For three decades after the end of the Second World

War, Latin America was a region of authoritarian

regimes, many of them military, some of it
maintaining power through repressive methods.
In Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Chile, central and
provincial governments throughout the hemisphere
have privatized many businesses and were adapted to
the requirements of the market economy.
Inflation has been greatly reduced and free trade have
become, at least formally, the objective of all
countries in the region.
The Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA)
-the Spanish acronym is CEPAL- was established by
Economic and Social Council resolution of 25
February 1948 and began to function that same year.
The scope of the Commission's work was later
broadened to include the countries of the Caribbean,
and by resolution 1984/67 of 27 July 1984, the
Economic Council decided to change its name to the
Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC); the Spanish acronym, CEPAL,
remains unchanged.
Mission
ECLAC – Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean was founded for the purpose of contributing to the
economic development of the region, coordinating actions to
promote that development and reinforcing economic ties
among the region’s countries and with other nations of the
world.
This mission includes the design, monitoring and evaluation of
public policies and the provision of expertise, advisory services
and training, as well as support for regional and international
cooperation and coordination activities.
The Commission also functions as a forum for dialogue among
the region’s countries and stakeholders on the problems and
opportunities facing Latin America and the Caribbean.
The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, together with
several Asian, European and North American nations that have
historical, economic and cultural ties with the region, comprise the
Member States of ECLAC. Thirteen non-independent territories in
the Caribbean are Associate Members of the Commission.
Member States: Germany, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Spania, USA, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Portugal, UK, Republic of Corea, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay,
Venezuela.
Associate members: Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin
Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, San
Marino.
Work areas

 Economic Development
 Social Development
 Sustainable Development
 Planning
 Statistics
Economic development
 International Trade and Integration
The mission of ECLAC in this area is to generate and disseminate analyses and policy
proposals aimed at strengthening the participation of the Latin American and
Caribbean region in global trade and fostering regional integration, particularly as it
relates to economic matters.
 Production, productivity and management
The ECLAC mission in the area of production, productivity and management is to
prepare and disseminate analysis and policy proposals on the structure and
dynamics of production and innovation systems at the sectoral and microeconomic
level, as well as their determinants.
It also focuses on economic, social and environmental impacts in this area.
 Economic Development
ECLAC, in the area of ​economic development, aims to promote equitable long-term
economic growth and the effective generation and allocation of financial resources
to support development and equality in the Latin American and Caribbean
countries.
Sustainable Development

 Natural resources and infrastructure

The mission of ECLAC in the area of natural resources and infrastructure is to build the
institutional capacity of countries in the region to devise and implement public
policies and regulatory frameworks with a view to increasing efficiency in the
sustainable management of natural resources and in the provision of public utilities
and infrastructure services.
 Sustainable development and human settlements
The ECLAC mission in the area of sustainable development and human settlements is to
contribute to evaluation of progress in public policies, instruments and institutions,
with a view to promoting more inclusive economic activity with a smaller
environmental footprint in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Planning

 Planning for development

The mission of ECLAC in the field of development planning is to
contribute to improving the public administration, economic and
social planning processes of the region’s national and subnational
governments. ECLAC advocates the agenda put forward by its
subsidiary body, the Regional Council for Planning (CRP), to
strengthen planning in the region.
To this end, ECLAC provides the countries of Latin America and the
Caribbean with training, professional development and capacity-
building services in subjects related to development planning,
forecasting, strategic State management and territorial
development.
Statistics
GDP per capita

Source: http://estadisticas.cepal.org/cepalstat/WEB_CEPALSTAT/Portada.asp?
string_busqueda=international+trade
Socio-demographic

Source: http://estadisticas.cepal.org/cepalstat/WEB_CEPALSTAT/Portada.asp?
string_busqueda=international+trade
The crisis suffered in Argentina in December 2001 has influenced the
whole American continent economy. In 2002, the region's GDP
decreased by 1.1%, according to the World Bank, beeing the greater
reduction from 1983 till now.
This meant a reduction in GDP per capita of 0.3% from 1998 to 2002.
The recession has increased the poverty causing an unemployment
rate of 9.1%. Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC) specifies that 44% of the population is poor
and 20% is extremely poor, however having the negative
consequences of political turmoil, social unrest or even a shaky
democracy in the region.
The dependence on exports of raw materials makes the region
extremely vulnerable when investors decided to retire because the
big risk that they are exposed.