ECLAC

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

ECLAC has provided several analyses and policy recommendations in order to increase fiscal space and prevent further economic or social harm. ECLAC has criticized the current development model in Latin America and has promoted the need for greater sub-regional and regional integration to strengthen supply chains. One such proposal is the creation of a regional fund dedicated to the needs of middle-income countries to support social, economic, and production-related recovery. To avoid a food crisis, ECLAC recommends implementing an emergency basic income, an anti-hunger grant, and subsidies for agriculture and food-related family businesses. Despite its focus on economic solutions, ECLAC has stated that, without a sincere effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there is no possibility of reopening economies. ECLAC emphasizes implementing an inclusive COVID-19 recovery that prioritizes equality and sustainability.

The COVID-19 Observatory details international movement restrictions and national measures to address issues related to health, the economy, employment, social protections, education, and gender. These measures are presented by comparing the countries’ response timelines to show the differences and similarities in the interventions and results. ECLAC publishes regular special reports that cover broad economic and social issues in relation to the evolution and impacts of COVID-19 on the region. Other policy reports focus on the needs of specific groups such as tourism workers, the informal sector, and marginalized populations. ECLAC also provides courses on disaster evaluation methodology with a particular focus on pandemics for government officials in planning, public works, or national emergency response offices. The COVID-19 Observatory also provides a link to a directory of official COVID-19 sites from countries in the region. ECLAC stresses the importance of implementing an inclusive vaccination program in the region. Toward their commitment to an inclusive COVID-19 recovery, ECLAC is working alongside the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to expand the access of the vaccine to member countries. Additionally, during an ECLAC forum, government representatives from the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as part of their COVID-19 recovery plans—especially toward equitable access to vaccines—to “build forward better.”

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Related Country Pages

The following country pages document ECLAC’s response to the pandemic in specific areas, or contain links to further resources about ECLAC.

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Select resources for ECLAC:

To learn more about ECLAC, visit https://www.cepal.org/en.

Cambero, F. (2021, March 4). Coronavirus crisis in Latin America made worse by poverty, inequality, U.N. agency says. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eclac/coronavirus-crisis-in-latin-america-made-worse-by-poverty-inequality-u-n-agency-says-idUSKBN2AW23M.

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). (2021, April 5). Latin America and Caribbean Forum Sends 94 Recommendations to HLPF. https://sdg.iisd.org/news/latin-america-and-caribbean-forum-sends-94-recommendations-to-hlpf/.

Nation News. (2021, April 6). ECLAC chief welcomes IMF drawing rights proposal. https://www.nationnews.com/2021/04/06/eclac-chief-welcomes-imf-drawing-rights-proposal/.

Pan American Health Organization. (2021, March 24). PAHO calls for the implementation of structural and transformative actions across health, social and economic sectors. https://www.paho.org/en/news/24-3-2021-paho-calls-implementation-structural-and-transformative-actions-across-health-social.

The Gleaner. (2021, April 1). PAHO Working with ECLAC to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210401/paho-working-eclac-expand-access-covid-19-vaccines.

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. (2020). COVID-19 Observatory in Latin America and the Caribbean. https://www.cepal.org/en/topics/covid-19.

————. (2020). Directory of official sites on COVID-19 in Latin American and Caribbean countries. https://www.cepal.org/en/directory-official-sites-covid-19-latin-american-and-caribbean-countries.

————. (2020, June 18). Trabajadoras remuneradas del hogar en América Latina y el Caribe frente a la crisis del COVID-19. https://www.cepal.org/en/node/51618.

————. (2020, July). Recovery measures for the tourism sector in Latin America and the Caribbean present an opportunity to promote sustainability and resilience. https://www.cepal.org/en/publications/45767-recovery-measures-tourism-sector-latin-america-and-caribbean-present-opportunity.

————. (2020, July 2). Sectores y empresas al COVID-19: emergencia y reactivación. https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/45734-sectores-empresas-frente-al-covid-19-emergencia-reactivacion.

————. (2020, July 8). ECLAC Presents Five Proposals to Increase Fiscal Space in Caribbean Countries. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/eclac-presents-five-proposals-increase-fiscal-space-caribbean-countries.

————. (2020, October 6). Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2020: Main conditioning factors of fiscal and monetary policies in the post-COVID-19 era. https://www.cepal.org/en/publications/46071-economic-survey-latin-america-and-caribbean-2020-main-conditioning-factors-fiscal?utm_source=CiviCRM&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20201008_estudio_economico_2020.

————. (2020, October 8). ECLAC Stresses Crucial Role of Regional Integration and Importance of Public-Private Partnerships for the post COVID-19 Recovery. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/eclac-stresses-crucial-role-regional-integration-and-importance-public-private.

————. (2020, October 27). ECLAC Calls for Building a New Future in Latin America and the Caribbean through a Transformative Recovery with Equality and Sustainability. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/eclac-calls-building-new-future-latin-america-and-caribbean-through-transformative.

————. (2020, November 10). Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Employment trends in an unprecedented crisis: policy challenges. https://www.cepal.org/en/publications/46309-employment-situation-latin-america-and-caribbean-employment-trends-unprecedented.

————. (2020, November 13). ECLAC Highlights the Importance of Industrial Policy to Build Back Better in the Region after the COVID-19 Pandemic. https://www.cepal.org/en/news/eclac-highlights-importance-industrial-policy-build-back-better-region-after-covid-19-pandemic.

————. (2021, January 13). Countries Confirmed their Commitment to the Regional Agenda for Inclusive Social Development for Tackling the Current Crisis and Moving Towards a Transformative Recovery with Equality at the Center. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/countries-confirmed-their-commitment-regional-agenda-inclusive-social-development.

————. (2021, January 22). Latin America and the Caribbean’s Foreign Trade Marks its Worst Performance since the Global Financial Crisis Due to the Pandemic. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/latin-america-and-caribbeans-foreign-trade-marks-its-worst-performance-global.

————. (2021, January 25). In Latin America and the Caribbean: Fragile and Uneven Economic Recovery Expected, Warns New UN Report. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/latin-america-and-caribbean-fragile-and-uneven-economic-recovery-expected-warns-new-un.

————. (2021, January 26). People of African descent and COVID-19: unveiling structural inequalities in Latin America. https://www.cepal.org/en/publications/46621-people-african-descent-and-covid-19-unveiling-structural-inequalities-latin.

————. (2021, February 3). The economic autonomy of women in a sustainable recovery with equality. https://www.cepal.org/en/publications/46634-economic-autonomy-women-sustainable-recovery-equality.

————. (2021, February 5). Alicia Bárcena: The Current Health and Climate Crises are the Result of an Unsustainable Development Mode. https://www.cepal.org/en/news/alicia-barcena-current-health-and-climate-crises-are-result-unsustainable-development-model.

————. (2021, February 10). The COVID-19 Pandemic has Caused a Setback of Over a Decade in Labor Market Participation for Women in the Region. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/covid-19-pandemic-has-caused-setback-over-decade-labor-market-participation-women.

————. (2021, March). Financing for development in the era of COVID-19 and beyond. https://www.cepal.org/en/publications/46711-financing-development-era-covid-19-and-beyond.

————. (2021, March 4). Pandemic Prompts Rise in Poverty to Levels Unprecedented in Recent Decades and Sharply Affects Inequality and Employment. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/pandemic-prompts-rise-poverty-levels-unprecedented-recent-decades-and-sharply-affects.

————. (2021, March 11). The Pandemic is Prompting Higher Debt Levels in the Region’s Countries and Jeopardizing a Sustainable Rebuilding with Equality. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/pandemic-prompting-higher-debt-levels-regions-countries-and-jeopardizing-sustainable.

————. (2021, March 16). Countries of the Region Stress the Urgency of Equitable Vaccination and a Transformation Recovery to Build a Better World in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/countries-region-stress-urgency-equitable-vaccination-and-transformative-recovery.

————. (2021, March 18). Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean Commit to Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Building Forward Better. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/countries-latin-america-and-caribbean-commit-implementing-2030-agenda-sustainable.

————. (2021, March 18). New Report Analyzes the Socioeconomic Repercussions of COVID-19 in the Caribbean and the Urgency of Moving Towards a Systemic Approach to Disaster Risk. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/new-report-analyzes-socioeconomic-repercussions-covid-19-caribbean-and-urgency-moving.

————. (2021, April 7). Latin American and Caribbean Countries Stress the Importance of Producing Timely and Reliable Statistics for a Transformative Recovery with Equality. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/latin-american-and-caribbean-countries-stress-importance-producing-timely-and-reliable.

————. (2021, April 9). Alicia Bárcena: Sustainable recovery with equality requires equitable access to vaccines, greater liquidity and reforms in the international financial architecture. https://www.cepal.org/en/node/53669.

————. (2021, April 14). Alicia Bárcena on Debt Restructuring and Renegotiation at a Time of Pandemic: “We Need to Level the Playing Field. Both Creditors and Debtors Should Share the Burden.” https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/alicia-barcena-debt-restructuring-and-renegotiation-time-pandemic-we-need-level.

Yanes, P., & Beteta, H. (2020, July). México, Centroamérica y el Caribe frente a la pandemia: diagnóstico y perspectivas. United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/45818/4/S2000512_es.pdf.