Report of the second regional implementation forum on sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Rights of urban children

Urban children in Latin AmericaThis issue of Challenges addresses a topic deserving of special attention: the high proportion of children and adolescents in the region's urban areas who live in precarious conditions. Their disparate living conditions are examined with a look at the moderate deprivation (housing deficiencies, monetary poverty or low level of education) and severe deprivation (a combination of two or more of the aforementioned deficits) affecting urban dwellers. It is estimated that about 29.0% of children and adolescents in these areas live in conditions of severe deprivation and 27.6% experience moderate deprivation for an average of eight countries.In severely deprived rural and urban areas a higher proportion of children are not immunized against measles, and a greater percentage of adolescents are neither studying nor economically active, and are already parents.These disparities call for differentiated policies with a strong local focus and the potential to improve living conditions, lower the risk of infant morbidity and mortality, and reduce rates of adolescent pregnancy and school dropout. Significant initiatives and policies designed to produce healthy and inclusive environments have already been put in place in some of the most vulnerable areaswith a view to improving the quality of life among these groups.In addition to the featured article, the issue includes information on relevant meetings and conferences held in the region over the year, children's and adolescents' testimonies, and expert opinion.

The economics of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean: Paradoxes and challenges of sustainable development

The robust growth of Latin American and Caribbean economies in recent years has led to an improvement in economic and social conditions in the region. It has also had collateral negative effects, however, such as more air pollution in urban areas and a serious deterioration of various natural assets, including non-renewable resources, water resources and forests. There are economies and societies within the region that are highly vulnerable to all sorts of adverse impacts of climate change, and whose production structures and consumption patterns still tend to leave a large carbon footprint. This situation has reached the point of undermining the foundations of the region’s economic buoyancy. Latin America and the Caribbean therefore needs to make the transition in the years to come towards a sustainable form of development that will preserve its economic, social and natural assets for future generations and leave them with a legacy of a more equal, more socially inclusive, low-carbon form of economic growth. Viewed from this standpoint, the climate change challenge is also a sustainable development challenge, and if it is to be addressed successfully, a global consensus that recognizes the asymmetries and paradoxes of the problem will have to be reached..