UNDP has carried out studies on the impact of the economic crisis on MDG attainment, fueling the discussion on the importance of fiscal spending on social programs to reduce poverty. It has also supported the efforts to design strategies to accelerate the achievement MDGs in the region, implemented in two countries in the region: Colombia and Belize.

In an effort to promote human development –linking the fight against poverty and the sustainability of the environment, UNDP with UNEP has supported the adoption of the Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI) that provides countries with technical and financial support to integrate poverty and the environment, in both national and sub national planning processes. Such efforts have been carried out in Uruguay and Dominican Republic. UNDP has spearheaded the elaboration of national and regional Human Development Reports (HDR) and MDG Reports (MDGR) in LAC. The Regional Human Development Report provided a new regional analysis on breaking the intergenerational transmission of inequalities.