Report from Permanent Representative to
UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (UN ECLAC)
Permanent Representative Elena Torres Seguel
Report period: October 2002-March 2005
CEPAL Is a short name in Spanish which refers to United Nations Economic Comission for Latin
America and Caribbean (UN-ECLAC) It Is located at Dag Hammarkjold street Vitacura Santiago
Chile Coordinator with NGOs is Mr. Gerardo Mendoza who is an economist.
CEPAL holds official meeting every 2 years for Latin American and Caribbean countries, which
last for 3 days. In this meeting principal topic are economic, besides one report about economic
situation of different countries of the Region. Advance and set back are analized. Official meeting
the agenda consider topics like regional integration ,economic development , poverty ,education,
migration between others are considerated international topic according to priority point out by
United Nation .Though I cannot attend the last meeting in June 2004 because it was at Puerto
Rico.
There are activities that I participated during 2002-2004.
Participation in ASONG.
During eight last years (1997- 2004) BPW Chile Presided ASONG is the network of nogovernmental organizations with consultative status in U.N. Now we are the past president.
During our term there are participation in many committees, some meeting conferences and
programmed and project relation with women, girl, development of labor force and others.
During this time, 2002-2004 many activities were organized with different organizations. This
includes many international a national seminars, meeting, in CEPAL, UNESCO, and in different
Chilean universities. Many activities are organized with NGOs, governmental, Labor National
Direction- National Service of Woman and others.
Our representation in CEPAL is very interesting for our activities and work in the national and
international levels. The most topics has relation with women where we have more knowledge and
best possibilities to have opinion and influence in our work with our members, others women, in
our societies, our countries region and in all world. Many topics like labor area, legislation, health,
education, capacitating, environment, integration regional, economic and commercial agreement,
international relation, poverty political, violence against women, the child, peace, citizen
participation are very important especially now in an world with more integration, communication
and for other side with more problems and difficult way for too many persons. Also we have
possibilities to do many things with the knowledge’s and information from this representation. Like
lectures, seminary, publication for instance. On the other hand BPW also has possibilities and
opportunity for speak and point our activities, concern, project opinion and our point of view about
present or future problems or needs of woman and girls.
ACTIVITIES YEAR 2002
I attended many International, meeting, including:

August 22-23 “EXPERIENCE ABOUT JUDICIAL REFORM, AND PROJECT RESULT”
organized by Studies Justice Center of the Americas CEJA, Justice Minister, and “World
Bank“, Development Interamerican Bank BID. This meeting attended 14 by countries of the
Latin-American Region, Canadá, Spain and E.U. Two seminars organized by CEPAL about
“REGIONAL INTEGRATION “ and “CITIZEN PARTICIPATION “organized by ASONG
and ACTION another NGO.

Seminar about civil society organized by Participa (an NGO)

ASONG meeting in MARCH. 2002.

Attend Ceremony Anniversary United Nation

Attend and participation as coordinator in topic about civil society in Special Meeting organized
by CELARE European Commission with representative’s member from Civil Society.

Participation in Commission UNESCO in regional meeting regional program“ Education for
all”.
ACTIVITTIES in YEAR 2003.

Attended CEPAL Conference, where I listen to the talks.
- “Relation between political and economic development”by Henrique Pérez Cardoso Former
President of Brazil.
- “Challenges and new pattern for financial of information society in Latin American" by
Peru, Spain, Estonia, Ireland.
- “Development Inter American Bank “ by World Bank.
- Religious Ceremony, with occasion visitor Lama Gangchen Rinpoche.

In May, I attended to International Meeting called “Translation the social capital and the
voluntary non profit organization in Latin American” organized by “American States
Organization” OEA, Development Inter American Bank (BID) and representative organizations
of France Noruege Spain and Chile.

In June 12 I participated in the organization as member of Council for Regional Meeting of
civil society about old age”. In June 18-20 I attended two Conferences. One organized by
International Labor Organization about statistics. Another is a seminar organized UNESCO on
“Education for all” where I attended as members of the Council for this program.

On November 10-15 ASONG, BPW Chile and others organizations organized Regional
Meeting in Santiago Chile, of CONGO (Conferences of Non Government Organization) we
give report on ASONG and BPW International.
ACTIVITIES in year 2004

On March 19, I attended a seminar where the speakers include the former Executive Secretary
of Cepal. Mr. Gert Rosenthal, Enrique Iglesias and José Ocampo. Organized CEPAL. .On
March 30, I attended Conference by Mr. Larry Summers President of Harvard University,
realized by CEPAL

On April 27 I attended “Global and regional integration, it compatibility” talk by Foreign
Affairs Minister Mr. Didier Opert.

On May 4, I attended CEPAL Conference about “Commerce, development and poverty” where
talks were given by Mr. Aldo Guadagni Executive Director World Bank for Argentina, Bolivia
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Chile.

On June 1-4 I attended Consultative Meeting Latin American and Caribbean Region organized
by CONGO-CEPAL in collaboration with ASONG and her associated organizations, including
BPW Chile. This international meeting of civil society was held. During four days, conferences,
workshop forum about topic was relation with “The eight objective for Millennium“

On June 17, I attended “High level panel about global and regional development ”organized by
CEPAL

In July, I participated in E-Business Training organized by BPW International and Asia-Pacific
Women Information Network Center (APWINC) in Korea.

On August 19 I attended Memory Ceremony by victim of offense to United Nation, in Baghdad
.On August 24 I attended the Inauguration Four Course Raúl Prebisch with Conference by
UNCTAD. Mr. Rubens Ricupero “Actuality of Prebich. For an international commerce at
development service”.

On September 8 The same day that the 57th.NGO/ DPI Conference on Millennium
Development Goals were held on United Nation I participated in the “The goals of Millenium,
the civil society in action” Forum in Cepal with organization affiliated to ASONG in Santiago
de Chile which is called These goals are consider obtain in 2015.

On September 22-24, I participated in APEC Sub-Committee International Conference realized
in Santiago.

On September 28 I attended the 9th Women Leaders. Network Meeting called ”Women leaders,
synergy of diversity 9 years of the WLN.” in La Serena Chile. At this meeting leaders women
came from countries by Asia-Pacific and 80 Women Leaders in Chile. Coordinator SERNAM

On October 13 I attended International seminar about political education and equality in Chile.
Organized by UNICEF-UNESCO and Ford Foundation.

On October 21. I attended Labor Insertion youth in Latin America, organized by Youth
National Institute.

On October 25, I attended Ceremony 59 Anniversary United Nations.

On November 11, I attended “Economic integration and social cohesion lessons, learned, and
perspectives”, organized by CEPAL, European Commission and Mexico government

On December 12, I attended the presentation of “Preliminary balance 2004” book by CEPAL.
Activities in year 2005

In January 2005 I attended “Meeting about the objective of Millennium”.

In March 2005 I attended the Commission on Status of Women 49th Session in New York
which conducted the Ten years on Beijing Platform for Action.
Submitted by
Elena Torres Seguel, Chile
E-mail: elenatorres@123.cl