ECLAC was created in 1948, as one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations, with the objective of collaborating with the governments of the region in the economic development of their countries, the improvement of the standard of living of their peoples and the expansion and the strengthening of commercial relations, both inside and outside the region. On February 25, 2023, it celebrates its 75th anniversary. a new website commemorates those 75 years of ECLAC at the service of the peoples and governments of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The website features an interactive timeline that presents the institution’s rich history, guiding the reader through each decade of ECLAC’s existence and illustrating the Commission’s key contributions with texts, photos, and references to emblematic documents. .
75 years of influence on public and development policy thinking in the region
ECLAC has been at the forefront of Latin American economic and development thought since its inception. In the 1950s, ECLAC promoted Latin American development through state-led industrialization policies to break the pattern of specialization whereby developing countries (the periphery) exported primary products to developed countries (the center). ), and the latter exported industrial products to developing countries. In the 1960s, ECLAC broadened its focus to carry out a deeper analysis of social development. Subsequently, in the 1970s, ECLAC thought emphasized income distribution and economic development. The promotion of sustainable production, consumption and distribution models for the environment and society also characterized ECLAC’s development thinking during those years.
In the 1980s, the region faced a deep debt and development crisis that led the then ECLAC Executive Secretary, Norberto González (1985 to 1987) to call it “the lost decade”. In those years, ECLAC focused on the macroeconomic policies necessary to resume growth and renegotiate the external debt. In the 1990s, the issues of transforming production with equity, protecting the environment and improving people’s quality of life came to the forefront of ECLAC’s thinking. Many of ECLAC’s ideas ended up being incorporated into the Millennium Development Goals and, subsequently, to Sustainable Development Goals.
After the cascade of crises that occurred in the 2020s —which included the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the disruption of global value chains, the war in Ukraine, accelerating inflation, and slowing global growth— , ECLAC has focused on a series of priority areas to promote recovery and transform the development model of the countries towards a more productive, inclusive and sustainable one.
Meet ECLAC staff and explore the highlights in the photo galleries
The commemorative website brings ECLAC’s heritage to life through photo galleries showing the various facets of the Commission’s work. Browse through the albums to explore visits by high-level staff and key events that have occurred throughout its history, learn more about ECLAC’s iconic buildings, and take a look at ECLAC’s work through of the series of photos in which the people who make up the institution are highlighted.
