The Economic Commission for Latin American (ECLA) was established and commenced operations in 1948. In 1984, ECLA expanded the scope of its work to include the region of the Caribbean and the organization's name was changed to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). ECLAC is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations (UN) and includes 41 member states. It receives annual funding from the UN regular budget of approximately $35 million. The United States is a full member with voting privileges and provides 22 percent of the UN regular budget. ECLAC also receives approximately $46 million each year in extra-budgetary contributions. ECLAC's mission is to enhance coordination and cooperation among member states and international entities in an effort to advance social and economic development in Latin America. Although it previously advocated closed markets and state-run economies, ECLAC now supports trade liberalization and privatization.
ECLAC's headquarters are located in Santiago, Chile, with two additional sub-regional offices in Mexico and the Caribbean. ECLAC maintains country offices in Bogotá, Brasilia, Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and a liaison office in Washington, D.C. An Argentine economist, Jose Luis Machinea, will be heading the organization as Executive Secretary in 2003, replacing Jose Antonio Ocampo of Colombia. .
ECLAC's main products are publications of scholarly studies and statistical compilations, which are widely used by key organizations and governments to assess and project economic development in the region. The topics of ECLAC's publications include food and agriculture; industrial, scientific and technological development; international trade; development financing; sustainable development; population; women and development; statistics and economic projections; transport; transnational corporations; and regional cooperation.
Social Development Officer in the Caribbean Office of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Sonia Cuales, argues that although some international economic strategies have produced notable statistical results, there has been little reduction of some persistent problems. ...
The most significant development in international relations since the end of World War II has been the rise of a new political entity known as the Third World. The term Third World is a historical construct which create the notion of countries that are relatively poor, underdeveloped, racially minor, and thus politically non-influential. The identity and role of the Third World is shaped by the historical experience of colonialism, the involvement in ideological and political conflicts among major powers, and is more and more reinforced, rather than ameliorated through their tottering particip...
Immigration is one of the most controversial issues that arise every time we approach an election. Despite being quite broad in nature, many potential candidates attempt to address the aspects that are relevant to their campaign; usually centering around how it is either hurting or helping the economy as a whole and how we must strengthen our borders. There is little focus, however, on topics such as the exploitation of illegal immigrant workers or how the undocumented work force might actually be helping our economy grow. To this end, I decided to explore some of the larger ethical issues a...
