Government representatives from 33 member countries of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) today concluded the thirty-ninth session of the United Nations Regional Commission, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between October 24 and 26, with the approval of the proposals presented by ECLAC to promote a change in the style of development and promote ambitious transformative actions for a sustainable recovery, after the cascade of crises that the region has suffered in recent years.
The most important biennial meeting of the Commission was closed by Santiago Cafiero, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, a country that from now on will hold the presidency of the organization for two years; José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC; and Amina Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General (video message).
In total, 630 participants from governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations, academia and civil society attended. Among them, 33 member countries (27 of them from the region), 20 foreign ministers from Latin American and Caribbean countries and 14 representatives of agencies, funds and programs of the UN system.
The closing ceremony was preceded by a meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and high authorities of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, in which they agreed on the urgency of consolidating the efforts and spaces to advance towards an integration that allows the region arrive with a single voice on the global stage and lay the foundations for a transformative reconstruction with a view to a new style of development.
During her video address, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed indicated that renewed forms of cooperation will be needed to mobilize sustainable investment and to build capacity at the national and regional levels. “ECLAC can count on the continued support of the UN System to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Latin America and the Caribbean,” she declared.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, Santiago Cafiero, thanked on behalf of his country for having chaired this session of ECLAC. “Argentina is a country of dialogue, that promotes the word, promotes respect and that always has the ability to listen, because no one is saved alone,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, expressed in his final speech that they have been three days of attentive listening, of getting to know each other, of jointly identifying the challenges we face, and also the wide possibilities that we have for collaboration , cooperation and dialogue.
With regard to the ECLAC position paper presented during the meeting, Towards the transformation of the development model in Latin America and the Caribbean: production, inclusion and sustainabilityand which was widely welcomed by the delegations present, Salazar-Xirinachs indicated that “the lesson that his discussion leaves us is that we must redouble efforts both to navigate the tense waters in the short term, and to face the legacy of gaps and deficiencies that characterized us before the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and which have been exacerbated by these events.”
“As was pointed out by the Foreign Ministers in their dialogue this morning, we have, in each country and in the region as a whole, many assets and many instruments to promote sustainable and inclusive development, raise living standards, and open opportunities for decent work and a dignified life without leaving anyone behind”, declared the Executive Secretary of ECLAC.
“Count on ECLAC to continue reflecting on regional strategies to overcome these crises, to search for transformative consensus for the design of public policies and for the prompt implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he concluded.
At the end of thirty-ninth session The countries unanimously approved a resolution project document that recognizes the work of ECLAC as a center of excellence responsible for collaborating with its member states in the comprehensive analysis of development processes aimed at formulating, monitoring and evaluating public policies, and providing operational services in the fields of specialized information, advice, training and support for regional and international cooperation and coordination.
They also approved the calendar of ECLAC conferences for 2023-2024, the work program and the priorities of the Commission for 2024, and it was determined that the countries that will accompany Argentina in the vice presidencies of the Commission for the period 2022- 2024 will be Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica and Peru.
Finally, the delegates also accepted by acclamation the offer of Peru to host the Fortieth session of ECLAC, in 2024.
