Executive Summary
The 39th session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), held in Buenos Aires from 24-26 October 2022, convened representatives from 32 member states, UN agencies, and intergovernmental organizations. The session focused on transformative recovery amid cascading crises, emphasizing the need for a new development model centered on production, inclusion, and sustainability. Key themes included addressing inequality, promoting employment, sustainable investment, digital transformation, climate action, and strengthening regional cooperation and multilateralism. High-level panels discussed globalization changes, employment creation, sectoral investment, and international cooperation. The session adopted resolutions supporting integrated development approaches, gender equality, social development, digital inclusion, and regional planning. ECLAC reaffirmed its role as a center of excellence for policy analysis and technical cooperation, aligning its 2024 work program with the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development goals. The meeting underscored the urgency of bold policies, innovative financing, and strengthened governance to overcome the region’s challenges and foster inclusive, sustainable growth.
Characteristics
- The 39th session of ECLAC was held in Buenos Aires from 24 to 26 October 2022, attended by representatives from 32 member states, UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders.
- The session focused on transformative recovery for Latin America and the Caribbean, addressing cascading crises, economic recovery, social inclusion, climate change, digital transformation, and regional cooperation.
- Key agenda items included the presentation of the ECLAC position document on transforming the development model, high-level seminars on globalization, employment, investment, and international cooperation.
- The session emphasized the need for innovative financing, strengthening governance, gender equality, and sustainable development aligned with the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.
- Resolutions adopted included support for gender mainstreaming, social development, population and development, digital inclusion, and regional cooperation mechanisms.
- The session highlighted the importance of multilateralism, South-South cooperation, and the role of ECLAC as a center of excellence for policy analysis, technical cooperation, and capacity building in the region.
Actors
Civil Society Actors
Economic Actors
Political Actors
Research and Innovation Actors
Practical Applications
- Implementation of the Plan for self-sufficiency in health matters in Latin America and the Caribbean to expand capacities to produce and distribute vaccines and medicines in the region.
- Progress on the debt swap for climate change adaptation initiative and establishment of the Caribbean Resilience Fund.
- Preparation and implementation of the Comprehensive Development Plan for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and south-southeast Mexico to address structural causes of migration from a development and human security perspective.
- Entry into force and implementation of the Escazú Agreement, providing protection to environmental activists, with 24 countries signed and 13 ratified.
- Launch and operation of the National Employment Agency in Costa Rica to generate employment data and inform training aligned with labor market needs.
- Vocational and higher education training programs aligned with productive sector needs, such as those by SENAI in Brazil focusing on automation, mechatronics, environment, transport, and logistics.
- FAO initiatives: Hand-in-Hand (supporting investment projects to diversify and increase value added in prioritized production chains) and 1,000 Digital Villages (implementing digital tools in agro-tourism ventures).
- Establishment of public-private partnerships in Ecuador to drive development, attract investment, and generate employment.
- Costa Rica’s foreign trade and investment attraction strategies fostering high-tech industries, including medical devices, with partnerships with academic and research institutions.
- Regional cooperation initiatives including contingency plans, joint negotiation and procurement of medicines and agrifood inputs, disaster response mechanisms, and unified procedures in Central America (SICA).
- Creation of the Regional Collaborative Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean to enhance coordination and efficiency in the UN development system.
- Establishment and operation of the Regional Conference on South-South Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean to promote development cooperation.
- Organization of multiple intergovernmental meetings and conferences such as the Regional Conference on Women, Regional Conference on Social Development, Statistical Conference of the Americas, Conference on Science, Innovation and ICT, and Ministerial Conference on the Information Society.
- Adoption and implementation of the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC2022) and promotion of digital inclusion and regional digital market development.
- Strengthening of gender mainstreaming strategies and gender statistics through the Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Support for the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) in training and technical cooperation for development planning.
- Biennial Caribbean Development Roundtable meetings to address debt sustainability, resilience-building, and economic recovery post-COVID-19.
- Technical support to landlocked developing countries in infrastructure investment, trade facilitation, transport, and logistics under the Vienna Programme of Action.
- Regular calendar of ECLAC intergovernmental conferences and meetings for 2023-2024 to facilitate regional dialogue and policy coordination.
- Promotion of comprehensive public policies and programs integrating sustainable development with a transformative gender perspective to respond to COVID-19 and other crises, including fostering comprehensive care systems and decent work for women.
- Strengthening of regional statistical capacity, including support for the 2020 round of population and housing censuses and promotion of data sharing for SDG monitoring.
- Support for the implementation of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development and related regional conferences and platforms.
- Promotion of innovative financing mechanisms and strengthening of regional financial institutions such as the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Latin American Reserve Fund (LARF).
- Encouragement of regional economic integration, including through MERCOSUR and other regional trade agreements.
- Support for the development of sustainable and inclusive social protection systems and social policies aligned with the Regional Agenda for Inclusive Social Development.
- Facilitation of cooperation between countries and international organizations to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and the energy transition, including investment in renewable energy and green hydrogen.
- Promotion of digital transformation policies that ensure universal, meaningful, and affordable access to ICT, protect rights, and foster innovation.
- Organization of the fifteenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean focused on the care society as a horizon for sustainable recovery with gender equality.
- Implementation of employment and training policies as part of national and continental development projects to reduce informality and improve job quality.
- Use of innovative cooperation models such as triangular and South-South cooperation to enhance development effectiveness and resource mobilization.
- Strengthening of public sector capabilities and governance to support transformative development policies and institutional capacities.
- Promotion of regional cooperation on migration management and addressing root causes of migration.
- Support for the development of the orange economy (investment in intellectual property, sports, culture) as a low-carbon growth sector in the Caribbean.
- Encouragement of fiscal policy strengthening and public planning to implement the 2030 Agenda and foster gender equality.
- Facilitation of knowledge sharing and best practices among countries through observatories, data repositories, and technical cooperation projects.
- Organization of the Ministerial Conference on the Information Society to promote regional cooperation on ICT policies and digital transformation.
Resulting Commitments
- The fifteenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean will be held in Buenos Aires from 7 to 11 November 2022 under the theme “The care society: a horizon for sustainable recovery with gender equality” (Resolution 756(XXXIX)).
- The nineteenth meeting of the Regional Council for Planning of ILPES is scheduled for the second half of 2023 (Resolution 757(XXXIX)).
- The fifth session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean will be convened in 2023, jointly with the XV Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (Resolution 759(XXXIX)).
- The fifth Regional Intergovernmental Conference on Ageing and the Rights of Older Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean will be held at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago from 13 to 15 December 2022 (Resolution 760(XXXIX)).
- The eighth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean will be held in Montevideo from 16 to 18 November 2022 (Resolution 761(XXXIX)).
- The draft programme of work of the ECLAC system for 2024, including the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning, was adopted as the legislative mandate for the execution of programmes, projects, and technical cooperation activities (Resolution 762(XXXIX)).
- The thirtieth session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) is scheduled for 2024 (Resolution 764(XXXIX)).
- The fifth meeting of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean is scheduled for 2024 (Resolution 760(XXXIX)).
- The ninth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean is scheduled for 2024 (Resolution 761(XXXIX)).
- The fortieth session of ECLAC will be held in Peru in 2024 (Resolution 766(XXXIX)).
Technical Details
Scope
Regional
Lead Country
Argentina (ARG)
Policy & Strategic Alignment
EU Policy Alignment
SDG Alignment
Beneficiary Groups
Citizens
General Citizens / Consumers
Migrants
Migrants & Refugees
Small and Medium Enterprises
SMEs / Businesses
Women in Tech
Women & Girls
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Digital Divide Reduction and Inclusion
Member States, ECLAC
Digital Transformation
Digital Infrastructure Investment
Public and private investors, governments
Digital Infrastructure
Economic Impact of Professional Training
Governments, training institutions, private sector
Labour and Education
Escazú Agreement Adoption and Ratification
Member States
Environmental Governance
Inclusive Social Development Implementation
Member States, ECLAC
Social Development
Population and Development Consensus Implementation
Member States, ECLAC
Population and Development
Regional Conference on Women Session
ECLAC, Member States
Gender Equality
Sustainable Investment Mobilization and Capacity Building
Governments, regional organizations, ECLAC
Sustainable Development
Transformative Recovery Promotion
Member States, ECLAC
Economic and Social Development