Human rights and the child

Includes bibliography

International migration, human rights and development in Latin America and the Caribbean: summary and conclusions

Includes bibliography

Draft programme of statistical work of the ECLAC system, 2006-2007

Includes bibliography

Report of the Joint Meeting of the SIDS Bureau and the Inter-Agency Collaborative Group

Summary An account of the proceedings of the meeting which discussed the following agenda items: report on regional implementation of the SIDS POA; status of regional projects for submission to the meeting of prospective donors and representatives of Small Island Developing States; the regional position on UNDP compendium of project proposals; status of consultations with CARIFORUM and the EU; budget for the regional co-ordinating mechanism and consultation; preparation for the Special Session on the UN General Assembly (UNGASS); to discuss the SIDS plan of action; and a Ministerial meeting on SIDS POA implementation.

Framework for implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in the small island developing states of the Caribbean subregion

Includes bibliography

Subregional preparations for the 2004 international meeting that will undertake a full and comprehensive review of the implementation of the SIDS POA to ensure the most effective participation of Caribbean SIDS

In Part XV (Implementation Monitoring and Review);, of the Programme of Action of Small Island Developing States (SIDS POA);, which was adopted at the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (UNGCSIDS);, 26 April- 6 May 1994, in its paragraph 117, it is provided that the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD); should, inter alia: Carry out an initial review of the progress achieved and steps taken to implement the Programme of Action, to be undertaken by the Commission on Sustainable Development in 1996 in accordance with its Multi-Year Thematic Programme of Work. Furthermore, in 1997, when the Commission will carry out the overall review of Agenda 21 with a view to preparing for the 1997 special session of the General Assembly, the Commission should recommend specific modalities for the full review of the Programme of Action in 1999. That full review would include the question of the convening of a second global conference in accordance with chapter 17, Section G of Agenda 21. At the twenty-second special session which convened on 27-28 September 1999 to undertake a "review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States", it was recommended, inter alia, that: "Although periodic reviews of certain aspects of the Programme of Action are envisaged within the context of the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development, a full and comprehensive review of these decisions and the implementation of the Programme of Action would be useful and required in 2004." In the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD);, which convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, over the period, 26 August-4 Septemeber 2002, the relevant recommendation was as follows: "Undertake a full and comprehensive review of the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in 2004, in accordance with the provisions set forth in General Assembly resolution S-22/2, and in this context requests the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session to consider convening an international meeting for the sustainable development of small island developing States."

Review of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean subregion, 1994-2003

Includes bibliography

The phenomenon of ageing and the situation of older persons in the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Latin American Metro and Subway Association (ALAMYS): a 15-year record of serving the citizenry

This issue of the Bulletin introduces the reader to the Latin American Metro and Subway Association (ALAMYS), which throughout its 15-year history has supported a variety of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of services provided by urban mass transit railway systems.At its most recent general assembly, held in Madrid, Spain, in December 2000, ALAMYS set up several technical committees to improve its operational efficiency so that it can progress as an organization and achieve its goals.This article was written by Aurelio Rojo Garrido, arojo@mail.metromadrid.es, current secretary general of ALAMYS and operations manager of Metro de Madrid, S.A.

The employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Advances and challenges in measuring decent work

At 6.4%, the unemployment rate for the Latin American and Caribbean region overall was the lowest for the past few decades, down from 6.7% in 2011. This is significant, in view of the difficult employment situation prevailing in other world regions. Labour market indicators improved despite modest growth of just 3.0% in the region’s economy. Even with sharply rising labour market participation, the number of urban unemployed fell by around 400,000, on the back of relatively strong job creation. Nevertheless, around 15 million are still jobless in the region. Other highlights of 2012 labour market performance were that the gender gaps in labour market participation, unemployment and employment narrowed, albeit slightly; formal employment increased; the hourly underemployment rate declined; and average wages rose. This rendering was obviously not homogenous across the region. Labour market indicators worsened again in the Caribbean countries, for example, reflecting the sluggish performance of their economies. The sustainability of recent labour market progress is also a cause for concern. Most of the new jobs in the region were created as part of a self-perpetuating cycle in which new jobs and higher real wages (and greater access to credit) have boosted household purchasing power and so pushed up domestic demand. Much of this demand is for non-tradable goods and services (and imports), which has stimulated expansion of the tertiary sector and hence its demand for labour, and many of the new jobs have therefore arisen in these sectors of the economy. This dynamic certainly has positive implications in terms of labour and distribution, but the concern is whether it is sustainable in a context of still relatively low investment (even after some recent gains) which is, moreover, not structured in a manner conducive to diversifying production. Doubt hangs over the future growth of production capacity in the region, given the enormous challenges facing the region in terms of innovation, education quality, infrastructure and productivity. As vigorous job creation has driven progress in reducing unemployment, attention has turned once again to the characteristics of that employment. Awareness exists in the region that economic growth is essential, but not in itself sufficient to generate more and better jobs. For some time, ILO has been drawing attention to the fact that it is not enough to create any sort of employment. The concept of decent work, as proposed by ILO, emphasized the need for quality jobs which enshrine respect for fundamental rights at work. The United Nations General Assembly endorsed this notion and incorporated it into the targets set in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. This eighth issue of the ECLAC/ILO publication “The employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean” examines how the concept of decent work has evolved in the region, progress in measuring it and the challenges involved in building a system of decent work indicators, 14 years after the concept was first proposed. Although the concept of decent work has been accompanied since the outset by the challenge of measurement, its first objective was to generate a discussion on the best achievable labour practices in each country. Accordingly, rather than defining a universal threshold of what could be considered decent work —regarding which developed countries might have almost reached the target before starting, while poor countries could be left hopelessly behind— ILO called upon the countries to define their own criteria and measurements for promoting decent work policies. As a result, there is no shared set of variables for measuring decent work applicable to all countries. The suggestion is, instead, that countries move forward with measuring decent work on the basis of their own priorities, using the information they have available now and in the future. However, this strategy of progressing according to the data available in each country tends to complicate statistical comparison between them. So, once the countries have developed their respective systems of decent work indicators, it will be also be important to work towards harmonizing them. ECLAC and ILO are available to provide technical support to this end. With respect to 2013, there is cautious optimism regarding the performance of the region’s labour markets. If projections of a slight uptick —to 3.5%— in the region’s economic growth in 2013 are borne out, labour indicators should continue to gradually improve. This will bring new increases in real wages and a slight drop of up to 0.2 percentage points in the region’s unemployment rate, reflecting a fresh rise in the regional employment rate and slower growth in labour market participation.

Caribbean synthesis review and appraisal report in the context of the 15th anniversay of the adoptaton of the Beijing declaration and platform for action

The report is a summary based on information received by ECLAC from the eight English-speaking Caribbean countries of Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Jamaica, Suriname, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago in response to the questionnaire to governments on the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome of the Twenty-Third Special Session of the General Assembly (2000). The report is therefore set in the context of the regional review and appraisals of the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2010. This Executive Summary highlights the achievements and the challenges for the Caribbean subregion in the progress towards implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action.

Network for Cooperation in Integrated Water Resource Management for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean No. 7

Editorial remarks.-- Open discussion: public policies for sustainable development.-- Meetings: Workshop for Managers of River Basin Organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean ; General Assembly of the International Network of Basin Organizations ; Seminar workshop on environmental accounting for water resources in Chile.-- Future activities.-- Courses.-- CELAA, CINARA and IMTA.-- Internet and WWW News

The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals: An opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the 193 Member States of the United Nations at the General Assembly in September 2015, outlines a transformative vision for economic, social and environmental development and will guide the work of the Organization towards this vision for the next 15 years. This new road map presents a historic opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean, since it addresses some of the region’s most urgent priorities, such as reducing inequality in all its dimensions, promoting inclusive economic growth with decent work for all, creating sustainable cities and addressing climate change. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) associated with the Agenda help the region’s countries to gauge the starting point from which they set out towards this new, collective vision of sustainable development set forth in the 2030 Agenda and to analyse and craft the means of its implementation. The SDGs also represent a planning tool for the countries at the national and local levels. With their long-term approach, they offer support for each country on its path towards sustained, inclusive and environmentally friendly development, through the formulation of public policies and budget, monitoring and evaluation instruments. The 2030 Agenda is a civilizing agenda that places dignity and equality at the centre. At once far-sighted and ambitious, its implementation will require the engagement of all sectors of society and of the State. Accordingly, the representatives of governments, civil society, academic institutions and the private sector are invited to take ownership of this ambitious agenda, to discuss and embrace it as a tool for the creation of inclusive, fair societies that serve the citizens of today as well as future generations.