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ECLAC SUBREGIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR THE CARIBBEAN Newsletter of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) “THE TIME FOR EQUALITY HAS ARRIVED IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN” - Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC ECLAC IDENTIFIES NEW COOPERATION OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN BUILDING RESILIENCE TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS WHAT’S INSIDE: WHAT’S AND DEVELOPMENT IN SAINT LUCIA IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE TOMAS THE ROAD TO RIO+20 ISSUE 1 / JANUARY - MARCH 2011 ABOUT ECLAC/CDCC Issue 1 / January - March 2011 The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It was established in 1948 to support Latin American governments in the economic and social “The Time for Equality has arrived in Latin America development of that region. Subsequently, in 1966, the Commission (ECLA, at that time) established the Subregional Headquarters for the and the Caribbean”- Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC 3 Caribbean in Port of Spain to serve all countries of the insular Caribbean, as well as Belize, Guyana and Suriname, making it the largest United ECLAC identifies New Cooperation Opportunities Nations body in the subregion. between the United States and Latin America and At its sixteenth session in 1975, the Commission agreed to create the the Caribbean 4 Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) as a permanent subsidiary body, which would function within the ECLA Building Resilience to Advance Sustainable Livelihoods structure to promote development cooperation among Caribbean and Development in Saint Lucia in the Aftermath of countries. Secretariat services to the CDCC would be provided by Hurricane Tomas 5 the Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean. Nine years later, the Commission’s widened role was officially acknowledged when the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) modified its title to the The Road to RIO+20 7 Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Key Areas of Activity The ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean (ECLAC/CDCC secretariat) functions as a subregional think-tank and facilitates increased Regular Features contact and cooperation among its membership. Complementing the ECLAC/CDCC work programme framework, are the broader directives Abstracts - ECLAC Publications 9 issued by the United Nations General Assembly when in session, which constitute the Organization’s mandate. At present, the overarching Recent ECLAC Publications 10 articulation of this mandate is the Millennium Declaration, which outlines the Millennium Development Goals. Upcoming Events - 2nd Quarter 2011 10 Towards meeting these objectives, the secretariat conducts research; provides technical advice to governments, upon request; organizes intergovernmental and expert group meetings; helps to formulate and articulate a regional perspective within global forums; and introduces global concerns at the regional and subregional levels. Areas of specialisation include trade, statistics, social development, science and technology, and sustainable development; while actual operational FOCUS: ECLAC in the Caribbean is a publication of the activities extend to economic and development planning, demography, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) economic surveys, assessment of the socio-economic impacts of natural Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean/Caribbean Development disasters, data collection and analysis, training, and assistance with the and Cooperation Committee (CDCC). management of national economies. The ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean also functions EDITORIAL TEAM: as the secretariat for coordinating the implementation of the Programme Deputy Chief Hirohito Toda, ECLAC of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing Editor Julie Ramlal, ECLAC States (SIDS POA). The scope of ECLAC/CDCC activities is documented Copy Editor Maureen Afoon, ECLAC in the wide range of publications produced by the subregional Coordinator Johann Brathwaite, ECLAC headquarters in Port of Spain. MEMBER COUNTRIES: ASSOCIATE MEMBER Produced by ECLAC Antigua and Barbuda Haiti COUNTRIES: Printed by The Office Authority - Printing Division The Bahamas Jamaica Anguilla Layout by RAW Designs Barbados Saint Kitts and Nevis Aruba Belize Saint Lucia British Virgin Islands Cuba Saint Vincent Cayman Islands CONTACT INFORMATION: Dominica and the Grenadines Montserrat ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean Dominican Republic Suriname Puerto Rico PO Box 1113, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Grenada Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands Tel: (868) 224-8000 Guyana United States Virgin Fax: (868) 623-8485 Islands E-mail: [email protected] THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION COMMITTEE ISSUE 1 / JANUARY - MARCH 2011 “THE TIME FOR EQUALITY HAS ARRIVED IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN” - Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC Alicia Bárcena proposed six pillars for a new economic strategy emphasizing investment, integration and innovation at the 52nd annual meeting of the Board of Governors of IDB. (28 March 2011) “Latin America and the Caribbean can safely take on its role in the new inclusive world scenario” according to Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC. he senior United Nations In the framework of the annual IDB T official was taking part in the !DB meeting, the ECLAC Executive Secretary second plenary session of the was also one of the main speakers at the 52nd annual meeting of the Board seminar “Faced with the development of Governors of the Inter-American challenges in Latin America: what are Development Bank (IDB), held in the articulation possibilities between a Calgary, Canada. European bilateral development agency and multilateral institutions active in the “The time for equality has arrived in the region?” and moderated the meeting on region”, she declared. She proposed “Private Sector Investments and Socially six pillars for a new economic strategy ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena Responsible Development of Natural emphasizing investment, integration and Resources”. innovation, so as to ensure productive convergence, a greater number and “Latin America and the Caribbean At the latter, she highlighted the fact quality of jobs and environmental now has the opportunity to make that the new patterns of commercial stability. and economic integration with Asia, use of this recently acquired and especially China, pose new She stated that the global crisis resilience to act according to challenges for the development strategy and today’s challenges (including of Latin America and the Caribbean. strong capital inflows and increasing a long-term vision, in order to These challenges include reviews of inflationary pressure caused by rising oil create the necessary conditions to the regulatory frameworks of sectors and food prices) call for new approaches related to natural resources, and the to development. She said that “the achieve robust growth that is more increase of the amount of investment in world economy and the financial system infrastructure, which is key for the export have to be more equitable, fair and stable equitable and sustainable”, of such products. so that the benefits of progress reach she declared in a speech delivered everyone, including the poorest”. to IDB representatives. She claimed that the region should improve existing fiscal and contractual Ms Bárcena added “we are proposing a new approach to development, a strategy She pointed out that ECLAC is mechanisms intended to ensure sufficient for sustainable and equitable growth forecasting GDP growth of 4.2% for income generation for the State, without based on equality”. She emphasized the region in 2011, which is more endangering the investment boost needed that social equality and economic moderate than the 6.1% for 2010, as well to develop natural resources. At the same growth are not incompatible, and that as a one percentage point reduction in time, she also described it as essential to it is vital to increase the State’s capacity poverty for last year (down to 32.1% of implement institutional arrangements to redistribute resources and promote the population, compared with 33.1% to guarantee efficient use of any profits equity. recorded in 2009). generated. 3 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION COMMITTEE ECLAC IDENTIFIES NEW COOPERATION OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN “President Barack Obama’s visit to the region offers an unmissable opportunity to revitalize hemispheric relations” according to Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC. (28 March 2011) -The United States remains the main individual trading partner for Latin America and the Caribbean. The conditions are now right to launch a new era of economic and trade cooperation between the United States and the region, according to an ECLAC document. he publication The United investor in the region, accounting for T States and Latin America and the 34.7% of cumulative foreign direct Caribbean: highlights of economics investment flows received by the and trade was produced for the visit region between 1999 and 2009. of the US President, Barack Obama, / CEPAL Vera Carlos to three of the region’s countries: “The current tour of President Brazil, Chile and El Salvador. The Barack Obama to three Latin report