The Thirty-fifth session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will take place May 5-9 in Lima, Peru. The biennial meeting is the most important gathering held by this United Nations regional organization.

The meeting will be inaugurated by Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena, on Tuesday, May 6, at 09:00 a.m. inside the Westin Hotel’s Convention Center.

ECLAC’s session provides a forum for debating the region’s socioeconomic and environmental situation, as well as countries’ long-term development strategies.

During the meeting, the Commission will present the document Compacts for Equality: Towards a Sustainable Future, which aims to orient policy making in the coming years.

The program also includes a seminar on the challenges of regional integration and a dialogue between senior officials, among other activities.

The gathering—which will be broadcast live via Internet—will be attended by representatives from ECLAC’s 44 member states and 12 associate members, officials from the Commission and from the United Nations’ system, members of the diplomatic corps, renowned scholars, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and special guests.