Latin American and Caribbean ESCs gather in Buenos AiresArgentina for the CESALC Network Meeting
Twenty national and sub-national ESCs from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered from
April 9th to 11thin Buenos Aires (Argentina) for the II Meeting of the Economic and Social
Councils Network for Latin America and the Caribbean (CESALC). The first CESALC meeting
took place in Brasília (Brazil), in July 2013, when participating councils decided to further
strengthen this regional network and to initiate discussion on issues of common interests.
The main theme elected for debate in Buenos Aires was “progresses and challenges of social
policies and the fight against poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean”. After various
presentations by relevant social policy experts, ESCs’representatives debated issues related
to poverty such as quality and access to education and health, housing, social equity, labor
and sustainable development. The intention is to continue the debate on poverty in the
following two years, in a working group as well as during the upcomingCESALC annual
meetings.
Besides the thematic debate on poverty, a model of governance for the Network was adopted,
establishing principles and rules for functioning during its initial phase. A biannual work plan
was approved as well as the election of a management committee for the next two years,
composed by the ESCs of Brazil, Buenos Aires (Argentina), El Salvador, Guatemala and
Jalisco (México).
The Buenos Aires Charter, final document of the event, highlights the commitments
assumed, such as: to engage in actions agreed on the CESALC work plan;to strengthen the
dialogue on poverty and related issues; to contribute to the promotion of social inclusion,
fight against poverty and sustainable development.
Organized by the Economic and Social Council of the City of Buenos Aires, the II Meeting
had the collaboration of CDES of Brazil, Economic and Social Council of El Salvador, CDES
of Federal District/Brazil and CDES of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil. The activity was also
supported by the EUROsociAL Program of the European Union.
ESCs from 9 countries represented at CESALC attended this regional gathering, as well as
representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), ESC of Spain and
ESC of St. Maarten.The AICESIS President, Mr. EvgeniyVelikhov, who also heads the Civic
Chamber of the Russian Federation (CCRF), attended the meeting and highlighted the
importance of CESALC.
The next CESALC meeting will be held in 2015, in Jalisco, México, and the following meeting,
in 2016, will take place in El Salvador.
Website: www.cesalc.org
List of participating institutions
Argentina
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Consejo Económico y Social de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires,
Consejo Económico y Social de la Provincia del Chaco,
Consejo de Crecimiento Económico y Desarrollo Social - Corrientes,
Consejo Consultivo para el Crescimiento de Santa Fe,
Consejo Económico y Social de la Provincia de Salta,
Consejo Económico y Social de la Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas de
Atlántico Sur,
Consejo Económico y Social de Santa Fe Ciudad,
Consejo Económico y Social de la Ciudad de Rosario,
Consejo Económico y Social de la Ciudad de Río Cuarto;
Brazil
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Conselho de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social da Presidência Brasil,
Conselho de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social do Distrito Federal,
Conselho de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social do Rio Grande do Sul;
Curacao
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Economic Social Council of Curacao (por representación)
El Salvador
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Consejo Económico y Social de El Salvador;
Guatemala
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Consejo Económico y Social de Guatemala;
Honduras
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Consejo Económico y Social de Honduras;
Mexico
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Consejo Económico y Social del Estado de Jalisco para el Desarrollo y la
Competitividad;
Panama
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Consejo de la Concertación Nacional para el Desarrollo
Dominican Republic
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Consejo Económico y Social de la República Dominicana
Other participants
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International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions
(AICESIS)
Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Consejo Económico y Social de España
Social Economic Council of Sint Maarten