Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz inaugurates Second Forum for Social Strategic Thinking in Latin America
New
York — More than 30 social policy ministers and social authorities from 18 Latin American countries began today a
two-day meeting to discuss the impact of the current global financial crisis on social policy in the region. Convened by the
United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (RBLAC) and the Spanish
Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID), with the support of the Spain-UNDP Fund, the Second Forum for
Social Strategic Thinking in Latin America warned that the current financial crisis, coupled with volatile food and fuel prices,
threatens to undo years of hard-earned growth, stability and human development improvements enjoyed by many Latin American
countries.
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Joseph
Stiglitz spoke at the Second Forum for Social Strategic Thinking in Latin America on 26 November. The Nobel laureate has
been appointed by the President
of the UN General Assembly as chair of a high-level task force charged
with reviewing the current global financial system.
photo © UNDP |
Latest
projections by The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) indicate that 10 to 15 million more people
in the region will slip below the poverty line in 2008 as a result of food price volatility.
“Next year, the social
impact may be even harsher if governments and the international community do not bring forward adequate and effective responses,”
said Rebeca Grynspan, director of UNDP-RBLAC. “Crises may affect the most vulnerable groups disproportionately, hitting hardest
at the poorest and marginalized.”
Globally, 100 million people were driven into poverty this year as a result
of the food and fuel crises. That number continues to grow. With 960 million malnourished people in the world, according to
World Bank estimates, nearly 1 billion lives are at risk as unemployment rates sky-rocket, commodity prices remain volatile
and governments face shortages in public monies and outside financial assistance.
“We are faced with the challenge
of preventing this crisis from becoming a human crisis,” said Ad Melkert, UN Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator
of UNDP. “The effectiveness of how it will be tackled depends greatly on coordinated policy responses,” he added.
Countries in Latin America are responding to these new realities. Governments in the region already place a high priority
on social issues and sustainable development through the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, a set of development
targets for 2015 that were agreed upon by world leaders eight years ago to improve prosperity, education, health and the environment.
Moreover, the region is witnessing a new generation of participatory social policies as civil society becomes increasingly
more involved in its building process.
The Forum will also stress the need to focus on challenges facing the region’s
youth, one of its most vulnerable populations. Indeed, an estimated 25 percent of young people in Latin America are excluded
from the labor market and the education system.
“It is particularly in these times of uncertainty that governments
need to make sure to implement policies that protect social coverage. This is crucial for safeguarding our future,” said Bernardo
Kliksberg, UNDP-RBLAC Chief Advisor and Director of the Spain-UNDP Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Forum
for Strategic Thinking
The Second Forum for Social Strategic Thinking in Latin America is a space for dialogue on
social issues and policies in Latin America. It brings together regional authorities and decision-makers to exchange experiences,
encourage strategic policy planning and coordinate action. The Forum is supported by the Spain-UNDP Fund “Towards an Integrated
and Inclusive Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.” In June 2007, the First Forum for Social Strategic Thinking
in Latin America was opened by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and brought together more than 20 Latin American ministers and two
vice presidents.
Today’s initial event was inaugurated by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, who has been appointed
by the President of the UN General Assembly as chair of a high-level task force charged with reviewing the current global
financial system. Other participants at the opening session included Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General of the United
Nations; Mirta Roses, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); and Juan Pablo De Laiglesia, Secretary General
of the AECID.
