Document sets out the challenges faced by the region on poverty

(Lima, September 25, 2009).- CAF and ECLAC today presented the document "Urban poverty and precarious living conditions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Current situation and financing of policies and programs," which sets out the challenges of the region in relation to the problems of poverty.

Eleonora Silva Pardo, CAF director-representative in Peru, and Bernardo Requena, CAF social development director, presented the document, which analyzes the current situation of urban poverty and precarious living conditions in the region but also identifies the progress made and the challenges faced by the region in this area.

Silva Pardo emphasized as a result of this important study - prepared jointly by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC, CEPAL in Spanish) and CAF - the systematization of a series of political proposals, investment instruments and sustainable financing of projects and interventions for overcoming these regional problems.

Requena said the document identified the achievements and pending policy challenges and measures of the region's governments, together with alternative proposals, policy options, investment instruments and sustainable financing of projects and interventions for combating urban poverty and precarious living conditions.

The aim of the report is to support the institutions and organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean in their management (design, implementation, financing, execution, follow-up and evaluation) of development projects which create a social and environmental impact under an integrated approach of innovation, replicability and territoriality, with special attention on analysis and policy options.

The study is based on three operating elements which condition integrated urban development projects: financing, institutional framework (including rules and regulations), and governance and participation, from the qualitative and quantitative point of view.

During the presentation, Rodrigo Martínez, regional adviser of the ECLAC Social Development Division, spoke on the "current situation of urban poverty and precarious living conditions in Latin America and the Caribbean," while Richard Jordan, economic affairs official from the ECLAC Division of Sustainable Development and Human Settlement, spoke on "Urban development policies and programs for combating poverty. Financing of urban and housing policy ."

Comments on the presentations were made by David Ramos López from the Peruvian Ministry of Housing Construction and Sanitation; Mauricio Pardón of the Pan-American Center of Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences (CEPIS); and Javier Escobal from the Analysis Group for Development (GRADE).

The document can be downloaded from the following link:

Pobreza y precariedad urbana CEPAL-CAF

ECLAC is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. Based in Santiago, Chile, it was set up to contribute to the economic development of Latin America, coordinate actions to promote it, and reinforce economic relations among its member countries and with the other nations of the world. Its work was later expanded to include the Caribbean countries and the objective of promoting social development. www.eclac.org