(25 May 2010) The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will offer its member and associate States during its Thirty-third session a new roadmap for the coming years that places equality at the center of a development agenda based on a new balance between the State, market and society to in benefit of the population in the region.
The proposals are included in the document "Time for equality. Closing gaps, opening trails", which will be presented during the meeting to be held in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, from 30 May to 1 June, 2010.
The session gathers representatives from ECLAC's 44 member and nine associate States to discuss the economic, social and environmental development of the region, examine the activities of the Commission during the preceding biennium and set the priorities of its programme of work for the following two years.
It will be inaugurated on Sunday, 30 May, 2010 at 9 a.m. at the Hotel Royal Tulip Brasilia Alvorada in a ceremony presided by ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena. Government delegates and representatives of United Nations specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and special guests are expected to attend.
The Committee on South-South Cooperation will meet later that afternoon.
Time for equality. Closing gaps, opening trails offers an integrated view for the future of Latin America and the Caribbean based on a detailed examination of the current situation and a body of recent evidence concerning the region's development problems.
The ECLAC document sets forth an approach based on six strategic areas:
ECLAC's Thirty-third session will conclude on Tuesday, 1 June with a seminar on the State, political action and social covenants, with the participation of the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who will deliver the closing lecture.
The media is welcome to participate in the meeting.
More information on the Thirty-third session of ECLAC is available on the webpage.
For enquiries and interviews, please contact ECLAC's Public Information and Web Services Section. Email: dpisantiago@cepal.org; telephones: (56-2) 210-2040/2149. Mobile phones: (56-9) 88390573; (56 9) 7967-8306; (56-9) 8839-0576.
