ECLAC Notes Nº 45

ECLAC Proposes for Latin America and the Caribbean a Social Protection Covenant Shaping the Future of Social Protection. Op-ed by ECLAC's Executive Secretary, José Luis Machinea Reform Agenda in Health Pension System Reforms Should Expand Coverage Resolutions approved during ECLAC's Thirty-first Session Social Programmes Help to Offset the Region's Poverty but Still Face Major Challenges Human Rights and Development to the Centre of Debate on Migration Challenges and Opportunities for Migration Governance Prospects for Growth Statistical Appendix Recent Titles Calendar

The Chilean system of contributory pensions as locus of rivalry and of a new social compact

This study assesses the contributory pension system in Chile and offers some recommendations for reform, from the viewpoint of social rights that generate expectations of satisfaction. The primary objective of any pension system is to provide income security to the elderly, and contributory pensions must reflect the savings achieved throughout working life in order to guarantee that, for similar levels of effort, similar and proportionate protection will be obtained.

CEPAL Review no.56

Democracy and development / Fernando H. Cardoso. -- Can growth and equity go hand in hand? / Joseph Ramos. -- Stability and structure: interactions in economic growth / José Maria Fanelli and Roberto Frenkel. -- Pension system reform in Latin America / Andras Uthoff. -- Recent economic trends in China and their implications for trade with Latin America and the Caribbean / Mikio Kuwayama. -- Economic relations between Latin America and the high-performing Asian developing economies / Ronald Sprout. -- Economic relations between Latin America and the European Union / Roberto Smith Perera. -- Rules of origin: new implications / Eduardo Gitli. -- Globalization and restructuring the energy sector in Latin America / Femando Sánchez Albavera. -- The kaleidoscope of competitiveness / Geraldo Müller. -- The privatization of public water utilities / Miguel Solones. -- How much can we spend on education? / Guillermo Labarca. -- Women and migrants: inequalities in the labour market of Santiago, Chile / Ivonne Szasz.

Outcome of the agrarian reform in Brazil during the last two decades

The agrarian reform allows for land redistribution and gives rural workers the opportunity to develop their life projects, rescuing the dignity of a historically excluded population. The conquest of the land carries significances that span from the rescue of citizenship to the improvement of living conditions due to the acquisition of goods, products and services. It is pointed out that in Brazil there still exists a marked concentration of large-landed estates. In this sense, this work had the objective of analyzing the Brazilian agrarian reform process during the last two decades. In this period the country had three Presidents, two of them elected with the support of the Rural Landless Workers Movement, increasing the expectations in relation to the fulfillment of the agrarian reform. The advances in the policies of rural settlements are notable; however, the structure of large-land estates remains unaltered. In the last two years (2011 and 2012) the number of settled families, as well as the number of settlements accomplished, were the worst since 2006. The priority of the current government is the eradication of extreme poverty and, in this sense, the agrarian reform becomes an essential policy to contribute to such goal, since with the distribution of the property of the land also diminishes the concentration of wealth.

Pension legislation for federal public servants in Brazil

This paper addresses the creation of pension funds for federal civil servants in Brazil, analyzing the existing legislation and regulation on this issue. To this end, it takes off based on the genesis of the Brazilian private pension plans, logging the emergence of private funds as well as the existence of various laws and constitutional amendments prior to Law 12.618/2012, which provided for the pension funds system for Brazilian federal public servants. It also identifies proponents and opponents to the Foundation for Pension Funds of Federal Civil Servants (FUNPRESP), signaling the discursive construction of the pension fund schemes as central character in contemporary welfare capitalism. Finally, presents controversial aspects of the new pension fund law developments in Brazil.

Evaluation of the relationship between education and sustainability in peasant movements: The experience of the National Education Program in Agrarian Reform

Brazil is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world. However, its agrarian composition is based on two markedly different production models, particularly in relation to sustainability: a peasant family agriculture, which plays an important role in food production for domestic consumption and advocates agro-ecological practises; and agribusiness, the politically and economically hegemonic model that produces commodities for export based on monoculture and intensive use of pesticides. Therefore, in order to create the means to develop peasant lands, social movements and peasants have engaged themselves politically and defended an education model grounded in sustainable practises of production and social organisation. Taking this into account, the main purpose of this paper is to analyse and assess the Brazilian experience of integration between education and sustainability, in the National Education Program in Agrarian Reform (PRONERA). To accomplish this aim, a survey with a semi-structured questionnaire was carried out among teachers, students, monitors, and coordinators of the course offered by PRONERA. The surveys showed that the courses are promoting the concepts of sustainability among peasants. However, many adjustments need to be taken into consideration during the planning process for the next courses offered by PRONERA.