Social Development and COVID-19
in Latin America and the Caribbean
Lista de reuniones:
Date: 13-01-2021 | Place: Virtual
Description:
The Fourth Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean was held virtually on January 13, 2021, in the framework of the XII Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. This meeting brought together Social Development ministers and senior authorities from Latin America and the Caribbean and addressed the social situation of the region in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related documents:
Participant Institutions:
Date: 21-04-2020 | Place: Virtual
Description:
The goal of this meeting was to discuss challenges and vulnerabilities faced by Caribbean countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to identify their needs in regards to technical assistance. Most countries have implemented response packages, including measures such as emergency financial assistance for income support, food vouchers, creation of helplines, and moratorium on payments of utilities, among others. Some of these measures have been directed mainly to vulnerable groups, many of which had not been previously included in official registries. As a result, the importance of having updated databases was stressed as a key priority, as well as improving medical and health facilities, applying modern technologies for the disbursement of payments, and establishing effective institutional frameworks to facilitate planning and actions across sectors and at all levels, in order to be better prepared for future emergencies. ECLAC insisted in the importance of regional coordination and cooperation to tackle this crisis, taking into account the Regional Agenda for Inclusive Social Development (RAISD) agreed by the member countries during the Conference in Mexico City in 2019.
Related documents:
Participant Institutions:
Date: 02-04-2020 | Place: Virtual
Description:
This meeting had the goal of sharing experiences about the role of Ministries of Social Development and other similar entities in facing the current crisis caused by COVID-19. It was especially interesting to know how each institution has responded to the pandemic in three specific aspects: i) main socio-economic problems and priorities in social protection; ii) difficulties, challenges and lessons in their responses to the crisis; and iii) cooperation needs. It was noticed that the main focus of the regions ministries has been to mitigate the loss of human lives, as well as to avoid an expansion of poverty and extreme poverty. For this purpose, they have taken joint action along other ministries (economy, health, education, etc) and actors (universities, professional associations, private sector, among others). Later, Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, called for an implementation of universal, redistributive and solidarity policies to avoid another lost decade in regards to improvements in social protection.
Related documents:
Participant Institutions:
Covid-19 Observatory in Latin America and the Caribbean
