The United Nations Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) forms part of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribean (ECLAC) and was established by resolution of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA), (now ECLAC), Committee of the Whole at its 8th session, February 14-16, 1962, as amended at its 9th session, June 6-7, 1962. The Governing Council of ILPES was elected at an extraordinary session of the ECLA Committee of the Whole in March 1962 and held its first meeting in June 1962. The Institute began activities on July 1, 1962.

At an extraordinary session of the ECLA Committee of the Whole in January 1974, it was decided to change the status of ILPES from an autonomous body under the aegis of ECLA to "a permanent institution (within ECLA) with its own identity and responsible directly to the Executive Secretary of ECLA, ...." [Resolution 340 (AC.66)]

The substantive profile of ILPES focuses on public management, with three priorities. First, contribution to the building of strategic visions in order to strengthen the institutional structure of planning as a tool for government, based on consensus-building around development policies and on public-private cooperation schemes, which may or may not lead to formal development plans. Second, the programming and evaluation of public-sector activities, including macro-fiscal rules, multi-year fiscal planning, management and banks of public investment projects and international cooperation, and follow-up and evaluation of public management. Third, the processes of decentralization and planning and management of local and regional development, with emphasis on the issues of fiscal decentralization and territorial competitiveness.

In addition, ILPES acts as the central training body of ECLAC and, within this role, contributes to the dissemination of the work of the ECLAC system, especially work of an institutional nature. Its activities are based on a program of courses, conferences, seminars and expert meetings, encompassing issues of multi-divisional scope, as well as those corresponding to its own substantive profile.

COMPOSITION

40 government members of the Regional Council for Planning: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, US Virgin Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela

STRUCTURE

The ECLA Committee of the Whole decided at its meeting in January 1974 to set up a Technical Committee to provide guidance on planning the Institute's activities. The Committee, which replaced the former Governing Council, is composed of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean. By Resolution 493 (XXII), adopted by ECLAC at its 22nd session (April 27, 1988) the name of the Technical Committee was changed to Regional Council for Planning (CRP). The Council holds regular meetings every four years. Its resolutions are ratified at the sessions of ECLAC.

The Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean was established by the member governments to exchange experience and research results on planning and coordination of public policy. It takes place every four years, together with the meetings of the CRP.

The Presiding Officers of the CRP, who meet more frequently, total nine members: eight Presiding Officers elected by the RCP, and a representative of the Government of the country where the Institute has its headquarters (Chile).

GENERAL PUBLICATIONS