By: Staff Writer
November 19, 2024
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said in their Social Panorama for 2024 that the development crisis is interwoven in poverty and vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The report said that there are three development traps, namely, “low capacity for growth; high inequality and low social mobility and cohesion; and low institutional capacity and ineffective governance.”
ECLAC elaborated further: “This development crisis is interwoven with a host of critical obstacles to inclusive social development in the region. These include deeply rooted poverty and vulnerability to it, structural, unjust and inefficient inequalities; gaps in human capacity-development (in education, health, nutrition) and in access to basic services; deficits in decent work and uncertainties linked to technological changes in the world of work; still partial and unequal access to social protection; a social institutional framework under construction; and insufficient social investment.
“These issues have been compounded by emerging obstacles related to the different forms of violence, the demographic transition and migratory trends; changes in the world of work, the technological transformation, epidemiological and nutritional changes, and climate change and disasters.
“This involves a structure of social risks that is being reconfigured and is superimposed on a set of structural risks that occur over the life cycle and render people more vulnerable to falling into and remaining in poverty, and to the violation of their social, economic, cultural and environmental rights.”
The report added: “Addressing the various challenges posed by this scenario calls for urgent efforts to strengthen social protection systems in the region, as they play a direct role in eradicating poverty and reducing inequalities by aiming to ensure universal access to adequate income levels, basic social services and housing, and to labour and social inclusion policies and decent work.
“Moving towards universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient social protection systems is vital. This will require adopting a universalist approach that is sensitive to differences, making these social protection systems accessible to all and making it possible to address existing inequalities. It will also require strengthened and comprehensive systems to address risks in an intersectoral manner and with coordination among administrative levels and throughout the life cycle.
“At the same time, they must be sustainable, meaning that they must fulfil the commitments made to this generation and future generations, with a balanced approach to three dimensions: coverage, adequacy of entitlements and financial sustainability.
“Lastly, there is a need for social protection systems that are resilient to change and crises and are responsive, flexible and adaptable.”