ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (ECLAC)

1. OAS - Caribbean Conference on Horizontal Cooperation in Social Protection Port of Spain 11-12 September 2008Karoline Schmid – Social Affairs Officer ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC)

2. Economic development context • Slow and uneven economic growth; • High public sector debt; • Low productivity; • Large informal sector; • Dependence on small range of goods & services export; • Expiration of preferential trade agreements.

3. Social challenges • Demographic, economic and epidemiological transition; • Migration (brain-drain, return migration); • Natural disasters; • Poverty and vulnerability; • Cross-cutting gender issues; • Health and Education challenges (Access, HIV/AIDS, Reforms).

4. Poverty • Advanced development: high HDI - BUT: • Limited availability and access to data; • Unequal income distribution (high Gini); • Pockets of poverty and indigence; • High risk population segments: unemployed youths, elderly, informal sector employees, the disabled, female headed households with dependents; • Poverty estimates vary for various countries: 15 –38% (see chart next slide);

5. Sources:CDB Country Poverty Assessment Reports- Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, BVI, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines; Survey of Living Conditions- Belize and Trinidad

6. Sources: CDB Country Poverty Assessment Reports- Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, BVI, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines; Survey of Living Conditions- Belize and Trinidad; UNDP Human Development Reports – Haiti, Jamaica

7. Poverty in Haiti • I-PRSP adopted in 2006; • The poorest country in the western hemisphere: • Per capita income: 250 $US; • 50% of population < 1 $US a day; • 76% of population < 2 $US a day; • Poverty rural phenomenon:- 69% of population < 1 US$ a day;- 76% of population < 2 US$ a day.

8. Gender aspects in poverty and social security • Female headed households with dependents range from 21% to 44.5%; • Female headed households with dependents range from 21% to 44.5%; • Equal education but unequal access to labor market; equal work for less pay; • Females with higher levels of education are more likely to be employed; • Opportunities in formal economy biased towards men (higher female unemployment and higher percentage of women in informal sectors); [Barbados 2000 Census shows 77.8% women and 22.2% men were employed in private households]; • Consequently: Exclusion of women from social security mechanisms such as pensions & other forms of contributory saving plans; • Heavy burden of care in home and community.

9. Examples of UN Agency responses • Data collection: • SPARC (multi-donor effort), Improving Household Surveys project (ECLAC); • CDB/UNDP: support of HH surveys/poverty assessments: A&B HBS/SLC 2005, Anguilla CPA 2002, Belize SLC 2002, BVI CPA 2003, Dominica CPA 2003, Grenada SLC 1998, CPA 2007/2008, SKN CPA 2001, Haiti SLC 2001, St. Lucia SLC/HBS 2005/2006, T&T SLC 2005), T&C CPA 2000; • Census 2010: multi-donor effort to provide support at national and regional (CARICOM) level;

10. Examples of UN Agency responses • Monitoring and Evaluation: support to MDG reporting and costing Belize, T&T (multi-agency); regional project (ECLAC); • Development of policies and programs: Research and data analysis to support evidence based policy formulation (ECLAC); • Technical assistance on gender, ageing, natural disasters (ECLAC & other agencies); • Knowledge sharing: Sub-regional and regional intergovernmental and expert group meetings (ECLAC & other agencies).

11. Examples of Government initiatives • Jamaica: PATH project to enhance targeting of welfare programs; • Grenada and St. Kitts & Nevis: Initiated formulation of national policies on ageing; • Guyana: Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP): Poverty Program, Poor Rural Communities Program, Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), President’s Youth Choice Initiative;

12. Examples of Government initiatives • Trinidad & Tobago: Conditional Cash Transfer Program, old age pension, public assistance, feeding programs, employment programs, community development programs and a range of training and extension and business development services; • Dominica: BNTF, National Shelter Development Project, Legal Aid Project, Upgrading Rural health Facilities, providing support to business development for job creation.

13. Challenges in addressing poverty • Alleviate poverty in the short run; • Break the cycle of intergenerational poverty transmission (human capital); • Recognize age- and gender specific aspects of poverty;

14. Challenges in addressing poverty • Creation of a framework of social institutions: • Overall policy framework and lead agency; • Inter-sectoral coordination and integration; • Transparency and evaluation; • Reduce administrative costs; • Continuity and consistency (avoid duplication); • Significant duplication and gaps in coverage; • Engagement of civil society.

15. Thank you very much for your attention! • Questions?