United Nations
Last Update: September 2025
Observatory on Social Development     Social Development Division     ECLAC    |     Español - English
Institutional Framework Database for Social Policy
in Latin America and the Caribbean
home / Dimensions
Organizational dimension
The organizational dimension refers to the way in which ministries and executive powers are set up and in charge of social functions, considering their mandates and legal status. They emphasize the relative importance and formal mandates of Social Development Ministries (or other equivalent entities of the government devoted to social development) within the structure of the central government, as well as their degree of autonomy, specialization, relationship and importance in comparison to other sectoral areas of government.


Latin America and the Caribbean: intergovernmental forums on social development, according to the kind of entity they are attached, 2015
  Institution Forum Year of creation Frequency of meetings Type of forum
United Nations organizations United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Forum of Ministers of Social Development 2001 Twice a year (but it has been irregular) Mechanism of analysis and proposals
United Nations organizations United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean 2007 Annual Discussion mechanism
United Nations organizations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean 2015 Biennial Mechanism of analysis and proposals
Regional intergovernmental forums Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) Meeting of Ministers for the Social Area of Member Countries of LAIA 2009 When considered necessary (without fixed periodicity) Analysis and proposals mechanism
Regional intergovernmental forums Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA) Meeting of the Ministerial Council for the Social Area 2004 When considered necessary (without fixed periodicity) Mandate monitoring mechanism
Regional intergovernmental forums Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Meeting of Social Development Ministers and Authorities to Eradicate Hunger and Poverty 2013 Biennial (the last meeting was in 2015) Analysis and proposals mechanism
Regional intergovernmental forums Organization of American States (OAS) Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development 2008 Biennial Mandate monitoring mechanism
Regional intergovernmental forums Organization of American States (OAS) nter-American Committee on Social Development (CIDES) 2010 When considered necessary (without fixed periodicity) Mandate monitoring mechanism
Regional intergovernmental forums Ibero-American Secretariat (SEGIB) Ibero-American Conference   of Ministers and High-level Authorities Responsible for Social Security 2000 Biennial since 2015 Discussion mechanism
Regional intergovernmental forums Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) South American Council   of Social Development 2009 Annual Analysis and proposals mechanism
Subregional intergovernmental forums Andean Community (CAN) Andean Council of Social Development Ministers 2004 Annual Analysis and proposals mechanism
Subregional intergovernmental forums Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Human and Social Development 1973 When considered necessary (without fixed periodicity IAnalysis and proposals mechanism
Subregional intergovernmental forums Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development of MERCOSUR 2011 Twice a year Discussion mechanism
Subregional intergovernmental forums Organisation of Eastern Caribbean   States (OECS) Council of Ministers for Social and Human Development 2014 Annual Discussion mechanism
Subregional intergovernmental forums Central American Social Integration Secretariat (SISCA), social subsystem of the Central American Integration System (SICA) Council of Ministers for the Social Area 2008 Annual Mandate monitoring mechanism


Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), based on official information reported by governments of the region.

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Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), based on official information reported by governments of the region.
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