The session is the most important biennial meeting of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). It serves as a forum for the consideration of pressing development issues for the countries of the region, as well as an opportunity to review the progress of the Commission’s work. The session also enables the governments of member States to examine the secretariat’s report on the Commission’s activities and thus apprise themselves of the work accomplished by ECLAC during the preceding year. Furthermore, through the programme of work that the governments adopt and the calendar of conferences they approve, they also define the mandates that will guide the Commission’s work in the future. 

On this occasion, the secretariat will present the position document entitled, Towards transformation of the development model in Latin America and the Caribbean: production, inclusion and sustainability 

The document has five chapters. The first addresses the present and future of globalization and the challenges it poses for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The second chapter analyses the region’s uneven production base and discusses policies for sustainable productive development. The third chapter examines the relationship between employment and social protection, highlighting the implications of the productive structure for employment. The fourth chapter addresses the importance of sectoral drivers for reviving economic growth and moving towards a sustainable growth path, looking at eight sectors, including the circular economy, the care economy and digital transformation. Finally, the fifth chapter presents policy recommendations for sustainable development in the new global and regional context.