“As I have tirelessly stressed, our recovery must be nature-based, or it will not last. We need to embrace a strategy that is advanced by the people for the people. So, where ECLAC is concerned, the Caribbean will remain a priority through our Caribbean First strategy,” Alicia Bárcena emphasized.

A total of 18 countries interrupted services partially and two closed them completely, according to a PAHO survey. Countries have been urged to implement innovative and strategies and measures to ensure safe care during the pandemic.

“The opinions, knowledge and experience of youth must be taken into account. We must participate in the development of strategies and ensure that any policies implemented are well-targeted, based on our knowledge of limitations and opportunities within the sector, as well as our vision for agriculture”, stated Andrea Paredes, a Guatemalan coffee farmer and the representative for Central America in the forum.

“La innovación digital trae muchas ventajas para luchar contra el COVID-19 y facilitar el distanciamiento social, pero también involucra algunos riesgos. El surgimiento de la pandemia ha puesto de manifiesto problemas estructurales en los ámbitos económico y social, a los que se suman la exclusión digital, y otros problemas relacionados con la privacidad y seguridad”, aseguró Alicia Bárcena.

Un nuevo informe de dos agencias de las Naciones Unidas propone un “bono contra el Hambre” además de un ingreso mínimo de emergencia para evitar que la crisis sanitari del COVID-19 se convierta en una crisis alimentaria que haga retroceder a la región 20 años de desarrollo y empuje a millones más al hambre y la pobreza..

“While the majority of infections in the region are reported in big cities, where economic inequality and population density fuel transmission, our data show a concerning trend towards high transmission in border areas.” Carissa Etienne said.

The study by the UN’s office for the region, known by the acronym ECLAC, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), proposes 10 measures to ward against increased hunger, including through an “anti-hunger grant” to support vulnerable people as well as food producers.

The spread of COVID-19 among the elderly of Latin America and the Caribbean has exposed the fragility of the care and support systems for this group. The pandemic reveals a lack of protocols for action and prevention in home care and nursing home settings. It also brings to light the unmet support needs of family and informal caregivers. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study “Age with Care: Long-Term care in Latin America and the Caribbean” found that 8 million older people in the region (12% of people over 60 and 27% of people over 80) currently depend on some sort of long-term care. This means there is at least one basic activity of daily living—like bathing, eating, or getting out of bed—that they cannot do on their own.

According to FAO and ECLAC, given the sharp drop forecast in GDP, inflows and remittances, the increase in poverty, and the rise in food prices, it is vital to take urgent action to fight hunger in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The details of these measures, along with recommendations to avert a food crisis in the medium term, will be unveiled in this report.

La CEPAL propone dinamizar sectores claves para la infraestructura y la sostenibilidad de la vida. Uno de ellos es la economía del cuidado y otro, la potencialización de sectores bajos en emisiones de carbono, donde las mujeres debieran tener una participación muy activa, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena.

Durante su intervención, afirmó que, sin duda, la feminización de la pobreza es uno de los grandes temas de esta región. Y en estos tiempos de pandemia hay un impacto desproporcionado en las mujeres trabajadoras. Además, aseguró que en estos tiempos le preocupa que se vean mermados los presupuestos de las entidades de género.

Kremer and the Institute’s Director General, Manuel Otero, will discuss the opportunities available to increase agricultural productivity through the use of digital tools: a fundamental way to support the sector within the context of the current pandemic as well as transform rural areas into areas of progress that generate job opportunities.

"Covid-19 has not only created a health crisis, but also an economic crisis in the long term. For many people, the pandemic is also generating a food security crisis. In the midst of this situation and the emergency measures that have been adopted, we must look ahead and find opportunities to shape the future”, explained.

“La igualdad es una declaración política. Tenemos que huir de la cultura del privilegio, que naturaliza las desigualdades y hace creer que las personas no son iguales. Necesitamos un nuevo pacto social, un nuevo Estado de bienestar que consagre la protección social universal, con acceso a sistemas de salud de calidad, y reconstruir con igualdad y sostenibilidad”, declaró Alicia Bárcena.

During a videoconference, representatives of financial institutions, development organizations and donors informed the ministers of funding alternatives and resources available to strengthen agriculture, with special emphasis on food security, resilience, economic recovery, technological innovation, sustainable use of resources and the preservation of biodiversity, among other areas.

The meeting was organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as part of their efforts to strengthen agriculture in the region. 

Hay una demanda creciente de un mejor Estado que sea más efectivo, eficiente y transparente. Esta institucionalidad debe acompañarse de entidades fiscalizadoras que respondan a las crecientes demandas ciudadanas de más y mejor acceso a la información oportuna y confiable, así como de mayor participación en las decisiones que les afectan, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena, Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).

The contraction responds to the continuation of a downward trend that began in early 2019, when exports from the region declined by 2.2 percent, and to the first effects of the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The downturn in global demand hit the region through both the price and volume channels, according to the latest edition of Trade Trend Estimates for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Hay una demanda creciente de un mejor Estado que sea más efectivo, eficiente y transparente. Esta institucionalidad debe acompañarse de entidades fiscalizadoras que respondan a las crecientes demandas ciudadanas de más y mejor acceso a la información oportuna y confiable, así como de mayor participación en las decisiones que les afectan, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena, Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).

MigApp is IOM’s global app for migrants. A quarter of its users are in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

A new section in Migapp’s Medical tab highlights official health recommendations to prevent the virus’ spread.  News and Migration Tips sections are updated to capture changes across countries—such as border restrictions, COVID-19 hotlines or migration status changes. 

MigApp also features mini surveys, which allow IOM to run simple questions to better understand the issues affecting migrants.

Estimates point to a decline in global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 that will be the largest in decades (by 2%) and to significant contractions in the volume of global trade (by between 13% and 32%).The drop in economic activity, particularly in China, the United States and Europe, is hurting trade volumes and prices in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially for commodities. Some key production sectors in countries of the region form part of global value chains in which the United States and China are fundamental. In addition, many countries will be severely affected by reduced remittances from migrants and the decline in tourism. The deterioration in global financial conditions has increased volatility in the region to record levels, and there have been massive capital outflows from emerging markets, most currencies have depreciated against the dollar and sovereign risk has risen sharply (ECLAC, 2020c).

41.000 personas en 9 países respondieron a una encuesta remota sobre cómo la COVID-19 ha afectado sus medios de vida, seguridad alimentaria y acceso a mercados. Las principales preocupaciones de las personas que aceptaron completar la encuesta realizada en línea fueron: incapacidad para cubrir sus necesidades alimentarias, pérdida parcial o total de ingresos debido a la crisis generada por la pandemia, y miedo a la propagación del virus.

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has exposed the economic model’s structural problems and the failings of social protection systems and welfare schemes. Hence, a “new normality” is not the way forward; we must rethink the development model and consolidate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, leaving no one behind, Alicia Bárcena.