September 29, 2022, Cuenca, Ecuador - In a context of greater uncertainty, in which the region continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, the XIV Ministerial Forum on Development of Latin America and the Caribbean: “Recalibrating… How to get back on track towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, begins today. This is an effort to analyze how social protection, effective governance and financing for development can get back on the path of the SDGs in the region.

In the context of the Forum, the Fifth Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), chaired by Antigua and Barbuda, will take place.

The two-day event will feature the participation of global and regional specialists in sustainable development and high-ranking government officials, including James Robinson, Professor and Director of the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, University of Chicago; Rebeca Grynspan, Executive Secretary, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Former Vice President of Costa Rica, among others.

At the opening, Esteban Bernal, Minister of Economic and Social Inclusion of Ecuador, emphasized: “For the first time, Ecuador is hosting the Ministerial Forum on Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently and in the post-pandemic context, no country can develop in isolation and without the collaborative work of all nations. We are in a meeting that will present development perspectives from a regional unity and with a view to the near future”.

“Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are still facing the impact of COVID-19, added to the pressures generated by the conflict in Ukraine, environmental pressures and, in general, a context of greater uncertainty and risk. This poses challenges for the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs, but it also creates opportunities to rethink development strategies and open spaces for regional collaboration that allow us to create more inclusive, fair, and resilient societies, where no one is left behind. This Forum gives us the opportunity to share experiences and take advantage of the lessons learned in recent years, forging a firm path towards sustainable development in the region” expressed Luis Felipe López-Calva, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and Caribbean.

Raúl García-Buchaca, ECLAC Deputy Executive Secretary for Administration and Analysis of Programs, highlighted the importance of social institutions, one of the central elements of the Regional Agenda for Inclusive Social Development, approved by the countries of the region within the framework of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Strengthening social institutions is key to implementing universal social protection systems and social and labor inclusion policies, as well as to fulfill State commitments and provide continuity, legitimacy and coherence to policies and programs. This is even more urgent in the current situation, characterized by new social needs and demands due to the pandemic, disasters, rising inflation, the food security crisis, and growing poverty.”

Contact:

New York:

Ana Maria Currea, ana.maria.currea@undp.org, +202309 4981

Panama:

Vanessa Hidalgo, vanessa.hidalgo@undp.org, +1646 3389462

Santiago:

Guido Camu, prensa@cepal.org, (56 2) 2210 2040.

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