The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) presented today an analysis and proposals for fighting poverty, inequality and hunger as a contribution to the debates of the IV Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Ecuador, and attended by the regional commission’s Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena.
The meeting, which was held at the Union of South American Nations’ (Unasur) headquarters in the Middle of the World city, was inaugurated by Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa, in charge of handing over CELAC’s Pro-Tempore Presidency to the President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina. The event was attended by Heads of State of the whole region, who evaluated plans and initiatives to eradicate extreme poverty and reduce inequality.
ECLAC has supported Ecuador in this period in charge of CELAC, like the organization did with Chile, Cuba and Costa Rica in previous years, during their respective temporary presidencies. In this context, the regional organization revealed today new documents that include an analysis on the current economic and social panorama, as well as a proposal to eradicate hunger; and an assessment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) compliance in the region.
In the report Economic and Social Panorama of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, 2015, ECLAC presented a summary of the main studies published during 2015, with chapters dedicated to the economic situation, foreign direct investment, trade, social context, population projections and gender equality.
Among several figures quoted, ECLAC reminded that poverty affected 28% of Latin America’s population in 2014, equivalent to 167 million people, out of which 71 million were in extreme poverty. Also according to ECLAC, Latin American and the Caribbean’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015 decreased 0.4% in 2015 and it will grow just an estimated 0.2% in 2016.
Another document, entitled Plan for Food Security, Nutrition and Hunger Eradication of CELAC 2025: A Proposal for Follow Up and Analysis, aims to contribute with the work done in the framework of that Plan, approved by CELAC in January 2015. The report presents a food security and nutrition follow-up and analysis model and describes the results of its implementation in four Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).
This study is complemented with a publication on Follow-up Maps of Food and Nutrition Security.
Finally, during the meeting ECLAC also presented the report Latin America and the Caribbean: Looking Ahead after the Millennium Development Goals, where it concludes that from 2000 to 2015 the region met various key goals of the MDGs, with important progress in the reduction of extreme poverty, hunger and infant mortality and with the incorporation of girls into education, but it must make greater efforts in the reduction of maternal mortality and greenhouse gases emissions, among other areas.
During her visit to Ecuador, Alicia Bárcena held a bilateral meeting with Unasur’s General Secretary, Ernesto Samper. The Executive Secretary was accompanied on this trip by Luis F. Yáñez, Officer-in-Charge of the Commission’s Secretariat.
