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación), in alliance with IIEP UNESCO Buenos Aires, UNESCO OREALC, IBE UNESCO, OEI and UNICEF.

Website:
http://www.orealc.cl/informe-ept-2012/espanol-comision-economica-para-america-latina-y-el-caribe/?lang=en

• Date:  4/28/2014    Paragraphs: 11

Information available in Spanish

• Date:  6/6/2013    Paragraphs: 11

Information available in Spanish

• Date:  6/21/2011    Paragraphs: 41

The promotion of action in the context of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing was also a key area of focus for ECLAC. In response to calls made by the Regional Intergovernmental Conference on Ageing, a report titled Strategy Proposal, from the perspective of Latin America and the Caribbean, for advancing towards an international convention on the human rights of older person was shared with the countries of the region. Extensive technical cooperation services were provided to countries all over the region on a wide range of population related topics. ECLAC led a regional course on Ageing and social protection strategies in Latin America and continue to make up-dates to the Regional System of Indicators on Ageing (SISE). Seeking to add to the growing literature on the subject, ECLAC published two reports on the subject Ageing, human rights and public policy and Ageing in Latin America, Pension systems and integral social protection.

• ECLAC's Website

• Date:  12/12/2017    Paragraphs: -

ECLAC has worked in energy cooperation through the program BIEE (Base de indicadores de Eficiencia Energética) that seeks to generate a database - both at national and regional level – which will serve to measure the performance of energy efficiency policies, and formulate policies and programmes. In addition, since February 2015, ECLAC has been a member of the United Nations "SE4ALL/Americas" initiative, which pursues the following objectives: a) ensure universal access to modern energy services; (b) double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and c) duplicate the participation of renewable energies in overall energy mix.

With respect to raising awareness in the field of sustainable energy, ECLAC has held several Political Dialogues on energy efficiency issues.

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Several of ECLAC’s energy activities during 2016 have been coordinated with the IADB (which is the chair of the SE4ALL initiative in the region) and with OLADE. In this context, was strengthened the regional program BIEE (www.cepal.org/drni/biee) which presents energy efficiency indicators, and is an initiative of ECLAC financed by GIZ of Germany. Furthermore, the VII Regional Political Dialog on Energy Efficiency was held during 2016 which provided recommendations from countries’ experiences. One example of this was to create the Regional Observatory on Sustainable Energies which is slated to begin toward the end of 2017.

• Date:  6/8/2016    Paragraphs: -

ECLAC has worked strongly in the field of energy cooperation through the BIEE Program (Base de Indicadores de Eficiencia Energética) which has the goal of building a database – both at national and regional level – that helps measure the performance of the energy efficiency policies and to formulate policies and programs supported with proper information. In only four years, ECLAC has incorporated – in an official and committed manner – all Latin American countries. In addition, since February 2015, ECLAC is member of the UN initiative “SE4ALL/Americas”, which is headed in the region by the IADB, and has the following objectives: a) ensure universal access to modern energy services; b) doubling the world rate of improvement on energy efficiency; c) doubling the share of renewable energies in the global energy matrix.
Regarding the awareness in sustainable energies, during November 2015, ECLAC hosted the VI edition of "Dialogo Político Regional en Eficiencia Energética", with the sponsorship of CAF, IADB, UNEP, World Bank, ADEME/France, Latin American Parliament, and the International Energy Agency, with the objective of promoting energy production and consumption patterns that allow to reach better efficiency levels and conservation of energy, through actions of awareness done not only by government boards and firms, but also with parliaments. Finally, among other ECLAC activities related with the energy sector, it was released a document about the challenges that face Energy Services Enterprises to consolidate financing for energy efficiency issues.

• Date:  10/14/2015    Paragraphs: -

Programa BIEE
El objetivo del programa es generar una base de indicadores que midan el desempeño de las políticas de eficiencia energética de los países participantes.
En los países de América Latina y el Caribe, la calidad de las estadísticas e indicadores de desempeño que permiten cuantificar resultados de los programas nacionales de eficiencia energética continúa siendo, a la fecha, insuficiente. Para superar esta carencia, CEPAL está trabajando en el tema de los indicadores de eficiencia energética en el ámbito del programa regional BIEE (Base de Indicadores de Eficiencia Energética para América Latina y el Caribe), siguiendo el proceso técnico-político y la lógica de funcionamiento del Programa ODYSSEE de la Comisión Europea, con la expectativa de generar un conjunto de indicadores específicos que permitan determinar la evolución de los programas nacionales de eficiencia energética, analizar los resultados y - como consecuencia - tomar las decisiones de políticas que correspondan. El programa BIEE fue lanzado por CEPAL en 2011, gracias a la contribución de la Agencia de Cooperación Alemana GIZ y el apoyo técnico de la Agencia Francesa para la Matriz Energética y el Medio Ambiente (ADEME), en el marco de la IPEEC (International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation).

Actividades:
Taller de Trabajo Técnico del Programa BIEE, 24 - 25 de marzo, 2015

Siguiendo con las actividades realizadas en el marco del programa BIEE (Base de Indicadores de Eficiencia Energética), se celebró un nuevo Taller de trabajo Técnico durante los días 24 y 25 de marzo del 2015, en las dependencias de la Unidad de Planeamiento Minero Energética del Gobierno de la República de Colombia. El evento tuvo lugar en la ciudad de Bogotá y contó con la presencia de representantes técnicos de Ministerios y Secretarías de Energía de la República de Cuba, la República del Perú, la República Bolivariana de Venezuela y la República de Colombia. El evento contó con el auspicio de la CEPAL así como de la UPME, la cooperación alemana GIZ y fue coorganizado por la ADEME en el marco de la IPEEC (International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation).

En esta oportunidad se realizó una presentación del programa, se abordó la metodología de construcción de indicadores de eficiencia energética, sus usos y alcances y se presentó detalladamente el template o plantilla de información a partir del cual, una vez cargada con información básica, se obtienen los indicadores sectoriales respectivos. Por su parte, los representantes de países expusieron sobre las políticas de promoción de la eficiencia energética que vienen realizando.

Durante el evento, que duró 2 días, se debatió acerca de la información disponible, la apertura sectorial con que se trabajará, las complicaciones que presenta la compilación de información dispersa y se presentó el template o plantilla de información a partir del cual organizar el proceso de recolección de información con miras a obtener los indicadores de eficiencia energética deseados. Finalmente, se coordinó un plan de acción y se identificaron los sectores prioritarios para cada país a partir de los cuales se iniciará la compilación de la información que le permitirá a los países participantes contar con una base de datos y un conjunto extenso de indicadores que miden el desempeño de la eficiencia energética.

Segundo Encuentro Regional del Programa BIEE (Rio de Janeiro, 26 de agosto 2015)

Con el invaluable apoyo de la EPE (Empresa de Pesquisa Energética) y en el marco del Programa BIEE (Base de Indicadores de Eficiencia Energética), autoridades y expertos de América Latina y el Caribe y Europa, funcionarios de organismos multilaterales como el Banco Mundial, el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, la Agencia Francesa para la Matriz Energética y el Medio Ambiente (ADEME) la Agencia de Cooperación Alemana al Desarrollo (GIZ) y la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (ONU) se dieron cita en la Ciudad de Rio de Janeiro, República Federativa del Brasil el día 26 de agosto para presentar los últimos avances del proyecto, presentar los Informes de Monitoreo de la Eficiencia Energética de las Repúblicas de Argentina, Chile, Brasil, Nicaragua y Uruguay, coordinar acciones conjuntas y generar un proceso de escucha activa a través de la articulación de una dinámica de trabajo colaborativo denominada como "world café" y que facilitó la generación de nuevas ideas para implementar futuros programas y proyectos de acuerdo a las necesidades y demandas planteadas por los representantes de los países.

Website: http://www.cepal.org/drni/biee/

Beneficiarios: All countries of the region. Policymakers, researchers, etc.

Socios y financiamiento: Agencia de Cooperación Alemana GIZ y el apoyo técnico de la Agencia Francesa para la Matriz Energética y el Medio Ambiente (ADEME), en el marco de la IPEEC (International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation).

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In the field of environment the latest publications include: “Vulnerabilidad y adaptación de las ciudades de América Latina al cambio climático”; and "Inventario de instrumentos fiscales verdes en América Latina: experiencias, efectos y alcances”.

Among the activities, in April 2017, the countries of the region reaffirmed their collective commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the first meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development. The Forum, held annually, was created by mandate of ECLAC’s member countries during its thirty-sixth session – held in May 2016 in Mexico City – as the regional mechanism for implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda.

Also, in March 2017, ECLAC, in conjunction with the Government of Brazil, organized the Sixth Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Principle 10). The purpose of the meeting was to reach an agreement on the rights of access to environmental information, participation and justice, which are found in Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Rio + 20).

As part of the inauguration of the Conference of the Cities, held in the first days of October 2017 at ECLAC headquarters, the Regional Action Plan for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda was presented. This conference was co-organized by ECLAC, MINURVI and UN-Habitat. In this conference the Regional Action Plan for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean was presented. The document proposes interventions and actions, as well as relevant policies and priorities for the countries of the region, in the search of sustainable development of their cities and human settlements by 2036.

During the month of October 2017, ECLAC organized the Second Meeting of the Regional Conference on Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean, which was held in Uruguay. Among the resolutions, the countries committed "to promote the definition of a regional agenda of inclusive social development", within the scope of the social dimension of the 2030 Agenda.

In December 2017, in ECLAC's headquarters, convened the Eighth Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Principle 10, during which representatives of Latin American and Caribbean countries agreed to dedicate the protection of people fighting for the defense of human rights in environmental matters in the future Regional Agreement on Principle 10. At the meeting, government delegates, and experts from international organizations also made other important advances on the final text regarding legal issues. Among them, they agreed on articles on access to justice in environmental matters, and on capacity building and cooperation, and most of the general obligations.

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The ECLAC agenda related to the environment mandates of the VII Summit of the Americas is extensive and include:

• “Vulnerabilidad y adaptación de las ciudades de América Latina al cambio climático”: where a theoretical and empirical revision of mitigation process and climate change adaptation is conducted in urban areas of Latin America.

• The book “Desarrollo e integración en América Latina”, with a chapter related with environmental regional integration.
• “Inventario de instrumentos fiscales verdes en América Latina: experiencias, efectos y alcances” which presents an inventory of the main actions, depicting successful cases, toward the implementation of environmental fiscal reforms.

For its part, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean resumed negotiations on March 2017 in Brasilia, toward reaching a regional agreement this year on rights of access to environmental information, participation and justice, enshrined in Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Rio+20). Delegates from the 23 nations adhering to this regional initiative began the Sixth Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Principle 10), organized by ECLAC and the government of Brazil.

In November 2016, ECLAC invited regional countries for planning the development through investments that could allow the structural changes in their economies through an environmental push, as a part of the activities of the Regional Planning Council, a subsidiary organ of ECLAC, which regulates the activities of the Latin America and the Caribbean Social and Economic Planning Institute.

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ECLAC has conducted a great number of seminars and research papers on environmental matters. Among the seminars, we can mention: the "Seventh international seminar of ECLAC on the environmental footprint, sustainability of international trade and environmental standards", which represented an update of developments between climate change / sustainability and international trade, from the point of view of environmental standards. Meanwhile, the "International Seminar resilience of territories to climate change" November 2015, focused on the discussion of the following questions: What society will be tomorrow? What kind of development and quality of life? What form of production and consumption? What social cohesion and relationship with nature? What diversity and cultural richness? In addition, on October 2015 the "High Level Event on Climate Change: Countdown to the COP21: Current Challenges" was held, which was coordinated by the Delegation of the European Union in Chile together with ECLAC in order to expound on the current challenges in the environmental field and the position of the region at the next Conference of the Parties.
With regard to research documents, these include: "Styles of development, structural heterogeneity and climate change in Latin America" (December 2015), which analyzes the relationship between styles of development and the problems of climate change in the region. Also, "Adaptation and Mitigation measures to climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Overview" (December 2015) summarizes some of the main policy measures for adaptation and mitigation used and/or considered in the region. Meanwhile, "Environmental Tax Reform in Latin America" (December 2015), examines it from two perspectives: that of Latin America and the Caribbean and sustainable development. In "Climate change and agricultural activities in Latin America" (December 2015), a summary is presented of the potential effects of climate change on the agricultural sector, with emphasis on Latin America. Finally, the document "Financing for Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2014" (November 2015) quantifies the resources mobilized to tackle climate change in the reference year.

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ECLAC continued working on the interrelationships between economic growth, environmental protection, urban development and social equity, with significant attention to the cross-cutting issue of climate change. Significant progress was also made in the study of the economic impact of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean through the delivery of the report Economic of Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Analysis, research and technical cooperation services were provided to improve public policy formulation in the areas of management of natural resources, and the provision of public utility and infrastructure services with the aim of fostering sustainable development. ECLAC prepared a publication on Environmental Indicators of Latin America and the Caribbean.

ECLAC also continued to suport the promotion of integrated energy and sustainability policies, to include participation in the Energy and Climate Change Partnership of the Americas (ECPA); the publication of reports on renewable energy, energy efficiencies and bio-fuels; and the delivery of technical cooperation to ministries, organizations and other institutions in the region. ECLAC continued to support the use of the methodology “Tablero de Comando”, used for the formulation of policies for the sustainable production and use of biofuels.

• ECLAC's Website

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ECLAC continued its advocacy role with respect to women’s rights in the region, through instruments like the Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Observatory was developed as a strategic tool that allows governments to monitor women’s economic, political and physical autonomy in line with the MDGs and through indicators commonly agreed on. A set of policy recommendations addressing the need to develop evidence and integrate a gender perspective in social protection policies is being implemented in many countries including policy reforms, labor policies, social protection pension schemes and monetary transfers with the support and technical assistance of ECLAC. In addition, at the request of the countries of Central America, a workshop was conducted to develop gender related statistics in the sub-region.

• ECLAC's Website

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ECLAC has completed the pilot study "Impactos sociales y económicos de la doble carga de la malnutrición", carried out in Chile, Ecuador and Mexico. This study, carried out within the framework of the current agreement with the World Food Program (WFP), satisfactorily verified the methodology designed to estimate countries’ social and economic burden associated with malnutrition and obesity in children and adults. The results were officially presented in Mexico, at the end of April, by the Executive Secretary. They were also presented in July at the meeting of the Interamerican task force on noncommunicable diseases, and in October at the WFP annual meeting in Rome. Several countries in the region have already expressed their interest in replicating it as it provides very relevant data for the legislative debate on healthy eating. In terms of digital health, the technical assistance process for monitoring and evaluating the "Salud digital.uy" program in Uruguay continues and a similar line of work has been incorporated in Chile for the "Health + Development" program that drives the Development Corporation (CORFO) of the Ministry of Economy together with the Ministry of Health.
In the framework of a CEPAL-UNICEF project, case studies on social protection in childhood were carried out in Ecuador and Peru, which included an analysis component on the morbidity and mortality of children and adolescents in those countries, as well as an analysis of the mechanisms of social protection in health / nutrition for these populations.

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La CEPAL ha finalizado el estudio piloto "Impactos sociales y económicos de la doble carga de la malnutrición", realizado en Chile, Ecuador y México. Este estudio, ejecutado en el marco del convenio vigente con el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA), verificó satisfactoriamente la metodología diseñada para estimar la carga social y económica para los países, en niños y adultos, asociada a la desnutrición y al sobrepeso y la obesidad. Sus resultados fueron oficialmente presentados en México, a fines de abril, por la Secretaria Ejecutiva. Fueron también presentados en julio en la reunión del Interamerican task-force on noncommunicable diseases y en octubre en la reunión anual del PMA en Roma. Varios países de la región ya han manifestado su interés por replicarlo pues proporciona datos muy relevantes para el debate legislativo sobre alimentación saludable. En materia de salud digital se mantiene activo el proceso de asistencia técnica para el seguimiento y evaluación del programa "Salud digital.uy" en el Uruguay y se ha incorporado una línea de trabajo similar en Chile para el programa "Salud+Desarrollo" que impulsan la Corporación de Fomento (CORFO) del Ministerio de Economía junto al Ministerio de Salud.

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La CEPAL ha trabajado fuertemente en el ámbito de cooperación energética a través del Programa BIEE (Base de indicadores de Eficiencia Energética) que busca generar una base de datos - tanto a nivel nacional como regional - que sirva para medir el desempeño de las políticas de eficiencia energética y formular políticas y programas sobre bases informadas. Además, desde Febrero 2015, CEPAL es miembro de la iniciativa de las Naciones Unidas “SE4ALL/Americas”, la cual persigue los siguientes objetivos: a) garantizar el acceso universal a servicios energéticos modernos; b) duplicar la tasa mundial de mejora en la eficiencia energética; y, c) duplicar la participación de las energías renovables en la matriz energética global.

Respecto a la concientización en materia de energías sustentables, la CEPAL ha celebrado diversos Diálogos Políticos en materia de Eficiencia Energética.

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Activities include:

The pilot study "Impactos sociales y económicos de la doble carga de la malnutrición" with the Agreement with the World Food Program since 2003 on nutrition, tests a methodology of estimation of the social and economic burden in countries, for kids and adults, related with malnutrition and overweight and obesity. In this pilot Chile, Ecuador and Mexico have participated and the replication of the study is expected in other countries.

In regards to digital health, a methodology has been designed for processes analysis and impact evaluations. This has been discussed in some international meetings and in a publication with the TIC Center of Brazil (CETIC.br) and is currently being applied in Uruguay with the "Salud digital.uy" program with technical assistance by ECLAC.

Based on the agreement between ECLAC and UNICEF, there are two ongoing studies concerning social protection for youth in Ecuador and Peru. These studies include a special focus on morbidity and mortality of youth in those countries, and offer an analysis of social protection mechanisms related with health and nutrition. It is expected that these studies make a contribution to the empowerment of social protection systems and in reducing the poverty and inequality in youths.

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With regard to comprehensive health care, its globalization and prevention of financial risks, ECLAC presented a study on out of pocket and catastrophic spending during the VI Andean Forum on Health and Economy and International Workshop on Health Accounts organized by the Andean Health Organization (August, 2015). Also, in partnership with UNAIDS, ECLAC is developing a diagnostic study of HIV / AIDS in the region, its impact on spending and financing requirements for prevention and treatment, which will be presented at the High Level Meeting of the General Assembly United Nations on AIDS (June, 2016). ECLAC also maintains an active collaboration with countries in the field of digital health through participation in regional meetings at the technical level. In addition, ECLAC organized the Second Latin American Meeting Urban Health Network to share research findings in this area and identify opportunities for exchange and collaboration (March, 2016).


Moreover, as a member of the Inter-American Working Group on Non communicable diseases, ECLAC is preparing a pilot study with estimates and projections of health spending in non communicable diseases in Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago for the period 2015-2045, a study with special attention to the impact of an aging population. In addition, ECLAC published a book about Youth: realities and challenges for development with equality (October, 2015), which contains a chapter on the health of young people and their challenges for the region. Moreover, ECLAC continues to make significant efforts to strengthen food and nutrition strategies. Also ECLAC published a document titled: “Closing the gap: model to estimate the cost of eradicating chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies“(May, 2015). In addition ECLAC also presented the final assessment report of the program "Improving Food and Nutrition in Antioquia" (Colombia - December 2015). Finally, In agreement with the World Food Program, the first phase of the study was initiated to assess the social and economic impacts of malnutrition (malnutrition, obesity and overweight) in the region, especially addressing its relationship to chronic no communicable diseases.

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Action in support of persons with disabilities
In September 2011, the Executive Secretary appointed a full time Focal Point responsible for the follow-up of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and endorsed the Joint Plan of Action of the Interagency Support Group (IASG) of the Convention. To support the implementation of the Convention, ECLAC’s contribution is oriented toward awareness raising, research and access to knowledge, in addition to the ongoing technical assistance offered by the Population Division (CELADE) to harmonize data collection through censuses. ECLAC’s considers the follow-up of the Convention an important tool to respond to its mandate to contribute to strengthen democracy and give support to its Member States in moving toward greater equality under an entitlement-based approach to rights.

Activities:
a) A survey on the follow-up of CRPD and the situation of persons with disabilities was sent to the 20 countries of Latin America (including Haiti) to collect information on available statistical data and public policies from: 1) National statistical Institutes; 2) Governmental institutions for disability; 3) National NGOS for persons with visual and motor disabilities (October 2011– February 2012). Responses were received from 19 National Statistical Institutes; 9 governmental institutions and NGOs from 9 countries.
b) Creation of a specialized online resources guide on Disability produced by ECLAC Library and the Division for Social Development to disseminate the CRPD and the Interamerican Convention; substantives reports; statistics; national, regional and international information; research tools and recent news. The website was launched in December 2011 and is periodically updated [Available at http://biblioguias.cepal.org/discapacidad].
c) One chapter of the 2012 Social Panorama of Latin America (Chapter V) was dedicated to establish a first regional statistical mapping of the situation of persons with disabilities and their needs of support and assistance. This chapter was prepared by the Social Development Division jointly with ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean and the Population Division (CELADE). [See online at http://www.cepal.org/publicaciones/xml/8/49398/2012-960-PSI_WEB.pdf]
d) Incorporation of a thematic portal on Disability in the virtual network LACSIN (RISALC): the knowledge platform managed by ECLAC Social Development Division [Launched on 25 June 2012; available at http://www.risalc.org/portal/].
e) Publication of the 15th issue of the newsletter Challenges published by ECLAC in collaboration with UNICEF on the Rights of Children and Adolescents with Disabilities. The Spanish version is already available online and the English version will be issued shortly. [See online at: http://www.cepal.org/]
f) An Expert meeting on Expert meeting to define strategic priorities for the regional agenda regarding the situation of persons with disabilities was held at ECLAC’s headquarters on 14-15 May 2013. The main objective of this expert meeting was to analyse the situation of persons with disabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean and to define strategic priorities for the regional agenda to impulse joint initiatives between governmental organisms and civil society organizations. The recommendations presented to the Secretariat of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a regional contribution to the position document that will be presented at the High Level Meeting to be held on 23 September 2013 at the opening of the United Nations’ General Assembly [Documentation of the meeting is available online at: http://biblioguias.cepal.org/discapacidad]
g) Establishment of a task force by the Statistical Conference of the Americas (SCA) (Santiago, November 2013) comprising representatives from Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to coordinate the drafting of a regional report on the statistical information available in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and the difficulties encountered in assessing the status of persons with disabilities, for submission at the next meeting of the Executive Committee of the Statistical Conference of the Americas, in 2014. As of this report 34 national offices of the region had responded to the request of statistical and qualitative information regarding their activities of measurement and further response is being sought from the others. Once presented the report and received the comments of the Executive Committee, the mandate received calls on the task force “to liaise with the member countries of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics and with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization to look into avenues for collaboration and into the possibility of holding two subregional training workshops at national statistical offices in Latin America and the Caribbean in preparation for the next round of censuses”.
h) At the request of Ms. María Soledad Cisternas, President of UN Expert Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, statistical information on the situation of women and girls with disability will be processed on the basis of information being collected in item g) to contribute to a regional report on the issue.
i) Preparation of a state of the art document and analysis of public policies on inclusive education in all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean that will also contribute to the implementation of the Regional Observatory on Inclusive Education (CLADES-Brazil/ ECLAC) (Starting date: 7 April 2014).
j) Organization of an Interactive Dialogue with civil society on Disability, Development and National policies in Chile that will be held at ECLAC headquarters on 30 May 2014 in coordination with recognized organizations of persons with disability and the President of the UN Expert Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the participation as observers of the national authorities and international community in posted in Chile.

Beneficiaries:
National statistical offices of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (items a and g);
Non-governmental organizations of persons with disabilities and national authorities in Chile and Latin America (items f and j);
UN Expert Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (item h);
Users of ECLAC publications and websites (all other items).

Partnerships and Financing
Even though ECLAC activities have been mainly carried out through its limited Regular Budget, additional funding was received in 2013 from UNICEF to process specific data analysis for Chapter V of the Social Panorama and the Challenges newsletter [items c) and e)] and funding from the World Bank and the Saldarriaga Concha Fundation was received to organize the Expert meeting mentioned in item f).
Activities being carried out in 2014 (items g to i) are carried out in collaboration with the Statistical Conference of the Americas, the President of the UN Expert Committee on the Rights of Persons with disability, CLADES-Brazil and the organizations and national authorities of PwD in Chile.

http://biblioguias.cepal.org/discapacidad

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Action in support of persons with disabilities
In September 2011, the Executive Secretary appointed a full time Focal Point responsible for the follow-up of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and endorsed the Joint Plan of Action of the Interagency Support Group (IASG) of the Convention. To support the implementation of the Convention, ECLAC’s contribution is oriented toward awareness raising, research and access to knowledge, in addition to the ongoing technical assistance offered by the Population Division (CELADE) to harmonize data collection through censuses. ECLAC’s considers the follow-up of the Convention an important tool to respond to its mandate to contribute to strengthen democracy and give support to its Member States in moving toward greater equality under an entitlement-based approach to rights.

Activities:
a) A survey on the follow-up of CRPD and the situation of persons with disabilities was sent to the 20 countries of Latin America (including Haiti) to collect information on available statistical data and public policies from: 1) National statistical Institutes; 2) Governmental institutions for disability; 3) National NGOS for persons with visual and motor disabilities (October 2011– February 2012). Responses were received from 19 National Statistical Institutes; 9 governmental institutions and NGOs from 9 countries.
b) Creation of a specialized online resources guide on Disability produced by ECLAC Library and the Division for Social Development to disseminate the CRPD and the Interamerican Convention; substantives reports; statistics; national, regional and international information; research tools and recent news. The website was launched in December 2011 and is periodically updated [Available at http://biblioguias.cepal.org/discapacidad].
c) One chapter of the 2012 Social Panorama of Latin America (Chapter V) was dedicated to establish a first regional statistical mapping of the situation of persons with disabilities and their needs of support and assistance. This chapter was prepared by the Social Development Division jointly with ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean and the Population Division (CELADE). [See online at http://www.cepal.org/publicaciones/xml/8/49398/2012-960-PSI_WEB.pdf]
d) Incorporation of a thematic portal on Disability in the virtual network LACSIN (RISALC): the knowledge platform managed by ECLAC Social Development Division [Launched on 25 June 2012; available at http://www.risalc.org/portal/].
e) Publication of the 15th issue of the newsletter Challenges published by ECLAC in collaboration with UNICEF on the Rights of Children and Adolescents with Disabilities. The Spanish version is already available online and the English version will be issued shortly. [See online at: http://www.cepal.org/]
f) An Expert meeting on Expert meeting to define strategic priorities for the regional agenda regarding the situation of persons with disabilities was held at ECLAC’s headquarters on 14-15 May 2013. The main objective of this expert meeting was to analyse the situation of persons with disabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean and to define strategic priorities for the regional agenda to impulse joint initiatives between governmental organisms and civil society organizations. The recommendations presented to the Secretariat of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a regional contribution to the position document that will be presented at the High Level Meeting to be held on 23 September 2013 at the opening of the United Nations’ General Assembly [Documentation of the meeting is available online at: http://biblioguias.cepal.org/discapacidad]

Partnerships and Financing:
Even though ECLAC activities have been mainly carried out through its limited Regular Budget, additional funding was received from UNICEF to process specific data analysis for Chapter V of the Social Panorama and the Challenges newsletter [items c) and e)] and funding from the World Bank and the Saldarriaga Concha Fundation was received to organize the Expert meeting mentioned in item f).

• Date:  6/21/2011    Paragraphs: 86

ECLAC provided technical cooperation was provided to the countries of the region on the generation and use of statistical information on indigenous and afro-descendents communities in the region. With support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other international organizations, ECLAC has developed a Data Bank with indicators for indigenous and afro-descendant peoples (PIAALC). In this context, ECLAC continued its support for the identification and measurement of race and ethnic identity through national censuses.

• ECLAC's Website

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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ECLAC has been working in many different issues regarding the mandate of Hemispheric Partnership for Development as follows:

a) Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

ECLAC has organized the event “Governance of the nexus between water, energy and feeding: challenges of the 2030 Agenda in water and sanitation” (Antigua, Guatemala, 6 and 7 of September 2016).
For its part, it published the document “Challenges of hydric security in Latin America and the Caribbean” in June 2016, and the document “Latin America and the Caribbean toward the SDGs objectives in water and sanitation: recent reforms of sectorial policies”.

b) Broadband access to overcome the digital gap

ECLAC boosts the creation of a regional digital market in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will contribute to the development of equality and environmental sustainability in the region. This was proposed by ECLAC in the IV Latin-American Congress of Telecommunications, which convened in Cancun, Mexico in August 2016.

Additionally, in September 2016 ECLAC presented the report “Broadband access in Latin America and the Caribbean of 2016”, which highlighted the huge increase in the use and access of internet in 2015.

(c) The number of youth enrolled in secondary or technical education

Within the framework of a joint project with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations (ESCAP), ECLAC published “Protection and training: Institutions for improving workforce integration in Latin America and Asia”, which is a compilation of studies examining recent experiences of the countries of Latin America and Asia. The report outlined systems of protection against unemployment and vocational training and its systems, as well as the challenges facing the development of these labor institutions.

d) Investment in infrastructure and its effectiveness

With respect to infrastructure, in August 2016 ECLAC, jointly with CAF and IADB, launched a data base on infrastructure investment in the region through the web portal INFRALATAM. The database shows infrastructure investment figures for fifteen countries for the period 2008-2013, and allows users to download said data.

In addition, a meeting was held during the 2016 Governance of Natural Resources and Infrastructure week, where representatives of several countries on energy, infrastructure, transport, and natural resources debated the governance of natural resources and infrastructure in pursuit of a more integrated and sustainable development, within the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.

(e) Access to credit geared toward human development

In terms of access to credit for development, ECLAC published the document “El financiamiento para el desarrollo en América Latina y el Caribe”, which discusses the evolution of the flows of financing available to Latin America and the Caribbean for their spending on consumption and investment - public and private.
In addition, during October 2017, ECLAC presented in the meeting "Consecuencias de los recientes huracanes: alcanzando una Agenda 2030 resiliente e informada sobre los riesgos” a proposal toward the reduction of debts of Caribbean countries that have been most affected by the 2017 hurricanes. This meeting was held at ECOSOC, where a significant number of commissioners of affected countries, the UN, and the World Bank attended.

• Date:  4/11/2017    Paragraphs: -

Hemispheric Partnership for Development

a. Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

ECLAC organized the event “Gobernanza del Nexo Agua, Energía y Alimentación: Desafíos de la Agenda 2030 en Agua y Saneamiento" (Antigua, Guatemala, 6 and 7 of September 2016).
It also published the document "Desafíos de la seguridad hídrica en América Latina y el Caribe" in June 2016, and the publication of the document “América Latina y el Caribe hacia los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en agua y saneamiento: Reformas recientes de políticas sectoriales" is expected soon.


b. Broadband access to overcome the digital gap

ECLAC proposes the creation of a regional digital market in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will contribute to equality and environmental sustainability in the region. This was proposed by ECLAC in the IV Latin-American Congress of Telecommunications, celebrated in Cancun, Mexico in August 2016.

In addition, ECLAC presented a report concerning the availability of broadband access in Latin America and the Caribbean on September 2016. The report highlighted a huge increase in the use and access of the internet in the region for the year of 2015, with 54.4% of habitants of the region using internet in 2015, 20 percentile points more than 2010, which shows the important progress in access and affordability in the last five-years.


d. Investment in infrastructure and its effectiveness

ECLAC, jointly with the CAF and the IADB, launches a data base on infrastructure investment in the region, through the web portal INFRALATAM where infrastructure investment figures of the region can be downloaded. This initiative shows data for fifteen countries for the period 2008-2013.

In addition, a meeting was held during the 2016 Governance of Natural Resources and Infrastructure week, where representatives of several countries debated the governance of natural resources and infrastructure in the pursuit of a more integrated and sustainable development within the Agenda 2030 of the United Nations.

• Date:  12/8/2017    Paragraphs: -

The core activities in international migration, human rights and development have been strongly related to monitoring the “Consenso de Montevideo” and the “Segunda Conferencia Regional sobre Población y Desarrollo” (Mexico, October 2015). For example, the report: “Nuevas tendencias y dinámicas migratorias en América Latina y el Caribe”, describes the recent migratory dynamics of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Among other activities, ECLAC continued processing 2010 census information corresponding to ten countries to update the data base of the research on International Migration in Latin America (IMILA). The publications in this field include “Oportunidades e incertidumbre a la luz del Segundo Diálogo de Alto Nivel sobre Migración Internacional y Desarrollo”, in the journal “Coyuntura Demográfica”.

At the end of August 2017, ECLAC and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) co-organized the preparatory meeting for the Global Compact for Secure, Orderly and Regular Migration. This meeting generated a debate from a regional perspective on the human rights of migrants, the response to the factors that drive migration, international cooperation and governance, irregular migration and trafficking in persons, and the contributions of migrants to sustainable development and decent work.

• Date:  4/11/2017    Paragraphs: -

In terms of migration, ECLAC prepared the document “Nuevas tendencias y dinámicas migratorias en América Latina y el Caribe”, in which the recent dynamic of migration in Latin America and the Caribbean countries is described. Mainly based on census information and other resources special attention is given to the changes in intraregional migration between the census of 2000 and 2010.

• Date:  6/8/2016    Paragraphs: -

ECLAC activities on international migration, human rights, and development have been strongly related with the tracking of the Montevideo Consensus and the Second Regional Conference on Population and Development (México, October 2015). In particular, ECLAC elaborated the chapter that deals with the priority action “International migration and the human right protection for all migrants” in the Operational Guide included on the Second Conference. The process of the Operational Guide draws on results of the research done over migration patterns, national policies and regulations agendas, the examination of indigenous, teenagers and children mobility, the future agendas of cooperation, provision of training and technical assistance to countries in the region, support for intergovernmental meetings, conferences and seminars, and technical cooperation with civil society and academic and labor institutions. ECLAC also continued to provide a regional perspective in monitoring the Second High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development of 2013 and concluded a regional research within the framework of an agreement with the International Organization for Migration.

Among other activities, ECLAC continued to process Census information for the 2010 decade for ten countries , particularly special tabulations in order to update the database of the research project of International Migration in Latin America (IMILA). Among the publications in this field stands Oportunidades e incertidumbre a la luz del Segundo Diálogo de Alto Nivel sobre Migración Internacional y Desarrollo in Demographic Situation. In the editing stage is a paper on human rights (edited by the University of Guadalajara) and another on trends in regional international migration (by the National Autonomous University of Mexico). It is expected for early April 2016 the publication of the study that resulted from the agreement with IOM: New trends and dynamics of migration in Latin America and the Caribbean (Population and Development Series, 114).

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Information available in Spanish

• Date:  6/6/2013    Paragraphs: 2, 3, 6

Observatorio de igualdad de género de América Latina y el Caribe (OIG)
En el Consenso de Quito, adoptado en la Décima Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer (Ecuador, 2007), los países de América Latina y el Caribe solicitaron “la creación de un observatorio de igualdad que contribuya al fortalecimiento de los mecanismos nacionales de género”. El Observatorio de igualdad de género de América latina y el Caribe (OIG), creado en 2009, ha sido reconocido por los gobiernos en la XI Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer realizada en Brasilia el 2010, como una herramienta de gran utilidad para la definición de políticas públicas de igualdad de género, que permite contar con datos comparables actualizados y que es útil para el desarrollo de procesos formativos. Actuando como un puente entre usuarios y productores de estadísticas de género, el OIG brinda asesoría técnica para apoyar la capacidad institucional y estadística en la región, y establece un grupo mínimo de indicadores estratégicos compatibles con los indicadores ODM y de seguimiento de la CEDAW, que permiten analizar la evolución de las principales áreas de desigualdad entre hombres y mujeres. El OIG se articula en torno a tres pilares necesarios para mejorar la vida de las mujeres, los que están estrechamente vinculados: la autonomía física (que abarca el respeto a los derechos reproductivos y la violencia de género), la autonomía económica (referida a la capacidad de generar ingresos y recursos propios a partir del acceso al trabajo remunerado en igualdad de condiciones que los hombres y considera el uso del tiempo y la contribución de las mujeres a la economía) y en la autonomía en la toma de decisiones de las mujeres (entendida como la presencia en los distintos niveles de los poderes del Estado y las medidas orientadas a promover su participación plena).

Actividades:
Desde el Observatorio de igualdad de género de América Latina y el Caribe, dentro del ámbito de la autonomía física de las mujeres se han generado espacios de interlocución interinstitucional, para el mejoramiento de registros administrativos de denuncias, procedimientos y sentencias en el área de violencia doméstica, sexual, femicidio, entre otras. Para avanzar en esta área se ha dado seguimiento al Seminario sobre Registros Administrativos de homicidios de mujeres, realizado con Fiscales generales el año 2011, generándose a partir de esto asistencia técnica con representantes del sector justicia de los países (Argentina, Nicaragua), para contar con registros únicos y avanzar en la producción de cifras oficiales de violencia. Se ha construido un indicador de "muerte de mujeres por pareja íntima o ex pareja íntima" que ha logrado contar con información de 16 países, avanzando de esta manera en insumos para investigar estos fenómenos y que los países posean información para tomar decisiones de políticas.

Beneficiarios:
Mecanismos de Adelanto de la mujer de la región, organismos del sector justicia en relación a las mujeres que viven situaciones de violencia de género.

Socios y Financiación:
Organismos socios del OIG (UNFPA, ONU Mujeres, OPS, SEGIB y AECID) y trabajo conjunto con los gobiernos de la región.

Website:
http://www.cepal.org/oig/

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Strengthening public policies in the field of social protection and equality
Social protection is a major topic of debate and policy on the Latin American public agenda. ECLAC’s Social Development Division’s work on social protection seeks to disseminate knowledge accumulated on matters of social protection in order to promote comprehensive public policies that have an impact on poverty and inequality.

Activities: • A bilingual (in Spanish and English) web portal (http://dds.cepal.org/socialprotection/) was launched in November 2012 in order to disseminate knowledge on social protection as a key development strategy to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, especially MDG1 on poverty and hunger. It presents regional and country publications, databases on social protection programmes, activities, news and links to other organizations and websites.
• Twenty country reports on social protection systems in Latin American and Caribbean countries have been published in English, Spanish and/or French (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay). They aim at disseminating knowledge and at discussing the main challenges of social protection systems in terms of achieving key development goals, such as combating poverty and hunger.
• An expert group meeting on the definition of strategic priorities for the regional agenda on the situation of disabled people was carried out in Santiago, Chile, on May 14-15, 2013. The project sponsored the session on social protection and disabilities.
• A thematic seminar on “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) Indicators and Monitoring of Social Policies for Overcoming Poverty and Achieving Equality” was carried out in Santiago, Chile in June 2013.
• A regional seminar on “Public policies for equality: Towards universal social protection systems” was carried out in Montevideo, Uruguay in December 2013.

Beneficiaries:
• Seven countries (Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Panama and San Vincent and the Grenadines) participated in the May 2013 seminar on disability.
• Seven countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay) participated in the June 2013 seminar on ESCR indicators.
• Twelve Latin American and Caribbean countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) participated in the December 2013 seminar on universal social protection.

Partnerships and Financing
• The May 2013 seminar on disability was organized by ECLAC in partnership with other agencies (including the World Bank, the Trust for the Americas, Colombia’s Fundación Saldarriaga Concha, the OAS, the IADB, etc.).
• The June 2013 seminar on ESCR indicators was carried out by ECLAC and the National Institute on Human Rights of Chile (INDH) in collaboration with various partners, including OHCHR, OAS and IPPDH.
• The December 2013 seminar on universal social protection was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development of Uruguay, and with the financial support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
dds.cepal.org/socialprotection/

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

• Date:  6/21/2011    Paragraphs: 8

Through the publication, the Social Panorama of Latin America, and publications related to social protection systems and most vulnerable groups such as women and youth. ECLAC continued to disseminate information and to promote the debate on the new employment-related targets incorporated in the MDGs, the demographic dividend as an opportunity for expanding secondary education coverage, and the issue of youth and family violence from a perspective of social inclusion, among others. In this context ECLAC, led an inter-agency effort in the preparation of the document 2010 Assessment of the Millennium Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean.

• ECLAC's Website

• Date:  6/8/2016    Paragraphs: -

Hemispheric Partnership for Development

ECLAC has been working on different aspects related to the mandate of Hemispheric Partnership for Development. Particularly with regard to the following specific topics:
a) Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

ECLAC has continued to work on issues related to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. For example, during 2015 the Seminar "Development of water policies in the context of the Development Agenda Post-2015: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean" took place, where new water related laws were discussed for countries in the region that have adopted or amended them in the last decade. Water security was one of the main issues discussed during that meeting, as well as socio-environmental conflicts related to this resource, which have increased considerably in recent years.

b) Broadband access to overcome the digital gap

There have been several investigations and events related whit this subject. For example, the Workshop held on October 2015 on "Measuring the quality of Internet service", which aimed to analyze the models and tools used for measuring the quality of Internet service and the necessary institutional framework for its implementation. In addition, the publication on "The state of broadband in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015," analyzed the degree of dissemination of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean and posed some challenges for public policy to overcome the digital gap with developed countries and with countries of the region.

Another significant event was the publication of the book "The new digital revolution: from the Internet of consumption to the Internet of production", where access and digital consumption in the region are surveyed, including their strengths and weaknesses, and major policy debates are reviewed and a more proactive action of countries is suggested, for example, in regulation, network neutrality, Internet governance and combat of cyber crime.

Similarly, ECLAC, together with the Government of Mexico, held the V Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean, during the month of August 2015, where a balance was presented and the agreements established in eLAC mechanism for political dialogue were renewed, which began in 2005, strengthening the regional integration process in digital field.

c) The number of youth enrolled in secondary or technical education

Two events coordinated by ECLAC have been especially important in relation to this subject. The first was the International Seminar on "Social Inclusion and youth in Latin America and the Caribbean" that was held on October 2015, and represented the closing of the work carried out by ECLAC since 2013 under the project "Social Inclusion of youth in the context of increasing violence and insecurity ", supported by the Secretaría de la Integración Social Centroamericana (SISCA) and Organización Iberoamericana de la Juventud (OIJ).

The Second, the "University Reforms and new challenges in the region" forum (April 2015), aimed to start the discussion about reform processes in public universities in Latin American, discussing the role of public universities, in particular its relationship with the State and its role in social inclusion and cohesion, strategic management and research.

d) Investment in infrastructure and its effectiveness

In terms of infrastructure investment ECLAC has carried out different activities. For example, the XXXIV Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers of Transport of Central America (COMITRAN), held in Guatemala City on June 2015, where the progress was reviewed in relation to the Regional Policy on mobility and logistics, which seeks to reduce the high costs of mobilization of freight and people across Central America. During the event ECLAC presented the results of six national workshops of integrated and sustainable policies on logistics and mobility and the document "Key components of a policy of logistics and mobility in Central America" which along with further analysis of the state of logistics and mobility in the region, identifies the main features of the new sustainable paradigm and integrated development of logistics and mobility that benefit the economic and social development of the countries of the region and presents a basic proposal for public policy at the national level and their coordination at regional level.

Another major event was the High-Level Seminar on Transport and Air Policy in cooperation with the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission and the Civil Aeronautics Board of Chile, also held in June 2015. The workshop addressed issues of political and economic nature on air transport (regulation of international air transport and economic aspects, airport management, economic aspects of air transport services, airport facilitation and environment).


e) Access to credit geared toward human development.

In terms of access to credit for development, ECLAC published the document "Financing for development in Latin America and the Caribbean", the document analyzed the evolution of financial flows available to Latin America and the Caribbean to finance their spending needs in both public consumption and investment – public and private - including the mobilization of domestic resources and external resources. It also studies the nature of these flows in both public and private, the actors involved in these flows (i.e. donor countries, multilateral development banks, pension funds, investment funds) and the instruments through which they are channeled (traditional mechanisms such as loans - concessionary or not - , or the so-called innovative financing mechanisms among many other possible). The document also included a conceptual framework that identifies relationships between different categories of financing for development and, at the same time combines them with the basic macroeconomic identities of open economies.

• Date:  6/21/2011    Paragraphs: 12

ECLAC continued to devote efforts to strengthen the capacity of governments to formulate and implement policies and strategies to enhance productivity and competitiveness. Through the Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (OSILAC), assistance was provided to countries in the process to gather, centralize and harmonize data that serves to monitor the implementation status of the "information society" in the region. Seeking to bring down the cost of broadband internet access, ECLAC has been asked to create a Broadband Observatory.

• Date:  6/21/2011    Paragraphs: 13

Relevant analysis on macroeconomic policy, fiscal policy and labor markets have continued to be carried out. The most recent joint bulletins undertaken with the International Labor Organization on the employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, focused on job-growth post the global crisis, the growth of ‘green jobs’, the role of women in the workforce, gender parity and measures geared to protecting the income of most vulnerable workers.

• ECLAC's Website

• Date:  10/14/2015    Paragraphs: -

Iniciativa: Quinta Conferencia Ministerial sobre Sociedad de la Información en América Latina y el Caribe
El Consejo Económico y Social de las Naciones Unidas resolvió en 1999 que las reuniones de alto nivel del período de sesiones de 2000 estuviera dedicada a la consideración del tema "El desarrollo y la Cooperación internacional en el siglo XXI: la función de la tecnología de la información en el contexto de una economía mundial basada en el saber". Como respuesta, los países de América Latina y el Caribe, convocados por el Gobierno de Brasil y la CEPAL, aprobaron en julio de 2000 la Declaración de Florianópolis, que apuntaba al uso de las tecnologías de la Información y de las comunicaciones (TIC) para el desarrollo.

Como parte del proceso internacional de la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Información (CMSI), que se realizó en dos etapas (Ginebra en 2003 y Túnez en 2005), las autoridades de la región intensificaron sus esfuerzos para crear una perspectiva regional sobre el desarrollo de sociedades de la información. En reuniones celebradas entre 2001 y 2003 por la red regional del Grupo de Tareas sobre las TIC de las Naciones Unidas, se destacó la importancia de la colaboración entre las partes interesadas para hacer frente a este desafío. Asimismo, en la Agenda de Conectividad para las Américas y Plan de Acción de Quito (agosto de 2002) se insistió en la necesidad de formular programas de acción y estrategias nacionales realistas.

La Declaración de Bávaro de 2003 fue un paso importante para establecer los principios fundamentales de América Latina y el Caribe para la transición hacia sociedades de la información, dado que ayudó a identificar las principales características de este fenómeno en la región. A partir de su aprobación, se incorporaron por primera vez oficialmente el análisis sobre la gobernanza de Internet y el software de código abierto en el proceso de la CMSI, temas que cobraron gran importancia durante esa reunión y en eventos posteriores.

La región ha tomado como guía estratégica la Declaración de Principios y el Plan de Acción adoptadas en la CMSI, en el que se establecen metas que deberían alcanzarse para el año 2015, junto con los objetivos de desarrollo del Milenio de las Naciones Unidas. A partir de las bases del consenso político existente, los gobiernos de la región propusieron durante las reuniones del Comité Preparatorio de la segunda fase de la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Información elaborar el Plan de Acción de Latinoamérica y el Caribe para el período 2005-2007.

En 2005, en las reuniones preparatorias para la segunda fase de la CMSI y durante la Conferencia Ministerial Regional de América Latina y el Caribe, varios años de diálogo sobre la relación entre las TIC, el crecimiento y la equidad culminaron con el Compromiso de Río que instituye el Plan de Acción de la Sociedad de la Información en América Latina y el Caribe, conocido como eLAC2007.

El segundo paso se dio en 2008, en El Salvador, con la aprobación del segundo Plan de Acción, eLAC2010; en la actualidad, el proceso se encuentra en su tercera fase con la implementación del Plan eLAC2015, aprobado en Lima en 2010. Para dar continuidad a ese proceso, en abril de 2013 se llevó a cabo, en Montevideo, Uruguay, la cuarta Conferencia ministerial sobre la sociedad de la información en América Latina y el Caribe, en la que se aprobó la Declaración de Montevideo y el Plan de trabajo 2013-2015.

Actividades: La Quinta Conferencia Ministerial sobre la Sociedad de la Información de América Latina y el Caribe fue organizada en conjunto por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe de las Naciones Unidas (CEPAL) y el Gobierno de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. En la Conferencia se realizaró un balance y se renovaron los acuerdos establecidos en el mecanismo de diálogo político eLAC, que se inició en 2005, fortaleciendo de este modo el proceso de integración regional en materia digital. Para ello se consideraron el dinamismo tecnológico y las tendencias marcadas por la ubicuidad de Internet, la convergencia tecnológica, las redes sociales, la economía digital, el gobierno electrónico y la analítica de grandes volúmenes de datos, sin dejar de lado las necesidades pendientes de resolver en materia de acceso y uso de las TIC.

Website: http://www.cepal.org/es/eventos/quinta-conferencia-ministerial-sobre-sociedad-de-la-informacion-en-america-latina-y-el

Beneficiarios: All countries of the region. Policy makers, citizens, etc.

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

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Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (OSILAC)
In 2003, the lack of ICT statistics in most of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, led to ECLAC and the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) to create the Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (OSILAC). The goal was to have a center responsible of improving the availability and quality of internationally comparable ICT statistics in the region.
The main objectives of OSILAC are:
a) To promote statistical harmonization to strengthen the monitoring of ICTs policies in Latin America and the Caribbean countries.
b) To provide statistical information of access and use of ICTs in Latin America and the Caribbean countries.
c) To monitor and analyze the progress of Latin America and the Caribbean countries towards the development of inclusive information societies.
d) To support Latin America and the Caribbean countries to collect statistical data through capacity-building, technical assistance, provision of methodological tools and raise awareness on the importance of ICT statistics.


Activities:
OSILAC has played a relevant role in the ICT measurement process, by:
a) Identifying the stage of ICT statistics data collection at regional level.
b) Supporting the development of a core list of ICT indicators by working in collaboration with the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development and national statistics offices (NSO) of the region.
c) Collecting ICT data through NSO as an input for the analysis of the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean.
d) Providing training and technical assistance to NSO for survey design and implementation.
e) Implementing and maintaining an online ICT statistical information system (http://www.eclac.org/tic/flash/) with data on ICT access and use by households and individuals. The system helped develop comparative socio-economic for policy design (information for 17 countries is available).
Additionally, OSILAC has worked together with the Working Group of ICT measurement of the Statistical Conference of the Americas (SCA) of ECLAC. This work lead to the elaboration of a “Compendium of Practices on Implementation of ICT Questions in Household and Business Surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean“ (now in its 3rd version), and to provide a set of methodological guidelines for the measurement of ICT statistics on households and individuals, businesses, government and education.
In 2011 a 2012 OSILAC supported the work of the “Indicators Commission of the Action Plan on Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC2015)“ coordinating NSO and ministries responsible of ICT policies in the region. In 2013 the Indicators Commission of eLAC2015 presented at the IV Ministerial Conference of the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean in Montevideo, Uruguay a “List of indicators for monitoring the Action Plan on Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC2015)”.
In July 2012, OSILAC hosted with the Working Group of ICT measurement of the SCEA-ECLAC and UNCTAD a workshop in Rio de Janiero, Brazil for the elaboration of a module for ICT measurement in business surveys. In March 2013, OSILAC helped organize in Panama City a second workshop for reviewing the module for ICT measurement in business surveys.
In April 2013, OSILAC hosted with the Working Group of ICT measurement of the SCEA-ECLAC a workshop in Santiago, Chile for elaboration of a module for ICT measurement in e-health. In March 2014, OSILAC hosted a second workshop in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the reviewing of the module for ICT measurement in e-health.

Beneficiaries:
Latin American and Caribbean organizations responsible for generating ICT related indicators and statistics.

http://www.eclac.cl/tic/flash/

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Information available in Spanish

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Information available in Spanish

• Date:  6/6/2013    Paragraphs: 8

Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (OSILAC)
The lack of ICT data in most of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2003, called for the ECLAC and the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) to create the Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (OSILAC). The objective was to have an Observatory in charge of fostering the creation of ICT statistics in the region.
The main objectives of OSILAC are:
a) To promote statistical harmonization in order to strengthen the monitoring of ICT policies and projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.
b) To monitor and analyze the progress the LAC countries towards the development of information societies.
c) Support countries in the compilation and analysis of statistical data by developing capabilities or providing technical assistance on survey implementation to NSOs and other government agencies.

Activities:
OSILAC has played a relevant role in the ICT harmonized measurement process at a regional level, in the following areas:
a) Identification and description of the stage of development of the ICT data collection at a regional level and the needs for information in the region.
b) Coordinate work with national statistics offices and other members of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development, definition and consolidation of the core indicators in the measurement of ICT and promotion of the methodological discussion concerning the concepts and strategies of ICT data collection.
c) Data, statistics and indicators collection by national statistics offices as an input for analysis and research oriented towards the creation of a regional and sub regional overview of the state of development of the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean.
d) Capacity building and technical assistance to NSOs for survey formulation and implementation.
e) Statistical harmonization. OSILAC’s online ICT Statistical Information System brings together databases on household surveys and socioeconomic indicators to develop comparative socio-economic analyses on ICT access and use for policy design (22 LAC countries collected information on ICT individual internet access and use, and 12 collected ICT indicators for businesses.

Additionally, OSILAC worked together with the Working Group on Information and Communication Technologies of the Statistical Conference of the Americas (SCA) of ECLAC and, concomitantly, they have collected and developed the contents of the Compendium of Practices on Implementation of ICT Questions in Household and Business Surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean, and of the methodological guidelines for the measurement of ICT in households and individuals, businesses, government and the education sector.
During 2011 and 2012, OSILAC supported de definition of a list of indicators for monitoring the eLAC2015 plan by coordinating national statistical offices and the ministries responsible for promoting ICT policies, with the assistance of the working group on ICTs of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of ECLAC (SCA-ECLAC).

Beneficiarios:
Latin American and Caribbean organizations responsible for generating ICT related indicators and statistics.

Website:
http://www.eclac.cl/tic/flash/

• “The digital divide in the Latinamerican context”. En: Ragnedda, M. & Muschert, G. eds., “The digital divide. The internet and social inequality in international perspective”. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. London and New York. 2013.
• Sunkel, Guillermo “TIC para la educación en América Latina: hacia una perspectiva integral”. Artículo sobre el estado de integración de las TIC en las escuelas en América Latina. Publicado originalmente en el portal de RELPE